Concerns with a 91 taco im looking at.. what do I look for?

[bkg]

???

I get wanting to build a vehicle... it's just not practical for what you say you want. That's why I highlighted and ask you to read the key components of why to NOT go down the road of buying and completely rebuilding a vehicle - it goes against your key tenants as highlighted...

 

[Clutch]

That whole Toyota reliability thing is mostly a myth. At the time they were better than their domestic counterparts, so they need a little less work a little later in their service life...but still need attention.

I have owned them going on 26 years now...sure I ran them all to high miles, but they all needed help getting there.

The '85 4Runner with a 22RE seized at 125K miles (also needed a clutch at 60K miles, it went out on me on the way home the day I bought it).

That engine lost its' oil pump as far as we could tell. Put a used 50K mile engine in it (did a new clutch and flywheel since we had the engine out), that engine needed a new bottom end at 150K. Sold it at 225K...tranny was popping out of gear the last 50K with that vehicle...the Birfs are fussy too.

The '92 RCSB, a little better, but a bunch of little crap was going wrong with all the time. Ball joints at 90K, Lost its clutch at 125K...trans was popping out of gear too, sold that at 150K. It liked to eat exhaust gaskets, ending up putting a header on it to fix that issue...engine had tick when I sold it.

My '99....at 376K currently...need to spend about $1500-2000 on it a year to keep it going. This year was rack, tie rods, and cam shaft seal, last year was fuel pump, year before that was oil cooler seal, clutch/flywheel, injector o-rings....year before that valve cover gaskets, and rebuilt the whole under carriage...CV's and axles/seals, shocks, bushings, ball joints, rearend bearings/seals, new driveshaft (which is number 3 for it), 3rd member rebuilt, its' 3rd carrier bearing....the list goes on and on....currently the slave cylinder is starting to weep a little.

There is a thread on Tacoma World, about how much repair work needs to be done to a 1st gen Tacoma after people bought them. (I''ll have to try and find it) Seems like the cost range from $5-7K just to bring it up to par.

 

[phsycle]

Anecdotal, but a good friend had an 87 4Runner (Loved this rig and always jealous of it), 5-sp 22RE. Pristine condition. Religiously maintained, no rock crawling or even off-roading. Blew the HG at 150k miles. Shame he sold it without telling me first. I'd love to swap in a 2.7L 3RZ in one of those. But 22RE....not as impressive as everyone says it is.

 

[Clutch]

Yeah, forget engine swaps. Heck, forget wasting time modding it up with a camper, kitchen, etc. Buy pre-built.

I have one better...not exactly cheap...but does combine Westy Van style and Toyota...deezul even! Could buy a brand new Transit for that price with a warranty...but I would be the coolest kid on the block with the Yota! *roll-eyes*

https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-toyota-hiace-4x4-diesel/6656256960.html

Isn't that 4WD graphic the best or what!? Already has a snorkel...ready to go!

 

[bkg]

That whole Toyota reliability thing is mostly a myth.

that statement is going to upset a few folks.... but it's very accurate.

I have done more HG repairs on 22rx than on 3.0's.. but to be fair, my circles saw a lot more 22 series engines...

They are mechanical... they wear out.

 

[Clutch]

that statement is going to upset a few folks.... but it's very accurate.

I have done more HG repairs on 22rx than on 3.0's.. but to be fair, my circles saw a lot more 22 series engines...

They are mechanical... they wear out.

Ha ha!

I am for sure a Toyota fan boy, but lets be honest here.

That whole thing of owners saying they "only change oil and put gas in it" is complete BS.

 

[2025 deleted member]

I have one better...not exactly cheap...but does combine Westy Van style and Toyota...deezul even! Could buy a brand new Transit for that price with a warranty...but I would be the coolest kid on the block with the Yota! *roll-eyes*

https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/d/1991-toyota-hiace-4x4-diesel/6656256960.html

Isn't that 4WD graphic the best or what!? Already has a snorkel...ready to go!

I owned an Isuzu NPR for a time. I only drove it a few times, but I hated driving a cab over the front wheels truck. No way I could drive across the country in that.

 

[Clutch]

I owned an Isuzu NPR for a time. I only drove it a few times, but I hated driving a cab over the front wheels truck. No way I could drive across the country in that.

Kinda the realization I came to with owning a VW Westy for 8 years (it was my 3rd vehicle used for play)...ok for short Sunday drives...no way would I want to spend time doing long trips in one. And I am moto guy used to abusing myself.

 

[goldenfiber]

Eye opening. Thanks for the honest reviews

 

[DaveInDenver]

I owned an Isuzu NPR for a time. I only drove it a few times, but I hated driving a cab over the front wheels truck. No way I could drive across the country in that.

I just moved in the past few weeks. In the process I rented two trucks, a 16' NPR-based box and a 20' E450-based box. I much preferred the low cab forward. But my drive was only 4 hours. Empty, the LCF I could see being tiring but fully loaded the ride was about the same in both trucks but the view was exceptional and I loved the maneuverability. I started looking to see if there were any 4WD Fusos around, which there weren't many so that infatuation was brief to the relief of the family CFO.

 

[Clutch]

Eye opening. Thanks for the honest reviews

You're welcome.

What loyal Toyota owners say and do are two different things. Anyone that has one for a long time, ask them to see all the repairs they have done over the years.

It is like anything else, as long as you're willing to put the effort into it, you can keep running for a long time. Sure mine has close to 400K on it, but it has taken some effort to get it there, and to keep it going. Honestly I am tired of working on it, but I am also too cheap to buy a new one. $35K for a new version of what I have, keeps my POS running for a long time. When my broken collarbone heals back up. I have to fix the front coil-overs [YET AGAIN!!!]

You could do what my buddy did for your Alaska to South America trip. They are traveling all summer, bought a used V8 4Runner, did some minor repairs...and is going to to sell it when he is done. Knowing him that SOB will probably make a profit on it..he is "one of those" guys...me *sigh* I loose money no matter what!

On trip like the one you're describing...the vehicle is going to be roached by the end of...sell it in SA, and fly back.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Your coil overs aren't OEM, which is really what determines reliability. I can honestly say that most of what broke in my 1991 was (1) aftermarket or (b) caused by not using OEM parts. Whether Toyotas still retain the reliability trophy is debatable, but historically it was true that if you followed the schedule you probably would only need to do oil and gas. But the schedule Toyota set out was checking head gasket every 100K, repacking wheel hubs, etc. Nothing mechanical can have zero done to it and run for decades, that's ridiculous.

What I noticed about Toyota (and I honestly can say still seems true with my Tacoma) is they don't fail suddenly. Like when my timing chain let loose in the 22R-E, I ignored the signs for a while thinking I'd look into it later. In that case I preemptively replaced the factory timing gears, chain and guides with supposedly better ones at 125K. So I was convincing myself it couldn't be that. Yet those aftermarket ones let loose at 187K, so the truck wasn't lying to me. I went back to OEM parts (even the nylon guides) and that set lasted 100K at least and showed no signs of imminent failure.

Same now with my accessory belt idler pulleys on my 1GR. The bearings in one of them has been slightly whining and just in the past week or so has started really howling, so it's getting the new set and a belt today. But it's been telling me for months to do something about it.

BTW, I'm a genius at making a small fortune. The problem is I need to start with a big fortune first.

 

[Clutch]

I just moved in the past few weeks. In the process I rented two trucks, a 16' NPR-based box and a 20' E450-based box. I much preferred the low cab forward. But my drive was only 4 hours. Empty, the LCF I could see being tiring but fully loaded the ride was about the same in both trucks but the view was exceptional and I loved the maneuverability. I started looking to see if there were any 4WD Fusos around, which there weren't many so that infatuation was brief to the relief of the family CFO.

One of the guys we ride with has one, uses it mainly for long trips...to haul bikes and to camp out of. It does tick all the boxes...bike hauler, camper that you can hose out...halfway decent fuel economy for what it is. Somewhat cheap, he only paid $18K of his. But it beats the hell out of you....cross winds on the interstate, getting passed like your standing still...that and the whole height thing...not exactly easy getting it into a lot of spots.

Think you're better off with tow vehicle and an enclosed trailer.

 

[DaveInDenver]

The NPR I rented had the 6.0L gasoline engine, it didn't lack for power going over passes. And the auto transmission in it worked pretty well, never hunted, seems to pick the right gear accelerating or decelerating, even downshifting like I do to engine brake. I was pretty impressed with it.

 

[Clutch]

Your coil overs aren't OEM, which is really what determines reliability.
I can honestly say that most of what broke in my 1991 was (1) aftermarket or (b) caused by not using OEM parts. Whether Toyotas still retain the reliability trophy is debatable, but historically it was true that if you followed the schedule you probably would only need to do oil and gas. But the schedule Toyota set out was checking head gasket every 100K, repacking wheel hubs, etc. Nothing mechanical can have zero done to it and run for decades, that's ridiculous.

What I noticed about Toyota (and I honestly can say still seems true with my Tacoma) is they don't fail suddenly. Like when my timing chain let loose in the 22R-E, I ignored the signs for a while thinking I'd look into it later. In that case I preemptively replaced the factory timing gears, chain and guides with supposedly better ones at 125K. So I was convincing myself it couldn't be that. Yet those aftermarket ones let loose at 187K, so the truck wasn't lying to me. I went back to OEM parts (even the nylon guides) and that set lasted 100K at least and showed no signs of imminent failure.

Same now with my accessory belt idler pulleys on my 1GR. The bearings in one of them has been slightly whining and just in the past week or so has started really howling, so it's getting the new set and a belt today. But it's been telling me for months to do something about it.

True...but I am at the point of "ok, now what needs fixed on it!?" ya know what I mean?

But remember the stock TRD supposedly "Off-Road" suspension was clapped out at 70K...even broke the rear leafs on those. Toyota can't seem to get their stock springs right...shooot...aren't they still doing TSB on the 3rd gens?

Putting OME this go around...the coil-overs need new shafts at this point.



Yeah, I hear you on non-OEM parts....I have tried going the cheap route...and sure enough it fails prematurely. Now, I only buy OEM...and it isn't cheap.

This is its' second rack. This one we I tried 2 remans...both were bad from the start. Had to buy brand new from Toyota.

When I did the CV/Axles...even bought remans from Toyota, couldn't get the seals to keep from leaking. Had to buy brand new ones (not cheap!) Their remans were ever so slightly out of spec. We were going to try a speedi-sleeve on the remans but couldn't find anything that would fit.

It has yet to leave me stranded out in the boonies *knock on wood*. It always seems to break by the house...or it is like you said... gives me notice. The fuel pump failed without warning, no ticking or anything...just failed. Luckily it failed 2 miles from the house. We towed it back with my Trooper. That was a close one, as I quite literally was in the back country in Stanley, Challis and Salmon two days before.

Had rear axle seals go out at 150K (not bad) did them again when the bearings failed at 250K (again not bad)

BTW, I'm a genius at making a small fortune. The problem is I need to start with a big fortune first.

LOL!