Talk me out of buying this 3rz swapped 87 pickup (1 Viewer)

[2000Elsie]

So I'm in the market for a small 4wd truck and love the old Yotas. Found an 87 with a 3rz swap, which I know is a great upgrade on the 22RE and they don't come along very often.

Thing is, I'm looking for a daily driver but this thing is built way more than I would need.
I spend a lot of time on dirt/washboard roads, some sand and some sightly rocky stuff, but have no intention of doing any rock crawling or super difficult trails and decent mpg is more important than looks and crazy off-road capability. Plus my dog's just been diagnosed with a spine problem so jumping in and out of high things isn't recommended.

It has a 4" lift, 33" KO2s, 4.30 gearing, Detroit locker, V6 Tacoma rear end with Yukon axles, T100 and GM brake swaps...

I'm wondering how much it might cost to bring it back to somewhat stock condition (I'm not super mechanically minded so would need to have someone do it) and whether I could more or less recoup the cost of doing that by selling the parts I pulled off it.

I guess the main things would be the lift and the tires, assuming the 33s wouldn't fit without the lift. Would 4.30 gears work with stock size or would it need regearing again? The auto locker also doesn't seem ideal for day to day driving, especially since I get some snow and ice here in the winter.

So yeah.. advice/opinions welcome!

 

[gnob]

Skip it and get something more fitting for your style.
My take on the RZs... Are they better than the REs, yes. Are there better swap choices, yes.
Unless you are driving something closer to stock, or going to boost and fuel manage an RZ, dont.

 

[2000Elsie]

Not what I was hoping to hear lol. I've been looking for months and the xtra cabs are super rare (I'm 6'4" and would like to be able to carry a passenger + a dog or two). This one also has working AC, sunroof, less than 200k miles, some recent engine work done..
How much $$$ would I be looking at labor-wise to remove the locker and the lift? Is the locker something that can just be taken out or does the whole rear end need to be replaced?

 

[D21FJ60]

Maybe I missed it but why remove the locker?
If the suspension bolts aren't too crusty, maybe a saturday afternoon to remove lift kit and install factory springs..

 

[2000Elsie]

Maybe I missed it but why remove the locker?
If the suspension bolts aren't too crusty, maybe a saturday afternoon to remove lift kit and install factory springs..

I don't have any first hand experience but the general consensus seems to be that auto lockers are a pain for daily driving on pavement and potentially dangerous in snowy and icy conditions.

 

[Manhattan]

I don't like wheeling without lockers. But, I really don't like driving on the street - especially wet, icy, snowy streets - with a non-selectable locker. Automatic lockers can be very sketchy because, when accelerating, the rear wheels have to move at the same speed. So, in any turn, the inside wheel will break traction to keep up with the outside wheel. This is fine on dry pavement - it's essentially unnoticeable in gradual turns and just barks and chirps in tight turns. Oh, and it takes a few thousand miles to get used to the occasional "BANG!" that comes from the rear end. Totally normal... just totally unnerving.

It might be cheaper/easier to swap axles with someone with a stock setup - gearing will be a consideration.

Swapping to 2" springs from 4" springs... well, that really depends on the quality of the manufacturer. There's a pretty big range of prices out there. The labor isn't bad - it's a pretty straightforward job.

But... I'm mostly where @gnob is - that this just may not be the right truck. Is it really clean? Rust-free? Low(ish) miles? Great price?

 

[yotadude520]

First off - where are the pictures?!?

 

[2000Elsie]

$7500
242k on the body, 170k on the 3rz.
New tie rods, cv axles, starter, alternator, plugs, wires, intake

 

[yotadude520]

$7500
242k on the body, 170k on the 3rz.
New tie rods, cv axles, starter, alternator, plugs, wires, intake

Ha! I know that truck. Belongs to a guy named Michael here in town. Nice kid, really knowledgeable and the swap was done well.

 

[yotadude520]

But if you are looking for something that is closer to stock - you're better off holding out for something that is, well more stock. It would be a lot of $$$ & more importantly time to reverse everything done to it.

 

[2000Elsie]

Ha! I know that truck. Belongs to a guy named Michael here in town. Nice kid, really knowledgeable and the swap was done well.

Good to know! I haven't seen it in person yet. He's 4 hours away from me but supposed to come up my way soon

 

[2000Elsie]

But if you are looking for something that is closer to stock - you're better off holding out for something that is, well more stock. It would be a lot of $$$ & more importantly time to reverse everything done to it.

I guess I'll check it out when he comes up and see if I could live with the mods for now..