1983 Toyota Pick-Up (Helix?) need-to-know before buying?

Hello,

I am in the market for a Toyota pick-up and I stumbled upon an interesting find. A 1983 unspecified, which I suspect to be a Helix, with 4WD and manual transmission. It has the 22r engine model and it has an aluminum stake-body frame. I've been looking for Tacomas 96-09 models and have had no luck within my price range and without significant frame rust- some with rust on the factory replaced frame, too! So this helix interests me.

My questions are:
What should I be on the look-out for?
What would the mpg be?
Would the stake body affect the mpg?

Any other helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

 

I think you mean Hi-lux. Easily a much cooler body style, but if you’re looking for Tacoma drivability & modern reliability, the 83 is probably going to disappoint you.

Look out for cooling issues, carb (choke etc) issues, head gasket issues, leaks, front knuckle condition, rust, etc. It’s a pretty simple truck, but at this age they are not maintenance free. And certain parts are becoming either expensive and/or difficult to find.

If everything is in good shape you might see 20+mpg, but a stock 22r is a dog, and looses what little steam it has around 60mph.

 

Pictures?

 

Buying an older 1st gen mini truck is hit or miss. The west coast seems to have the best selection for rust free. Anything 30yrs old on the east coast is going to be in rough shape. The 22r motors are pretty much bullet proof if you keep oil and water in them, they'll run forever with basic maintenance. They are a simpler type of truck and their condition will reflect price accordingly. Anywhere from $1000, to $5000 or more for certain ones. If it's nothing special $2k-$3k is pretty fair for low mileage and complete trucks.

Watch out for people who call it an sr5 just because it has a 5spd, when it's nothing more than a base truck. There's various, albeit minor, differences between sr5 and non sr5. Also listen for a ticking when the motor runs, it could be the normal valve tick that the 22rs are common for, but it could also mean the timing chain guides are worn and the chain is slapping the front cover. Not bad if you catch it and replace in time, but neglected chain guides are the down fall of those motors. You can narrow it down to one or the other by which part of the motor the ticking is coming from.

Got any pics of more info on the truck your looking at? I've had 4 1st gens, one 80 w/20r 4spd, 1 82 22r 5sp and 2 83 22r sr5 and one 85 22re 5sp xcab. I'm pretty familiar with their ins and outs. I ran a Weber on 2 of them, a 32/36 manual choke, and got about 15mpg on 35's and 4.10 gears. If you stay with 30's or less, 20mpg is achievable. Hell the 2wd 22rs are capable of 30+. Factory carb is decent once you remove all the un-needed vacuum lines. Only 2 are needed for normal operation anyway.

 

Thank you for the swift reply.

When I did preliminary research I was hearing stories of 30 mpg or what-not, which seemed absurd, with the 22r or 22re model engine. I'd be using it as a commuter so fuel economy is important.

 

How much are they asking? Looks far from stock, exterior and interior wise. Which state?
That's a 2nd gen, 84-89, but was most likely manufactured late 83. Damn near the same truck just different style/appearance. Shares almost the same identical running gear with exception of the transmission and obviously the body. Same motor, same axles, gear ratio changed throughout the years, etc. The nice thing about 79-85 is that 90% of the mechanical components are similar, but parts are getting harder and harder to find for reasonable prices and in fair shape not rusted to pieces.

Just looking at that truck, it's been repainted, probably did the flatbed since the original bed was rusted out, not carpet, that makes a big difference in road noise on those trucks. In that configuration I could see close to 20mpg if you drive it right. Just based on the pictures, I'd have more in-depth questions for the seller to really determine it's health and longevity, but I'd comfortably offer in the $2500 range if miles are under 200k and no red flags arise. If it's been molested I'd make a more fitting offer based on answers or paperwork the seller provides. Keeping in mind it is a 33yr old truck and not in stockish configuration.

 

That doesn't sound nice at all. The person is asking $3,000 obo. It is located in southern New Hampshire, though I'm not sure if it was exhaustively driven there and for how long. And the car has about 96k miles on it

 

Like I said, it's a 33/34 yr old truck. It's easy to find basic maintenance things, but trying to replace factory ac, or factory moonroof, things of that nature will be difficult to find with out paying $$. Fenders and other body panels are produced by aftermarket companies now so they arent hard to find. IveI seen people selling parts that look like they've been sitting in the ocean for years and want top dollar for them.

 

Thank you very much. This would be my first vehicle, so maybe it would be wise to go Tacoma, instead. I find this car a thing of beauty, and I just wish it were 2WD for the fuel economy

 

That’s a cool looking truck (I dig the flatbed), but if you’re looking to commute in a vehicle that old - I’d hope you have a second vehicle as well. My $.02

 

Don't get me wrong, they are great trucks. My 1st vehicle was the 1980 4x4 long bed that I paid $800 for. It went over 280k before I retired it with an 82 that I bought with 135k on it and drive it over 250k. The simplicity of them is a good start since they're for the most part easy to work on if you're mechanically inclined. Just do some research like you're doing and find the right one, not a turd that's been polished or fancied up to distract from a major issue.

Can't really compare the Tacoma to the mini truck, they're a whole different beast in terms of technology, and performance but the reputation of dependability and durability are similar as the Tacoma gets older and hits milestones like the mini trucks have.

 

That is true. My commute is very insignificant. It's 2.8 miles round trip to work and 3 miles round trip to the nearest bus stop. I would use this car for those commutes and as needed I would bop around if i needed to pick something up. If that makes a difference

 

Another thing to think about is, how easy it is for these trucks to be stolen. Of the various Toyota trucks I had, I had probably 3 rigs that one set of keys would unlock and start without hesitation, and same for other friends trucks of that era as well. They are ridiculously easy to steal, especially in park and ride locations, or even your driveway locked up or not.

 

Would that be something that could be replaced?

 

The ignition can be replaced easily, the problem is that the tumbler and key style used, is susceptible to worn out keys that pretty much are a one key fits all. We called it the "jiggle key" in my circle of friends. Using a hidden kill switch or something may make it more difficult for someone to steal, but if they're determined they'll give it hell. I used to reach in the passenger side fender well and disconnect the starter solenoid wire, disabling the starter from engaging and unless someone knew, the only way for them to steal it would be a trailer or tow truck.

 

That's a bummer, especially since it would frequently be at a bus stop. though the area is not bad, it may be playing with fate

 

You've mentioned commuting and fuel economy several times now. And now you've mentioned your first vehicle.

If the MPG and overall comfort reliability are key, buy an appliance commuter like lower a end Honda, Nissan, Toyota or Hyundai.

Trucks are for purpose or fun, not MPGs.

One that old can be a blast, IF you are mechanically savvy, have a solid tool set, a place to work on it out of the weather when it breaks, and a 2nd way to get around.

 

Yes, that's true. The Tacomas that get 20 city and 26 highway are what i was looking at originally. I'm not looking for anything spectacular because my commute is negligible but I want to be able to pick things up when i need to.

Thank you everyone for the response, I think I'll have to pass up this cool truck

 

96k original miles? Or on the motor and the cab/frame has more? That is surprisingly low, if documented and engine and frame numbers match. Also, I believe Toyota still used 5 digit odometers in those trucks so that 96k could more likely be 196k or in worst case 296k.

$3k it's a good place to start, but from what I can see, price could be negotiated lower IMO. Take the frame condition into account also.

 

Not an '83, '84 or later. Good news is parts for this year and beyond are easy to find. I'm restoring an '83 and if you look, you can find just about any part you need except for most of the body panels.