Summary:
Reliable, good looking, fun truck to have
Faults:
Engine has a bit of a shudder at an idle; it needs an over-haul due to its mileage, but inside of the engine is clean.
I replaced the oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, and transmission pan gasket at 135k, but nothing major. (knock on wood)
General Comments:
I love this truck! It is super reliable and cheap and easy to work on.
I bypassed the air pump because it was seized and my state does not require emissions tests.
If I run 93 octane in the truck, it gets 18 mpg on the hi-way and 16 in the city.
The transmission is real reliable and tows a load well for an automatic.
It is very roomy inside, but the air conditioner is a little small for the amount of space that it has to cool, but it is still comfortable to drive for long distances.
I love the classic look of the truck and the curved back side glass.
This is the second one of these trucks that I have owned. The first one I found in an orange grove and hadn't run in a year; I put gas in the tank and a new battery and drove it home (some 250 miles away). I then replaced the transmission with one from a wreck and drove it for a year and worked it hard.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st July, 2007
7th Nov 2009, 03:26
I was just wondering if your front axles were still locking in without the air pump, I was told that the vacuum off the pump is what locks it into 4 wheel.
3rd Feb 2012, 02:56
I have taken my pump off also, but four wheel drive is still working great. The four wheel drive is ran off of vacuum, but it is separate from the smog pump. It is called a CAD system, and is the best system I feel. So all the four wheel drive does not rotate unless it's needed.
