1987 Mazda B2000 SE5 review from North America

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.

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.