So I just picked up this beauty a couple of days ago:
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And here's the story:
I spotted it for $500 on CL. Emailed the owner to confirm working 4x4. Positive. He said he hadn't been able to get it to start for a while, couldn't get lights or engine turning over, etc. I roped a buddy into driving me there to check it out, grabbed some tools and the battery out of my car, and we set off. No go on starting it as is, so I swapped the battery while the owner went in to study calculus. With the good battery, we were all set. Test drive time. Buddy and I were laughing our asses off. No dash lights, no rear window, big hole in the floor, LAF exhaust, wires hanging out all over the cab, and of course the 22re is bullet-proof, but comically underpowered in even a small truck. But it ran and shifted perfectly, 4wd worked, and the frame was acceptable.
Drove away with it for $350. Left the old battery in a snowbank in the PO's lawn. Today I got a chance to run it around the dirt roads at home a bit, and it is a blast as is, and ran flawlessly.
But it could use some work:
- This time it took tapping the starter to get it going
- Brakes are soft, fluid is low. Will have to top off and look for a leak
- The cherry bomb dumping just aft of the cabin gets tiring on the ears. This engine simply does not need to be heard that louldly
- Uneven wear on driver's front wheel
- Bed is... loose. Probably just make a wood one eventually
All in all, I'm pretty happy, and even a bit excited about this. It's already fun (and will be useful for firewood. That's called rationalization), but there's room to improve it, while getting some fun wrenching time in to boot. Plus, my first car was a '95 Toyota pickup, so it's kind of like coming home. Well, like coming home, finding someone took your bed and refrigerator out, set fire to the place, and put them back when the flames were out, but it's still home.
So, anyone know these trucks well and have suggestions/tips? I'd love to hear.
I'll sign off with this pic, that really makes the hood look like it's trying to levitate off of the truck (which is exactly the impression you get while driving it, actually)
![]()
And here's the story:
I spotted it for $500 on CL. Emailed the owner to confirm working 4x4. Positive. He said he hadn't been able to get it to start for a while, couldn't get lights or engine turning over, etc. I roped a buddy into driving me there to check it out, grabbed some tools and the battery out of my car, and we set off. No go on starting it as is, so I swapped the battery while the owner went in to study calculus. With the good battery, we were all set. Test drive time. Buddy and I were laughing our asses off. No dash lights, no rear window, big hole in the floor, LAF exhaust, wires hanging out all over the cab, and of course the 22re is bullet-proof, but comically underpowered in even a small truck. But it ran and shifted perfectly, 4wd worked, and the frame was acceptable.
Drove away with it for $350. Left the old battery in a snowbank in the PO's lawn. Today I got a chance to run it around the dirt roads at home a bit, and it is a blast as is, and ran flawlessly.
But it could use some work:
- This time it took tapping the starter to get it going
- Brakes are soft, fluid is low. Will have to top off and look for a leak
- The cherry bomb dumping just aft of the cabin gets tiring on the ears. This engine simply does not need to be heard that louldly
- Uneven wear on driver's front wheel
- Bed is... loose. Probably just make a wood one eventually
All in all, I'm pretty happy, and even a bit excited about this. It's already fun (and will be useful for firewood. That's called rationalization), but there's room to improve it, while getting some fun wrenching time in to boot. Plus, my first car was a '95 Toyota pickup, so it's kind of like coming home. Well, like coming home, finding someone took your bed and refrigerator out, set fire to the place, and put them back when the flames were out, but it's still home.
So, anyone know these trucks well and have suggestions/tips? I'd love to hear.
I'll sign off with this pic, that really makes the hood look like it's trying to levitate off of the truck (which is exactly the impression you get while driving it, actually)
