Opinions on 1980s Toyota Pickups...

[JimmyHoffa]

I've seen where guys will take later models and then start replacing with 80's body parts to look like the older truck, so they must be that good.

[C-Money]

I've had an 87 2wd Toyota pickup for over 12 years. 22r motor, 4 speed manual. Runs great! I use it to run around town, and even take it out of town from time to time. Runs great, drives great. Needs a little oil now and then, has been a great little truck. Looks rough, but the damage was done before I got it. If you can find one in good shape, should be a good investment. I have put on a fuel pump, and a thermostat.  Lots of people have asked why do I keep that "thing", I just like it...

[trophyhunt]

I have an 89 Toyota 4cly 4x4 with a new motor out of Spokane, has about 22,000 miles on it.  Truck has 182,000.  I can't believe what they sell for!  I'm thinking about selling mine, my friends say ask 3,900 for it? I'd take 3,500.  It's not in perfect shape, runs great, pops out of first gear, syncros? Anyway, I love Toyotas, wouldn't buy anything else if buying an older get around the woods truck.

[Yondering]

My Toyota was an 87 4x4. Great truck, but I never got better than about 17 mpg when it was stock. Granted, it had a turbo. I was getting about 14 mpg in it with 33's. Even with the turbo 22RET, it always felt a little underpowered to me. I went XJ Cherokee after that and never regretted the change.

[deerhunter_98520]

You answered your own question...go back to toyota you wont regret it...stick with the 22re...the 3.0 in the 89-95 can be a headache if the headgasket issue wasnt fixed......I had this one for a while ...it was an 88 straight axled...one of my favorite trucks I've owned...the only reason I got rid of it was the standard cab..if it was an extra cab I would still have it....it had a freshly rebuilt 22re and ran like a dream..i got over 20mpg on 35s

Can't believe you sold it.

Sorry, I know, salt-in-the-wound but still

I upgraded but still sucks to get rid of it

[deerhunter_98520]

My Toyota was an 87 4x4. Great truck, but I never got better than about 17 mpg when it was stock. Granted, it had a turbo. I was getting about 14 mpg in it with 33's. Even with the turbo 22RET, it always felt a little underpowered to me. I went XJ Cherokee after that and never regretted the change.

My buddy had the same truck and he said when going up hill and the turbo spools you could see the gas gauge start moving

[Wolfdog2314]

Really enjoyed my 84 Toyota! Just wasn't practical enough to drive as much as I ended up needing to drive it.

[deerhunter_98520]

Now that's a nice truck 

[Pete112288]

Really enjoyed my 84 Toyota! Just wasn't practical enough to drive as much as I ended up needing to drive it.

Now that's a nice truck 

  

[BigGoonTuna]

after 85 or 86 they started galvanizing the sheet metal so they weren't quite the rust buckets the older ones were.  i've owned a 79, 84 and a 91.  by far the '91 was the most practical, my favorite body style was the '79-81 but the inside of the cabs are tiny!(i'm 6'2 and my head just about rubbed on the ceiling).  the older transmissions were pieces of junk as well.

don't bother with the straight axle thing, they're only a benefit if you're doing some hardcore 4 wheeling and they take a bunch of work(crossover steering conversion) to really make worth having.  high school kids love em because it's easier to put a cheap lift on than the IFS of the later trucks.

if you get one stick with the 4 banger, the 3.0 V6 isn't even worth having the block for a door stop.  just make sure the timing chain has been changed recently.

[jackmaster]

We are a Toyota family as well, I hated trading in my 98 Tacoma 4x4 extended cab, it had 358,000 on it when I traded it in for my tundra with the extra cab, even it gets 18 mpg if I jeep my foot out of it, my son had a 93 until he left for the military and my daughter has a 97 and It was in mint condition until she put it in a deep nasty ditch a couple weeks ago and mama is on her second rav4... we just cant seem to get away from yotas... great rigs.. on a side note my 98 was bullet proof, fixed it for my everyday commuter and huntn rig, I am ashamed to say I wasn't very nice to that truck but she never let me down... ever..

[hunter399]

Good rigs ,had mine 20 years cancer rust is a killer and they can dime you to death.but when a new engine is 1500 bucks you can run and run forever.

[deerhunter_98520]

I'm going to have to get another one now...seeing all these pictures makes me miss mine even more

[Yondering]

Really enjoyed my 84 Toyota! Just wasn't practical enough to drive as much as I ended up needing to drive it.

That's one of the best looking old Yotas I've seen in quite a while. Nice truck!

[LndShrk]

You can't go wrong with any Toyota pickup IMO. 

I have owned many from early 80's through my current 2012 tundra.

Every one I have owned has gone more that 200,000 with no major issues.


As mentioned above in this thread that 22R(E) engine is rock solid for many more than 200,000 miles and can be rebuilt for dirt.
It is not a powerhouse but it can take abuse this I know first hand..