'86 B2000 in DC metro. Hello all!

That's my kid standing next to my first ever Mazda vehicle. In the past I've owned three Toyota pickups and one Nissan pickup, but this one's the guy for me now!

101k miles, 5 speed, and I just ordered my Antique plates from the DMV today. Here's what I know:

[*:3dq8bcbq]Interior in great shape as long as you don't like music (no radio). All seats rip-free and kinda firm-ish. No gashes in carpet, headliner, etc. Dash is not cracked and plastics seem in good shape throughout.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Climate awesome for approaching winter because AC blows, but not cold.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Driver side door lock jams as often as not...as others in this forum have suggested, my plan is to leave it unlocked as much as possible.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Engine: within the past year, new head gasket and new water pump. All belts nice and tight. Oil pan and differential look a little gunky from beneath, but no spots on the driveway so far. (I've only owned it a bit more than 24 hours now.)[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Starts right up and engine seems fine. Drove for about 30 min on interstate and in heavy traffic. Temp gauge never got above the middle of its range.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Tranny stays in gear fine with no weird grinding, grumbling, shrieking, etc.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Brakes: it stops fine.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Tires...yeah. Three old ones, another old one that's not even the same size as the others, and no spare. BUT, 4 extra wheels! Figure I can put snows on two of 'em and use one for the spare.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Body dented in places and driver's side of the bed got racked up at some point...repainted, a couple spot welds, and no pinstriping. The roof and driver's side door have a couple of rust spots starting where they got scraped. It would be really hard to match the paint so not sure what I'm doing to do there. Probably the gods--or, Rustoleum--will provide.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Tailgate shot. The latch is missing and the mechanism inside is jammed solid. Has to be let up and down by jimmying the hinges with a screwdriver. It's coming off, I'll replace it with a cargo net or similar.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]Frame in great shape, maybe a few rust spots just beginning.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]
[*:3dq8bcbq]One low beam out. Planning to replace both headlight bulbs.[/*:m:3dq8bcbq]

That's what I got! Set me back $1300. Guys, what should I be paying attention to? Any 100k issues? Are there any mods that everyone does as soon as they get their B2000? Hey also, are there any owners manuals online? I have a '96 BW GS and there are a TON of pdfs around for that machine.

The truck will be used for a semi-daily driver and occasional hauling. Friday I'm bringing it down to a mechanic I trust to have fluids checked & changed, routine type maintenance done. Get it up on a rack and have a hard look. Is there anything I should alert them to? I plan to address the tire situation then.

Thanks in advance for any help, wisdom, kind words, etc.

Welcome to the site, check out some of the projects in the Members Projects Section. For modifications its best if you start a thread for each question instead of having everything in one. Some people just want to maintain their truck, others want more power or adjustable suspension. It really just depends on what you want to do and your budget.

Nice truck... I think you will be happy with it parts are cheaper then Toyota's. Not sure I would call it an Antique but their good little trucks.