Faults:

CV axles, radiator, rear main seal, ball joints, speedometer gear in tranny went out.

Put $2500 into it to get it where it is.

General Comments:

These are great cars if you are willing to put the money into them to make them good. I would say is the best high school car. Me and my friends used the back seats a lot, and had great fun in it.

Mine had the optional rollbar, and I installed four 4 inch KC head lamps on top of it, and painted it camouflage, and it draws looks, and sometimes people ask me what it is.

I wasn't too impressed with the gas mileage. I seem to get about 25 highway, but overall it is a fun reliable car when it works.

I work for an automobile repair shop, and it is nice to haul engines, trannys and other large items you wouldn't normally put in your trunk.

I also replaced my 4 speed transmission with a 5 speed from a 1986 or 87 Loyale, and that makes it way easier to drive.

Faults:

Carb needed a rebuild.

Both front CV axles shredded their boots, necessitating replacement. Strut and shock went at the same time, so new suspension all around.

Clutch gave up the ghost shortly after.

General Comments:

Great little trucklet (it's not a car, and it's not really a truck - hence 'trucklet'). 25mpg and no danger of getting speeding tickets. 4WD makes it unstoppable in snow, and on the trail it'll get in and out of some surprising places.

Sure, it's basic - but big deal; it's way more than just the sum of its parts. It attracts looks and questions everywhere it goes, gets decent fuel economy, and handles surprisingly well. Does a good 75mph highway cruise, and (when kept in the right gear) is fun to chuck around on a back road.

Easy to work on, and I put the reliability issues above down to a) it having nearly 120,000 miles on it when I bought it; b) the previous owners not really having kept up with maintenance; and c) it having sat for nearly three years before I brought it home. Not fair to blame the vehicle when neglect and disuse are part of the equation.

I'd recommend one to anyone willing to put a little effort into ownership - it's not a modern Honda, where you just turn the key every time and it goes. But a little perseverance and you've got a nifty runner that you'll rarely if ever see on the roads anymore. Better snag one before they're all gone!