Topic: pick-up vs. 4runner, post arguements here

[85yotabox]

i am trying to decide on my next project.  i am eather doing a first gen 4 runner or a second gen pick up.   are there any major differences in the two or just the bodies?  let me know what some arguements are from both sides. 

[SolidAxle]

Pickups go faster because they weigh less.
you can throw all sorts of crap in the back easily. for example getting a load of dirt, or transpoting greasy parts like a SFA.
If you get an extra cab you can cram alot of crap in there that needs to stay dry.
3rd gens have back seats.
your rear window will never fail haha.
burnouts and doughnuts are easier. 
you can stick the shocks through the bed without having to seal it. (unless your hardcore and don't care haha)
easy to bob.


For a 4runner
they have back seats that people can actually sit in.
you can sleep in the back...with heat.
expedition friendly
what ever is in the back can be locked in. duhh
cheaper (where i live)
removeable top 

My dad had an '86 4runner and i have a 1985 pickup so i have expereince with both. he also has had a 2nd gen runner and currently a 3rd. Pickups are definatly the way to go unless you gotta haul all your homies... or have a family. IF its primary use is offroading (like an atv almost) take what you can get becase they are pretty much the same vehicle. and it dosen't matter wether or not you can haul people or dirt because you won't do either.

[*** YELLER ***]

not to be a jerk but there is a thread here somewhere about this same thing



but it would depend on what your use would be for yer rig  if ya carry alot of crap  or have a family I think a Runner would be good if not and just wanna wheel then a truck might be better it depends on yer wheelin' style and yer needs 



 

[85yotabox [OP]]

Yea I have an 85 pickup now and i love it in the rocks and trails but i want somthing to carry more people and stuff when i go places.  so i might just get a 4runner to have as a DD and keep my pickup for my trail rig. But i am still in high school so i guess ive got a ways to go.

[madhunt]

with a runner there is alot more glass to break, and you will be more carefull not to beat up your body

[germ]

I've got an 85 4Runner and an 05 Tacoma. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both will wheel about the same, although the $runner will have a bit more weight over the rear axle, which improves performance in the snow/ice. It does make hauling "dirty" stuff a bit more difficult, as you don't usually throw a cord of wood in the back of a runner.

I keep my runner as my "toy" and my Tacoma as a DD. Nice to have the option for either. Wheeling-lite will take the Tacoma, but real wheeling gets the runner. Unfortunatly I don't have much experience with the 2nd gen truck, so can't really compare to that one.

Erik

[Rocksurfer]

For the most part they are the same vehicle with the same capabilities in the short wb. Now in the long wb pickup either in extracab trim or longbed is another world. That extra wb provides unbelievable stability and you only sacrifice a little on high centering. I've had just about every configuration in the mini's and still hands down for stability would go for a long wb rig. That being said my best set up rig was my 4Runner and I miss that truck but I miss my lwb 80 too.

[85yotabox [OP]]

is the body and a few trim pices the only difference in the two or is it more then that?

[RCKSQRL]

Ok-
My 
I had a'82 as my first yota wheeler. Did great but was lacking interior storage.
Now have a runner, more inside storage.........


trade off, runner is HEAVY. Ended up dragging the rear quarter panels and beating them up. (going on more difficult trails ect) so I chopped off the last 2 feet of the runner. Now I have interior storage but that is decreased drastically due to no rear seats. (fuel cell). The runner is a much better vehicle in MY comparison ('82 mini vs. '85 runner) as I have built it better overall. Like having the EFI and space inside. Now I run tube doors most of the time so I am not enclosed very well.

Pickup- tighter inside, lighter, able to haul stuff! I miss that capability.... ALOT! Being lighter it may seem more powerful. If you are going earlier than '86 you will stuff the tires into the frame unless you get some weird offset rims.
If it were me looking for a pickup, I would go for the '89-94 body style, EFI rounded fenders, wider rear axle, correct steering box for crossover steering and still have the ability to haul stuff.

hope that helps

[88_Pathy]

Remember if you keep the runner low, you may end up having to tub the rear fenders into the cargo area. I would say a PITA. I have an x-cab and it is perfect.... for 2.  I wish I had a Runner sometimes and other times I don't. If I ever get brave I will make my truck a walk through with a full cage and put the can bak back on.

[Dingman.]

It really depends on what you plan on doing with it.

I have a 2nd gen 4runner. 
its heavy and slow.  Now its nice because when i go camping i sleep inside.  My stuff is always locked up and dry.  Seats fold flat in the rear for a little more storage. 

Sometimes i wish i had gotten a truck instead, but.  if i had gotten a truck my internal storage would be less.  And everybody would ask me to help move stuff.  They are lighter and not as top heavy on the trail which is a good thing.

Like stated.  it depends on what YOU are going to do with it

[NorCalToy]

it sounds like a first gen runner would be ideal for you.

you can get a rear seat delete and pull the top and its basically a truck, in the winter or if you want your stuff locked and dry, bolt the top backonto it.

[Dingman.]

Or in that case, a pickup and a camper shell.

The only downside to that would be seating.

[lucky7]

Bigger ice chest inside a runner

[Toymin8r]

If you don't need the back seat I would go with the pickup.

1.  They weigh less
2.  A bed is a lot easier to replace than 4Runner rear quarter panels  if you beath them up on the rocks.
3.  The gas tank hangs down lower on the 4Runners

[46&2]

All the good points have been made about both. I wanted a pick up first but I am a big guy (6'3") and single cabs of any generation were really too cramped for me, plus I like a lot of interior room. My girlfriend has a 92 extra cab and its nice because I can use it for all the hauling duties, its stock, the light rear end makes backing up on loose terrain on a hill difficult, and it gets squirly in the winter so I always have to keep the bed loaded down with snow or some other form of weight over the rear axle. Interior space is great though, plenty of leg room and storage space.

The reason I ended up choosing a 4runner over an extra cab pick up was for a few reasons. First, I do a lot of snow wheeling in the winter. Spending many nights in the past trying to sleep in pick up cabs, be it a freezing snow run or summer time alike just sucked. Sleeping in the bed is an option for the summer but I like being able to sleep INSIDE. I just wanted to be able to comfortably sleep in my truck if I had to. Even though I am a little taller than the length of the 4runner tub with the seats down my girlfriend, my dog and myself can all sleep rather well in the back. Second, I like taking more than one person wheeling. On close day trips I can take 4 people comfortably and 5 if there are kids or smaller people. On extended 3-4 day trips I can take 2 other people with all of our camping gear, food, beer, parts, a full size spare and the rest of our stuff no sweat. Being able to carry large items and keep them locked up is nice too but could be accomplished with a nice camper shell. Another factor was that I can take my dog with me during cold or crappy weather and not have to cram her in the back of an extra cab or make her endure the freezing winds.

Lastly, I wanted to have a 4WD convertible

[85yotabox [OP]]

well i have a second gen single cab short bed. QWould i be able to put a 4runner body and put it on my frame?  or would it be more worth it to just get a decent 4runner and swap all my parts over?

[Hawk Thor]

I have a 4 door 3rd gen with a fiberglass bedtop. I think this is the best of both worlds. I can lock stuff in my bed, I have a rear seat for passengers or stuff and its LWB.

I have alot of interior room but I don´t need to heat up as much room as the runner guys so my truck gets warmer quicker. The bed is dry enough to keep my clothes in there but I can also put nasty, smelly parts and junk in the bed without worrying about a carpet.

Is it possible to get the 4 door trucks in Canada?

[blackdiamond]

If you get a 4Runner you know it's a Toyota.  There are several manufacturing companies for pick ups. 

[blackdiamond]

If you get a 4Runner you know it's a Toyota.  There are several manufacturing companies for pick ups. 

I had a 2nd generation truck and now have a 1st gen 4Runner.  If you get the extended cab truck and don't need the back seat for family reasons you'll end up with a lighter truck that is easier to fix damage on.

The truck bed is easier to replace than the 4Runner tub and weight kills you off road.  My 4Runner will actually stall easier off road with duals than my truck did with a single 4.7.  I have larger tires with the same gears, but it's amazing how much heavier it feels overall.

[Rocksurfer]

everybody would ask me to help move stuff.

The way out of that one is to tell them that due to the light-weight set up on the springs it can carry very little or it will bend the springs.


With the space issues I usually run a shell on my pickups, in fact this is the 1st one I've had that didn't have a shell. Just haven't found one at a good price yet.

[Dingman.]

The way out of that one is to tell them that due to the light-weight set up on the springs it can carry very little or it will bend the springs.

Thats a good one.  Ive offered to help people move in my 4runner but they don't think i can put anything in there, so im off the hook!  lol
just stuck with help lifting heavy objects

Oh and just about any weight in the rear of the 4runner now, makes it sag a bit.  Thanks LC coils!