Here's hoping I don't get flamed. . . I'm just a guy selling a truck that's served him well and trusty.
'89 Toyota 4x4, 22R, EFI, 230K+ miles, camper shell. Asking $2500. Dixon, California.
Here's the deal, I'm pretty sure the head gasket is going. At least that's the consensus of two dealer mechanics and me. Losing coolant out the tailpipe in the form of white steam, idling rough (rpm oscillates up and down), low coolant level in radiator. During a static compression test, the compression changed from quite low in the rear cylinders to normal toward the front If I was 15 years younger I'd pull the engine myself, install a new gasket, replace rings, bearings, do a valve job, hone the cylinders, in other words, a pretty complete engine rebuild. I'd probably check all the air sensors, etc., as well as the thermostat. I used to do this with VW beetles, and truly enjoyed the process.
The good news is that because this car has started nickel and diming me the past couple of years, there are plenty of nearly new bonus parts, including: very good tires, alternator, rebuilt radiator, clutch, bearing, and clutch plate, head lamps, shocks, and a brand new, dealer-installed, throttle position sensor. I had A/C installed a several years ago, and it works great. The radio is a nice Kenwood AM/FM cassette that can be hooked up to Kenwood's CD changer behind the seat (provided you buy one, I never got around to it). I've never had a lick of trouble with any of the rest of the drive train, and I've been good about keeping fluids up. The body has accumulated a few dings and dents over the years, but nothing too outrageous. Lastly, I've been smoking in this truck, and it probably smells like it.
My best guess is that a guy could fix truck up mechanically for a couple more thousand bucks (maybe less, who knows?) and get many more miles out of it. This could be a good project for a kid who wants his own truck; and believe me, once you've rebuilt an engine, you OWN that car. A high school shop class would love this truck. Me? I've invested all the dough I'm going to already. Hell, I went ahead and bought an '05 regular cab taco. Impulse red. Zowie!
Email me if you're interested.
Bruce
PS--Just to CYA, this is a well-used truck. It stills runs, but who knows? I offer NO guarantees, not one, none.