77Dream

Sorry for the OT but this is the best place for info.

OK, I get a call yesterday and its my cousin. He tells me he just bought a new truck and I can have (for free :cool: ) his old truck. It's an 88 Toyota 4x4 stick shift (4cyl. :rolleyes: ). I think to myself that this is weird because he is never very giving and is always looking for a way to make a quick buck, but this thought was overshadowed by my own desire to make some money by selling his truck for 100% profit. So I tell him I'll take it and we'll make arrangements later for me to pick it up and I hang up. When I wake up this morning the truck is sitting in my driveway :confused: . ok, cool. He must have been out and about last night and decided to drop it off.

Well... when I go to move it I quickly realize that there is water in the oil :banghead: and my little bastard cousin was dumping the truck off on me. He didn't want me to pick it up because it would not have gotten very far and I would be pissed at him, so he dropped it off in the night while I was asleep and ran. Well I suppose that for being free I cant complain too much, but he should have told me on the phone.

So I took a quick look at the engine to see how big of a job it would be. Looks like the head gasket went and just needs replaced. All the accessory brackets are connected to the head. Exhaust and a bunch of emissions junk is on one side of the head. Intake, throttle body, injection manifold and about a mile of metal tube/hose is on the other. Damn!!! you wouldn't think that a 4 banger would have so much junk under the hood.

Now to the point of my long boring story. I have 6 options:

1. fix it myself (PITA)
2. have a shop fix it. (quoted $900 from a friend that has a shop)
3. part it out on eBay (a lot of people want Toyota 4wd parts, but lots of work)
4. sell it as is (make a little money, with no work)
5. put some block sealer in the rad and oil and sell it (karma will bite me is the butt later)
6. take it to my cousins house while he sleeps tonight (and park it in his flower bed :D )

The truck is in good shape considering its an 88. I see some similar trucks in the autotrader going for 2.5 to 3.5k. What do you guys think I should do? And about option 5, would that work? I was thinking Barrs or something in the water and put other stuff in the oil. I have heard some people say that's it will work for years. Others say it will only work long enough to get it fixed properly. If I do "fix" it that way I would warn the buyer that it has had head gasket problems and would not ask for as much money (im not looking to screw someone). Maybe sell it to a high school kid for $500? That would not be wrong to do, would it? As long as I tell him (or his parents) that the head gasket is not in good shape.

If you read this far then you disserve a beer. :cheers:


[Modified by 77Dream, 11:01 AM 7/11/2003]

BSeery

I would look at how much option 1 would cost. Then keep the truck if you need it, sell it if you don't. If you sell it, make fun of your cousin for all the money you made from the deal.

Next option is to fix it, then drive all over his flower bed, and then keep or sell it. :D

3rd option is to not fix it and leave it in the flower bed and run. Make sure to pull the drain plug on the rad, trans, and engine before you leave his place. Take them all with you.

Send beer to 625 N. Hamilton St
# 31
Chandler, AZ
85225.

Thanks.


[Modified by BSeery, 12:11 PM 7/11/2003]

Brettmc

Not on option list is the one that says:
Fix it myself and use it for a daily driver, keepin the miles and the rain off my vette.

Brett :thumbs:

goofygrin

I would fix it myself and drive it for a while.

I would be afraid that the head gasket is not the only problem and more than karma would be looking for me.

You *could* donate it to charity for a tax writeoff.

LAvetteman

I cut my teeth on *** trucks as a young lad, mostly Toyota and Nissan. I have seen two mid 80's 4 cyl pickups with bad head gaskets. One, a nissan with no compression on one cylinder and the other, a Toyota with the water and oil premix option, as you mentioned. ;)

All I can tell you is tread onto this repair cautiously, I have seen some people try to do this job themselves and end up with even more major problems, like dropping the timing chain into the block, not a good thing.

I wouldn't part out the truck, scrap yards will make this very hard for you to compete on a vehicle this popular.

I say fix it and sell it. Get a couple more prices on this job, like from a tech that works for a toyota dealership that does side jobs in his spare time. :thumbs:

I guess it is possible though that its a block problem and not the gasket(warped or cracked).

But even then, you can find a good used engine from a recycler for about what you have been quated for a gasket changeout and swap engines yourself.

Jvette73

Does it have a solid front axel or IFS? Many 4x4 enthusiasts drop a SB chevy into toyotas and wind up with a real fun truck. Conversion kits with all the adapters are available. Just an idea.

If it were in my driveway and it only needed a head gasket, i would probably fix it. But you never know, it could have a cracked head or block too.

i say drop a SB i there and have some fun 4-wheelin.

Yoiu could also donate it as is to charity and take a tax write off. I would claim blue book value as a donation. Never heard it comming back on anyone. Its the donatore right to determine the value. If its not over blue book..what can they say? $3000 would be a nice tax write off and could make a big difference in yur return or cover for money you might owe.

Koz

If your thinking about making $500 quick then donate it and take the tax write off.. If your in a 27% bracket your saving $810 so donate is beter than a $500 private sale. If you spend $900 to fix you could sell it for $2K easy so you make $1,100. You make only a few hundred more than donating AND you don't know for sure if it's just a head gasket or cracked block.. :crazy: If you have the talent to fix the truck then go for it.. That's the cheapest way which equals the most profit. Nothing to loose but some time. If you get it apart and find more damage you can still dontate it and take the book value write off.. :cheers:


[Modified by Koz, 2:37 PM 7/11/2003]

77Dream

I already have a daily driver so that wont help, but its a good idea.

I never thought of a tax write off, that sounds like a pretty good idea. I think I might try to fix it and if that dont work out then donate it.

Who would you donate a truck too? I really dont care who it would go to as long as I get a reciept for taxes.

Jvette73, If I get a AR 383 I want then I would have an extra 350 with nothing to do with. It would be fun to drop it in a truck. I didn't look but i'm pretty sure its got an independent front suspension.

Dalannex

I would definitely fix it either way. I would drive it and let my daily driver sit. (In most cases depending on what the daily driver is) For the little bit of cash you would have into this one fixing it yourself you would have some awful cheap daily driver mileage compared to something else that may have a payment, and need full coverage insurance, and be depreciating. This Toyota isn't going to depreciate at any rate now that is noticeable, you can run just liability on it since you don't have much to lose, and Toyota's are known for being very reliable transportation. That's my 2 cents.

--Justin

Smokehouse69

If you decide to replace the gasket, replace the head bolts at the same time. I had a Toyota that kept blowing the head gaskets. The head wasn't warped, the deck was straight, it just blew the gasket about once a year.
I finally found out that the bolts were one time use torque to yield bolts. I replaced the bolts, torqued it to the right specs and the is still running.

77Dream

Thats good to know! Thanks.

:cheers: