i am lookin into gettin some kind of mini truck. i have an idea of what i want to get, but i dont know for sure. i like the nissan hardbody, rangers, and dakotas. but im just curious of what would be the better project. but i have some time til i can get it cause i am goin to the ship... so i some ideas would be good.

dakotas aren't that common to be fixed up, and they're more mid-sized. A ranger will cost about double for aftermarket parts what an S-10 does. I like the look of the Nissan as well, but the biggest thing to look out for on earlier Japanese trucks (Nissan, Mazda or Toyota) is rust. Might not be a terrible issue in the southern states though, but up here they're all falling apart - not just the body either, the frames too. I like my toyota because it's good on gas and very reliable, Mazdas are way more common and parts are plentiful (probably second only to the S-10 in popularity)

come get mine...

I totally agree with leg0man. I'd run the Nissan, but then again I'm partial to Nissan's after owning 3 of them myself, and having a bunch in my club and friends having them as well. S-10 is the easiest truck to work on and do aftermarket parts on. Ranger will get expensive with all of the custom parts needed to do it right, as well a lot more work to be done. Torsion bar mini's (mazda, isuzu, toyota, nissan, and mitsubishi) are the way to go in my opinion. You'll have some welding to do, but the installs are more straight forward, and it's more along the lines of custom, vs. bolt on parts.

i like where this is going... i was worried someone was gonna steer me away from the JAP style but i think thats what its gonna be.

dont get a ranger the cost toooooo much unless you get 1999 and newer lol trust me.........i personally love the older style toyotas however they are really rare but the nissan hardbodys would probably be my second best choice

go get yerself a mazda!! just shop around and check them out. i agree with the dakotas. they arent seen as much but they would look cool. jap trucks are the easiest especially if you are low on cash. just dont go buying the first thing that jumps out.

yeah i want to get something that dosnt have rust on it at all and has pretty low miles for the year. i dont really care about traveling to get it but since im stationed in florida right now i should be good on the rust. now i just have to worry about the price and the mileage. i was looking for a mazda around here but the only place i know to look at is craigslist and autotrader. any other ideas?

Hey man, I know you are a good ways up north of where I am in Tampa but my buddy has an 88 Nissan Regular cab that he's trying to sell. It's a project, but with a few minor TLC items could be a daily driver in no time. In fact, the truck was mine, after I got it from my father-in-law who drove it daily till he got his new Frontier and parked it. Then he gave it to me a few weeks later. I sold it to my buddy as a project and he tossed on a set of 18" escalade wheels. Now he is wanting to sell it to get a pathfinder or a mazda cab-plus as a daily, and bag his Tacoma instead. I believe he is wanting $1,200 for it still with the rims. It's posted up over at FloridaTruckScene.com if you want to see it. It's in the for sale section. If you aren't a member, check it out and join up since you are in FL. Just thought I'd toss it out there as an option for ya man.

A Toyota will probably cost more than a similar year & condition Mazda, but they're seriously unbeatable trucks. They hold more value because they're so reliable, I've heard of so many of the pickups and 4runners with hundreds of thousands of miles on them. There's also the added benefit that it's something a bit different if you do get one.

nice ill check out the truck but i have to wait a month cause im going out to sea for a month as of tomorrow morning. and also i heard that the toyota trucks were good but its hard to find them down here... or at least in the places im looking.

come get mine...
did i mention you can buy mine..
by the way, mine is for sale..
LOL

Toyotas are harder to find in general.. there are less of them, and the people that have them keep them

ok... good point.
so..
Buy mine, and do a 5 lug conversion... lol