Looking at a '84 SR5. Any opinions?

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DeltaT

DeltaT

10 Year
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Threads
27
Messages
463
Location
Marlbank, ON
I've been scanning the net for a addition to my stable for quite a while and finally found a 1984 pickup that sparked my interest.

Here's some info:

Single cab long box
22R
Solid Axle
5 speed
Ex Georgia truck and mint (according to owner)
Mileage 135000 (I would think miles but could be km)
Asking price $ 12k

There are a few issues I can see, one of them being that it is not cheap. Some would say over priced, although pricing in Canada is different compared to our southern neighbors. It has been for sale sometime so I am guessing he will be somewhat flexible price-wise.
Also, I have restored a couple of cars and trucks and I know how much it costs to get it right, so it is difficult to judge if the amount he is asking is too high.
I have been looking into importing one from the US, but that would involve extra costs and hassle so I would prefer a Ontario registered vehicle. This one is.

Another thing is that I am not a fan of the lift. I won't be wheeling it. I will be using it as a 'work truck' mostly for hauling stuff etc.. So I would consider un-lifting it. I prefer stock.

Then there is the nasty gas smudge and the non stock rear bumper. Other then that, it looks decent to me. The rip free interior is amazing, considering it is almost 30 years old.

I emailed the seller. I don't have the option to pop over and take a look because it is far away but I will once things get serious. For now I try and gather as much info as possible to see if it is worth the trip and my time.
He explained that even the frame still has the original paint, that he farkled up the engine bay, that it is mechanically fit and is very clean. He will provide me with more picture in a couple of days.

Here are some pics I have so far:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$T2eC16dHJGQE9noMbUTYBQ+bRrzylQ~~48_20.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$T2eC16FHJHIE9nysd9oSBQ+bVdMoqQ~~48_20.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$T2eC16V,!zUE9s38+COlBQ+bVB,bK!~~48_20.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$(KGrHqJ,!hIFCv!2uSeWBQ+bW54-bQ~~48_20.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$(KGrHqF,!lEFDwl5wbzwBQ+bUgN0DQ~~48_20.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33459059/$(KGrHqJHJEEFD0FzJCnoBQ+bSCZmB!~~48_20.JPG

Any opinions?
 
I'm not sure what the market is like there but that seems like a lot of money. Those trucks are a dime a dozen down here in the south. That said, that's a beautiful truck. So, if the market dictates that to be a fair price, go for it.

Sent from another Galaxy
 
You are right, it is a lot of money. But up north these trucks are pretty much non existent. And what I can find is totally rigged out or totally rusted out. And even rusty trucks are being sold for a couple of thousand. Opting for one of those would mean that I will have to spend $ on restoring it or bringing it back to stock. In the end I would be spending more (I know from experience)
I wouldn't say it is a fair price though. 12k for a 29 year old Jap p.o.s. is ridiculous, at least that is what I will be telling him. :D
 
Nice truck, but that price is insane.

Pretty sure that is a factory bumper, or at least a Toyota bumper, maybe dealer installed. I had one just like that on my '84 xcab.
 
Way overpriced. For half that price, you should be able to get a stock 89-95 Toy 4x4 with EFI in excellent condition from US into Canada.

Edit: Many of the 89-95 trucks came with plastic drop in bedliners, which is nice for a work truck. Also, look for one with a decent bumper and trailer hitch.
 
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If you want something as a year round everyday truck I wouldn't get an 84. Especially one with a weber on it. I have a weber on my FJ40 and waiting for it to warm up on cold days when I was driving it in the winter was a pain. Not to mention 84-88 beds rust incredibly fast when exposed to road salt and the price is insane. Does look pretty nice though. Although that paint job looks suspiciously like one done to hide bodywork done previously on the bed. Personally if I were looking to spend this kind of money on an older truck I would be looking for a stock truck with original paint.
 
Thanks for the replies so far, keep'm coming.

Price: you guys are right, the asking price might be out of wack, but he can ask whatever he wants.
Apparently he is not selling so if he really want to get rid of it, he will lower his price for sure. But I don't want to go into negotiation mode before I am sure I want it. Your input in this respect helps a lot so thank you.

And like I said before. If (and only if) this truck is as mint and original as he says, the price (after negotiation) might not be that crazy. I know how much it costs to restore a truck or car. If I can skip this by finding one that needs little, I am willing to pay a premium.

Bumper: I didn't know, thanks

89-95 Toy 4x4 with EFI alternative: If I could find one yes but I do prefer the older body style. I had found a original low mileage 91 a while ago but they were asking 13.5K (talk about crazy)
And a pre 1987 truck doesn't need an e-test in Ontario, just safety.

My preference would be a stock Gen 3 pickup, but like I said, they are impossible to find here. Even in the US they are becoming more rare and pricier, especially if I factor in the additional costs to get it here. Then there is the issue that if I find one far away I would have to buy it unseen.

Weber: good point, my '84 FJ40 has a trouble free Aisin. I have no experience with aftermarket Webers.

Paint: As far as I can tell, this truck has the original paint although there is no way to know from pictures alone. I have seen that paint scheme once before.

Like I said, these trucks are really hard to find, at least where I live. They are asking top dollar too. If you have alternatives and other remarks/tips, please let me know.

When I have more info. I will share it with you guys.
 
Just to keep you informed, this is what he replied when I asked for more info:

Ok its just Im getting ready to leave for the weekend so the pictures will be on sunday if thats ok and for the truck u can drive it anywhere you would like no problems and it will pass mechanical for sure this truck is in mint condition no rust anywhere the frame still has factory paint on it and still original paint on the body from 1984 I hope that helps u out
Click to expand...

and also this:

Ohh yeah and the inside is also very clean.....everyone that sees this truck just can't believe how clean it is...... I also did stuff under the hood headers exhaust aluminum radiator with electric fan and custom valve cover dress up stuff wires ......
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of his grammar :p
 
He would have to START the negotiations by cutting that price in half. 12K is almost 2.5X what I paid for my '87, and IMO it was in better condition.

The interior is nice, but it's not THAT nice. Those seats are nothing special, they are not the really comfy SR5 versions (I still have the ones that were in my '84 and I love them).

I'm not feelin' the wheels. They don't look right on that truck.

If you do go to look at it in person, be sure to pull off that trim around the bottoms of the wheel openings, they hold water and promote rust.
 
I hear ya, I wouldn't consider it if he is is firm on his asking price. I doubt that he will cut his price in half though. On the other hand, you never know. He might be desperate. His add shows that he has had more then 2400 views and it has been online for more then a month, probably longer if he has re-listed it. He even mentions a price drop. Who knows what he was asking when he first listed it. Here's a link to the add.

So you say that those seats are not original?

I'm not a fan of those chrome wheels either, but the lift bothers me even more. I would prefer steelies and stock height. Even the farkled up engine bay doesn't do it for me. And I am not feeling the (compass?) shifter knob either lol.

As a matter of fact I would prefer a cheap Gen 3 locally old lady owned low mileage mint factory stock single cab long box truck but I haven't found one yet. ;p
 
DeltaT said:
I hear ya, I wouldn't consider it if he is is firm on his asking price. I doubt that he will cut his price in half though. On the other hand, you never know. He might be desperate. His add shows that he has had more then 2400 views and it has been online for more then a month, probably longer if he has re-listed it. He even mentions a price drop. Who knows what he was asking when he first listed it. Here's a link to the add.

So you say that those seats are not original?

I'm not a fan of those chrome wheels either, but the lift bothers me even more. I would prefer steelies and stock height. Even the farkled up engine bay doesn't do it for me. And I am not feeling the (compass?) shifter knob either lol.

As a matter of fact I would prefer a cheap Gen 3 locally old lady owned low mileage mint factory stock single cab long box truck but I haven't found one yet. ;p
Click to expand...

That's a LOT of money for a regular cab. I'd rather have a '79-'83 if I did a regular cab; better looking but no extra cab option in the US.
 
Yes, it is a crazy amount of money but like I said, he can ask whatever he wants. It doesn't mean that people will pay that kind of money. It could actually be a good thing. He is convinced that the truck is a jewel and worth it. And there might be some truth in because it could be the best one out there. But if the market dictates he asking too much he simply won't sell. He will be disappointed in his selling experience and have to lower his price significantly. And the longer he has to wait, the more eager he will become. His frustration in being unsuccessful could work in my advantage.
I usually look for overpriced offers and talk them.
He hasn't sent me any new pictures yet. So much for his eagerness to sell. :rolleyes:

@Chamba; me too, an original unmolested '79/'83 long box 4x4 would be my ultimate goal. But I have been searching for a looooooong time and haven't seen anything that even comes close. Most vehicles are modified or are totally rusted out and not fit for road duty. This one would be prefect, but it's not for sale.
 
You should send him the link to Jan78FJ40's hilux for sale out of San Diego. It's twice the truck, for half the price! Actually, it's no longer on the market but you can still find it in the other vehicles for sale section. The lift definitely lowers the value, because unless the plan is to build a rock crawler it lowers functionality. There's also a pretty nice stock long box for sale out of Texas in that forum-Johnny Forever's truck-for $3500.
 
They seller finally sent me a bunch of pictures. I would like to share them with you guys. What do you think?

84_pickup_01.jpg

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84_pickup_11.jpg
 
I recently bought (maybe 6 months ago?) a 1983 4x4 Toyota LB p/u for $16k IIRC. It had 6k miles on it and was mostly as new.

That's a lot of money for that p/u and it may need a lot more once it's yours. I'd keep looking or make a significantly lower offer.
 
legion said:
I recently bought (maybe 6 months ago?) a 1983 4x4 Toyota LB p/u for $16k IIRC. It had 6k miles on it and was mostly as new.

That's a lot of money for that p/u and it may need a lot more once it's yours. I'd keep looking or make a significantly lower offer.
Click to expand...

I'd love to see some pictures of that one... just for inspiration. :popcorn:

You are right. It is a lot of money and if I were to go for it, I will offer less (8k?).
But it is hard to judge what I am looking at in terms of costs to make it the way I want.
The no-likes are mostly the lift and rims/tires. I am not a fan of the farkled up engine bay, but I could live with it.
The weber/fan/header 'upgrade' is difficult to judge if it's good or bad.

The thing is that these trucks are as rare as hens teeth. At least on this side of the border. Finding one south could be an option, but I would have to add a significant amount to get it here. Transport, border crossing paperwork etc.. not to mention the fact that I would have to buy unseen and the hassle to get it here and to get it licensed.

I have been searching for one for almost a year now and still haven't found what I'm looking for: a stock Gen3 long box 4x4. Most of them, if not all, are heavily modded and totally rusted out.
This is as close as I can get so far. There was a mint '91 in my scope a while ago but he was asking 13.5k and I think it's gone now. At least it's not advertised anymore.

One other thing that bugs me is that the seller is not really communicative. It is almost like he doesn't want to be bothered.
Example: After he sent the pics (had to wait for a week) I thanked him and told him I would get back to him etc..

This was his reply:
K
Click to expand...
:meh:

I know it shouldn't be a problem, but for me it is almost a reason to walk away. I am just imagining the negotiations..:hhmm:
 
89GASHOG said:
X2! The bed liner is nice. LC Engineering valve cover suggests engine work-maybe good. I don't like the carb, or the lift, or the wheels...
But, why not check it out personally and get a better idea?
Click to expand...

I would like to but it's 640 km one way. So I want to be sure it is worth the trip.
I will have to drive over with a trailer and stay overnight.

And I want to be sure that this guy is willing to negotiate (and how much) and I need to be sure that it is actually the truck I want.

You are right, the lift and wheels at putting me off too. I will have to estimate correcting these issues. Not sure about the Weber.
 
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