Vehicles shown here on Barn Finds run the gamut from, well, actual barn finds, to vehicles that have been restored, restomods, crazy customs and so on. I think that one of the most popular categories would have to be incredible original vehicles that haven’t been restored or modified but have just been maintained over the decades. This 1986 Mazda B2000 LX is one of those vehicles. This gem is listed on eBay in Port Angeles, Washington with no reserve.
1986 was the first year for the B-Series pickups from Mazda in North America and the LX trim was 4/5th of the way up the line, one below the LE-5. For being 32-years old now I can’t believe how nice this truck looks. It has 68,904 miles, a few more than those shown on the odometer in the photos, so this seller seems like one honest person. I’m impressed. I would buy this truck in a heartbeat if I didn’t have a small pickup and there weren’t $1,400 in shipping charges. Better yet, this is one that looks like it could easily be driven back home. Hmm..
There is no need for a hotel on the drive home with that topper, or cap, or as the seller says, “canopy”. They say that it’s “original to the truck and was put on right after it was purchased”. They have done some maintenance on it for the next owner including replacing “the tailpipe because it had a small hole, and the power steering pump because it had a small leak. We have all the service records since new! The oil has been changed, it has newer tires.”
I usually like my vehicles loaded up with options, at least if they’re big American cruisers from the 60s or 70s. They don’t mention power brakes or any features and options other than power steering, but the LX trim level included power steering and brakes, cruise, AC. and a few other “luxury” touches. And, a 5-speed is nice to have, at least it is for me. The interior looks as nice as the exterior does. The tailgate was supposedly taken off as soon as the topper/cap/canopy went on the back and it’s inside the back, where you’ll be sleeping each night as you drive this one home.
The engine is Mazda’s FE 2.0L inline-four with around 80 hp. That’s one clean engine. With 80 hp the next owner will have to stay in the far right lane on the drive home most of the time, especially up hills, but it’ll be worth it. Have you ever gotten a vehicle a few states away and then driven it home?
This is so clean! I also enjoy well-maintained vehicles, especially stuff like this that was typically trashed by the late 1990s.
I agree, Andrew, it doesn’t matter what it is to me, really. I just love these super clean original vehicles, American, Japanese, German, Italian, Russian..er..
Nice truck, and as far as driving vehicles from surrounding states I’ll give you a few examples of “Fly in-drive home. 3 different Mitsubishi Montero’s, and a Chrysler Conquest from California to AZ, another Montero from Colorado to AZ, a Corvette ZR-1 from central Texas to AZ (on one stretch of interstate at + 150 mph…) and many others (Utah, Nevada, etc.) Not to mention the dozens inside the state of Arizona.
It’s a lot of fun, especially if you have a friend to travel with…
You, sir, are my hero! I have no excuse other than just being overly-worried and lazy. That’s a very nice, diverse collection, too!
We just bought a 1999 Isuzu Trooper Limited in New Jersey, and drove it home. Has 76,000 original miles, and the seller had all the fluids changed, and had a new timing belt and water pump installed. It’s really pristine! So we thought about having it transported, but decided to pick it up ourselves and drive it home. We live in California by the way! Totally fun road trip! This little pickup is in amazing shape. Someone’s gonna get a great deal.
You sound just like me. I’ve done it many times over the years. From here in Kentucky, I’ve flown to Kansas City, Detroit, a small town in very NE Ohio, Newark, another spot in NJ, and Tampa, FL to drive home my purchase. I live for road trips. When I was a teen, I was traveling back from Florida with my dad. We were having breakfast at the diner next to the motel and he spotted a car in the classifieds. I ended up driving it home behind him from South Georgia.
Those are nice trucks. There are still quite a few roaming around NZ.
The closest I’ve done for long-distance pick up and driving home was buying the Low Sierra wagon in Nelson, which is located in the South Island, and driving it back to Auckland, around 550 miles, including the 3 1/2 hour ferry crossing to the North Island. The damned thing didn’t miss a beat.
The best story of US interstate acquisition I ever heard was my brother-in-law’s best buddy, known as ‘Weird Leo’, who some 50 years ago found a mostly complete Dodge Brothers car in the Tonopah, NV dump, scrounged some front wheels, stuck a battery and fluids into it and then drove it back to SoCal, after driving it in the Jim Butler Days parade.
His feat made the front page of the Tonopah newspaper, that year, complete with a photo! I thought that was pretty dammed impressive.
I have to get to NZ someday.That sounds like a beautiful trip, and a ferry trip even, nice.
Flew from central California to Harrisburg, Pa to pick up a 1999 Camaro SS and drove it back to the central coast of California. Stopped by the Corvette factory and museum to take a tour in Bowling Green on the way back. Set the cruise control at 75 mph and averaged 27.4 mpg. What a trip that was.
Nice!
I flew to (just North of) Victoria,BC,& drove home a
1972 Ford Cortina MKIII.Since you can’t take the plates
with you,I put a set of the paper ones that advertise the
dealer on it,& wasn’t stopped once on the way home-
(Eureka,CA).
I had a B2000 (short bed),in which our oldest Son
got a ticket for 78 mph.That was funny,since I couldn’t get it
to go over 70.
It was a really nice truck,but underpowered.
I had same year short bed very reliable great truck not quite as good as my 93 Toyota but damn close.
Had a new ’89 SE5 Mazda. Beautiful little truck but it and every Mazda truck from that era had a intermittent engine noise. AND it was really slow. Traded it on a new ’93 Toyota Short Bed, no comparison, The Toy was a was better truck.
I remember trucks like this. They were small enough to be economical, but I’ve found them to be comfortable to work with, while also capable workers.
Question for the owner , OK 2
Do the heat and AC work?
And is it ready for a road trip ?