When I was a kid, I was absolutely in love with the Subaru Brat. Those seats, the baja bars and fog lights looked so bad ass back then. The one in my memory probably had every bolt on off-road item it could fit. It was still awesome in my mind!
My high School Vice Principal had a Suburu Brat that was the Steppe Green, The school board and Administration pretty much made him get a new car, which he gave to his wife and gave his wife's old car to his daughter who was my classmate but he kept his Brat, my Junior year of High School he had us paint it that Mint Green GM had in the 80's, did it just to piss the school board and administration off and to prove a point, and when they talked to him about it he said "I just bought a new car, but the my wife's car broke down and then we had to fix that for my daughter to drive, want me to buy another new car then give me a damn raise" they shut up pretty quick.
I'm the current owner of a 1983 Chevy S10 regular cab short bed and it was a base model when I got it with the Isuzu 1.9 and 4 speed manual... Since installed a 305 Chevy (5 liter mercruser) and 200 metric with a quadrajet carb and it's been my favorite truck... Still is a factory manual steering manual brake truck that I tow with and have over 20k miles since the drivetrain swap... It's a mini square body Chevy which is my favorite style... And I've driven it from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Myrtle Beach... It's my daily and wouldn't have it any other way! P.S it gets about 20 mpg even with the V8 and 3 speed automatic even at 70-75 mph on the highway thanks to the quadrajet nothing like 70s-80s tech in 2023 lol
In 1986 it would have been the Toyota for me. But knowing what I know now, I probably would have waited for the '87 Comanche. The 4,0 STRAIGHT 6 by AMC was one of the last real american engines.
The Toyota pickup is my choice. I wanted an Xtra-Cab SR5 model back in the day. I still remember seeing the ads and it was a really nice truck. It had really nice sport seats, full instrumentation, alloy wheels, AM\FM cassette with EQ. What actually sold well back in the day were the Standard cab short bed Toyota and Nissans. They were bare bones, but good trucks, The Mazda trucks were popular back then too, part of what made the Mazda appealing was the SE-5 package as you could buy the Mazda that wasn’t so bare bones compared to the Toyota / Nissan. Toyota Cab/chassis models sold well also. I remember a lot of gardeners would get the Toyota cab/chassis and put a stake-bed in the back to carry lawn care equipment.
Oh man THAT MUSIC INTRO really took me back! I think there's an eager market for minitrucks these days that manufacturers are ignoring. Many young people dont want massive 50k and up trucks. There's a market for cheap, small, fun, sporty pickups like we used to have. At some point I'll own one of these (or the ultimate sport compact truck, the Ranger Splash!)
Ford Ranger all the way, I still see em almost every day. Even as a Chevy guy I would love a 1st gen ranger especially with the extended cab 4x4 and the optional roll bar and bumpers.
@@Karmy. The old S-10'S are hardly on the road these days.. Rangers are all over the place..The Chevy motors didn't last long especially the 2.8 and 2.2 both complete garbage..Not to mention the Chevy's rusted out quickly lol
Which compact truck would you have purchased back in '86? Also, one small error. I mentioned that the Comanche came with a V6 in '87, it was an Inline 6. Whooooopsie
Gonna say the Ranger, I owned a 2000 Ranger as my first truck and loved it. I love the older models more and probably would've gotten the V6 extended cab with a manual
In the mid 80's I had several company trucks, a Toyota, a Nissan, and a Ranger and the Ranger was my favorite. It had the V6 manual and it was torquey, quiet, handled well, was roomy, and had great a/c,, the Nissan was slow but nice and the Toyota was a great machine but real tight for a big guy like me and surprisingly had an ignition issue that took forever to diagnose and repair leaving me stranded multiple times. Once fixed it never broke down again.
Nissan Hardbody for me, either the extended cab or the standard size. I've always loved that first gen Hardbody, but they're so hard to find in my area...at least in good shape, anyway.
I had a Full Size 1981 GMC High Sierra in this Era..in 2002 i bought my S10 Sport Trk.which i still own & take to car shows..Ive got a few trophies for best of mini trk.class
Btw the Mitsubishi must have sold amazingly in Asia. When I lived in Sri Lanka from 1993 - 1994, it was one of the most common vehicles there. The early 90ies modells even offered a crew-cab. And if you've ever seen singaleese roads, you know this must have been a decent, well built truck.
Your videos continue to push memory buttons to my past. I remember getting excited driving to church, on Sunday morning, driving by the Toyota Dealership and seeing their new 1986 Toyota 4x4 pickup with extended cab. I knew I could not afford to own one, but enjoyed looking at it.
A friend of mine told me that when he was a sales manager at a Mazda dealer in 1986, they would give away the truck and stick it to you on the cars. If you came in and made an offer on a truck, you would likely have driven it home. They had to sell a lot of trucks to get the allocation they wanted on the cars.
Yep, my Uncle worked at Mazda dealership in the 80's in St. Louis and said the same thing. He bought 6 of them in 86 for next to nothing and parked them in his home shop and hung on to them for 5 years then sold them for 4 times what he paid for them after he retired from Mazda and went and bought himself a new S-10 Blazer and bought his wife brand new Beretta GT because he couldn't resell them while he worked for Mazda.
Looking forward to watching this one. Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Ranger, S10, so many iconic little trucks. You still see the Rangers and S10s and Nissans around. The occasional Toyota that hasn't rusted out.
They're all way more mini than they look cruising around until you see someone inside or stand next to one. I like the no bs cabins, bench seats and ski pole shifters. They drove insane back then!
My grandpa has a Dodge Ram 50 and I want to get it cleaned and fixed up. It doesn’t have to much rust and it has patina, but it still works. All it really needs, is some new clutch bearings, a weld in the right foot well, a tune up, and a detail on the interior. O and some body work on the right door.
In 1988 I was 12 years old. That summer I cut grass and painted for a trailer park and low end house rental land lady that drove me around in a diesel Isuzu P'up. That same truck with its original motor was sold to and driven by a high school friend of mine from 1993 until 2000/2001 when it finally gave up the ghost having ticked over 600K miles. That thing did 0-60 in 30 minutes down a greased hill, but it was so freakin' reliable.
I spent a lot of my childhood in the back of an 88 s10 single cab with a 4.3l v6. It was my step dad's daily. Went everywhere in our small town riding in the bed waving at cops driving down the road. Man those were the days.
You easily have the coolest videos on RUclips man! Also I love how you mentioned the fact that new trucks are insanely overpriced and less practical than what a truck needs to be. Everything today is all about a status symbol and over spending. 80 grand for a truck is absurd and to think back in the 80 that kind of money could get you a Ferrari. Times have certainly changed for the worse
@@fallerstephan9976 I agree but the Maverick is not a real truck that thing is silly plus they have the Ranger so what’s the point of the maverick? That’s one thing I don’t like about new cars today, there’s 2-3 models of the same kind of car
@@ecymbura31 price. It’s 20k and it has a bed. If you’re on a budget and you don’t need a real body on frame truck I can see why people would be interested. Personally I wouldn’t buy one. I’d rather save my money and get a Tacoma or maybe a Ranger.
@@fallerstephan9976 same I’d rather have an actual real truck not a little crossover with a “bed” however I don’t even think Toyota makes the small 2WD Tacoma anymore. Most new Tacomas I see are TRD Pro models or highly optioned. It’s a shame that nobody wants a simple truck anymore
I dig most of these trucks, but have to agree the clear winner is the Toyota pickup. Best looking, best engine [reliability + power from the 4cyl], and probably the best offroad, although the Jeep might have been slightly better with the Live axles. Better to go with an 85' to get that live axle and still have the 22RE.
My first vehicle was a 91 Mazda B2200 pickup. I honestly miss it. It was ridiculously reliable and had over 350,000 miles on it when I sold it. I saw it driving around for years after too. I should have never listened to my stepfather and sold it.
My dad had a base model '88 Mighty Max, it was a pretty decent truck despite being totally barebones (no AC, power steering or power brakes!). He had it for about 15 years and never had any issues with it, I still remember my dad taking me and my sister to school in it while blasting Metallica! One of our family friends also had a Ram 50 which was really the exact same truck. If I were to get a small 80s truck it'd be a Toyota or a second gen Mighty Max similar to my dad's.
I had an '89 Toyota with the 22RE and I regret selling it every time I see the current owner post it on IG. It has 300k+ miles on it now and seems to be unstoppable. Love your videos.
I know this is a 2 year old thread, but I’ve got a 86 Comanche with the 2.8 and had another with a 2.5. Both 4x4. The 2.5 felt more powerful because of the differential. 4.10 vs 3.55. The 2.8 seems smoother. 2.5 was tbi while the 2.8 was a 2 bbl. Both had over 200k miles. When AMC owned Jeep, they bought the old blocks for 84 which were known to detonate. Seemed more reliable for 85 and 86. Mine runs like a sewing machine but it leaks on the thermostat housing on the intake when I swapped out the thermostat this past summer. Decent little truck. However the 2.5 is a hell of a little engine and got great gas mileage even as a 4x4 and didn’t mind running in the 3200 rpm range. All 3 gas motors were known to leak oil and the original cooling system was awful.
I can tell you what was in my driveway in 1986. It was the Mitsubishi Mighty Max. It was the first car (or truck) I ever bought new. I paid just under $5k for it, it was the cheapest truck I could find at the time. I owned that truck for 8 years and drove it everywhere. It was a perfect truck for me to haul around my gear. I finally traded it for a sports car after the transmission gave out.
I had a Nissan Hardbody. I don't remember the exact model year. It was so so reliable. It had rust issues and the 4 cylinder was super under powered. I'm nostalgic for my past cars sometimes, but this is not one of them unfortunately.
There's a rusty, bumperless, and graffiti-covered Mitsubishi Mighty Max / Dodge Ram 50 / Plymouth Arrow (dont know which one it is, as the grill is gone, though I think it's a Mitsubishi) that i pass by occasionally in Portland. Had never seen one before I moved here (almost none of these small trucks have survived in Indiana, unfortunately)
My stepdad had one of those Toyota trucks, manual, no A/C (in Arizona!). I spent most of the time riding in the back with the dogs. And my shop has an ‘91 S-10 as our shop truck, it has the V6 and can spin the tires in 3rd gear on the highway if the bed is empty, it’s been upgraded with 1 ton springs (and easily handled the 2600 lbs of old brake rotors I had to take to the recyclers)
My neighbor has a Mitsubishi MightyMax, I always see it when I pass by there house. I always planned on one day asking the owner if they would sell it because I never seen it move, then 1 day I saw the owners son driving it... One day I will own one! 🙏🏽
Man so many cool trucks. I owned the worst ever with the isuzu hombre but I would have picked the Toyota with a close nissan behind it. That dessert runner was sick
My mazda 626 shared many parts with the 2nd gen Courier. Grandfather had a late 80s SR5 Toyota 4x4 he liked. I do have a soft spot for the smaller Rangers. Neighbor constantly says he misses his smaller Ranger truck (he has a 150 crew cab). i did like the like the B200 look. I also liked the Subaru Brat, but that really is not in this class. Bottom line though, I am a car person and would rather have a station wagon. If I need a truck I borrow or rent one. Rest of the year that would be wasted space.
I saw a Mazda truck last week at McDonald's, it was completely beat to hell and trashed but it clearly still ran I had seen another a few months ago too I'd probably go for the Mazda or Isuzu Despite having no experience with the Isuzu brand I've always loved Isuzu and hope to someday own one Preferably a Trooper/Trooper II, Rodeo, X90, or VehiCROSS
I saw one of those Mazda B2000’s in black (that actually was not slammed) not too long ago in a gas station parking lot right next to a Chevy Corsica. Both of them looked like they hadn’t been on the road in years. In fact, the Corsica hadn’t been registered since 2010.
FYI brother the commanchee had a 4.0 I6 once they dropped that horrid 2.8L chev V6 only V6 it ever came with was the 2.8. Power difference was due to the chev having Fuel injection and the Jeep having a Carb. Cheers
I owned a 1985 Dodge Ram50 which was a great truck.. I loved the Ford Ranger and Chevy S10.. but never owned. The Hard Body was used as a low rider and Truck clubs as well as the Nissan pick up.. on the street scene. I've always wanted S10 and Ford Ranger.. or even the BRonco II.
Your comment about kids sitting in the back of an extended cab made me laugh. My Dad made me sit on the PACKAGE SHELF in the back of a freaking Dodge Rampage.
Had a Ranger and several S10's thru the 80's and early 90's and like them all great reliability as well. Being a mechanic in this time I got to drive them all and liked the Toyota and the Nissan.
Back in 02 my dad had brought home an 86 mighty max that we fixed up and flipped. Then in 04 a little old man traded in a 92 mighty max 5spd 4wd with only 42k on it. My older brother bought it and taught me to drive stick with it. The truck has seen some rough days but it's still in the family with our little brother. I think they are cool little trucks and I'd buy one.
I would probably go with either Toyota or Nissan. I remember the ads at the time pointed out how the Nissan truck cost $1 more for a base price but said something along the lines of "you get a lot for a buck." The Nissan hardbody was produced with very few changes until 1997, and was a very nice driving truck. My friend had one and it had a nice shifter and felt peppy. I like the looks of the Mazda truck but have never driven one.
I bought a used ISUZU Spacecab 1990, in 1992 based on Consumers Report "best buy" under 5000.00. 2wd with the 2.6 manual trans. There was enough room in the back compared to the other extended cabs.
I absolutely love Toyota pickups especially the early ones. My uncle owns an 81 Toyota truck. It's not a 4x4 but still really cool. I've also got an 02 Tacoma reg cab non 4x4. It's actually the first truck I've ever owned. I've always been a car guy. But I absolutely love it.
I hope to get any one of these as my first car! A ranger or a pup would be fun A guy in my friends neighborhood has a first gen b200 in decent shape, it still has the decals but the wheels are surface rusted. I don’t think he drives it often so it just sits
Toyota 💯 just make sure it’s from the south/west. Everything here in Ohio is rusting away 😢. Of all these trucks, I only see the occasional s10 on the road around here, but they had that body style for a long time and sold many of them.
Gotta go with the Comanche. The 4.0 is bulletproof, the looks are killer and the name is awesome. Also, why don’t modern trucks get sweet jingles anymore? Those tunes are RAD
Great video! Costs are an interesting consideration. A base model compact pickup in 1986 was REALLY basic. Things we consider base today (A/C, power windows, radio, cruise, wheel covers, cloth seats, carpet) were mostly all options. Options drove up the prices pretty quickly! I've owned '90s versions of 3 of these -- Mazda B2600, Chevrolet S10, Ford Ranger XLT. My favorite was the Ranger.
Thank you!! You're absolutely right. I just couldn't find reliable information to accurately compare option costs for every model, so I had to go with base prices. :) I'd love to track down a Ranger STX, those are sweet!!
@@HelloRoad - Your video inspired me to dig thru my old stash of new car pricing guides and found 1986-1988. However, it was for cars only - no trucks. I did have some all-inclusive guides from the early 1990s. Let me know if you might be interested in these.
Since I was 16 then, we didn’t look at trucks like we do today. Cars were much more wanted. But even then a Toyota, Nissan and Ford were the top three.
Cool to watch. 👍 Cool gen of trucks... I was a teen in So Cal and a few of us had some of those as we got our first trucks in the 80s as we grew up... All of us into offroad and MX. A friend had the Ranger, it was the best to build to play out here in the desert. I-beam was sweet, cheapest to build and huge aftermarket. I barely passed on the Ranger and I went with the Nissan NAPS Z 4 (No AC, no power anything), I really digged the the Hardbody and was an amazing truck, though ok aftermarket. Another friend had the Toyota and also an amazing truck with great aftermarket to build. Another had a Mitsubishi and there was zero aftermarket to build and he didn't have any problems that I remember... No one I knew even considered the others and the guy who got the Mitsubishi just wanted to be different... I think if I was to do again, I'd of gotten the V6 Ranger... The rest were not even close as those top 3 of Ford, Toyota and Nissan.. Only thing cool about Isuzu trucks was the ads with Joe Isuzu....
i like that Ford Ranger, probably out of the bunch still has the best availability and prices for parts . it also has an iconic design. i wouldnt want an extended cab, just gime a nice little hauler.
I may be biased because as a kid my mom had a 97 kingcab, hence I'd have gone with the Hardbody. Make that a 4x4 Kingcab with a 5spd and V6. I would've picked the Comanche if it had the I-6
You my friend are my kind of people! We own this exact truck only we have the 1993 rare mid year model. (Updated cluster, new body style, square dashboard,etc.) If you can find one even if it needs work BUY IT! They are truly a blast to own. It's like having an unofficial 300zx mini truck but with go anywhere 4wd. Good luck hope you find a clean one.
@@BLKSTONE4WD I hear ya. I had the previous gen, a 1984 720 4WD from 2017 to 2019. Sharp little truck, it received compliments everywhere. Unfortunately it needed too much work but it was understandable for being a 35 yr old truck. No rust and the AC worked alright, but I had the clutch,head and carb rebuilt. Also replaced the fuel pump twice (don't get your stuff from Autozone LOL). The steering rack had also started leaking but just got some seal conditioner and refilled every month or so. I needed a daily driver so I had to let it go. I'd like a Hardbody with either the KA24 or VG30, they're just better in every way over the dual spark Z24 I had on my truck. It was fun taking moderate hills on I-15 at no more than 55mph despite having headers and a flowmaster done by the previous owner. Not in the market right now but maybe next year.
@@engineer_alv that's badass! Gotta love those little 720s, I'm sure a vg30e swap would really wake it up. Yeah beware of AutoZone it's a hit or miss. That's a bummer you couldn't keep the 720 but it's understandable given the circumstances. No doubt whatever Hardbody you pickup it will be a keeper.
There were a lot of Mazda B series trucks On the road here in Miami. They were pretty reliable so much so that forward re badged the Mazda B series as the new 1992 Ford Ranger and Master even sold a 2 door range you're based Explorer under the name Mazda Navajo.
I remember when i was about 7 our landscaper had a B2000 extended cab was lowered a but in this super clean green ish color with the classic 80s decals on the side I thought that was the sickest truck ever. Side note first thing I ever drove was a 80s Toyota pickup manual i was 15 😂
I'm going to have to go with the Nissan also that thing is just as sweet as they come, the marty mcfly one also is also nice especially with the customs, which you could also do to the nisssn
Those Mazda's were pretty common up here in Canada. Very reliable but eventually would rust away. Its a close call for me between Nissan or Toyota. If I am going to get a jeep, it would not be a pick up.
When I was a kid, I was absolutely in love with the Subaru Brat. Those seats, the baja bars and fog lights looked so bad ass back then.
The one in my memory probably had every bolt on off-road item it could fit. It was still awesome in my mind!
My high School Vice Principal had a Suburu Brat that was the Steppe Green, The school board and Administration pretty much made him get a new car, which he gave to his wife and gave his wife's old car to his daughter who was my classmate but he kept his Brat, my Junior year of High School he had us paint it that Mint Green GM had in the 80's, did it just to piss the school board and administration off and to prove a point, and when they talked to him about it he said "I just bought a new car, but the my wife's car broke down and then we had to fix that for my daughter to drive, want me to buy another new car then give me a damn raise" they shut up pretty quick.
I'm the current owner of a 1983 Chevy S10 regular cab short bed and it was a base model when I got it with the Isuzu 1.9 and 4 speed manual... Since installed a 305 Chevy (5 liter mercruser) and 200 metric with a quadrajet carb and it's been my favorite truck... Still is a factory manual steering manual brake truck that I tow with and have over 20k miles since the drivetrain swap... It's a mini square body Chevy which is my favorite style... And I've driven it from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Myrtle Beach... It's my daily and wouldn't have it any other way! P.S it gets about 20 mpg even with the V8 and 3 speed automatic even at 70-75 mph on the highway thanks to the quadrajet nothing like 70s-80s tech in 2023 lol
In 1986 it would have been the Toyota for me.
But knowing what I know now, I probably would have waited for the '87 Comanche. The 4,0 STRAIGHT 6 by AMC was one of the last real american engines.
The Toyota pickup is my choice. I wanted an Xtra-Cab SR5 model back in the day. I still remember seeing the ads and it was a really nice truck. It had really nice sport seats, full instrumentation, alloy wheels, AM\FM cassette with EQ.
What actually sold well back in the day were the Standard cab short bed Toyota and Nissans. They were bare bones, but good trucks,
The Mazda trucks were popular back then too, part of what made the Mazda appealing was the SE-5 package as you could buy the Mazda that wasn’t so bare bones compared to the Toyota / Nissan.
Toyota Cab/chassis models sold well also. I remember a lot of gardeners would get the Toyota cab/chassis and put a stake-bed in the back to carry lawn care equipment.
My buddy in Florida recently bought a Mighty Max!
; mighty max
They're great deals every other small 80s and 90s Japanese truck is shooting up in value but those are staying cheap
Oh man THAT MUSIC INTRO really took me back!
I think there's an eager market for minitrucks these days that manufacturers are ignoring.
Many young people dont want massive 50k and up trucks. There's a market for cheap, small, fun, sporty pickups like we used to have.
At some point I'll own one of these (or the ultimate sport compact truck, the Ranger Splash!)
Bring back El Camino!
I claim the Nissan Hardbody has a larger bed and larger extended cab, but in order to save money, I have to go with regular cab and long bed.
Ford Ranger all the way, I still see em almost every day. Even as a Chevy guy I would love a 1st gen ranger especially with the extended cab 4x4 and the optional roll bar and bumpers.
I agree
I only see the S10 here
Though I actually legit saw one of the Mazda trucks a week ago in the drive thru at McDonald's!
I’m a chevy guy too but I have a soft spot for those Toyota’s
@@Karmy. The old S-10'S are hardly on the road these days.. Rangers are all over the place..The Chevy motors didn't last long especially the 2.8 and 2.2 both complete garbage..Not to mention the Chevy's rusted out quickly lol
@@philthyco1 not here at least
Which compact truck would you have purchased back in '86?
Also, one small error. I mentioned that the Comanche came with a V6 in '87, it was an Inline 6. Whooooopsie
Toyota 4x4, Nissan hardbody or Mazda b series.
Since I own an 02 Tacoma I'm going to say the Toyota.
Gonna say the Ranger, I owned a 2000 Ranger as my first truck and loved it. I love the older models more and probably would've gotten the V6 extended cab with a manual
I would prefer all of them. However, not because of how bad some of them are, but because they are nostalgic.
Hello Road / Ethan Tufts
The Isuzu with the extended cab large side window! Remember that one?
Very cool design flair!
Love the series, keep it up
Toyota here - you had me at "Back to the Future"!
In the mid 80's I had several company trucks, a Toyota, a Nissan, and a Ranger and the Ranger was my favorite.
It had the V6 manual and it was torquey, quiet, handled well, was roomy, and had great a/c,, the Nissan was slow but nice and the Toyota was a great machine but real tight for a big guy like me and surprisingly had an ignition issue that took forever to diagnose and repair leaving me stranded multiple times.
Once fixed it never broke down again.
Nissan Hardbody for me, either the extended cab or the standard size. I've always loved that first gen Hardbody, but they're so hard to find in my area...at least in good shape, anyway.
Nissan most definitely for 86 they had the best styling
I had a Full Size 1981 GMC High Sierra in this Era..in 2002 i bought my S10 Sport Trk.which i still own & take to car shows..Ive got a few trophies for best of mini trk.class
Btw the Mitsubishi must have sold amazingly in Asia. When I lived in Sri Lanka from 1993 - 1994, it was one of the most common vehicles there.
The early 90ies modells even offered a crew-cab.
And if you've ever seen singaleese roads, you know this must have been a decent, well built truck.
There was a shit load of them in Germany in 91-93 too.
Your videos continue to push memory buttons to my past. I remember getting excited driving to church, on Sunday morning, driving by the Toyota Dealership and seeing their new 1986 Toyota 4x4 pickup with extended cab. I knew I could not afford to own one, but enjoyed looking at it.
A friend of mine told me that when he was a sales manager at a Mazda dealer in 1986, they would give away the truck and stick it to you on the cars. If you came in and made an offer on a truck, you would likely have driven it home. They had to sell a lot of trucks to get the allocation they wanted on the cars.
Yep, my Uncle worked at Mazda dealership in the 80's in St. Louis and said the same thing. He bought 6 of them in 86 for next to nothing and parked them in his home shop and hung on to them for 5 years then sold them for 4 times what he paid for them after he retired from Mazda and went and bought himself a new S-10 Blazer and bought his wife brand new Beretta GT because he couldn't resell them while he worked for Mazda.
@@TheREALOC1972 Your Uncle was a smart guy.
Looking forward to watching this one. Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, Ranger, S10, so many iconic little trucks. You still see the Rangers and S10s and Nissans around. The occasional Toyota that hasn't rusted out.
Oh and BTW the red-white-blue Nissan Desert Runner package still looks awesome.
I has an 86 S-10 with a 2.8 and a Tahoe package. it was a great little truck and a 4.10 gear made it feel way more powerful than it was.
They're all way more mini than they look cruising around until you see someone inside or stand next to one. I like the no bs cabins, bench seats and ski pole shifters. They drove insane back then!
My grandpa has a Dodge Ram 50 and I want to get it cleaned and fixed up. It doesn’t have to much rust and it has patina, but it still works. All it really needs, is some new clutch bearings, a weld in the right foot well, a tune up, and a detail on the interior. O and some body work on the right door.
In 1988 I was 12 years old. That summer I cut grass and painted for a trailer park and low end house rental land lady that drove me around in a diesel Isuzu P'up. That same truck with its original motor was sold to and driven by a high school friend of mine from 1993 until 2000/2001 when it finally gave up the ghost having ticked over 600K miles. That thing did 0-60 in 30 minutes down a greased hill, but it was so freakin' reliable.
If we're allowed to wait until '87, I'm waiting for the Dakota.
Ikr?
I had a 86 1/2 Hardbody Nissan. Love that truck!
Jeep, Toyota, Nissan, Ford in that order for me personally
I spent a lot of my childhood in the back of an 88 s10 single cab with a 4.3l v6. It was my step dad's daily. Went everywhere in our small town riding in the bed waving at cops driving down the road. Man those were the days.
Don't forget the S10 Cameo Edition
I keep watching your "Does a car have a memory" show again and again and again. That video has bewitched me!
You easily have the coolest videos on RUclips man! Also I love how you mentioned the fact that new trucks are insanely overpriced and less practical than what a truck needs to be. Everything today is all about a status symbol and over spending. 80 grand for a truck is absurd and to think back in the 80 that kind of money could get you a Ferrari. Times have certainly changed for the worse
These days you can get a well equipped Corvette with 80 grand...
I think that’s why they brought back the Ford Maverick. A lot of people want a compact truck for not that much money
@@fallerstephan9976 I agree but the Maverick is not a real truck that thing is silly plus they have the Ranger so what’s the point of the maverick? That’s one thing I don’t like about new cars today, there’s 2-3 models of the same kind of car
@@ecymbura31 price. It’s 20k and it has a bed. If you’re on a budget and you don’t need a real body on frame truck I can see why people would be interested. Personally I wouldn’t buy one. I’d rather save my money and get a Tacoma or maybe a Ranger.
@@fallerstephan9976 same I’d rather have an actual real truck not a little crossover with a “bed” however I don’t even think Toyota makes the small 2WD Tacoma anymore. Most new Tacomas I see are TRD Pro models or highly optioned. It’s a shame that nobody wants a simple truck anymore
Another great video
I dig most of these trucks, but have to agree the clear winner is the Toyota pickup. Best looking, best engine [reliability + power from the 4cyl], and probably the best offroad, although the Jeep might have been slightly better with the Live axles. Better to go with an 85' to get that live axle and still have the 22RE.
My first vehicle was a 91 Mazda B2200 pickup. I honestly miss it. It was ridiculously reliable and had over 350,000 miles on it when I sold it. I saw it driving around for years after too. I should have never listened to my stepfather and sold it.
My dad had a base model '88 Mighty Max, it was a pretty decent truck despite being totally barebones (no AC, power steering or power brakes!). He had it for about 15 years and never had any issues with it, I still remember my dad taking me and my sister to school in it while blasting Metallica! One of our family friends also had a Ram 50 which was really the exact same truck.
If I were to get a small 80s truck it'd be a Toyota or a second gen Mighty Max similar to my dad's.
I had an '89 Toyota with the 22RE and I regret selling it every time I see the current owner post it on IG. It has 300k+ miles on it now and seems to be unstoppable. Love your videos.
I had an ‘89 p’up. 4cyl 5spd. Great truck. Towed way above its weight. 260k miles. Painted yellow flames on the hood. Awesome
I know this is a 2 year old thread, but I’ve got a 86 Comanche with the 2.8 and had another with a 2.5. Both 4x4. The 2.5 felt more powerful because of the differential. 4.10 vs 3.55. The 2.8 seems smoother. 2.5 was tbi while the 2.8 was a 2 bbl. Both had over 200k miles. When AMC owned Jeep, they bought the old blocks for 84 which were known to detonate. Seemed more reliable for 85 and 86. Mine runs like a sewing machine but it leaks on the thermostat housing on the intake when I swapped out the thermostat this past summer. Decent little truck. However the 2.5 is a hell of a little engine and got great gas mileage even as a 4x4 and didn’t mind running in the 3200 rpm range. All 3 gas motors were known to leak oil and the original cooling system was awful.
I had 3 of these. The nissan, the ranger and the mighty max.
Ranger was my fave
I can tell you what was in my driveway in 1986. It was the Mitsubishi Mighty Max. It was the first car (or truck) I ever bought new. I paid just under $5k for it, it was the cheapest truck I could find at the time. I owned that truck for 8 years and drove it everywhere. It was a perfect truck for me to haul around my gear. I finally traded it for a sports car after the transmission gave out.
"the name's Nissan, Liam Nissan."
I had a Nissan Hardbody. I don't remember the exact model year. It was so so reliable. It had rust issues and the 4 cylinder was super under powered. I'm nostalgic for my past cars sometimes, but this is not one of them unfortunately.
Hey what about the D-50 Dodge pickup.
There's a rusty, bumperless, and graffiti-covered Mitsubishi Mighty Max / Dodge Ram 50 / Plymouth Arrow (dont know which one it is, as the grill is gone, though I think it's a Mitsubishi) that i pass by occasionally in Portland. Had never seen one before I moved here (almost none of these small trucks have survived in Indiana, unfortunately)
I had a 95 SR5. Loved it. Wish I still had it. I would have had it totally rebuilt from the ground up, plus I would have aftermarket mods.
I loved my 86 Ram 50 was quick reliable and od ball!
My stepdad had one of those Toyota trucks, manual, no A/C (in Arizona!). I spent most of the time riding in the back with the dogs.
And my shop has an ‘91 S-10 as our shop truck, it has the V6 and can spin the tires in 3rd gear on the highway if the bed is empty, it’s been upgraded with 1 ton springs (and easily handled the 2600 lbs of old brake rotors I had to take to the recyclers)
My neighbor has a Mitsubishi MightyMax, I always see it when I pass by there house. I always planned on one day asking the owner if they would sell it because I never seen it move, then 1 day I saw the owners son driving it... One day I will own one! 🙏🏽
In 1986 definitely TOYOTA pick up without a doubt.
Man so many cool trucks. I owned the worst ever with the isuzu hombre but I would have picked the Toyota with a close nissan behind it. That dessert runner was sick
Your intro nailed it.
My mazda 626 shared many parts with the 2nd gen Courier. Grandfather had a late 80s SR5 Toyota 4x4 he liked. I do have a soft spot for the smaller Rangers. Neighbor constantly says he misses his smaller Ranger truck (he has a 150 crew cab). i did like the like the B200 look. I also liked the Subaru Brat, but that really is not in this class. Bottom line though, I am a car person and would rather have a station wagon. If I need a truck I borrow or rent one. Rest of the year that would be wasted space.
I had an 86 ranger...loved that truck...good memories.
They had me at "back to the future"
I saw a Mazda truck last week at McDonald's, it was completely beat to hell and trashed but it clearly still ran
I had seen another a few months ago too
I'd probably go for the Mazda or Isuzu
Despite having no experience with the Isuzu brand I've always loved Isuzu and hope to someday own one
Preferably a Trooper/Trooper II, Rodeo, X90, or VehiCROSS
I saw one of those Mazda B2000’s in black (that actually was not slammed) not too long ago in a gas station parking lot right next to a Chevy Corsica. Both of them looked like they hadn’t been on the road in years. In fact, the Corsica hadn’t been registered since 2010.
FYI brother the commanchee had a 4.0 I6 once they dropped that horrid 2.8L chev V6 only V6 it ever came with was the 2.8. Power difference was due to the chev having Fuel injection and the Jeep having a Carb. Cheers
Yep I misspoke when I said V6. :) Ah thanks for the info on the power difference!
I always thought the Hardbody should've been called the Pathfinder Pickup. And I actually drove a brown Pup (we called it Mr Hanky 🤣🤣) for years.
Woohoo thanks for making this video!! I’m torn between the Mitsubishi and the Toyota. Never knew the Comanche and the S10 shared a motor
I had a 1984 Chevy S10 4X4 2.8 V6 . It was a nice ride.
My first vehicle was a 1986 2wd 4 on the floor Toyota pickup I bought used in 88 with 70k miles. I would love to have that truck again !
I owned a 1985 Dodge Ram50 which was a great truck.. I loved the Ford Ranger and Chevy S10.. but never owned. The Hard Body was used as a low rider and Truck clubs as well as the Nissan pick up.. on the street scene. I've always wanted S10 and Ford Ranger.. or even the BRonco II.
Just bought a 88 ford ranger and this made my day
The next gen Mighty Max was better. Please do it again in the 90s :D
I'll second that motion!
Third that ! Mighty max
86 was a good year for trucks and suv's! All had brown interior trim, mmm.
Your comment about kids sitting in the back of an extended cab made me laugh. My Dad made me sit on the PACKAGE SHELF in the back of a freaking Dodge Rampage.
I remember riding around on the rear bench in my late grandpa's 1997 Dakota
That thing was awful and so was the truck
WHAT ABOUT THE DODGE D-50 IT HAD LOOKS AND CONVERSIONS YOU COULD DO TO THEM NOW.
The 1986 Dodge D-50 was a carbon copy of the Mitsubishi Mighty Max, same truck, different badging.
Had a Ranger and several S10's thru the 80's and early 90's and like them all great reliability as well. Being a mechanic in this time I got to drive them all and liked the Toyota and the Nissan.
Back in 02 my dad had brought home an 86 mighty max that we fixed up and flipped. Then in 04 a little old man traded in a 92 mighty max 5spd 4wd with only 42k on it. My older brother bought it and taught me to drive stick with it. The truck has seen some rough days but it's still in the family with our little brother. I think they are cool little trucks and I'd buy one.
The Chevrolet Luv had a pretty cute name, too. (Which it turns out you mentioned)
I would probably go with either Toyota or Nissan. I remember the ads at the time pointed out how the Nissan truck cost $1 more for a base price but said something along the lines of "you get a lot for a buck." The Nissan hardbody was produced with very few changes until 1997, and was a very nice driving truck. My friend had one and it had a nice shifter and felt peppy. I like the looks of the Mazda truck but have never driven one.
I bought a used ISUZU Spacecab 1990, in 1992 based on Consumers Report "best buy" under 5000.00. 2wd with the 2.6 manual trans. There was enough room in the back compared to the other extended cabs.
I absolutely love Toyota pickups especially the early ones. My uncle owns an 81 Toyota truck. It's not a 4x4 but still really cool. I've also got an 02 Tacoma reg cab non 4x4. It's actually the first truck I've ever owned. I've always been a car guy. But I absolutely love it.
I owned two 1986 Rangers, besides being hopelessly underpowered, I loved them both
I hope to get any one of these as my first car! A ranger or a pup would be fun
A guy in my friends neighborhood has a first gen b200 in decent shape, it still has the decals but the wheels are surface rusted. I don’t think he drives it often so it just sits
Toyota 💯 just make sure it’s from the south/west. Everything here in Ohio is rusting away 😢. Of all these trucks, I only see the occasional s10 on the road around here, but they had that body style for a long time and sold many of them.
Hey there 6th Gear Garage!
Good to see you here in the comments.
@@BLKSTONE4WD I figured there'd be a 4wd Yota somewhere in the video!
@@6thGearGarage haha wouldn't be a mini truck video without one! Lol
Would have picked the Baja S10 but bought a 82 S10 2WD Std Cab, still have it. Now I need the Baja.
Love the videos man! I'd take the Toyota or the Nissan, you still see hardbodys till this day.
Gotta go with the Comanche. The 4.0 is bulletproof, the looks are killer and the name is awesome.
Also, why don’t modern trucks get sweet jingles anymore? Those tunes are RAD
Love the original ranger. I even have the 2019-2020 ranger. Also would have gotten the back to the future Toyota 4x4
Nissan Hardbody...Power..Reliability...
2.4L NapsZ engine 2 spark plugs per cylinder...Rode like a smooth car....Price:$5995!
Was that Danny Devito for the voice over in the Toyota Pickup ad?
Great video!
Costs are an interesting consideration. A base model compact pickup in 1986 was REALLY basic. Things we consider base today (A/C, power windows, radio, cruise, wheel covers, cloth seats, carpet) were mostly all options.
Options drove up the prices pretty quickly!
I've owned '90s versions of 3 of these -- Mazda B2600, Chevrolet S10, Ford Ranger XLT. My favorite was the Ranger.
Thank you!! You're absolutely right. I just couldn't find reliable information to accurately compare option costs for every model, so I had to go with base prices. :) I'd love to track down a Ranger STX, those are sweet!!
@@HelloRoad - Your video inspired me to dig thru my old stash of new car pricing guides and found 1986-1988. However, it was for cars only - no trucks. I did have some all-inclusive guides from the early 1990s. Let me know if you might be interested in these.
Since I was 16 then, we didn’t look at trucks like we do today. Cars were much more wanted. But even then a Toyota, Nissan and Ford were the top three.
I'll forever regret selling my 88 Toyota pickup. I wouldn't mind owning a hardbody though
Cool to watch. 👍 Cool gen of trucks... I was a teen in So Cal and a few of us had some of those as we got our first trucks in the 80s as we grew up... All of us into offroad and MX. A friend had the Ranger, it was the best to build to play out here in the desert. I-beam was sweet, cheapest to build and huge aftermarket. I barely passed on the Ranger and I went with the Nissan NAPS Z 4 (No AC, no power anything), I really digged the
the Hardbody and was an amazing truck, though ok aftermarket. Another friend had the Toyota and also an amazing truck with great aftermarket to build. Another had a Mitsubishi and there was zero aftermarket to build and he didn't have any problems that I remember... No one I knew even considered the others and the guy who got the Mitsubishi just wanted to be different... I think if I was to do again, I'd of gotten the V6 Ranger...
The rest were not even close as those top 3 of Ford, Toyota and Nissan.. Only thing cool about Isuzu trucks was the ads with Joe Isuzu....
Ya I remember when Nissan & Mitsubishi made good cars...
Still love the hardbody.
i like that Ford Ranger, probably out of the bunch still has the best availability and prices for parts . it also has an iconic design. i wouldnt want an extended cab, just gime a nice little hauler.
My daily driver is a 1998 Honda Accord, Ethan is welcome to review my car in the summer.
a lil biased cuz i drive a 1983 S10
I may be biased because as a kid my mom had a 97 kingcab, hence I'd have gone with the Hardbody. Make that a 4x4 Kingcab with a 5spd and V6.
I would've picked the Comanche if it had the I-6
You my friend are my kind of people!
We own this exact truck only we have the 1993 rare mid year model.
(Updated cluster, new body style, square dashboard,etc.)
If you can find one even if it needs work BUY IT!
They are truly a blast to own.
It's like having an unofficial 300zx mini truck but with go anywhere 4wd.
Good luck hope you find a clean one.
@@BLKSTONE4WD I hear ya. I had the previous gen, a 1984 720 4WD from 2017 to 2019. Sharp little truck, it received compliments everywhere. Unfortunately it needed too much work but it was understandable for being a 35 yr old truck. No rust and the AC worked alright, but I had the clutch,head and carb rebuilt. Also replaced the fuel pump twice (don't get your stuff from Autozone LOL). The steering rack had also started leaking but just got some seal conditioner and refilled every month or so. I needed a daily driver so I had to let it go.
I'd like a Hardbody with either the KA24 or VG30, they're just better in every way over the dual spark Z24 I had on my truck. It was fun taking moderate hills on I-15 at no more than 55mph despite having headers and a flowmaster done by the previous owner. Not in the market right now but maybe next year.
@@engineer_alv that's badass!
Gotta love those little 720s, I'm sure a vg30e swap would really wake it up.
Yeah beware of AutoZone it's a hit or miss.
That's a bummer you couldn't keep the 720 but it's understandable given the circumstances.
No doubt whatever Hardbody you pickup it will be a keeper.
There were a lot of Mazda B series trucks On the road here in Miami. They were pretty reliable so much so that forward re badged the Mazda B series as the new 1992 Ford Ranger and Master even sold a 2 door range you're based Explorer under the name Mazda Navajo.
I think you mean the new 1993 Ranger.
Still driving to this day in my 88 4x4 supercab ranger
Intro was definitely pokemon inspired
I remember when i was about 7 our landscaper had a B2000 extended cab was lowered a but in this super clean green ish color with the classic 80s decals on the side I thought that was the sickest truck ever. Side note first thing I ever drove was a 80s Toyota pickup manual i was 15 😂
Great vids man!
Thank you!!!
I had a 1991 Mighty Max and it was a fun little truck
Wait the Pup is the cutest compact truck name... you forgot the chevy LUV
I'm going to have to go with the Nissan also that thing is just as sweet as they come, the marty mcfly one also is also nice especially with the customs, which you could also do to the nisssn
Those Mazda's were pretty common up here in Canada. Very reliable but eventually would rust away. Its a close call for me between Nissan or Toyota. If I am going to get a jeep, it would not be a pick up.