Faults:

Had a leaky valve cover gasket.

Broke a small cooling hose under the intake manifold.

Clutch slave cylinder went out had to be replaced.

Headlights were horrible so replaced them with new clear lens upgrade type with replace able bulbs. This helps make it appear more modern as well.

Total time to fix 1 day for all of the above. Total cost $14 dollars.

General Comments:

I have made a few engine adjustments, now this truck moves, and it still gets about 20 MPG in the city!

I tend to treat vehicles rough, but this truck takes it all.

I have carried almost 2,000 pounds in the bed and she still out accelerated most of the traffic. And carried me down the free way at 80MPH (130KM/H).

I have made a few interior changes to the dash and put in a 208watt stereo with the speakers and woofers in doors. And a 750watt subwoofer behind the bench seat. I don't have a much space as I did, but I still remain relatively comfortable.

Empty that truck really moves even with the original power train. 70MPH is easy to achieve even in 3RD gear!!

So far I have not gone any faster than 95MPH (150KM/H). Even then I still had throttle to go and RPM's to spare. (In 4th gear)

Someday however I will try to see if she really can hit that 110MPH (180KM/H) mark. I know for sure though that I will need to use 5th gear for that!

When the engine finally goes I will put in a Toyota engine probably something rebuilt from a Trueno.

Faults:

Front brakes went out at 171,000.

Bed started to rust at 172,000.

Valve cover gasket replaced at 172,000.

Rip in seat.

Fan switch stuck on vent.

General Comments:

Quick little truck for a 4-cylinder.

Out handles my Chevy pickup I previously drove.

Great on gas mileage.

Would never sell I wish I had 2.

Too bad its not made my Mazda and they now look like a ranger.

Faults:

Replaced fuel pump at 50,000 miles.

Replaced starter at 90,000 miles.

Replaced idler arm at 100,000 miles.

Replaced shocks (Due to lifting truck for larger tires) 100,000.

Replaced clutch at 120,000 miles.

Replaced clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder at 120,000 miles.

Replaced cylinder head at 130,000 miles, this was due to a faulty thermostat.

Air conditioning quit at 150,000, it was converted to 134a with no parts replaced. Still blows cold.

Replaced starter at 180,000 miles.

Replaced front brakes, rotors and all bearings at 185,000. Was not really necessary, but I had already bought them so...

Radio will not hold presets.

Windshield leaks from a bad repair for rock damage.

General Comments:

I have owned this truck from new. I perform all maintenance on it. Oil changes every three thousand miles with a quality filter.

It has never left me stranded.

It has never failed to pull or haul anything I have asked it to do. It has towed loaded car trailers, hauled hay and rock.

The dash and center console are still full color and not cracked The seats have not broken down.

It is a fully equipped, the cruise control and power steering have never given me a moments trouble.

I have over sized tires (P235, R15) it still pulls strong and has better ground clearance for trips to the fishing hole. (2 wheel drive)

I am so happy with this truck I bought another so I could have some serious garage time with this one. I want to bring her back to the way she was.

Faults:

Clutch slave cylinder rebuilt at 85,000 miles.

Thermostat and radiator had to be replaced at 90,000 miles.

Piston rings needed replacement at 100,000 miles, probably because of overheating from bad radiator.

Electronic ignition module in distributor failed at 120,000 and had to be replaced.

Water pump started leaking at 150,000. Diagnosed and replaced at 160,000.

Fuel pump leak noticed, and fuel pump replaced at 165,000.

Clutch master cylinder rebuilt at 170,000.

Gas tank removed and cleaned of rust. Carburetor dismantled and cleaned of rust and varnish at 174,000.

Bench seat driver side tear and foam loss. Replaced with bucket seats.

General Comments:

This little truck has been a powerhouse. I have driven it over mountains, and on long road trips. It sat for several months in my yard while I drove my Camry, so I had to clean out the gas tank and the carburetor, but once I did, it got back up to speed, literally!

I rebuilt the engine back in 1998, and there was less than 0.0005 inches of wear on the pistons, cylinders, and crankshaft! Currently, there is a mystery oil leak, which may be some oil pan bolts that got broken when they were tightened a bit too much.

Fortunately, despite an electronic gizmo here and there, this year model is relatively easy to work on. When properly tuned, timed, and cared for, that little 2 liter 4-banger can get off the line and good. More importantly, it can haul like the Little Engine that Could, when you need it to. It once carried all the bricks excavated from an 18th century brick-lined well halfway across the town of Poquoson.

After my 1997 Camry threw a rod, this truck has been my only vehicle. After putting some time and money back into it, it has kept me able to keep moving. I hope and plan to get at least 300,000 miles out of it in total, and the goal seems realistic, seeing how little wear there was on the engine innards when we had it open.

Driving a 1986 Toyota Tercel, and the 97 Camry, I got spoiled by gas mileage around 30 miles per gallon. The 20ish MPG this gets is a bit more expensive, but not too unbearable.

All in all, a little trooper that has held up over the years. I have grown quite attached to it, and plan to drive it for many years to come.