I am looking to get a SMALL beater truck.
I was looking at the early 90's Nissan Frontier XE with the 2.4L I4 engine, or a late 80's - Ford Ranger, or Mazda B2200 same years.
For some reason, I don't like Toyota trucks, but I could be swayed if you give me a good reason..
Has to be a 4 cyl for mpg's, and I don't like a long bed for where I need to park it. I'd prefer an extended or "king" cab so I have space behind the seat.
This will be a weekender truck -- hauling small loads of stuff, trailering a bike or two. I'd **LOVE** one of the early 80's Ford Rangers or Mazda trucks with the turbodiesel 4-cyl. Lots more pulling power.
Goes without saying, I need space for a gunrack and hip waders.
damn, I was going to recommend that cyclone.
I think it had a twin turbo or supercharger.
Those were bad ass.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on July 16, 2008, 07:20:34 PM
damn, I was going to recommend that cyclone.
I think it had a twin turbo or supercharger.
Those were bad ass.
nah, i'd prefer a really simple engine. no turbo or s/charger. easier to maintain for an older setup.
I'm looking along the same lines for about a year out. Although, I'm leaning towards a Toyota or a Nissan. Not a big fan of the Ford or Mazda (personal preference). I'm just figuring a mid 90s Toy I4 with a stick and I'll be happy.
Early '90s, late '80s, condition is much more important than brand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk
Quote from: Rameses on July 16, 2008, 09:17:16 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk
exactly, I've got one, they are unstoppable. axels are way better than what you'll get in anything else, transfer case too, if you're looking for a 4x. The 22re and the diesel are both unkillable engines.
So, there's your reason... of course they cost more than a ranger of the same vintage.
how bout this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___VW-Doka-Diesel-Doublecab-Accident-Rust-Free-Truck_W0QQitemZ110270170988QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110270170988&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1318)?
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 17, 2008, 01:23:52 AM
how bout this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___VW-Doka-Diesel-Doublecab-Accident-Rust-Free-Truck_W0QQitemZ110270170988QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110270170988&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1318)?
i didn't know they imported the Dokas to North AMerica! WOW, look at that. I would get it if I was younger and stupider -- they are nice, but too rare and "kewl" to use as a beater truck. That baby should go to a nice home with a shop.
Nice find!
I would think the mechanical parts are plentiful at most yards. Body work might be difficult. If I was stateside, I would give it consideration (consider me younger and stupider.... )
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 17, 2008, 04:10:26 AM
I would think the mechanical parts are plentiful at most yards. Body work might be difficult. If I was stateside, I would give it consideration (consider me younger and stupider.... )
Nonexistent -- they were rare in the first place and seeing one on the road today is a miracle. They were never popular (the Vanagon) and once they make it to a scrap yard, they are crushed and shredded.
I used to be very heavy into rear-engine VWs. I'm helping a buddy restore a 411 and it's proving to be a real labor of love.
damn.. that sucks. I think it would be the perfect bike/track/beater truck.
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 17, 2008, 04:23:49 AM
damn.. that sucks. I think it would be the perfect bike/track/beater truck.
it might be. that model has the fully galvanized steel and rust proofed body, the earlier ones didn't, plus that diesel engine was put in the Rabbits of the same year, so the engine stuff isn't TOO weird
i just don't want to get back into VWs now.. (old ones). seeing the interior gave me a woody, that's enough. i really liked those stoic, teutonic cars.
I like them too. simple, clean, not a lot of frills or cheap plastic to remove to get to things. And, like you said, a typical rabbit engine that was mass produced in the same timeframe should have plenty of used parts, no?
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 17, 2008, 04:35:23 AM
I like them too. simple, clean, not a lot of frills or cheap plastic to remove to get to things. And, like you said, a typical rabbit engine that was mass produced in the same timeframe should have plenty of used parts, no?
yes and no
problem is that a lot of people dumped them when gas got cheaper than diesel. remember when diesel was 80 cents/gal and unleaded regular was 1.10? in the mid-90s it flipped and gas was cheaper than diesel. that's when all the 80s diesels got shredded.
I've seen several Pinzgauers around Boulder. Very cool. Not sure if they fit your mileage requirements
http://www.youtube.com/v/6AaRL2jSrHw&hl=en&fs=1
I have owned a couple Nissans, both '92 I4's. They both did very well on gas. Tinny construction, like all small pickups in the day, but they ran well and minimal maintenance issues.
The Frontier with an extended cab fits what I need. I saw one for sale in Florida with a 3" lift that made the truck look much nicer without overdoing it -- it looked less like a toy.
They are cheap too, usually around 3500-5000 depending on condition, I think that's what I'll end up with.
Was yours auto or stick? Anything I need to know about that model (I assume it was an XE?) I am very set on the 4cyl not the 6.
truck = toyota diesel or turbo diesel. they WILL keep going forever, guaranteed.
Quote from: NuTTs on July 17, 2008, 06:57:09 AM
truck = toyota diesel or turbo diesel. they WILL keep going forever, guaranteed.
Toyota never sold diesels in the USA and only a tiny few diesels, all Mazda and Mitsubishi I believe (Ford used a Mazda engine in the Ranger)
have you thought of a chevy s-10 pickup? they have the 2.2l, easily available in man. or auto, and are way cheap to find. my bro has one with the extended cab shortbed. it works great for weekend hauls.
I would do a older toyota over an older nissan any day.
the older frontiers sucked (says the guy who owns a newer one)
Quote from: meano_lover on July 17, 2008, 07:26:22 AM
have you thought of a chevy s-10 pickup? they have the 2.2l, easily available in man. or auto, and are way cheap to find. my bro has one with the extended cab shortbed. it works great for weekend hauls.
yeah, i like the way they look, i just don't see many for sale with high mileage. you see old nissans and toyotas with 200k miles on them but the chevys dont seem to make it
i look at the mileage on these old trucks to see how they fare later on -- the nissans and toyotas seem to last 200k miles easy on the original engine, but few chevys over 150k.
Quote from: bobspapa on July 17, 2008, 08:26:02 AM
I would do a older toyota over an older nissan any day.
the older frontiers sucked (says the guy who owns a newer one)
why do you think they sucked? they had a good engine (I'm talking about the I4, not the V6) and plenty of them up for sale with 150-300k miles around. they seem to last pretty well if taken care of.
Those mid-80s through mid-90s Toyota trucks (which were just called "pickup" in the US, apparently, and Hilux elsewhere) seem to be one of those vehicles that will outlive man, and give cockroaches a run for their money. I mean, how many of them do you see on any given day, looking like the following image (or much worse!) and still chugging along?
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6c/Toyota-1984-truck.jpg)
Wikipedia's article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hilux) on the thing even has a section (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hilux#Reputation) devoted to how tough the little bastards are.
I had a used 87 4x4 similar to this
(http://rednecktrucks.tripod.com/audiem/87toyota/fr.jpg)
the thing ran forever, and required almost no maintanance. I sold it for more than I purchased it for after driving hard for over three years.
I worked for a nissan dealership in the late 90's. the frontiers were in the shop all the time with lil nit picky issues and lots of major internal engine issues. both toyota and nissan sound like you are driving in a tin box, but the Toyo felt more solid.
I used to own an 89 S-10 with the 2.5L 4 cyl. 5spd manual. That truck was AWESOME.
Great mileage - as good as my old VW golf.
Most reliable vehicle I ever owned - and I beat the shit out of it.
It is in a better place now thanks to an "incident". :'(
Quote from: meano_lover on July 17, 2008, 07:26:22 AM
have you thought of a chevy s-10 pickup? they have the 2.2l, easily available in man. or auto, and are way cheap to find. my bro has one with the extended cab shortbed. it works great for weekend hauls.
I used one of these for business for about 3 years. Decent truck, but by 200k miles, I had rebuilt the engine, tranny, replaced the clutch 2x, new A/C compressor 2x, new power steering pump, etc, etc. In other words, they only last if you constantly fix them.
Quote from: darylbowden on July 17, 2008, 10:51:09 AM
I used one of these for business for about 3 years. Decent truck, but by 200k miles, I had rebuilt the engine, tranny, replaced the clutch 2x, new A/C compressor 2x, new power steering pump, etc, etc. In other words, they only last if you constantly fix them.
The 2.5 liter engine was nicknamed the "iron duke"
I never had to replace anything on it. It had around 150k miles when it was destroyed. I was t-boned by someone going 40 mph. It still ran. I wish I had a picture. The body was so screwed that you couldn't even sit in the drivers seat. It still ran.
It was relatively indestructible. Can't really speak for the 2.2L.
edit: sorry - I just remembered that I did have to replace a belt. Once.
Quote from: SKOM on July 17, 2008, 10:18:58 AMI used to own an 89 S-10 with the 2.5L 4 cyl. 5spd manual. That truck was AWESOME.
I had a car with that 2.5L in it. Good engine for the time, lots of torque. Unfortunately, the car had a three speed slushbox. I bet it would have shone with a five speed. Even so, I eked 30-35MPG out of the thing.
Quote from: SKOM on July 17, 2008, 11:00:16 AM
The 2.5 liter engine was nicknamed the "iron duke"
I never had to replace anything on it. It had around 150k miles when it was destroyed. I was t-boned by someone going 40 mph. It still ran. I wish I had a picture. The body was so screwed that you couldn't even sit in the drivers seat. It still ran.
It was relatively indestructible. Can't really speak for the 2.2L.
edit: sorry - I just remembered that I did have to replace a belt. Once.
Mine was a '91 4-cyl, can't remember the size. All I know is that it cost me almost as much as a car payment every month with all the things I had to fix on it. Of course, I did drive it 60k/year, but still my Toyota never complained.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Iron_Duke_engine
I am going to rethink my original idea (Ford or Nissan)
I have this... resistance to a Toyota truck and I don't know why. I know they are supposed to be good, but I just don't like them for some reason.
It's not that I've not had a Toyota before -- I had a 76 Celica GT in high school and it ran for 250k miles. Awesome engine (the 20R).
And I like the S10 but I am so wary of 1980s GM quality issues.
but thanks for the comments folks.
Youve been missing the obvious choice. The Subaru Brat. I had one growing up, learned how to drive stick on the thing when I was 10, hauled scrap slate roofing in it when I was 16! Had it until I was 17. That thing went everywhere.
I now long for one with T-tops.
Quote from: rgramjet on July 17, 2008, 12:01:09 PM
Youve been missing the obvious choice. The Subaru Brat. I had one growing up, learned how to drive stick on the thing when I was 10, hauled scrap slate roofing in it when I was 16! Had it until I was 17. That thing went everywhere.
I now long for one with T-tops.
obvious choice for what? Looking like a nitwit?
i doubt it would work well for my purposes: hauling and towing.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on July 17, 2008, 01:01:02 PM
obvious choice for what? Looking like a nitwit?
Nahh, the Elade covers that base. The Brat was a blast though.
Quote from: rgramjet on July 17, 2008, 01:12:01 PM
Nahh, the Elade covers that base. The Brat was a blast though.
gotcha, but i don't think it's enough truck for me. i want small, not absurdly tiny
I just wish I could bring back one of the little pickups they use out here. Diesel, no overhangs past the wheels, turn on a dime, & will fit a bike or two. I also like the fact that the bed rails and tailgate all drop down and secure to give you a flatbed.
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 17, 2008, 02:38:52 PM
I just wish I could bring back one of the little pickups they use out here. Diesel, no overhangs past the wheels, turn on a dime, & will fit a bike or two. I also like the fact that the bed rails and tailgate all drop down and secure to give you a flatbed.
Brothah needs a pic!
95 s-10 was my first brand new car. It was great. Never had any problems (until I moved to Minnesota in the winter).
No question: Toyota. Change the oil and they run forever.
Quote from: hbliam on July 17, 2008, 05:48:16 PM
No question: Toyota. Change the oil and they run forever.
+11ty billion.
Quote from: rgramjet on July 17, 2008, 02:42:07 PM
Brothah needs a pic!
Links ok?
Suzuki (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.japaneseusedcar.ca/img/japanese_kei_truck01_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.japaneseusedcar.ca/ucar/japanese_kei_truck.htm&h=450&w=600&sz=49&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=JTZohsBWfyzzyM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djapanese%2Btruck%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DX)
cool.... (http://www.allterrainminitrucks.com/images/dealers/camo-japanese-mini-truck.jpg)
Quote from: slowpoke13 on July 18, 2008, 01:32:39 AM
Links ok?
Suzuki (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.japaneseusedcar.ca/img/japanese_kei_truck01_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.japaneseusedcar.ca/ucar/japanese_kei_truck.htm&h=450&w=600&sz=49&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=JTZohsBWfyzzyM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djapanese%2Btruck%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DX)
cool.... (http://www.allterrainminitrucks.com/images/dealers/camo-japanese-mini-truck.jpg)
Too funny, my ATV has 200 more ccs than that sucker. Its like a Rhino on caffeine.
My 91 S-10 got 250,000 Miles on it before the engine started to go out. very simple engine. Throttle body fuel injection that was easy to understand. Not much clutter under the hood. On mine the pilot bearing made a chirping noise when it was in neutral but nothing ever broke. It had one serpentine belt that was pretty easy to change. Oil pressure senders go out and give weird readings.
I've never owned one but I heard the pre-2004 Frontiers were crappy. A couple friends have some old toyotas and they hold up pretty well. They do almost nothing compared to trucks nowadays but for their size they perform pretty well. My friends rarely carried much though. Even having 3 guys sitting on the tailgate almost killed my friend's poor little (late 80s) toyota. ;D