Toyota Stalking, er...um, SPOTTING with Charlie™ (Hilux/Truck and T-100 Edition)!

It'd be shitty if you didn't maintain it as much as you do. Mine was literally 4 hair dryers blowing hot air into the cab, I had to go old school, and roll the windows down. The time I recharged it with R-134 A, was the first time in 9 years it was ever recharged.

 

Right now, it's blowing a good 30° F, WHILE THE TRUCK IS PARKED ON A 100° F DAY.

 

A/C systems in theory should last forever in terms of blowing cold. It's a sealed system, which means you have a leak. The A/C system in my mom's 2004 Honda Odyssey never had to be touched during the 9 years we owned it!

 

Mine leaks a shit ton of water. I kind of want to fix it.

 

That's condensation and that's normal...

 

So I'm guessing there is NO leak.

 

First off, let me start off by saying that when it comes to general reliability, especially among 4-cylinder trucks, Toyota is going to win every single time.

Now that that's out of the way...

I believe that all mini trucks have their pros and cons, but the Toyota Hilux and Chevy S10 (and GMC S-15/Sonoma) are tied for my absolute favorite when it comes to mini trucks produced between 1982-1995.

As for 1995 and newer, while I still love the newer S-10s, I believe the first Gen Tacoma is a better all-around choice no matter which way you cut it. By the time the 2nd Gen Taco came out, the S10 was gone and the Colorado/Canyon had been in production for a year. In my opinion, comparing a 2004-2012 Chevy Colorado or GMC Canyon to a 2005-2012 Tacoma is like comparing a late 1980s Yugo GV to a Honda Civic of the same era; There really is no comparison!

That said, the Chevrolet S-10 and GMC S-15 were released in 1981 as 1982 models. According to the '82 S-10 brochure I have, they were not available with 4WD for at least that first model year. Toyota was available with 4WD since at least 1978 if I remember correctly.

I don't know much about Hiluxes older than the 4th generation, but the 1983-1988 Hiluxes were comparable to the S-10s and S-15s in terms of standard features.

Both trucks came standard with a 4-cylinder gas engine, 4-speed manual transmission, manual front disc/rear drum brakes, and a heater/defogger, among other things...

 

Almost 6 years ago, I had the opportunity to chat with an elderly man with a base model 1982 Chevy S-10 that he bought brand new. It had the 1.9L Isuzu 4-banger, 4-speed manual transmission, manual steering, and manual brakes. The only option was an AM radio. The owner of this truck told me he paid about $6,500 for it new back in 1982. I have pictures of this truck that I will post, but I am on my phone while taking a break at work, and they are on my external hard drive which is at home.

Let's say for the sake of argument that a standard Chevy /GMC would consistently set you back about $6,000-$7,000 brand new, between 1982 and 1987 or so. By standard, I mean no options whatsoever, with the exception of an AM radio. An AM radio was standard on all S10 models all the way until 1993, and an extra-cost option on the no-frills "EL" model. As far as I've been able to tell, the cheapest Toyota pickups with this area came with radio delete, and an AM radio was not option (THANK GOD!). The cheapest radio was a basic AM/FM unit with 2 speakers.

Toyota pickups were probably a bit more expensive than comparable domestic pickups due to the Chicken Tax as well as the new tariffs levied in the 1980s.

Either way, the cheapest versions of both trucks were probably in the range of $6,000-$7,000 prior to 1990. For that amount of money, you got a 4-cylinder engine, a manual transmission, a heater/defogger, manual steering, manual front disc/rear drum brakes, and vinyl seats.

I am pretty sure that S-10s came standard with a rear bumper, but they were an extra cost Toyota trucks; Same for passenger's side-view mirror...

 

Again, this is a very rough estimate, and I am using only the regular cab/short bed models for comparison right now. Adding air-conditioning is about a thousand dollars...

Let's add A/C, power steering, power brakes, and AM/FM stereo cassette to an otherwise basic 1982-1993 truck with no other options. This truck would have the standard 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission. I'm guessing it's would be anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 depending on a number of factors...

Want an automatic transmission? Probably another thousand bucks...

Intermittent wipers? Pretty sure that just like base Tacos today it wasn't a factory option on base model Hiluxes back in the day, but probably about $150 on the S-10. By the late 1980s-early 1990s, intermittent wipers were still available as an option on even the base S-10s, but not on the budget priced "EL" and "Special" pickups. Also by the early 1990s, intermittent wipers were not available as a standalone option on the S-series, but only as a package with tilt wheel, called the "Driver Convenience Package"...

 

nope. Not base trim. Not the one I bought new in '90.

 

If you wanted to add a V6 to a Toyota pickup, you were out of luck prior to 1988.

If you wanted to get an S-series with a V6 prior to 1988, you were better off with any 4-banger import in my opinion.

A carbureted version of the venerable 4.3L "Vortec" V6 that would eventually appear in the S-series first appeared in the all-new Chevy Astro and GMC Safari for the 1985 model year. The engine produced about 150hp, and the switch was made to TBI sometime in 1986. By 1987, all GM trucks and vans were fuel injected.

Unfortunately, even 4x4 S-10s and S-15s came with anemic 2.8L V6 engine. The carbureted version used from 1982 until 1985 made just 110hp, less than Toyota's 2.4L. The fuel-injected version used from late 1985 until 1993 produced 125hp, a full 25hp less than Toyota's 3.slow! Thankfully, all 4x4 S-series trucks came standard with the 4.3L from about 1990-onward.

Ironically, the earliest 4-cylinder has engines came from Isuzu, and there was a 1.9L and a 2.0L; One was for California only, and one of was for the other 49 states (I forget which was which at the moment). The engines were reliable enough, but woefully underpowered even by emissions-strangled 1980s standards; Both made less than 100hp! The Isuzu-sourced carbureted 4-bangers were replaced by the reliable but unrefined fuel-injected 2.5L "Iron Duke" 4; The Iron Duke was also underpowered, producing anywhere from 90 to 105 horses, and no more than 125 lbs-ft of torque.

The Astro/Safari made the switch to fuel-injection sometime in 1986, so by the time the S-series pickups and SUVs got the 4.3L as an option in 1988, it was fuel-injected. The 4.3L made the same 150bhp as Toyota's 3.0L, but the 3.0L made about 180 lbs-ft of torque. By comparison, the 4.3L made 220-230 lbs-ft!

 

Thanks for the info!

 

For a time in the early 1980s, until 1984-1985 or so, all manufacturers offered the option of a diesel 4-banger in their compact pickups. Dodge was the only exception. GM, Ford, Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan all offered diesels in their mini trucks. One thing they all had in common was that they were naturally aspirated and even more underpowered than the gas 4-bangers, producing anywhere from 50 to 80 bhp. What they lacked in horsepower, they more than made up for in low-end torque, as well as fuel economy. Diesel versions of American-spec mini trucks are incredibly rare today...

 

When it comes to body integrity (specifically rust/perforation), I thought relatively long and hard about this, and it pains me to say that the Toyota Hilux and even the Tacoma might actually be worse than the S-series in terms of rust! The 1980s S-series trucks are probably on almost equal footing with Toyota trucks of the same era in terms of body and frame rust...

 

I am looking through my 1991 and 1992 S-10 brochures, and I cannot find the headroom/interior dimensions...

According to the 1982 S-10 brochure, the interior has 39.5" inches of headroom and 42.4" of legroom. GM claims (in the brochure) that "No imported pickup truck can match this American-size cab room. I do not have a 3rd Gen Hilux brochure, so cannot confirm or deny this, but the S-10 is definitely a few inches larger inside than a 4th Gen Hilux. A 1988 regular cab Hilux (which is pretty much the same truck as 1984-1987 models) has 38.1" of headroom and 41.5" of legroom. The 1989 Hilux (first year for 5th Gen) has 38.3" of headroom and 41.5" of legroom (as well as 53.8" of shoulder room), so virtually identical to the 4th Gen Hilux in terms of interior space. Alright, so the regular cab S-10 does in fact have a roomier interior than the regular cab Toyota. Not a big deal in my opinion as I've ridden in plenty of S-10s and have driven a 1991 Hilux, and I found the 1991 Hilux to be plenty comfortable. The extended cab Hilux has just every so slightly more headroom and legroom compared to the regular cab.

So, the 1982-1993 S-10 has both the 1983-1988 and 1988-1995 Toyota pickups beat in terms of interior space, but I've ridden in both trucks and don't recall much of a difference...

 

An S-10 with the 4.3L V6 has got a Toyota with either 4 or 6 cylinders beat in terms of towing capacity...

The 1991 S-10 2WD with the 4.3L V6, automatic transmission, Special Towing Package, and 3.42 rear axle ratio has a maximum gross trailer weight of 6,000 pounds. The 1992 and 1993 models are in the range of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds, depending on rear axle ratio and a few other factors. Surprisingly, a 1982 S-10 can tow up to 4,000 pounds when properly equipped; Specifically, it requires the 1,500-pound payload package, 2.8L V6 (just 110hp), automatic transmission (3-speed, NOT 4-speed), 3.08 rear axle ratio, transmission oil cooler, power steering, power brakes, heavy-duty generator (alternator?), heavy-duty shocks, and glide-out spare tire carrier. For a truck with just barely more horsepower than a new Prius (a 2018 Prius has 95hp and 105 lbs-ft of torque), I have to admit that's pretty damn impressive!

A 1988 Toyota 2WD with the 2.4L EFI engine can tow up to 3,500 pounds. No mention of turbo/non-turbo is given, but the 3,500-pound towing capacity refers both 2WD and 4x4 versions with the manual transmission. The so-called "1-ton" version (2WD only) can tow up to 5,000 pounds, which puts it in 4.3L S10 territory. By comparison, a 1991 S10 with the 2.5L 4-banger and a 3.73 rear axle ratio has a maximum gross trailer weight of only 2,000 pounds. The 1989 model seems to have the same 3,500-pound capacity as its predecessor, and no mention is given of towing capacity for the 3.0L V6 in 1988 or 1989 models.

 

Essentially, the V6 S-10 is superior to the V6 Toyota in just about every category! Horsepower, torque, displacement, towing capacity, overall performance...

EVERYTHING!

 

I bought a 1989 v6 5 speed long bed. Ac, amfm radio, 99% sure it had a sliding rear window. $11000. After 16 years, 290000 miles it became a yard truck I used to haul wood and brush. Rats finally got in it and chew d up most of the wiring. I shed a tear as I watched it disappear on a wrecker.

 

Where are they all at now? I'm in diehard Chevy country and they've all been thrown away. They were pretty much garbage new.

 

The S-10 and S-15/Sonoma offer more flexibility than the Toyota in terms of what options you can choose. On the 1989 Toyota, only the SR5 trim is available with the V6 engine. I am 99% sure I've seen a base model V6 Hilux extra cab 4x4, but I believe it was a 1990, so perhaps the 3.slow became an option on base models later on?

Power windows and power door locks are only available on SR5 models for 1989, even on regular cabs! I have never seen a 1989-1995 regular cab Toyota pickup with factory power windows and locks, so I imagine these are quite rare! A tilt wheel is standard on the SR5 V6 Xtra cab and all heavy-duty 2WD cab/chassis models (commonly used as UHAUL/box trucks and RVs), and optional on all other SR5 models as well as the regular cab/long bed 1-ton 2WD, but NOT available on "Deluxe" or base models. I'd imagine that intermittent wipers were only standard on SR5 models and available on select other models...

With the exception of the no-frills "EL" S-10s and "Special" GMC trucks, power windows, power locks, cruise control, tilt steering, and intermittent wipers were available on all trim levels (In the S-10, the Tahoe trim was equivalent to Toyota's SR5 trim in the 1980s and early 1990s).

The "EL" and "Special" S-series trucks were available with a select few options, including air-conditioning, AM/FM cassette, cloth seats, and power steering. That was about it...

Power brakes with rear ABS were standard in the Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma by 1991, though power steering remained an extra-cost option on all regular cab 2WD models until 1993. Extra-cab and all 4x4 models had power steering standard.

In this category, the S-10 wins yet again...