Finding a work truck in good condition is rare; finding a work truck that has less than 20,000 original miles and been treated more like a Sunday driver than a hauler is rarer still. Of course, if you really want to make it hard to find, just demand that this vintage specimen be a Japanese make. That’s why this 1986 Mazda B2000 pickup here on eBay is quite the find, as it remains in as-new condition with some very nice features from the factory.
With only 18,294 miles from new, it’s safe to say the Mazda has been babied. The interior looks incredible, and better still is that it’s equipped with a manual transmission. The interior was also a cut above other Mazda truck cockpits because it was spec’d with Convenience Package LX, which added higher-level trim, cruise control, tilt wheel, extra sound deadening and more.
How often do you see a Japanese truck of this era with mint lettering still on the liftgate? Most of them just say “YO” by now. This Mazda is an extended cab model, and while it could be my eyes deceiving me, the bed looks like it’s an extended option as well. Does anyone know if Mazda offered a longer bed for these models? The paint looks great, not an easy feat on a black truck of this vintage.
There’s an engine bay you could eat off of. Don’t you ever wonder what happened with vehicles like these? Why they were bought with every bell and whistle, and then proceeded to sit for years at a time? I always speculate retirees like to get the best of the best once they enter their golden years, and therefore, lots of vehicles emerge with little use but lots of features. What do you think this Mazda’s story is, and would you bid on it?
AC was dealer installed item. This does not appear to have it, nor is it listed. This looks like an awesome truck.
I nearly bought one of these new in 1986. went with the Jeep Comanche instead. the Jeep ended up being a great truck however I should have went with the Mazda. These were great trucks and were priced well.
I bought the 1986 Mazda B2000 LX Long bed truck in sept of 1985 and its a wonderful, reliable truck at over 323,000 miles
I actually had it upgraded to a B2200 w a second motor, etc
best and only truck I’ve ever had. basically a member of my family
My 86 Mazda B2000 SE5 Cab Plus 5spd is quite dependable. I have not had it for long. It does need some things done to it, but it is still reliable. It has just a little over 150k on the clock.
Looks great. I’ve live to have it, but it great it’s probably too pricey for my cheapskate ways.
I had the standard cab version of this truck (LX).
I loved how it drove,& you could twist the torsion bars,so it
looked like a 4wd.
Our oldest Son got pulled over for doing 78 mph-
on the freeway.I told the cop’s supervisor that it wouldn’t –
do 78,I could only get it up to 70.They dropped the charges.
I wouldn’t mind having another one,but I think that
towing my car trailer would be out of the question.
too bad it’s not 4wd
If a retiree is looking to buy the ‘best of the best’, he or she wouldn’t be buying one of these.
I owned two Japanese trucks ( Mitsubishi and Nissan) in the late 80’s -early 90’s and drove the heck out of them as work trucks. Japan had decided to up their game quality wise and were well on their way. They were a pleasure to drive and extremely reliable (never had to do anything to either one other than oil, battery, brakes and tires). These and other Japanese cars of the era were the first vehicles easily capable of 200K plus miles, paving the way for the Toyotas, Hondas and Lexus we see today with over 300K. Once I started buying these as daily drivers, I never saw the inside of a repair shop again.
An ex had one of these, same model except hers was an auto. Very dependable and comfortable. Even on a 4,500 mile drive from Victoria BC to upstate NY in winter. It definitely needs chains on the back for winter driving on snow and ice.
Odd to see an inclinometer on a 2wd truck.
I owned a 86 Mazda p/u not a crew cab but very reliable and was a very good driver trade it in on a 94 Mazda (aka ford ranger) what a pos had it less then 6 months and traded for a 93 Toyota King Cab still own it today.
Amazing.
I remember the commercials and jungle. $5895 in 1982. And know 30 years late and its at $7000.
I worked at a VW and Mazda dealership from 87-89 doing dealer prep/reconditioning as a 19/21 yr old. I liked these trucks Mazda B-2000 and then in 89 I think they became the B-2200. That where fairly peppy and you could always get a second gear chirp. They did make long beds if I remember correctly but most where 6′ beds.
I bought a 1986 mazda B2000LX model standerd cab w a long bed in Sept of 85
still driving it 33 plus years later, we put a 2200 cc rebuilt motor in in 2004 going strong. I think the bed is 9′???
Did you have any modifications done to put the 2.2L from the original 2.0L? Is there a company to suggest for the rebuilt motor?
These were great little rigs. Short bed, regular cabs drove best and had more scoot.
From the era when you graduated college and could buy a practical and inexpensive new vehicle to drive to your half way decent gig. Maybe just the standard model or an SE5 though.
Nice truck. I wonder if i fit in the cab though. Im 5’11” 280
Well there’ always the bed ! rofc
Very nice B2000, and not many had those options. No, they never made a long bed with the cab plus, only on the standard cabs. Finding trucks like this now are becoming difficult, most notably in this kind of condition, and the writer here doesn’t understand that the Mazda written on the tailgate is stamped on there, and painted, they are not decals, also something now you never see. I currently own this ’87 model. It was a base-model as can be, and my friend restored it. Why did he do that, I don’t know, but I’m proud to own it.
Zman, you’re correct. Only the ’86 and ’87 B2000 trucks came with a stamped tailgate like that.
A little history on the ’86-’93 B-Series trucks for those who aren’t familiar: This generation of Mazda trucks was introduced in early 1985 for the ’86 model year (unusual for new vehicles since new models are usually introduced the summer or fall prior to their model year). This is why you’ll sometimes see production dates as early as 02/85 on ’86 model trucks if you look in the door jamb. For ’86, the only trucks Mazda offered were the B2000 and the B2600 (with the latter only being available as a 4X4).
’87 was a crossover year, meaning that Mazda made both the B2000 and the B2200 side-by-side (along with the B2600 from the aforementioned year). In ’88, your only options were the B2200 and B2600. In ’89, the B2600 was replaced with the B2600i. Both the B2600 and B2600i came with special hoods that had an raised indent in the middle in order to accommodate their larger Mitsubishi-derived 2.6-liter engines, and the 4×4 versions came with entirely different body panels that integrated large flared fenders.
What you have there is quite something. I’ve seen it on Instagram and it’s very impressive indeed. It’s a 1987 Mazda B2000. Your friend who restored it did a great job. The paint gleams like new and the engine looks factory fresh.
What I should mention about your Mazda is that the white-on-black spoker wheels designate it as an SE-5 model, which means that it originally would have had factory stripes (these were the slimmer kind made for the ’87 and ’88 2WD trucks)… that is, unless your truck is just a base model B2000 and the previous owner put these SE-5 wheels himself at some point. But since you’re already halfway there with the white-on-black spoker wheels AND you have fresh paint, I’d recommend getting NOS OEM stripes from Jim Ellis’ Mazda web catalog just to go the extra mile. Trust me, you’ll want to look back at it every time you park it. The stripes REALLY add to the truck’s look and character. If you do end up going this route, make sure they’re the slim kind for the ’87/’88 models, and make sure they’re for the single cab short bed model!
One other thing about your truck: I hate to say this *now* (after it’s already been restored), but your grille and front bumper assembly were originally dark metallic silver (with the headlight bezels painted light silver), not black. It’s a common mistake for anyone who’s not a B-Series expert to paint them black, since Mazda themselves switched to black (albeit still with light silver headlight bezels) for the 1990 model year. All ’86-’89 model trucks had dark metallic silver grilles and front bumpers, and all ’90-’93 model trucks had black grilles and front bumpers.
Regardless, you have a great-looking truck on your hands and certainly something worthy of taking to your next car show.
Welcome to the B-Series club!