Those were really durable if taken care of. I know a business that has one. I think it’s a 89 or 90. It is pretty beat up. It’s used as a pickup with landscape materials, tools, whatever. The mileage is well into the six figure mark but the odometer broke years ago so nobody knows how many miles are really on it. It’s been a daily use truck for over thirty years.
Vehicle Sighting - Mazda B2200
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My dad bought one of those brand new in 1987, white SE5 extended cab with an automatic. We sold it 4 years ago with 47,000 miles on it. Don't ever buy one of those nowadays with an automatic, you are totally screwed if you need a flex plate for it, because nobody makes replacements. Found that out the hard way. According to Carfax, it's still living life with 1 tooth busted off the ring gear from a defective new ICM that allowed the engine to backfire when cranking. I really do not miss that truck, slowest thing I ever drove.
Many years ago I had a summer job with a company that had purchased or leased three new Ford Couriers.
These were rebadged Mazda B1600s, unfortunately equipped with automatic transmissions. IIRC one was red, one was green, and one was that dried mustard colour that was not uncommon in the 1970s - sort of like a flat harvest gold.
They were not bad to drive, and I was delighted to be mentored by Mr Boorse, a veteran mechanic who taught me to change oil on the Couriers. He also had me remove the plugs on the sealed ball joints and tie rods, install zerks, and lube them. Very good fellow - RIP, Mr Boorse.
He had a Toyota Hilux with a manual transmission, and said that he wouldn't trade for an automatic Courier for amy money.
My dad had a 75 courier and a 58 F100 before he bought the Mazda. He was not very fond of the Courier, always had carb running issues and he said he hated how close the gears were, was always shifting it. He worked on them every day at a local Mazda dealer from 1971-1989.
I hated how gutless the B2200 was, never seen anything where you have to hold the gas pedal right at the transmission kickdown point (nearly to the floor) to maintain 70 MPH on flat ground with a slight headwind and no load in overdrive. We have a 8% 45 MPH grade near by, it was hilarious listening to that thing scream just to try and maintain the speed limit up the hill. If you didn't get a good run at it at the bottom, you were doing 35 at best by the top of the hill in second gear.
