Vehicle Sighting - Mazda B2200

Number_35

Number_35

Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
5,174
Location
Winnipeg MB CA
20230713_122401~2.jpg

There are still lots of these around here, but seldom in as good shape as this example.

I think this final generation of real* Mazda truck ran from 1988 to 1993. The 2WD version was the B2200. There was also the less-common B2600, which was 4WD.

The B2600 was equipped with Mazda's big 2.6 3-valve SOHC engine. We had an MPV van with that engine and the 5-speed MT. Loved it!

* From MY1994 on, the Mazda B-series trucks (B2300/3000/4000) were rebadged Ford Rangers.

Heads-up, @AutoMechanic!
 
I love my 1989 Mazda B2200. Mine is a SE-5 package with the stripes and white rims. I also had a 1990 but sold it last year actually exactly a year ago Tuesday. It was almost falling apart because the frame was so rusty and someone wanted it more than I did so I sold it. But my 1989 is my baby I’d never sell it. My first vehicle and truck so I’m keeping it. Mine is a 89 model but built in September 88. I’ve had absolutely no problems with it since purchasing in 2018 with 104,000 original miles. I know the original owners family and it’s a great truck. It’s now at 110,000 I rarely ever drive it anymore because modern stuff is just so much easier to get around in and mine doesn’t have air conditioning but it has power steering as a trade off. My 1990 had air conditioning but no power steering so that’s the trade off in these at least with the SE-5 package. The original owners family of mine was very happy to see it running around our area again. They sold it so someone about 50 miles away and she beat the heck out of it delivering newspapers but it’s back to being taken care of again. Here is a picture I took just as I was walking inside.
IMG_4138.jpeg
 
Guy i used to play hockey with had two of these they were 84 to 89 i think , he had a pile of miles on them only thing i ever heard him complain about was some weird carb thing ?
 
Mom has one sitting in her yard that has a few issues. Southern truck with no rust, I keep telling her to get rid of it since I'm nowhere nearby to help her work on it.

Buddy had a B2600, I'd avoid that thing like the plague, he had no end to troubles trying to find parts for it.
 
hemitom said:
Guy i used to play hockey with had two of these they were 84 to 89 i think , he had a pile of miles on them only thing i ever heard him complain about was some weird carb thing ?
Click to expand...
I believe the later ones had a variable-venturi carb (that is, a carb with feedback from an O2 sensor). They had to be one of the last carbureted vehicles sold new here.

We had an '85 Mazda 626 with the same system, and I spent a lot of hours over a few weeks around 2001 trying to figure out why it had started running so badly. It turned out one of the sensors, I think a switch that cut off or greatly reduced fuel to the carb on deceleration, had lost its ground connection. Just about made me crazy until I found it.
 
ctechbob said:
Mom has one sitting in her yard that has a few issues. Southern truck with no rust, I keep telling her to get rid of it since I'm nowhere nearby to help her work on it.

Buddy had a B2600, I'd avoid that thing like the plague, he had no end to troubles trying to find parts for it.
Click to expand...
Our '90 MPV with the 2.6 was only 11 years old when it was written-off, but I never had trouble getting parts.

Our '97 MPV had good parts availability right to the end in late 2018, but it had the way more common 3.0 V6.
 
Number_35 said:
I believe the later ones had a variable-venturi carb (that is, a carb with feedback from an O2 sensor). They had to be one of the last carbureted vehicles sold new here.

We had an '85 Mazda 626 with the same system, and I spent a lot of hours over a few weeks around 2001 trying to figure out why it had started running so badly. It turned out one of the sensors, I think a switch that cut off or greatly reduced fuel to the carb on deceleration, had lost its ground connection. Just about made me crazy until I found it.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right .
I remember one of them pissing him off so much he got rid of it for a v8 dakota.
 
Number_35 said:
Our '90 MPV with the 2.6 was only 11 years old when it was written-off, but I never had trouble getting parts.

Our '97 MPV had good parts availability right to the end in late 2018, but it had the way more common 3.0 V6.
Click to expand...
Did it have the same oddball Mitsubishi engine that the B2600 used? I never really kept up with them all that much.

I know he was getting ready to rebuild it and had such a hard time getting stuff for it he cut his losses and ran into an OBS F150 with the 302.
 
MParr said:
I had an ‘87 B 2000 Extended Cab. It was a pretty decent truck. I traded it fo a ‘91 Ford Ranger XLT Extended Cab. Both were 2 WD manuals.
Click to expand...
Same or very similar transmission perhaps - I think Ford sourced their MTs from Mazda for the Ranger and Aerostar, and even some F150s. (Manual Aerostars were rare but were a thing in the early years.)

Our '90 MPV allegedly had the same MT as the RX-7.
 
hemitom said:
Sounds about right .
I remember one of them pissing him off so much he got rid of it for a v8 dakota.
Click to expand...
It was a good learning experience for me. (Trying to be glass-half-full here.)

A friend had a 1st-gen ('87?) Euro (German?) Ford Escort with a feedback carb - it caused him much grief.

I think of these as basically early throttle bodies, with the associated growing pains.
 
ctechbob said:
Did it have the same oddball Mitsubishi engine that the B2600 used? I never really kept up with them all that much.

I know he was getting ready to rebuild it and had such a hard time getting stuff for it he cut his losses and ran into an OBS F150 with the 302.
Click to expand...
I don't think Mazda used the problematic Mitsu 2.6 that failed so often on 1st-gen Chrysler vans.

Although both engines were around 2.6 l, had timing chains, and had chain-driven balance shafts, the Mazda G6 engine was way more reliable.

The Mitsu engine had a conventional 2-valve head., and in any application I saw the engine was installed transversely. The Mazda 2.6 was always installed longitudinally, and was 3-valve.

For some reason the Mitsu engines of that era had a reputation for burning oil.

Edit: Arg, you're quite right - I just read the Wiki "Mazda G-series engines" article. Mazda used the 2555 cc Mitsu engine through the 1987 model year until its in-house G6 2606 cc engine was available. I imagine the Mitsu engine was just as problematic for Mazda as it was for Chrysler. 😞

I'm glad we had the Mazda engine in our MPV!
 
Last edited:
AutoMechanic said:
I love my 1989 Mazda B2200. Mine is a SE-5 package with the stripes and white rims. I also had a 1990 but sold it last year actually exactly a year ago Tuesday. It was almost falling apart because the frame was so rusty and someone wanted it more than I did so I sold it. But my 1989 is my baby I’d never sell it. My first vehicle and truck so I’m keeping it. Mine is a 89 model but built in September 88. I’ve had absolutely no problems with it since purchasing in 2018 with 104,000 original miles. I know the original owners family and it’s a great truck. It’s now at 110,000 I rarely ever drive it anymore because modern stuff is just so much easier to get around in and mine doesn’t have air conditioning but it has power steering as a trade off. My 1990 had air conditioning but no power steering so that’s the trade off in these at least with the SE-5 package. The original owners family of mine was very happy to see it running around our area again. They sold it so someone about 50 miles away and she beat the heck out of it delivering newspapers but it’s back to being taken care of again. Here is a picture I took just as I was walking inside. View attachment 166802
Click to expand...
Looks like you have a deer friend in your yard too haha
 
I thought I had remembered that Mazda used the 2.6 Mitsu engine for a bit. As well as Chrysler in their K cars. They had the extra "jet" intake valve to promote lean running. It may have been the first inline 4 to use balance shafts. Mitsu bought the patents from someone for balance shafts and then others paid them to use the design. Porsche was one of them.

An acquaintance bought a new 626 in about '80 or '81 with the 2.0 engine. He pounded the roads for years to build up a deceased relative's old insurance agency that he took over. I believe that he gone well over 200k mi. in about 5 or 6 years. You didn't see many cars doing that many miles back then.
 
hank2 said:
I thought I had remembered that Mazda used the 2.6 Mitsu engine for a bit. As well as Chrysler in their K cars. They had the extra "jet" intake valve to promote lean running. It may have been the first inline 4 to use balance shafts. Mitsu bought the patents from someone for balance shafts and then others paid them to use the design. Porsche was one of them.

An acquaintance bought a new 626 in about '80 or '81 with the 2.0 engine. He pounded the roads for years to build up a deceased relative's old insurance agency that he took over. I believe that he gone well over 200k mi. in about 5 or 6 years. You didn't see many cars doing that many miles back then.
Click to expand...
That extra intake valve sounds like the Honda CVCC system from around 1974. Those engines ran cleanly enough that Honda was able to defer catalytic converters for a couple of years.

I loved the first-gen 626 (RWD). Had the little brother for awhile - a '79 GLC Sport, also RWD. Very fun car.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

slo town
List of cars you've owned
7 8 9
Replies
165
Views
14K
ZZman
Number_35
  • Locked
Car sightings in New Zealand #2
Replies
15
Views
4K
Uphill_Both_Ways
Back
Top