1988 Mazda B2200 Base review from North America

Usual maintenance required around this mileage. All vacuum lines and electrics replaced. The carburetor has been recently rebuilt to proper running order to quell fuel consumption problems and improper float level in the bowl.

Mazda states that the EGR must be replaced every 60,000 miles, however if the diaphragm is in good shape, a stout cleaning is all that is really required. If yours stutters at normal operating temperatures, unplug the EGR vacuum control line and plug with a golf tee until you can clean or replace it.

The F2 engine is definitely more robust than the components controlling it, very overbuilt and runs quite strong.

The bed is a little crusty around the inner fenders, but a life of being parked near the Atlantic doesn't help much, along with nice salty roads to speed up corrosion. However, it withstands more rust than a Toyota of similar age, due to the seamless outer fenders.

Probably one of the best low cost trucks out there. For half the price of either a Nissan or Toyota of the same age, the Mazda B-series will do just about anything you ask of it. Simple, reliable and cheap are the mainstay of this fine piece of machinery.

I wished they offered the 3.0L SOHC V6 used in the MPV and 929, making for a nice contender with Nissan's Hardbody offerings.

Albeit the Ford pickups used to replace it with are decent, I don't think they are nearly as robust as the old UF B-series. Plus, your arms get a nice workout when you have to park it, having zero power assist of course, like any good pickup should. You can't go wrong with a cheap Japanese pickup truck.