Tired of Old Junk but no Interest in Newer 4x4s

[montypower]

For MPG absolutely. Otherwise, not better than 3FE or 1FZ.

Better MPG. More power. Less weight. No head gasket issues. High mileage examples becoming more common with time passing.

People defending the old engines is funny. Reminds me of the die hard 23r/re guys. I owned several. All of them needed ongoing adjustments and rebuilds. 3RZ worlds better for reliability, power and hassle free.

People will make the same claims on the current Toyota motors when they are no longer being sold 15-20 years from now. Or you could enjoy it now! Just sayin...

 

[Over The Silent Planet]

Save your pennies and seek out a manual Tacoma. The general consensus is that it doesn’t suffer from the same gutless feeling as the auto trucks.

Or, the very first year 5th gen 4Runner had a manual option if I remember correctly. 2010. I think it came with a 4cyl. Kind of a bummer! Pretty rare.

 

[beef tits]

Better MPG. More power. Less weight. No head gasket issues. High mileage examples becoming more common with time passing.

People defending the old engines is funny. Reminds me of the die hard 23r/re guys. I owned several. All of them needed ongoing adjustments and rebuilds. 3RZ worlds better for reliability, power and hassle free.

People will make the same claims on the current Toyota motors when they are no longer being sold 15-20 years from now. Or you could enjoy it now! Just sayin...

+1 the 3RZ is infinitely better than the old dinosaur tech from the 80s.

22REs were great in their time... compared to any american made motor in the 80s they are bulletproof. Today? They are trash engines. A fun rebuild project for your 16 year old kid.

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

Better MPG. More power. Less weight. No head gasket issues. High mileage examples becoming more common with time passing.

People defending the old engines is funny. Reminds me of the die hard 23r/re guys. I owned several. All of them needed ongoing adjustments and rebuilds. 3RZ worlds better for reliability, power and hassle free.

People will make the same claims on the current Toyota motors when they are no longer being sold 15-20 years from now. Or you could enjoy it now! Just sayin...

The 3RZ tends to burn out valves though if you don't adjust them every 60k or so. I wouldn't buy another without a compression and leakdown test since most people seem to neglect this maintenance.

Apparently it's not uncommon for them to crack heads either, though this may also be more to do with neglected cooling system maintenance than any kind of design flaw.

I'd prefer a 5VZ if I'm looking for another 1G Taco, though those engines seem almost too reliable for their own good; people tend to just run them forever on dirty fluids and they end up with pitted blocks and scarred cylinders. Tough motor to kill.

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

Although you say it's out of your price range, I think that encompasses part of the issue. No that is not a personal hit as it applies to most of us. Old vehicles are fun when they work. New vehicles are fun because they DO work, almost all the time.
It sounds like you're just burnt out. Continuous maintenance is draining for some, especially me. No one wants to replace a water-pump with another. Now upgrading tires, suspension, brakes? Fun.
If everyone out there still drove an 80 series LC, you probably wouldn't like them either.
I'd guess your best options are:
1) Switch interests/hobbies to get some distance between you and this culture. Maybe distance will make the heart grow fonder?
2) Buy new-ish. A Tacoma, 4Runner, Jeep, Frontier, ZR2, etc. can be nice with a warranty, unique packages, or modifications.
3) Buy a boring DD and make tinkering with the LC the fun night/weekend thing to do.

Yeah I am a bit burnt out I suppose. It's hard for me to just get rid of the Cruiser though, especially since I'd be taking a loss on it at this point.

It can get overwhelming with the LC, since it never seems to be just one part tat goes bad; it's at the pint where whole systems need replacing, which makes it a bit more than I want to tackle in one sitting in my apartment complex parking lot, and ordering all those OEM parts at once can be a big strain on my limited budget.

 

[grizzlypath]

Yeah I am a bit burnt out I suppose. It's hard for me to just get rid of the Cruiser though, especially since I'd be taking a loss on it at this point.

It can get overwhelming with the LC, since it never seems to be just one part tat goes bad; it's at the pint where whole systems need replacing, which makes it a bit more than I want to tackle in one sitting in my apartment complex parking lot, and ordering all those OEM parts at once can be a big strain on my limited budget.

I get it, I used to have a project off-roader and a daily and ended up consolidating into one vehicle to do both that was newer. I was tired of the unreliability and effort and wanted something that I could just use.

Upside: reliable and still useable

Downside: not old and unique. The "crusty old car fun" isn't there.

If at all possible I'd try to hang onto the LC because those are cool. I know you're on a budget but maybe you could find a daily to get you around, save the LC for when you have time/money to invest in a half-decent restomod or something.

 

[Grassland]

84 grand? Sure, for a brand new, fully optioned GMC Sierra k2500 Denali or Chevy K2500 High Country maybe. A new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is in the 50's to 60. I dont know where that extra 24k comes from

EDIT: just priced out a brand new GMC Sierra K2500 HD Denali Crew Cab Long Bed -the most expensive platform - with every expensive option and reached $86,400.00 USD. How many people here are buying one of those?

Priced out new GMC Canyon AT4 with a mixed bag of options for between $43k and $48k and wasn't being shy with either. Could have gotten one for in the $30's. I do know these dont fit the OP's bill, but just talking typical new price here.

C'mon, man. If someone asks for advice and you want to throw numbers around, throw around real ones.

Canadian dollars bruh.
It's painful here.
The cheapest tundra double cab trd off road I could make was 56k and Lariat F150s are in the 70s, XLT sports around 60k

 

[Grassland]

Could you stick it out for a other year or so?
Maybe the market will go a bit more towards how it used to be as interest rates go up and auto makers start catching up?
The used market would correct and you could find something newer but not too new, for a more reasonable price.

 

[bkg]

Burnout is real. Fully get it.

I oscillate between wanting a vehicle with a warranty that I don’t worry about and the vehicle I have in my minds eye…

Hence why the stable grows and nothing gets finished. Lol

 

[Ozark_Prowler]

Could you stick it out for a other year or so?
Maybe the market will go a bit more towards how it used to be as interest rates go up and auto makers start catching up?
The used market would correct and you could find something newer but not too new, for a more reasonable price.

Yeah I guess I'll hold onto my jalopy for now. I'd rather it be a manual 3G 4runner or 1G Taco, but the big Cruiser has its own perks.

 

[Regcabguy]

Canadian dollars bruh.
It's painful here.
The cheapest tundra double cab trd off road I could make was 56k and Lariat F150s are in the 70s, XLT sports around 60k

Good old Trudeau's government.

 

[rruff]

Good old Trudeau's government.

The exchange rate is slightly better now than when he took office. https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=CAD&view=10Y

Plus the Canadian median income (in CA$) is 23% higher than the US which almost exactly compensates for the exchange rate. No reason to whine!

 

[beef tits]

The exchange rate is slightly better now than when he took office. https://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=CAD&view=10Y

Plus the Canadian median income (in CA$) is 23% higher than the US which almost exactly compensates for the exchange rate. No reason to whine!

Our billionaires are richer though. American Pride ?

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Canadian dollars bruh.
It's painful here.
The cheapest tundra double cab trd off road I could make was 56k and Lariat F150s are in the 70s, XLT sports around 60k

Even still, you are talking about TRD and Lariat. Those are not cheap models here either. I forget what is the exchange rate, but ok, I guess it's still expensive. There is the Custom Trail Boss or the Fx4. Not as pretty but somewhat capable, and customizable over time.

But yes. Prices have gone up the last couple years, more than normal.

 

[Grassland]

Even still, you are talking about TRD and Lariat. Those are not cheap models here either. I forget what is the exchange rate, but ok, I guess it's still expensive. There is the Custom Trail Boss or the Fx4. Not as pretty but somewhat capable, and customizable over time.

But yes. Prices have gone up the last couple years, more than normal.

Agreed.
SR5 TRD off-road is (only cheap way) cheapest way to get a rear E locker on the Tundra here as far as I can discern.
It's actually cheaper than the most equivalently equipped Ford, but you can get an XLT Ferd with rear locker for less

Vehicle pricing is through the roof used and new, so if you can run what you have and/or keep fixing it just a bit longer, things might calm down next year. At least that's my hope!