Welcome back to Shitbox Showdown, your daily dose of sketchy cars at bargain prices! Today’s search takes us to eastern Washington and western Idaho, for a pair of 4WD fixer-uppers. Before we get to those, let’s see who won yesterday’s basic beater battle:
Kinda close, but the Buick wins it by – I have to say it – a nose. A lot of you felt that Tercel was just getting too long in the tooth to make a good beater, and I’d have to agree. Toyotas may run “forever,” but as a little buddy of mine back in Minneapolis once put it, that’s a mighty long time. They start to feel used-up and nasty after a while, even if they still start every time you turn the key. Half the miles and ten years newer sounds a lot better to me, even if it needs a little fixing up.
Both of today’s contenders could use a little love as well. One was stolen and taken for a joyride, and the other has been relieved of most of its clutch lining. But both are still drivable, both are cheap enough to leave some money in the budget for repairs, and both are able to power all four wheels. Let’s see which one you’d rather have.
1992 Mazda B2600i 4×4 – $1,800
Engine/drivetrain: 2.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, part-time 4WD
Location: outside Post Falls, ID
Odometer reading: 216,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep, but will need a clutch eventually
Most Mazda trucks are tied to Ford in some way or another. In the early ’70s, Mazda’s B-series trucks were rebadged by Ford as the Courier, before Ford developed their own Ranger compact. Then, in 1993, the Mazda trucks became rebadged Rangers. And many Ford trucks, big and small, left the factory with Mazda manual transmissions. But for a decade or so, Mazda’s small trucks were all-Mazda, built in Japan. This is one of the last of them.
This is a Mazda B2600i, powered by a fuel-injected 2.6 liter four built by Mazda. Earlier B2600 models (no “i”) used a carbureted engine, confusingly supplied by Mitsubishi. You don’t want one of those. You want this one. It’s backed by a five-speed manual and a selectable 4WD transfer case with a low range. The seller says it rus and drives, but it’s going to need brakes and a clutch before too long. How long? Well, that’s always the question, isn’t it? I nursed a Miata with a “bad” clutch for several thousand miles before it started slipping enough to be a problem. But sometimes they go pretty quickly, once they start to go.
Replacing a clutch in a 4×4 pickup is a chore: You have two driveshafts to disconnect, a transfer case to deal with, and in most cases (including this one), torsion bars for the front suspension that are inconveniently attached to the transmission crossmember. It all has to come out before you can take care of the clutch. The question, threfore, is: is the rest of the truck worth the hassle? In this case, I’m inclined to say yes. These Mazda trucks are tough, efficient, and quite nice to drive, as small trucks go. It’s beat-up but rust-free, and if you do the clutch yourself, it’s only a couple hundred bucks and a long dirty weekend.
I’m not crazy about the cheap eBay LED (or HID?) headlights, but I’d reserve judgment until I see the beam pattern. At least the tires and battery are new, so that saves you some money.
1993 Subaru Impreza – $2,000
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter overhead cam horizontally-opposed 4, five-speed manual, AWD
Location: Spokane, WA
Odometer reading: 149,000 miles
Runs/drives? Sure does
Subaru’s Impreza, especially in its WRX form, has built a reputation as a serious performance car. It’s a rally champion many times over, a video star, and the choice of folks everywhere who want to go fast for not much money. But it didn’t start out that way. It started out like this: a humble little economy car with 115 horsepower to its name, and its signature all-wheel-drive system was still just a check-box on the option form.
It’s likely the thieves who took this little Subaru for a joyride didn’t know it was such a slowpoke. After all, it looks a little like a WRX, if you squint hard enough, I guess. They absconded with the radio before ditching the car, and “messed up the exterior.” I don’t know if that means the thieves are responsible for the rattle-can paint job, or if that was the seller’s attempt to make it presentable, but either way, it ain’t pretty. At least the upholstery is still intact, and clean-ish.
The seller does say it runs well, at least. The advantage of the smaller 1.8 liter engine in these early Imprezas is a better reputation for reliability than the later, larger Subaru flat-fours. They aren’t known for eating head gaskets, and they’re non-interference engines, so a timing belt failure is a tow and an annoying repair, not a catastrophe. You’d still be wise to change it right away, unless the seller can tell you when it was last done.
I’m guessing that’s a Bluetooth speaker sitting in the back seat, as a stopgap for the missing sound system. There’s no word on whether the weird berry-flavored Mountain Dew and Strawberry Crush are included in the sale. Might be a negotiation point, if you really like Strawberry Crush. (Someone must, right?)
Either one of these would need a little tinkering, but I think in both cases the bones are good. A beat-up little truck is always a useful thing to have around, and a cheap manual all-wheel-drive Subaru is a good start to rallycross fun, or a great winter beater. So which one will it be?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I just want to commend todays post. It’s truly in the SS spirit. Thank you.
I bet you could leave something valuable in the bed of the Mazda overnight on a downtown streetcorner and it wouldn’t get stolen.
Between me and my dad, we’ve had 3 of the B series trucks from that era, one 1990 B2200 (extended cab), a 1990 B2600i 4wd rust bucket (standard cab) and a 1992 2600i (extended cab). They are lovely trucks, don’t get the premium Toyotas of a similar age carry. It gets my vote.
Correction: 1993 was the last year for a real Mazda pick up truck in North America. In 1994 they switched to rebadged Ford Rangers.
I had a 1993 B2200 regular cab, short bed, 5MT as my first vehicle and it was a great truck. Everyone longed for the model presented in today’s vote, the B2600i extended cab 4×4 with the sexy flared fenders and hood bulge. The one presented today appears to be remarkably rust free, they usually all start with rust on the front bumper.
Neither seems like a good deal, but the truck has charisma. It will probably be about the same money as the subie to keep running, neither deserves to be fixed up, and it makes a better no shits given beater.
The truck is one clutch away from a new lease on bump&scrape life.
And it’s red.
Who can deprive this machine?
That’s a Subaru??
Yes? The GC can be better looking than this, I think that awful paint is acting like camouflage
The paint job and choice of drinks say all I need to know about the Subi. Gimme the pickemup.
I can smell both of these choices, and that’s never a good thing. Truck will be good for truck things, but not much else. woof.
I’d actually use the truck for truck things. Brakes I can do, clutch well gotta learn somwhere I guess. Clutch kits seem to be under $250 canadian and I probably wouldn’t be overly concerned about getting the flywheel machined. I’d used it heavily for a few months and then if/when something expensive went wrong I’d accept its fate.
The Mazda is not bad, it is pretty solid Truggy fodder. remove the bed and front fenders, replace the clutch cinch up the torsions up front, link the back with coil overs and build a cage to keep it from taco’ing. 31’s or even 33’s would make it a decent alternative to the very pricey RZR’s and if you did it right, you might be able to keep licensable to get it from campgrounds to trails without a ticket.
That would be my plan. I’d probably reinforce the frame and SAS the front in addition to linking the rear. Just get stupid with it. I really want a small Japanese truck with Jeep D44 Axles and 35s or 37s. A platable truggy.
I wanted to vote for the Subaru, but it’s too little for too much. The Mazda is a great little pickup, and you can’t buy those anymore (unless the new Maverick counts).
If the clutch and brakes need work already, then who knows what else you will find out after buying that Mazda? The Subaru is delightful in its awfulness. Previously stolen? Check. Radio gone? You betcha. Patchy rattle can paint with massive overspray? Hell yes! I think it’s worth paying a little more for the car that is more mechanically sound and will start a conversation at every meetup.
Voted for the Mazda.
My grandparents had an ‘89 2600i 4×4 and it was the best truck I remember them having (which were many). Would handle steep, muddy Appalachian trails like a billy goat and never made a fuss. I even learned to drive a stick shift at the ripe old age of ten in that thing.
My uncle had a ‘94 Impreza Outback, which I also have fond memories of, but it had more maintenance and upkeep foibles than the Mazda did.
In this market, it’s tough to find anything that runs and drives for less than $2k.
Woweee, this is a harsh one. Both are too expensive, but at least the Mazda wears its scars with utilitarian honour, and could conceivably be useful as an off-road/cargo vehicle.
That Subaru should just go straight to the crusher, that kind of curb appeal unfortunately draws attention from more antagonistic members of society. That said, could be fun for Gambler, rallycross or ice racing, just hit it with a thorough coat of refrigerator paint first…
I voted for the little truck out of sheer nostalgia. When I purchased my first home I decided I needed a pickup and a Mazda B2200 served in that role and as a daily driver for several years. I loved that little truck – great gas mileage, a surprisingly fun hoot when I’d hang the rear wheels out in a four-wheel drift on freeway ramps, and useful as a truck.
Whether the example shown is actually worth the money being asked might well be another matter…
I did the same thing in my B2200. In my case, it got me pulled over.
As others have pointed out, neither of these is worth the asking price. I intended to vote for the Mazda, as those are some tough little trucks and who doesn’t like a tiny trucklet? But I’ve got some reservations about the rear wheels on that thing. I can’t tell if it’s just the angle of the photos or what, but it looks to me like the rear wheels are offset from the front wheels, and the passenger rear is possibly canted out a bit at the top? Perhaps whatever impact caused the damage on that side also damaged the rear end? Given that, I voted for the Un-Impreza.
That Impreza is just begging to be rally-crossed.
But truth is these are both overpriced by about double.
Can these cars be called Stickshits?
NO ONE likes Strawberry Crush.
I voted for the Mazda over the Subaru.
Both are terribad. The Mazda as body work issues looks to have sitting for bit “ran when parked”.
The Impreza is just as big a mess.
I would rather replace a clutch and use the Mazda as dump run beater.
I have a feeling the owner of the Mazda knows exactly how soon it will need the clutch and brake job so he’s bailing out now. Two grand for that particular Subaru is nuts. Hard choice today
If I’m being honest, I love the idea of a small old truck, but not that one. Subaru all day.
That said, these are both $500 beaters. Those asking prices are crazy even for today’s market. For that money I’d buy a really nice bike over either one of those.
Yup, also picking the bike over either of these. That said, I voted for the Mazda.
If you didn’t include the tid-bit about the non-i’s having carb’d Mitsubishi engines, I wouldn’t have looked it up and gone down a rabbit hole I never thought I’d go down.
Sheesh.
Any who, I’d rock that Mazda any day.
You can tell how bad the used car market is when people are asking $2K for these things LOL. I went with the truck since you can use it as a beater for off-roading