older Japanese truck

[hansj3]

Anyone with firsthand experience with older Japanesee mini truck?

Need one for the occasional dump run/ home depot/mini truck fun

So far I like the Tacoma, pup, hard body,and some of the more pre ford mazdas

nothing really against the s 10 or Ranger but I had a ranger and it was good, it was just all businesses, not a lot of fun like some of the j trucks

And yes I'm big enough to look ridiculous driving one of these but I like them better than full size

 

[horse123]

Good god these things are overpriced. There's ones with 150k miles, rusted out, base model, tiny underpowered I4, RWD going for $15k. Ha, not in my lifetime!

I can buy a brand new colorado with 50x better features for $5k more.

That's my experience, waste of money. The small truck is making a comeback and people are overcharging because morons are paying.

 

[hansj3]

I'm looking at old, 80s-early 90s old. Don't care if they are kinda rotten..

I'm actually looking for a tiny underpowered i4 rwd claptrap

I find them fun

A Colorado is miles away from what I want

 

[andyd]

You would probably get a better deal on a used F 150. Used Tacomas sell for silly money around here. If you see
a reasonably priced mini truck, it has issues, mostly rust.

 

[bullwinkle]

An S-10 is a decent truck, if you can find one that's not rusted & beat to death. In the day, we had a couple early '90s ones with the 2.8 & 4.3 V6, manual transmission, & 2WD that made it past 350K before they finally got too rough to fix. Toyotas are just too rust-prone around here, unfortunate because mechanically they're nearly bulletproof.

 

[901Memphis]

Indeed these things are over priced. I can't believe it.

 

[expat]

I am on my third Toyota pick up in 30 years.

My first one, an 82, I put on 500k miles before giving it away.

My 2nd was a 1990, only 300k kilometers, but it got really ugly, so was replaced by my Current 84 Extra cab that had been in dry storage for over 20 years!

All have had the 22R 4cyl, and all have been ultra reliable requiring only oil and gas for years at a time,and never letting me down on the road.

 

[hansj3]

How have the Toyotas driven, the 90 in perticular

 

[Killer223]

i have a 93 standard cab 5 speed. 4x4, 22RE, GREAT little truck. mine has 268K and still runs like a top. the engine knocks when first started till the oil pressure builds. but it's still get 18 mpg. LOVE that little truck. it'll be my kids when i get paid for it.
can't go wrong with the 22re. the v6's had head gasket issues. and over heating problems.
mine has zero rust as i live in AZ.

 

[Bussey83]

I own a 1997 Nissan Hardbody with the KA24E 2.4 and a 5 speed. It's not got a lot of power, but some nice torque and those engines seem to go forever. Mine was a 1 owner that I bought for 1,000 at 222,000 and now it's at 285,000 with only minor stuff done such as replacing the factory clutch around 255,000. I did rebuild the lower of the engine due to the horrible timing chain and tensioners that come from the factory. That will really be your only concern. They sell around here for about 1,500 - 3,500 but that is mileage ranging from 200k - 125k.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: hansj3
How have the Toyotas driven, the 90 in perticular


My 90 was the Bog standard base model, I never got to really like it, but it never gave me any troubles, despite neglect.
Front fender wheel arches got rusty and it was involved in three minor fender benders
(Not my fault) where I just collected the insurance $ but did not get repaired.

IMO the previous 89's were a better built truck.

Whatever year, mechanics are bullet proof and parts ridiculously cheap. I once rebuilt a 22R for a friend, the rebuild kit inc. new pistons was under $200.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I really enjoyed my '95 Nissan 4x4. KA24E engine, 4x4 with manual hubs, 5-speed manual transmission. It was really over-built and tough as a box of rocks. Its weakness was rust where the bed was seamed together. That seems to be typical of that era. It'd be fun to take the bed off and build a flatbed for it. They make great knock-about trucks.

 

[cptbarkey]

small trucks in general are typically a non value proposition in america. get a full size 94-01 ram 1500 for the same price or cheaper.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Japanese Mini truck? Too bad these Japanese mini trucks aren't legal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_truck

 

[hansj3]

Kai trucks would be fun, the 25 year rule applies though so some of em are legal.

And to those who say get a full size, I don't want one. I've made more money fixing stupid problems on full size highway queens than I care to admit. A chev or dodge1500 or f150 also don't get 30ish mpg. My 89 ranger did, my buddies Isuzu does and my cousins Tacoma does as well

I already know what full size id get, 90s f 150 regular cab/box 4.9 and a stick. I'm looking for a compact truck.

To those who have shared their experience, thank you. Keep it flowing. I love reading
About it

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I bet you'd get 30MPG out of one!

Are there Mazda BXXXX trucks available out there?

 

[01rangerxl]

The main thing to look out for as usual would be rust. That was the worst enemy of most of these trucks. Some cosmetic rust issues may be unavoidable up there, but I would at least make sure the frame has years left in it rather than months.

Mitsubishi and Isuzu still had carburetors on some of their trucks into the early 1990s. People have been putting aftermarket Weber carbs on Japanese trucks for decades, but if you live in an area with emissions testing for pre-OBDII cars, that may be an issue. Personally, I'd rather have something with EFI, which was at least optional by about '85/'86 on most small trucks.

If you look at any 3.0L Toyotas from about 1988 to 1995, I would ask if the head gaskets have ever been replaced. Any long time 3.0L owner should at least be aware of what you are asking. If someone has no idea or can't give a straight answer, they may be just flipping the truck, or it may have a head gasket leak that has been covered up with stop leak, etc.

Toyotas will usually be priced pretty high. Something like an Isuzu Pup will have pretty low resale for a pickup, but you may have a harder time finding repair parts, especially things like light housings, door handles, mirrors, etc. Nissan is sort of a good balance.

 

[hansj3]

I am kinda looking hard at a d21 hard body. I like that the ka24 has love from the 240z cars, a ka24-t as they are called are easy and cheap.

But the Tacoma has that legendary toughness... at least in 22re

 

[Hokiefyd]

What is your budget? I personally feel that the '94-'97 D21 Hardbody was the best of the bunch. It had a pretty car-like dash layout and design, but had the same toughness underneath that made Nissan trucks so endearing.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
It had a pretty car-like dash layout and design, but had the same toughness underneath that made Nissan trucks so endearing.


They did do a pretty good job on the 1994-1997 interior. The only thing I don't like is that hand operated parking brake. Tacomas had it too. Not much of a gripe though.

I would even look at Frontiers up to 2000. I don't like the chunky Frontier dash as much, but they are probably worth a look. I have seen a lot of high mileage early Frontiers. I don't like the Frontier after 2001 as much...Nissan made it look kind of awkward, they started painting stuff silver all over the interior, and across the lineup they started having quality issues.