Anyone here owned a Toyota Pickup?

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Anyone here owned a Toyota Pickup?

By teal_dx
- Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:27 pm #120634 I've been looking for a 4x4 truck for a while, preferably a Toyota, around $2000. I'm tired if borrowing a truck every time I have to haul stuff and we get a lot of snow where I live now, so I'd like to have 4x4 for bad days.

Other than that, the truck won't be a daily driver. I'll be using it in the future to haul a quad as well.

So I have been on the lookout for an 84-95 Toyota Pickup 4x4 (pre Tacoma) or even a T-100 (pre Tundra)

I finally found a 91 SR5 Extended cab pickup with 147,000 miles for $1700.
Passed e-check, clean title. Bed is started to rust through, front fenders and pass door are rusty, but seller has new front fenders and door. Tires have good tread. New brake lines.
The only thing I'm unsure of is it has an auto tranny. I prefer a 5 speed, but an auto isn't a deal killer for me. I don't see many autos, I don't know if they are reliable?
And the main thing I am going to check is the frame for rust... are there certain areas of the frame to look for?
Is there anything else I should check out on these trucks?
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By Classiccarsrule85
- Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:36 pm #120635 my uncle owned one of them they are nice trucks just they rust just like teh nissans ......

ummm id look for rot near the gas tank on the gas tank, id check to see if the frame was ever repaired mainly in betwen teh bed and the cab because all teh frame is exposed there.....check the suspension mounts and all the mounts just because that is an area where stress is applied and encounter rust then thats no fun....

automatics are ok in my book not great but like you said not a deal breaker....and people tend to choose autos when they go on trails and what not.....but yea id just make sure the transmition goes where it needs too and dosent slip....or buck hard when shifting.....

but yea the beds and the fenders rot all the time on those trucks unless it was taken very very well care of.....
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By Chance
- Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:44 pm #120638
Classiccarsrule85 wrote:
but yea id just make sure the transmition goes where it needs too and dosent slip....or buck hard when shifting..........

x2

Classiccarsrule85 wrote:and people tend to choose autos when they go on trails and what not.....

I would think the opposite.....

BUT IMO for what you are using it for brian.. an auto would work great :thumb:
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By pacmanlives
- Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:15 pm #120669 Check the frame some older Toyota trucks had an issue with frames cracking easly. All other issues I know about those trucks have been listed.
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By chrono404
- Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:58 am #120776 Image
I had a '89 Toyota 4x4 Single cab,Short bed. First year of the curvy bubble style. No Rust. Rust is not that common on them here, But we dont use Salt on our Roads in Winter. I loved that truck. Mine had a 22RE and had a 5spd. It was a good loyal truck that I never had an issue with, It was 100% Reliable until the Day I sold it.

The fact the fenders/doors have Rust should be a concern. My Truck never had any rust, Nor did or does any of my friends with 89+ Toyota 4x4's.
The 89+ Beds also were redesigned to stop the rusting issue the older models had. So the fact there is rust there, especially with a Canopy makes me my eye brow raise.

You will want to check the frame and make sure theirs not any major rust down there, However if the rest of the truck is in that bad of shape, I would assume it would be.

I Personally wouldn't pick up a truck with rusting issues. Then Again, There are lots of Clean 89-95 Yotas in Western Washington.
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By Civic_HatchSI
- Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:47 am #120789 The older pick ups are very very reliable trucks, my cousins has built 3. The 4cyl 5spd are very good on fuel compared to the v6 auto. Check the frame REALLY well, pretty much every pick up I have seen around here needs a new frame. Cab corners and floor is another huge issue for rust.

Before I bought my 01 Tacoma I tested out a v6 Toyota pickup 5spd. The thing ran like ass!!! Buddy trying to sell it to me didn't know anything about there truck and he was asking over 3g! It had a blown head gasket and holes in the body, also was leaking fuel. Only thing good on that truck was the wheels and tires lmao!.

Just make sure you check it over really well before you jump on the first one you find. On a good note the engines are really easy to swap and they are dirt cheap :thumb:

Good luck on your hunt Brian!

Oh just for kicks here is the old pickup my cousin rebuilt.

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By teal_dx
- Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:44 pm #120798 the fact that this one is a v6 scares me. I've read a lot on how much those engines blow head gaskets and guzzle gas. I decided to keep looking for a 22re / 5 speed combo. I'm not planning on towing anything heavy.
In the meantime keep teasing me with your pics... I would buy either of those trucks posted in a heartbeat.
Unfortunately, finding a rust free one around here isn't an option :(
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By teal_dx
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:59 am #121293 pics of the truck:
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bed is shot, rust eating from the bottom up. Tailgate is solid, only surface rust. plastic bed liner inside the 1970's cap.

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small rust holes in corners of front bumper, some rust bubbles in hood.

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cab being eaten from the bottom up, but only on edges. floors are solid.

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excellent interior!

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storage under back seat lol, yeah you can see driveway

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3.0 v6

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what appears to be leaking valve cover gaskets... hard to see with the timing cover in the way.

looking up from below:
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There was about a 4" dia. oil spot on the driveway. The truck had been sitting for 4 days. going back to verify it is the valve covers and nothing major.

suspension:
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both shocks leaking, replacement cv boots on both sides... new cv joints/axles in the future.

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There's a shock somewhere under that rust...
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There's surface rust all over, but the areas on the top where the metal is eaten through is all part of the bed, which I would replace when I find a deal on another one.

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looking up into that rear storage compartment in the interior pic.

cab rust:
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frame under cab

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sills and doorjambs. only a few bubbles on the lower jamb on passenger side.

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looks like rear brakes will be in need of attention eventually

more undercarriage
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Overall, it drove well and all the underside rust looks to be just heave surface rust. The only holes were in the body sheet metal.
I can get rust free doors and front fenders for free.
If I got bored and felt like welding, they do make rocker panel patches that cover the rusted areas. Oil & coolant was clean, 4wd engages & works well. power windows aren't working. AC is warm, but I'm used to no AC anyways. Tires are like new. I think I found me a good work truck. I am going to start coating the underside w/ oil though.

Not bad for $1200?
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By smokinsoljah420
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:22 am #121294 HOLY RUST BUCKET!!!! lol i had a electric blue 84 yota pickup!
i only have one pic of it left. lost them all!
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It was sick! Thing had like 300,000 miles on it and still ran STRONG!

ever seen the Top Gear "how to kill a Helix"???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uc4Ksz3nHM&NR=1

They tortured that thing! Ever parked it on top of a building, blew the building up and still drove the truck out!!!!!!!

SICK!!! :thumb:
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By Classiccarsrule85
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:55 am #121297 heh man that dosent look good man prolly would be better off getting a nissan 4x4 truck or something with a little bit less rust
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By JUICE
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:56 am #121298 makes me not feel as bad about my rear quarter cancer.. lol. i'd say that old girl has seen her fare share of road salt..
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By teal_dx
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:14 am #121300 I know, makes honda cancer look like a small bruise :lol:

I'm not looking for anything nice, as it isn't going to be driven that often... but at the same time I look at the other trucks on CL and autotrader for a thousand bucks and then this one looks like a pretty good deal.
Maybe I'll see how low they will go on price...
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By Ej1rider
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:19 am #121302 i bought a 1987 toyota truck SR5 couple of years ago for 700 bucks, with 160k miles on it and still using it i love it dude, too bad it doesnt have the solid front axle, but she will still go all over the place.... and also, i think the price is a lil steep, tho i got mine for a steal, if im not mistaken mine still values @ almost 3k lol i maybe wrong tho... well just checked it, it only goes down to 89 as the lowest year, and its 3450 lol



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By ohDirka
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:24 am #121303 Do some serious looking man. I knew a bunch of kids in High School with them and they were picking them up for like a grand in way better condition.
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By chrono404
- Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:08 am #121308 That rust is INSANE! Just Wow.

If I was looking for a Truck, Especially a 89-95 Yota I Wouldn't get this, First off The Rust has gotten on everything, I almost had a disbelief of how bad it was. I would almost be afraid to take it offroad and have the frame break on me.

I Believe the oil leaking is a common issue with the V6's, I will get with my Buddys that live/breath Toyotas like we do Hondas and find out what I can about that.

If I Couldn't find anything else nicer under 1500-2000, And could walk away with that for $1000, with the fenders/doors then I would grab it up.

A little maintenance and you could have a toy to take out in the woods.
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