Im looking at a 79 2wd Yota for a daily driver, Heres the ad...

"i have a 79 toyota truck 2WD,140,xxx,single cab,4 speed trany with no grinds clutch doesnt slip at all,has some kinda aftermarket header,tires have like 50% tread left,has new u joints,was inspected less than 2 months ago truck was just painted less than a month ago,runs and drives great no smoke or anything its my daily"

Just wondering what kinda stuff I should look for, I dont know much about pre 86 trucks and looking for things that could be problems. I asked him about rust, Also how would that 4 speed be on the interstate? Anything at all I should consider before I decide to jump on this? Thanks as usual guys

 

didnt see the add .. (NO LINK) but these are like the 4x4 for rust ..

it's a boxed frame , so be sure to check the frame , rear spring /front hanger for rust . the tranny is a good piece , and rear 3rd will be geared as per . so no worries .. i had an /80 4-speed for years back in the day , and it was absolutly fine .

if it's a good piece .. i'd say go for it .

 

Heres 2 pics of it... Hes asking $700 for it, He hasnt wrote back to tell me about rust.

 

links dont work , unless you join and log in .. best to post a pic dude .

 

Fixed

 

dude 700 .... ??? ..

check the frame .. and if all is good buy it .

I'll log off now , and maybe others can chime in .

 

Yeah the guy said $700 obo, and hes daily driving it right now so it cant be but so bad. Im waiting to see what he says about rust, If he says its not bad Im going to check it out when Im down in Va beach next week, and if it looks good, Im getting it, 79 would be torsion bar front end right? If so I'll drop it a few inches for a cool little daily driver

 

Not sure about the torsion bar front end, thought that came out in 86 on the 4x4.
Pull up the floor mats and check for rust by the wheel wells..
looks to be a decent truck for the money...

 

86 and up, ifs (independent front suspension) 85 and below, straight axle . which means no torsion bar just leaf springs like your present rear axle. correct me if i am mistaken

 

I know the older Datsuns all the way back to the 60s had torsions on te 2wd, so I would think this truck would. My old 84 2wd parts truck had torsions

 

yes ... 2WD /79 has the control arms , and torsion suspension .

 

Guy wrote back saying there wasnt much rust at all, mainly surface rust on the frame, Said its all original 20r and runs and drives perfect. Anything to look out for on a 20r with 140k?

 

reguardless .. before you hand over any cash .. climb under and check the frame , in the spot I said .. as well the floor , as Robb said .. you can see the floor undernieth at the mid mount .. take your key and try poke a hole where the mount meets the floor , and area under the gas pedal .. just do it .

I'm sure its good , but why take the chance ..



20R is a nice motor , built for longjevity .. very strong but not a ton of ponies .. I believe 98HP ? .. argueably , the best of the 2# series engine . factory double roller chain , and the best head of all . One more nice thing is , it will have an adjustable clutch .. 79 and 80 were the only years .. others think they do , but it is only a pedal height adjustment .. this one is a true hydrolic adjustment .

 

I say buy that sucker, what do you want for 700.00. Its not a new rig.

 

Thanks for the advice on rust spots to check out, I really need to check it out saying the truck isnt far from the beach area so rust could be a problem. Also thanks for the advice on the 20r. Im not going to HUGE power here, If I can run 75 mph on the interstate, thats all I need in a truck right now...How are they on gas?

 

Also do the 20rs have headgasket issues? I just did the one on my 22r

 

They are a good reliable motor. I don't know anything about the 4 speed 2wd trannys but I know the 4x4s were bad. But looking in the FSM I have for my 82 and 80 the 5 speeds and 4 speeds in the 2wds were built differently so are probably different. I wouldn't have a problem with the 20R in that truck. The one in my dad's 80 is still going strong and does not give him any problems at all and it hasn't had an easy life. If the 3.0L V6 in my 92 can have 242k miles and still not have worn cylinders at all then that 20R should be good for twice that if driven properly. But make sure to check the frame. If you have a chipping hammer for welding knock on the frame rail with that. These trucks are notorious for frame rot as was my 82 and my dad's 80. The 80's frame broke in half. Mine you could just stick your hand in.

 

Headgaskets only become a probelm if the engine was overheated. I've got 200K miles on my original 23 year old headgasket with no problems because it was never overheated. Prevention is the key

 

Oh I know the previous owner evidently overheated mine cause the motor only had 45k on it when it blew. And I have a good idea where to check for frame rot, I had some rust holes in my 86 thats I fixed. And my old Mazda (83) ended up rusting in half, haha