Wanted clean gen 1 4wd

[Ozwynn]

Looking for a truck for my daughter, yes she is driving age now, I want an unmolested 86-88 standard cab short box 4wd with 4cyl and 5spd....... no janky lifts, no diesels. Prefer basic interior. Apparently these do not exist in the wild. Might consider gen2 or 3..... but gen 1 preferred. Would want it to be from the south west or pnw.....

 

[Andy D]

A bazillion 4 bangers were made 99% were 2wd. When I went Ranger hunting that is what I was looking for. What I found was the Rat a '94 long cab/4.0/ 4wd/ 5 spd. It has 8.8 diffs , larger brakes.

 

[BlackBII]

Good luck. After about a year I found my '89 2.3 4x4 single cab short bed.

The 2.3 never managed more than 20mpg, so now I'm dropping in a 4.0.

You'll have better luck finding an 89-92 single cab short bed 4x4.

 

[adsm08]

And you will have even more luck if you accept the V6. In any era the 4cyl/4x4 was a very rare combo, and they didn't get great mileage. Like Black BII said, about 20 MPG. A 2.9 4x4 5-speed gets 17.5 consistently.

 

[Ozwynn]

I'm glad some of you guys like the 2.9L but as far as I'm concerned the 2.9 is a boat anchor. I would consider a gen3 with a 3.0l.... I had an Aerostar with a 3.0 and automatic that consistently got 20..... my 2006 Kia Sedona only manages 17.

 

[Ozwynn]

My cousin has an 84 with 4cyl manual and 4wd that is doa...... this leaves a lot of options like maybe a 2.0l duratec......

 

[turbo91xlt]

this leaves a lot of options like maybe a 2.0l duratec......

A duratec does not simply bolt in where a Lima was... '93+ trucks are much easier to find.

 

[BlackBII]

If you go duratec get a 2.5 out of an escape. 170hp and 170ft-lb. That would be an awesome engine in a single cab short bed.

 

[Shran]

I'll hook ya up with mine but it'll cost ya and it's not exactly "clean"... the body is junk, new motor, trans, and literally everything else attached to them is new or mostly new too.

In all seriousness, I have only seen a handful of trucks in that configuration including mine. It's almost easier to 4x4 swap a 2wd truck than it is to find a factory one. In fact it probably is easier.

I am sort of saving mine for my kid and driving it in the meantime. I figure if I drive it another 5 years, I'll have put 100k on my "new" drivetrain, thus the $4000 I put into that endeavor will have been worthwhile. Then he'll have a relatively solid truck. I bet the body will be total shit by then, maybe he'll want to swap on a newer/better body.

 

[Ozwynn]

It's ok, she decided she wants a car instead. Specifically the early 80s BMW in the alley behind our house that needs an engine but is otherwise in good shape. I told her if she saved $1000 for a car I would match her dollar for dollar up to $1000. We can get the BMW for a couple hundred

 

[BlackBII]

A 2.9 4x4 5-speed gets 17.5 consistently.

Hell, in my 4.0 BII I managed to get about 22 mpg with 4.56 gearing and driving like a grandma of course.

 

[Andy D]

If I lallygag along at 60 MPH, I can get 21 mpg out of the Rat.

 

[adsm08]

Hell, in my 4.0 BII I managed to get about 22 mpg with 4.56 gearing and driving like a grandma of course.

I had my 2.9 getting 21 combined, stuck in heavy traffic for an hour a day, years ago. My dad owned that truck for 17 years and never got more than 17.5 out of it. I had four consecutive tanks at 21 MPG or slightly better, then they started putting corn in my gas and BAM right back to 17.

 

[bobbywalter]

It's ok, she decided she wants a car instead. Specifically the early 80s BMW in the alley behind our house that needs an engine but is otherwise in good shape. I told her if she saved $1000 for a car I would match her dollar for dollar up to $1000. We can get the BMW for a couple hundred

oh......5.3.... 3550 that mug....

I had my 2.9 getting 21 combined, stuck in heavy traffic for an hour a day, years ago. My dad owned that truck for 17 years and never got more than 17.5 out of it. I had four consecutive tanks at 21 MPG or slightly better, then they started putting corn in my gas and BAM right back to 17.

yeah, friggin corn gas sux. my truck run 16's haulin ass during the time it had the 2.9 in it.... when 14's started happening it got the first of the v8's.


sick part of it all, the best economy i have ever gotten out of it was with a diesel twice the size of the original engine

how the fawk does that work????....truck gains 2000 pounds grows a foot and was touching 25 mpg at 55 with 33 inch tires

 

[Ozwynn]

oh......5.3.... 3550 that mug....

Not go my 15 year old daughter....... thinking maybe Miata 1.8L and 6spd my friend has laying around because she swapped a 2.0 turbo into her Miata.