1993 Toyota Pickup

[Dr. Cornwallis]

I'm looking for some help regarding pricing and weather or not this is a good idea. I'm looking to reduce my overall cost of ownership, I currently have a 2012 Tacoma access cab 4x4 six speed that I'm tired of paying $457 a month for. I bought it new and I now have plenty of payments behind me that I've built up around six grand of equity in the truck.

I've always loved old school Toyota pickups and now I'm considering purchasing a 1993 Toyota Pickup regular cab 4x4, 4 cyl, 5 speed with low miles (86,000 original miles). If this one doesn't work out I'm going to keep looking for something similar. What is a fair price for a early 90's with the above description or perhaps an extended cab? The one I'm looking at is in excellent shape but the guy wants $12,500 with to me seems astronomically stupid. I've looked up KBB on the exact truck in the best condition rating and the value was more like $3,500. Is he smoking crack or is KBB too low?

What kind of problems should I look out for with an older Toyota Pickup, even with low miles? I believe rust and the timing chain are things to consider? Is there a year that was better than others? I like the look of the boxy pickups before they started getting round.

Truck uses will be daily driver and weekend adventure vehicle/light overland truck.

Thanks for any help!


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[EZE]

Ive got a 93 extended cab pickup 4X4 5spd with the 4cl engine (22re). I FREAKING LOVE IT. Seems to me that that guy is crazy and KBB is to low. I got mine in EXCELLENT condition for $6k (@ ~90,000 miles) which I think was still on the high side. $12,500 seems absolutely ludicrous.

I use mine as a daily driver and it's been all over the west coast and PNW with my wife and our pup. My ONLY complaints are that I'm 6'4" so even sleeping in the bed of the truck is a bit cramped, and you're not breaking any land speed records climbing mountain passes.

 

[Dr. Cornwallis]

Ive got a 93 extended cab pickup 4X4 5spd with the 4cl engine (22re). I FREAKING LOVE IT. Seems to me that that guy is crazy and KBB is to low. I got mine in EXCELLENT condition for $6k (@ ~90,000 miles) which I think was still on the high side. $12,500 seems absolutely ludicrous.

I use mine as a daily driver and it's been all over the west coast and PNW with my wife and our pup. My ONLY complaints are that I'm 6'4" so even sleeping in the bed of the truck is a bit cramped, and you're not breaking any land speed records climbing mountain passes.

I'm glad you like it so much! They seem like really great trucks and I got especially hooked when I saw the desk to glory pickup. I kind of figured the guy was smoking crack. I figured after reading KBB I would offer him six for it and see if he would meet me in the middle but I have a feeling he's going to tell me to get bent. I'm gonna make the offer and then keep an eye on the truck if he doesn't take it. I found out MSRP on the truck in 1993 was around 13k so that was my first clue 12,500 was ludicrous.


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[Ghost65]

$12,500 is a bit high...as others have stated, "astronomically high."

Move on...there are other trucks out there. Don't buy on emotion, look at several trucks to get over the excitement of just "buying one," and get the VIN numbers and do research before you buy. Patience will reward you with the truck you were meant to have, and enjoy for years to come.

 

[DVexile]

12,500 is insane. For reference I just sold my 1992 4x4 RC Long Bed for $4,500. It had 125k miles on it. Had a full set of BFG KOs on it with just a couple thousand miles on them, timing chain and nearly everything else replaced on it already back at 117k.

There will be other trucks. Don't pay more than say $6K for one.

 

[2scars]

I paid $4K for my 89 4Runner before I knew what was what and it was the only Toyota 4x4 for sale in my area that summer that was running. I had just gotten a settlement for my Explorer that gave me that much money, but now I feel like I paid a little much. The 3rd gen pickups around here demand a premium and they all have high mileage. $12.5 is crazy though. He must not want to sell it really.

I made up for it with my DC though��

 

[ico135]

Insane price. Could get a single cab gen 1 tacoma with decent mileage easily for that price. 22re is a great motor but stepping back down to a truck with 105 hp is gonna be painful.

 

[huntsonora]

12,500 is insane. For reference I just sold my 1992 4x4 RC Long Bed for $4,500. It had 125k miles on it. Had a full set of BFG KOs on it with just a couple thousand miles on them, timing chain and nearly everything else replaced on it already back at 117k.

There will be other trucks. Don't pay more than say $6K for one.

Amen! BTW, the truck is on the ranch and doing great!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

:Wow1: You can get into a double cab Tacoma for $12.5k where I live.

 

[Dr. Cornwallis]

Insane price. Could get a single cab gen 1 tacoma with decent mileage easily for that price. 22re is a great motor but stepping back down to a truck with 105 hp is gonna be painful.

Yea I figured stepping down from 230 hp to 105 I won't be winning any drag races, especially since I pull a small lawn trailer a few days a week. I know it's going to be a lot slower but the truck is also a lot lighter I would think, being that it's a lot smaller and has a less "stuff." I drive like an old man though so it shouldn't be too much of an issue.


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[DaveInDenver]

We're going the other way, from a '91 XtraCab with a 22R-E to a '08 Access Cab with a 1GR-FE.

It's been a slow change-over, we've had the '91 for 15 years. I love my truck, it's been reliable and the places it's taken us are amazing. But when I got it I was 29, just finishing up engineering school and, frankly, just younger. Now the power, the size, the ride comfort of the newer truck are nice, really nice.

You WILL notice the power, the numbers don't do justice to just how much improved engines are. The 22R was designed in a different time and it's starting to become obvious. It hates ethanol. I'm lucky to live near a marina that sells pure gasoline, so that helps particularly in the summer when I tend to get a detonation when the air temp starts to approach 95 or higher. The 3RZ-FE (2.7L) 4 cylinder in the Tacoma is only rated at I think about 150 HP but it feels a lot more powerful. The characteristic of the 22R make it a great engine for work and off highway, but it's really not suited for the modern freeways. It likes to squat down and work, not try to keep up with traffic.

Our intervals for breaks are going down with the '91, it's just tiring to drive on long trips. IOW, trying to get to visit family at Christmas is just a grind in the truck, especially compared to the 2008 which is a set-the-cruise-and-go affair. With the 22R-E you need to constant be shifting, headwinds, passing, going up grades, etc. Our 2008 is a 6 speed and the only time I ever shift from 6th is going up long mountain passes and then it's just to 5th or maybe 4th. Ironically that is about the only time you don't shift a 22R-E. You put it in 3rd and grind it out at 40MPH with the semi trucks.

I will also say the Access Cab is brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I really miss that when I try to get stuff in and out of the back of my '91 cab.

Sure, I wish the Tacoma was more simple is some ways, I don't really need or want power windows, remote door locks and that stuff.

But I've come to terms and accept them because the truck really does work a lot better for our uses, which is more than just adventure. I have to drive to work every day and since neither of us have family locally we're always driving half way across the country. Now that both her brother and my sister have kids, we like being able to put down lots of miles quickly for a 3 day weekend to visit them. I can get across eastern CO, KS and to St. Louis in 13 hours with the Tacoma while my '91 takes a minimum of 2 hours more and I find my leg cramps more now that I'm in my mid 40s than it did at 30, so it's really about 3 to 4 hours more because of rest stops. Plus I'm a lot more drained when I get there from the noise and jarring ride.

It's taken me 5 years, telling myself it's not true, but newer trucks are better in almost all ways except the price. Also I'm under no illusion that it'll be easy to fix, maybe it won't be repairable. I dunno. But by the time it starts to wear out I'll be well into my 50s and truth be told, I'm kinda starting to get tired of keeping an aging truck on the road. With 267,000 miles on it lots of little things are starting to accumulate that need to be done, along with some major maintenance intervals approaching (brakes, bearings). Meh, I'm kind of over being greasy every weekend.

 

[deadbeat son]

We're going the other way, from a '91 XtraCab with a 22R-E to a '08 Access Cab with a 1GR-FE...Meh, I'm kind of over being greasy every weekend.

Great post, it really puts things in perspective. It's easy to get nostalgic for older Toyotas, I consider them classics.

Sometimes I feel like ditching my '09 Tacoma DCSB and using the funds for a pretty nice FJ60; I miss the '60 I used to drive 15 years ago. But I'm in my early 40s, have a family, a commute, and need a solid do-it-all vehicle. While the Taco may not ooze cool out of every pore like a 60 does, it works a lot better for what I need.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The 79-85 are definitely best looked at as almost collectible. Even the 3rd gens came from a different era. I wish I had the time and dedication to keep it and give it the proper restoration, but I don't. The ideal situation is an engine swap and a flat bed (my truck's bed is the worse for wear after 15 years of 'wheeling and the WilderNest). But that's just not realistic. We will miss it dearly, but it's just a 'thing' and it's the memories and experiences that we like. It's actually a little depressing looking at it now compared to it back then. It was so straight, unmolested, pure. Now it's dented, rusty, got leaks. It actually replaced an FJ40 and the reason we did that was the Cruiser got to the point where it was as much time working on it as driving it. I'm not able to keep multiple trucks just for recreation and old trucks as daily drivers that need TLC just don't work for us.

 

[DVexile]

It's been a slow change-over, we've had the '91 for 15 years. I love my truck, it's been reliable and the places it's taken us are amazing. But when I got it I was 29, just finishing up engineering school and, frankly, just younger. Now the power, the size, the ride comfort of the newer truck are nice, really nice.

Had a '92 for 15 years. Bought it when I was 26. Just sold it and bought a 2015 Tacoma. It was painful to sell the 1992. But after driving all around So Cal and NV for a few days in the new truck I am very, very happy.

The characteristic of the 22R make it a great engine for work and off highway, but it's really not suited for the modern freeways. It likes to squat down and work, not try to keep up with traffic.

This for sure. Loved my 22RE with 5sp MT off-road. Never had a complaint. But OMG, going over Towne Pass in DV at 35 mph with the engine roaring was very tiresome. My new V6 Taco eats up grades like they were cotton candy.

Our intervals for breaks are going down with the '91, it's just tiring to drive on long trips.

It really is. Ride comfort is so different. Of course I had a regular cab bench seat in my 92 which was probably the worst of all worlds.

Ironically that is about the only time you don't shift a 22R-E. You put it in 3rd and grind it out at 40MPH with the semi trucks.

Ugh. I camp/drive mostly in "Basin and Range" country. The 22RE was a slog on all those passes.

It's taken me 5 years, telling myself it's not true, but newer trucks are better in almost all ways except the price.

I bought the Tacoma new so the price difference was extreme. I bought my '92 for 8200 used and sold it 15 years later for 4500 (though I did put well over 4000 in maintenance into it during that time, I rebuilt it for the long haul but then sold before I recouped the expense). So the 1992 was very economical. Hell, the FlipPac I bought for my new Tacoma cost more than I sold the 92 for!

But I'm happy with it. The new Tacoma cost will be amortized over 20 years. The fixed costs for my 92 (insurance, storage) and travel expenses associated with my camping trips meant that while the 92 was "cheap" in acquisition cost that the on going use costs were not much lower than for a new Tacoma.

And the new Tacoma is so much nicer to drive. And camping in the FlipPac is so nice it feels like luxury to me. I loved that 92 and had 15 wonderful years with it. At this point though I personally wouldn't go back. But that's a personal decision that really depends on what it is someone is looking for. I hope I keep seeing well maintained 85-93 4x4 out and about the places I camp. They are wonderful and unique vehicles. Was happy to have owned one. But getting older and now needing to camp with a little kid it was just time for me to move to something else.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The cost of ownership on my '91 is incredible. I paid $5,500 for it with 100K on the clock, rebuilt the engine 75K later and otherwise just regular maintenance. If you don't account for optional stuff like suspension, lockers and all that, just fundamental stuff, I might have put $10K in it over the 15 years plus gas and oil. It's given us 167K hard fought miles. Just simply awesome, it really is. But the next owner is either going to drive it to its death or do a pretty extensive rebuild. It'll still be relatively inexpensive but nothing like the super high value all of us second owners got. Heck, even new the sticker on my truck was like $15,000, which if you adjust for inflation is not that cheap, probably close to the same as a new 4 cylinder, 4wd Taco actually. But the longevity is just not there anymore to make it the same cost/benefit. Maybe it is, there are a lot of early first gen Tacomas running around and they're 20 years old now. It'll be interesting.