Toyota pickup vs Toyota tacoma

I have owned two 87 pickup, #1 with the turbo and sold at 120k miles, no issues what so ever and it seemed to have good power, even in the mountains of NM & CO, #2 , see picture to the left, a beautiful 87 extra cab SR5 I bought on eBay and sold to my friend at 175k miles, great running truck, but super low on power in the mountains. He still drives it.

My ex had a 2002 double cab limited with the 3.4L supercharged purchased new, last I knew the truck had 230k miles and still running strong. This truck didn’t lack for power, doing 70 on the highway or pulling through the mountains.

My favorite truck truck, wish I had it today was a white 2000 xtra cab TRD with a grayish interior and the 3.4L with an automatic, with every option available at the time, this truck ran great, never saw a dealer or repair shop, I did do some work to it but nothing major. Sold it at around 150k miles.

I found both engines and equipment to be very reliable, but if I had to pick one, it would be the 3.4L.

On a side note, I loved the SR5/Limited seats.

Toyota made some really great trucks back then.

 

The airbags are worth the upgrade. Its always been that in my lineup of Toyotas, and all of them went over 250-275k miles (not the Domestics, neither made 150k).

 

It will be a sad day, when sometime in the future, the last 2004 Tacoma TRD makes its way to the car crusher. After that you'll have to go and see one in a museum. But Hey, I'll be long dead and gone, and won't have to deal with it. After that people will have to settle with the 2nd gen as the new 1st gens. As an after thought on post #82, my brother has a late 90's Mercury Mountaineer with 230k miles on it, and it still runs pretty good.

 

Any manufactured product is always evolving vehicles are no different .

I bet I am one of a very few who still loves the 8 track player how many ever saw one??

Better yet AM only radio in the vehicle.

 

Still, "from what I read" -- the 22RE pones sp?
That is to say it trumps all


Due to simplicity, lower repair costs, price and reliability


Isn't there a single soul who will agree with me?

 

Next thread will be once I get the truck, how should I invest money into it? --lubricate the chassis?


Or do the spark plugs, rotor air filter oil?
What else?

 

Here’s how you invest money into a 22RE

 

If your Gung Ho for a 22re by all means Check out Yota Tech you can read non stop on your favorite Engine for weeks!

If I only had a few mile Commute to work on back roads a long trip to grocery shop of 9 miles one way I would put one back on the road .

But needing to downshift to second gear to come up the hill to my driveway gets old

The good thing is they do keep running when compression is so low you can spin the engine over with one hand on the crank pulley with the plugs in

 

Look, you're posting this on a Tacoma forum, what do you expect? You're really no different than the squids with 3rd gens who post in the 1st gen section about how awesome their TRD Pro is. You're just not going to get a lot of love and support.

That's not to say Tacoma enthusiasts don't like the 22re, most of us do, we just prefer something 20ish years old, has a little more pep, and is more efficient. Like our girlfriends...

With newer motors, there is generally an exchange of mechanical complexity for electronic complexity. Fewer vacuum lines and mechanical distributors, to computer controlled equipment. While this means it's harder for the shadetree mechanic to work on since you can't just use a hammer and screwdriver to fix it, it does mean that the added "complexity" is mostly just solid state electronics (literally never wear out) and sensors (generally easy to replace).

I was hesitant when I first made the jump to one of them new fangled high-tech uberly complicated motors, but quite honestly, I have spent LESS time (and money) working on this motor than I did ANY previous Toyota I've owned combined, and I've owned this one the longest, too.

All this added complexity would be a non-starter for us Toyota enthusiasts IF that resulted in a less reliable motor, but that simply isn't the case.

 

TLDR; buy both.

/thread

 

As a current daily driver 1982 Toyota Pickup owner, I can say that either is just fine. Both have been, and will continue to be reliable. But there is something that you must consider: the Toyota Pickup is becoming an older vehicle. Shit will break. You will need to fix it. If you're offroading it mostly, the repairs are just fine to deal with because it is expected (in my opinion). Secondly, It won't ever be safe as a Tacoma, which is something that is on my mind every time I drive. Would I prefer a Tacoma as a daily? Maybe. As an off-roader? No. (solid axle baby lets goooooo)

 

if I could have bought 2, 1989 standard cab, 2.4lt 4cyl, 4spd manual I would have. Ran 16.7 in the quarter mile. That might not be blazing but pretty impressive for a 100hp vehicle.
It hauled my Suzuki 250 quad. I put 309k miles on it and didn’t maintain it after 100k! Got wrecked in a accident and sold it for a new car. Still kick myself. I had a 2015 Prerunner Tacoma. It was fine
My 3rd gen (‘17 Sport) is 4x4.
Same room as my 2nd gen but looks better imo.

I love my sport. If I didn’t have a family I’d buy a ‘89 and sink a bunch of cash in it. I’d keep my 3rd gen as my daily and beat this piss out of the ‘89. I already did that once and it just always took a ass kicking and I just couldn’t kill it.
Mine was $6,200 brand new on the showroom floor.
Vinyl bench, drivers side mirror only, no a/c, no power steering, no power brakes, no radio, vinyl floor, no floor mats
2.4lt 4cyl carb. 4spd manual
Here’s it at the track 2weeks after purchase with 1,000 miles on it bracket racing


ha..friends that hang out a race tracks!
A mustang II and a shit box rabbit! Ahhh good times

 

when do i get to see up close that blue sport with the skewp

 

I wouldn't make any assumptions that a 22re pickup is going to be cheaper to operate than an old Tacoma. Finding the Toyota pickups in good condition is getting more and more difficult. Clean ones are trending towards 5k around here. The rusty ones get junked or crushed and the clean ones just go up in value. The 22re was a good motor for its time, but Toyota has made a lot of good motors. Good engineering can only take you so far though, how the previous owners have treated the truck is probably more important.

If you're looking for a cheap Toyota truck I would be looking for early 5 lug Tacomas with the 4 cylinder

 

Yup. I was always thinking if someone rear ends me hard while im in the 92, Id get a facefull of steering wheel.

Also getting parts for those older trucks is only gonna get harder. Which as much as OP refuses to believe, will drive the repair costs up.

 

Thanks, we can end the thread now, it really did provide an interesting read. There were a lot of good posts.

Never new there was a 4 speed, just thought it was 5


Thank you for taking the time to share, I've enjoying reading about the history of the trucks

 

oh I've already been rear ended at about 25 mph by a 2018 4Runner. Head hit hard asf against the rear window. A relative of mine got severe brain damage because he got rear ended and his head went through the back window. Never was the same after that ever again. I'm getting a bucket seat out of fear.

 

Oh mine was an extra cab. I did have somewhat of a headrest.

 

As most do. Generally all toyota pickups had buckets standard after 83 if im not mistaken.

Edit: I stand corrected.

 

No, mainly the crummy 60/40 split benches. Which for some reason Toyota thought that people loved enough to carry over to the taco all the way until 2004.