1985 4x4 pickup.

[MOguy]

I am thinking about buying a 1985 Nissan 4x4 pickup. I have not seen it yet. Supposedly it runs and the guy has the title. Its supposed to be in decent shape or so they say,he is asking $700. I have read their problems with the head gaskets blowing on these, vacuum line issues and weaker front end. Is there anything in particular I should look for and are these real concerns with this pick up.

 

[boxcar1]

Sorry no one chimed in sooner.
This response may be to late to do any good, but here goes any way.
The 720 was and is a great truck. Nimble , comfortable and fairly economical.
The later years are the best. 85-86.
Pre 85's had a rust issue in the bed as it wasn't a true double wall until 85.
The head gasket issue is a simple to fix problem. At every tune up interval , when adjusting the valves , re torque the head ( as is recommended in the manual ) .
I have never had any issues with the R-180 front diff.
Front manual hubs on the 720 can be problematic if not serviced regularly. The factory auto hubs are more trouble free.
The 85 has the much stronger 20 series rear axle . Again pretty trouble free.
The biggest problem with the 720 is the thin sheet metal. Lean on it wrong and it will show a dent.
All in all the 720 is a great truck , Big bang for the buck.

 

[MOguy]

Sorry no one chimed in sooner.
This response may be to late to do any good, but here goes any way.
The 720 was and is a great truck. Nimble , comfortable and fairly economical.
The later years are the best. 85-86.
Pre 85's had a rust issue in the bed as it wasn't a true double wall until 85.
The head gasket issue is a simple to fix problem. At every tune up interval , when adjusting the valves , re torque the head ( as is recommended in the manual ) .
I have never had any issues with the R-180 front diff.
Front manual hubs on the 720 can be problematic if not serviced regularly. The factory auto hubs are more trouble free.
The 85 has the much stronger 20 series rear axle . Again pretty trouble free.
The biggest problem with the 720 is the thin sheet metal. Lean on it wrong and it will show a dent.
All in all the 720 is a great truck , Big bang for the buck.

I ended up passing on it. I spoke with a few people I knew that actually had similar ones years ago. One was a mechanic and the other a "shade tree mechanic" both recommended against buying it.

 

[boxcar1]

Hard to say if that was a good call or not.
It all depends on the rig. If it was maintained correctly it would have been worth the $700.
If not, your friends were probably steering you in the right direction.


Mine has a bit over 300,000 miles on the truck. I just went through it front to back. New engine / tranny / t-case / axles / suspension etc. Full resto. It was just plain wore out.
It will soon be converted into a light expedition rig.
The PO had kept very accurate maintenance records.
In it's life it suffered no blown head gaskets , axle failures , or vacuum issues.... it had the wrong bed ( for the year ) and a 3" body lift when I got it. All remedied by me.
I do not plan on using it as a wheeler though. I have a better suited rig for that.




I am not running super large tires on the truck and never will . Wrong truck for that.

It will haul a light weight camper , basically a fishing and hunting rig.

 

[MOguy]

Hard to say if that was a good call or not.
It all depends on the rig. If it was maintained correctly it would have been worth the $700.
If not, your friends were probably steering you in the right direction.

View attachment 320225
Mine has a bit over 300,000 miles on the truck. I just went through it front to back. New engine / tranny / t-case / axles / etc. Full resto.
In it's life it suffered no blown head gaskets , axle failures , or vacuum issues.... It just plain wore out. I do not use it as a wheeler though.
I have a better suited rig for that.

View attachment 320226

I am not running super large tires on the truck ( 31's ) and never have. But it has hauled a small camper ( off and on ) all it's life.
For me , it's been grate little truck.
Key word: little truck.....

I never even looked at it. The people I talked to about it with so convincing in their dislike for it. It would have been a truck for my son. He will be 16 in less than a year and a half. My boys grandpa has had various Nissan 2X4 for decades and has nothing but good things to say about them. I love the look of the hard bodies. He also wants 4X4 and a truck. We live in a rural area and 4X4 can almost be a necessity at times.

I have a 1979 Chevy 1 ton dually 4X4 that we used primarily as a wood truck. It is from AZ and has no rust which is rare out my way. We are working on getting it more road worthy. I bought it for about the same price as the Nissan and don't not much more in repairs in it. At this point it only needs new tires, a heater and I have to look at the brakes, they work great but pull to the right.

We like the idea of a smaller truck, but who knows what will change in the next year or so. In my area big Chevys are really desirable, esp being it has a working dump bed. I will be able to get a make my money back many time over if I decide to sell it. BUT it is starting to grow on us so who knows.

 

[boxcar1]

Yea , I get the whole Chevy thing. I have a 95 ford F-350 ( my work truck ) . Don't know what I'd do without it.....
If your kid's any thing like mine he's gonn'a trash his first rig any way. Not out of malishesness ( probably spelled wrong ) , just kids.
My kids first was a really nice 84 Toyota 4x4 ( bone stock ) 22r .
Ran it for a year then wrecked it at Browns camp. ( Role over )
She now runs a 1st gen. 4 Runner and is much more careful......She had to buy this one herself....
If I had it to do over , I'd still opt for the early Toyota. That's actually saying allot as I am not a Toyota fan....... Kids love them though.
Just stay as far away from the 3 liter v-6 as you can , It is a true POS....

 

[MOguy]

Yea , I get the whole Chevy thing. I have a 95 ford F-350 ( my work truck ) . Don't know what I'd do without it.....
If your kid's any thing like mine he's gonn'a trash his first rig any way. Not out of malishesness ( probably spelled wrong ) , just kids.
My kids first was a really nice 84 Toyota 4x4 ( bone stock ) 22r .
Ran it for a year then wrecked it at Browns camp. ( Role over )
She now runs a 1st gen. 4 Runner and is much more careful......She had to buy this one herself....
If I had it to do over , I'd still opt for the early Toyota. That's actually saying allot as I am not a Toyota fan....... Kids love them though.
Just stay as far away from the 3 liter v-6 as you can , It is a true POS....

I have an 2004 4Runner (stock) with the 4.0 V6 and it is a great motor. I have an 01 Wrangler modified for offroading. I would love an older 4Runner with the top that comes off and a solid front axle. Rust is a killer in my area and finding a good older vehicle is a challenge.

The Chevy was a utility truck in AZ, bought at auction and brought back to MO. It didn't run right so the previous owner gave up on it. I replaced the timing chain, distributor, plugs, wires and water pump and it runs like a champ. It has one spot of rust on the hood and one small place on the front fender and that is it. It has a STRONG GMC performance 350 and runs like a new vehicle other that the brakes pulling. It has a few other minor thing that will improve it. The thing is a beast. Interior is great and the exterior is a little rough.

 

[Arktikos]

I have an 2004 4Runner (stock) with the 4.0 V6 and it is a great motor. I have an 01 Wrangler modified for offroading. I would love an older 4Runner with the top that comes off and a solid front axle.

I owned one of those SFA 4runners. A nice truck, but your 2004 is much better in just about every way. Also owned an '85 Nissan pickup. A very nice looking truck, and pretty well made too.
One weak spot is the transmission, which is a pretty glaring weakness.

 

[MOguy]

I owned one of those SFA 4runners. A nice truck, but your 2004 is much better in just about every way. Also owned an '85 Nissan pickup. A very nice looking truck, and pretty well made too.
One weak spot is the transmission, which is a pretty glaring weakness.

For me the older 4Runner would be built for offroading, but be able to be driven on the road. The top comes off so less glass to worry about. There are canvas options for a top. It has less sheet metal than other SUVs. It wouldn't need to go fast, it wouldn't need to be comfortable. It wouldn't need to be quiet. It would need to be simple, maintainable and buildable. I wouldn't be getting rid of any of my other vehicles.

It would be a father son project. We live in the woods. 4X4 wheel drive is a necessity. Room for gear and a few dead deer are also a necessity.

My Chevy fits the bill but it is huge and the woods can get tight. A smaller truck would be ideal but I am starting to find that Toyota maybe the best way to go when it comes to older smaller trucks. They are more common out my way and living out in the middle of nowhere that is important when it comes to things like fenders, glass, door and other larger items that get expensive to ship.

 

[boxcar1]

Oddly enough, I have never had an issue with the Nissan transmissions that fit the 720 .
There are quite a few offerings as the 720 runs a divorced T-case. Any Nissan / Datsun L- series trans under 30" in length will fit.

I hate to be a stick in the mud , but I also take exception to the statement that the 04 is a better rig than the first gen 4-Runner.
Bigger , heavier , less capable , more prone to failure ,and more luxurious yes . Better in every way , now let's slow down here.
I doubt you will find many 30 + year old 04's on the trail in 2039.....

 

[MOguy]

Oddly enough, I have never had an issue with the Nissan transmissions that fit the 720 .
There are quite a few offerings as the 720 runs a divorced T-case. Any Nissan / Datsun L- series trans under 30" in length will fit.

I hate to be a stick in the mud , but I also take exception to the statement that the 04 is a better rig than the first gen 4-Runner.
Bigger , heavier , less capable , more prone to failure ,and more luxurious yes . Better in every way , now let's slow down here.
I doubt you will find many 30 + year old 04's on the trail in 2039.....

I really couldn't imagine my 2004 as a trail rig. It sits low and the under side seem pretty vulnerable.

As far as a dirt road, very very mild trial rig and even snow it is very good. The power in the V6 is more than adequate and gets me up to 24 mpg. I also have a camper that weighs about 3K and it tow that with ease. For what most people will use an SUV for a 2004 (or that model) it is a good choice.

I wish you would have written back a little sooner. When the chance to buy the Nissan was in front of me all I got was negative feed back about that vehicle so I didn't bother with it.

 

[boxcar1]

I hadn't joined the sight at the time of your first post. Sorry.
I have recently started a build out of a small-ish expedition vehicle.
Needed to see what others are doing.
While doing some design research I stumbled upon this sight.
I have been building off road rigs for 35 or more years ( professionally ) and tend to be a bit opinionated , sorry for that...
I agree . An 04 4-Runner is a good choice if one is looking for a nice SUV that will run on fire roads and perform well in light wheeling situations as well as running the family around town on a daily basis .
It's just not the first rig that comes to mind when I think of a capable expedition vehicle....
Hey, have a great new year...

 

[mattsavage]

I've had my '84 720 for 22 years. Bought it at 60k, now has 380k. It's had two head gaskets, one transmission, water pump and intake manifold gaskets, and a couple other odds and ends in that time. Bought it for $2500, could probably get $3500 for it today, remarkably. I think it would be silly to pass up on cheap, well running 720.

Granted, I need to replace every bushing in the entire front end and suspension, but other than that, it runs like a champ. A drunk, gutless, but a champ. But, I don't see myself owning another truck, until the Frontier comes stock with that Cummins some day (maybe then...).