Hi, I'm new to this site and have a couple questions for the experts round here. I'm finally in a good place and can afford a toy. I've always wanted a runner and have found 2 that I think are going to be good vehicles. One is a v-6 and the other is a 4 cyl. The sixer is a nicer runner with better options and less miles. Its a car that spent its whole life in the desert so rust is not an issue at all. The other is from florida and has a tiny amount of rust on a window seal and has more mileage but suprisingly everything works on the car. Now I have seen and heard about the 4 cyl being really reliable and simple to work on but I think I would like the extra power of a 6. I have read plenty about the 6 blowing headgaskets and bad gas mileage. Do you think its worth the time and money to buy the 6 or should i go with the 4 cyl. Both are priced about the same with the 6 costing me more to have shipped.

 

after having owned a 3.0 i would say go with the 22RE 4Cyl. You will be much happier with it. As you stated, easier to work on, more reliable, STRONG aftermarket support, great mileage. The goes on and on

 

It's really a matter of personal choice... the 22re is a bullet proof engine, with great support and you can throw a turbo on it easily which will bring you up to 3.0 area power with better fuel econ.
the 3.0 does have some issues, however [touch wood] I have'nt had any gasket problems and I get pretty descent fuel mileage however I've done some work on it [see sig]. If one is showing rust around the windows I'd be concerned about what is'int showing, the desert truck might have some issues with the varios rubber hoses cracking from the heat/dryness...
It's all up to you really... what ever you decide you know there will always be help avail. here haha... welcome to our family... aviator

edit: I also owned an '87 22r it was a great little truck...

 

The 3vze gets a bad wrap on this forum when compared to the 22re because it gets poor fuel mileage considering its displacement and power. Its no dragster motor, either. If you like the one with the 3.0, inquire about any headgasket work it might have had done. In short, both motors are painfully slow but will last a long time if properly maintained. My 3.0 has 206k on the clock, has had headgaskets done twice, and runs pretty strong. If gas mileage is a real concern, though, stick with the 22re

 

I have a 22RE and it does lack power but it sure is easy to work on.