need opinions on compact pickup

I've been lookin to buy a small 80s-90s pickup... single cab, short bed, 5 speed... just a beater that will last forever and is reasonably efficient

Been looking at...
Nissan hardbodys
Toyota 20r22r22re etc

also, i've seen a couple of isuzu Pup diesels along with other mid 80's diesels, which are catching my interest...

anyways, small small budget (like 2k) but looking for mpg and reliability on a single cab truck

what would you guys suggest?

Get a MJ, small, strong, and good engine... then you have x2 the parts!

I've had nissan,toyota,and ranger all good ... my ranger lasted me till 256k the hardbody gave me 216 and the yota 334k , all great little trucks .. with your budget you'll fine real decent ones

Hardbody or 89+ Toyota!!! only 2 choices really. I would go hardbody those NAPZ motors with dual plug heads are nice!!!

I have an 85 Nissan pickup, last year before the hardbody. It's a great little truck, 252k miles on it. It's lived a hard life though. When it was the wife's (first car at 18), it didn't get maintained very well, then it went to her stepdad where the headgasket was blown. It never got fixed right, just a new gasket put in. From there it went to the younger brother who tried to jump it out in the desert, and then to the older brother who blew up the transmission while attempting a smoky burnout (Z24 does not give smoky burnouts...) and rebuilt with junkyard parts and no attention to tolerances and shimming. The engine has a leak between cylinders 3 and 4 from the blown head gasket but runs like a champ. MPGs suffer, but power is fine, and it runs smooth. However, the transmission blowed up again and rats chewed the wiring while it sat. All in all, for the abuse it's been through, it's been a really great truck.

I had a 96 Nissan for a short time and it was a good truck too. Plenty of power, drove decent, and both fit my 6'2" frame fine. We gave that one back to her dad when he needed a truck and he traded it. We miss it.

I always think about dropping a SBC into the 85 since it needs a tranny, wiring, and the engine could use an overhaul, SBC swap would solve all problems.

87_trailrig said:

I've had nissan,toyota,and ranger all good ... my ranger lasted me till 256k the hardbody gave me 216 and the yota 334k , all great little trucks .. with your budget you'll fine real decent ones

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what kinda MPG were you getting out of those 3

I had a Dodge ram 50 pickup and it was a great truck. The only issue is they tend to develop cracks in the intake manifold which is hard to come by. You could probably weld one if you had to. Anyway they are dirt cheap. They are the same as a mitsubishi mighty max.

Toyota with the 22re has my vote. Had one through High School, College and so on. She was an 88, and sold her with almost 300k! They knock alot, but I was religous with 3k oil changes. I learned everything on that truck, brake jobs, clutch, belts, etc. Thanks, man I miss that truck....I have more fun in the Jeep tho!

I had a 89 Mitsubishi Mighty Max 2.0 5-speed. And got 29 MPG driving with a load of car parts(axles, transmissions, up to LA and back(lighter load on the way home)at 70MPH.

It was carbureted and had a mile of vacuum lines. I had one smog issue that was repaired by a smog tech friend. I wasn't looking forward to the maintenance repairs that were looming, so I sold it. Found out when selling it that the head gasket was going south when the buyer cracked open the radiator cap.

I am a big fan of that truck. I would get another if I ever needed a little beater truck again. I would probably look for a fuelie.

Early 90s tacoma s-runner would be sweet. 3.4/v6 super charged in a access cab tacoma. Little reliable fast. And still a truck. and that 3.4l is stupid reliable, maybe even more so then the 22r.

I have a 83 Nissan 720. It's the most dependable small truck I have ever had. I bought it for 300 bucks threw a head gasket in it and it's been great ever since.

Those Pup diesels will last forever. Pre87 Yota with 22r, S-10 with 2.5L iron duke, or old datsun/nissan pickup are the way to go.

The ranger about 28-30 the nissan about 27-28 yota about 22-25 it was still carb. And the yota and ranger were lifted

I had a 91 toyota pickup with the 22re motor. I sold it at 286k. Awesome little truck and great gas mileage. I also had a 93 4Runner and a 95 Land Cruiser and all of them were incredibly reliable. For the age range your looking at you will not find better then a yota pick up.

Another vote for any fuel injected toyota 22re truck. 85 (1 ton, 4x4) or 86-94ish? All VERY reliable. Tend to blow head gaskets if you get them hot, and the timing covers get worn through by the chain if the guide breaks. Other than that they are unbeliveably reliable and take a beating. Just sold one a couple years ago with 550k on the motor, on its third head gasket.

My vote is still a MJ

i already have a cherokee, dont need another one... haha. but yeah, i have my sights set on a 22re pickup. thanks guys

KRAKER said:

I have a 83 Nissan 720. It's the most dependable small truck I have ever had. I bought it for 300 bucks threw a head gasket in it and it's been great ever since.

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Want an 85 for parts?