I’m saving my favorite find at the St. Vinnie’s lot for a post of its own. Not just because of this Mazda pickup’s awesome original graphics, but because it’s something of a full circle for me, old RWD Mazdas and St. Vinnie’s lot.
In 2001, my son Ted (Ed, or Tweetermeyer in his professional life) needed a first car, after returning to Eugene from a year in a competitive fencing training program in Portland. He also needed a place to live,s o we turned that little former garage into a studio. And we drove out to the St. Vinnie’s lot to look for a car.
We found this red 1981 Mazda 626 there, looking fairly robust and with a clean interior. It started and ran a bit rough, but I figured (right) that it just needed a tune up. We paid a bit less than the $400 asking price and drove it home. It served him very well for a couple of years, and I got somewhat familiar with its 2.0 L SOHC four, which needed some minor ministrations on occasion. The biggest job was replacing the heater core; that was like brain surgery. It was my first time ripping apart a dash. But it all came back together.
It had a stick, and although hardly powerful, it initiated him into the joys of simple RWD motoring, including donuts in the (rare) snow and such. And I developed a lasting appreciation for how sturdy the RWD Mazdas were.
So naturally I felt a pull of attraction when I saw this fine 1981 Mazda B2000 Sundowner Sport pickup parked right by the office. So I went in and asked how much it was. The guy at the counter said they hadn’t priced it yet, that it was a new arrival. When I told him that I wasn’t really interested in buying it, but shooting it for my website, he burst out: You’re Paul Niedermeyer, right?
Right.
I’m Dave Bartlett, and a big fan of CC!
Turns out that back in 2013 I had shot his 1955 Buick “Loadmaster” in one of my favorite On-The-Go Outtakes, with a big wheelbarrow in its trunk, and posted it here. He must have found the post a couple of months later, because he left a very nice comment and some more pictures of his Buick. Dave and I ended up talking for almost an hour. He showed me pictures of his uncles two ’54 Buicks that he drag raced successfully, and told me that he had sold this ’55 and bought another of his uncle’s ’56 Buicks, a real gem. We’re going to arrange to meet and take pictures of it.
Meanwhile, here’s the other half of the Sundowner’s graphics. I love these, and it was tempting to think of having a Sundowner Sport. But the reality is that I need another old pickup like a hole in the head, and I don’t really fit all too well into vintage Japanese pickups. That’s precisely why I bought an old Ford; more stretch out room.
But here it is, and if any of you are interested in this little gem of a period piece, give Dave a call at (541) 607-4541. I sure would like to see this go to a loving home.
A long bed, no less. Pretty useful and close to 30 mpg. I had a longbed 1983 version of this truck. Same color. Good little rig, if you don’t mind it being possibly one of the slowest vehicles you’ll ever drive. I remember driving it up Alabama Hill in Bellingham flat out in second gear and getting honked at by cars behind me thinking I was driving that slow on purpose.
Very cool. I would be very tempted if I lived anywhere near Eugene. Only ever drove a newer UF series Mazda truck once in my early college days…but at the time my stick shift driving skills were not very good, that and I was most likely stoned, so any driving impressions I had are not usable.
I too hope this goes to a good home.
A few months ago I posted a picture of a couple of newer gen Mazda pickups (the final Japanese model and a Mazda-badged Ranger) near our house. Just yesterday I spotted one of this gen parked at the same location. Not a Sundowner though – a good find. With the long bed it would make a fine urban landscaper’s truck. I remember driving a few of these, at least one of which was a Ford Courier, and they felt cramped even for me at 5’10”. My wife’s ‘87 B2200 was roomier. It’s wonderful and very appropriate that a CC fan works at the lot. So often used car dealers seem to have no interest in cars except as transactions and profit, though for SVdP I suppose that’s non-profit revenue.
Those graphics are great and I too hail from a RWD 626 background, a ’79 in my case. While it had its foibles the car was basically stout. I’m assuming this has the same engine.
I have zero recollection of seeing any of these B2000s with round headlights and this grille and hood, I always thought they went from the old body (with the rotary engines) to the newer body and straight to square headlights.
I drove two of these in high school, as mentioned in a COAL for a second-ten ’86 a few years ago. B2000’s were unkillable goats that hauled anything, put up with tons of abuse, and got extremely good gas mileage. Nice to see this still on the road!
I wanted one back in the day, really looked over the ads & read the reviews & such. Alas, on minimum wage jobs or no job, it was out of reach.
Great find! This is the vehicle I would choose first from that lot.
In 1975 I was a recent high-school grad, and had a summer job with the landscaping/maintenance crew at a large government-run institution a few miles out of town.
I had the car-bug big-time, but no practical knowledge at all. Charlie, a kindly veteran mechanic, chose me as his assistant, and taught me oil changes and lubes on the fleet – the supervisor’s ’68 Chev wagon, and the three leased Ford Couriers (rebadged Mazda 1600s). We removed the plugs on the ball joints and installed zerks. We changed oil on the trucks every 3000 miles, and Charlie told me that the wagon had gotten 2000 mile changes since new. It was still on its original engine, a 327 I think, at 140-some thousand miles, and the engine was still strong and quiet, which was excellent engine life in those leaded-gas days.
Charlie far preferred his Toyota Hilux to the Couriers, but he had the 4-speed, whereas the Couriers were burdened with automatics.
So in any case, I cut my teeth on Ford Couriers, a predecessor to the featured B2000. (I think there might have been a B1800 in between there as well.)
I emulated Charlie and did 2000-mile oil changes (Quaker State 10W-30 and Fram filter) on my own vehicles for years. After perhaps 5 or 6 short OC intervals, I took my ’71 Corolla to my dad’s garage for repairs that were beyond my ability at the time, and the owner told me he was amazed at how clean the engine was under the valve cover.
I remember the commercials for the B2000 Sundowner
the jingle they sang in the commercial is permanently burned into my memory….
You get a five speed stick
Fancy covers for your wheels
Wall-to-wall carpeting and a deep, cushy feel
Wood grain in here
Sassy stripe out there
This tough little truck is loaded for bear….
I saw one at a car show about 10 years ago-the original owner (a little old lady) decided to bring it out and put it on display. It was a cool survivor.
FWIW (TV ad, 1983): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tfKGJVIizU&t=4s
Mazda B1800 here we had one as a runabout at the power station workshop I worked at and Avis hired me one to collect a car I bought assuring me it would tow it well it did but stopping wasnt easy a big tandem axle wreck recovery trailer with a 55 Austin Westminster aboard and the engine on the back of the ute weighs more than Mazda ever recommended towing with one but I got home with my new toy. And no they are not roomy inside.
Cute little truck that appears to be in good shape .
I hope it doesn’t become one more cheap work truck to be driven into the ground .
Yes, these and the matching (nearly) Ford Courriers were very stout and only rust seemed able to kill them .
Just like my 2001 Ford Ranger and the Mazda B2300 ~ good design and mechanicals but tin foil bodies with *zero* rust protection .
The 1970’s Courriers were snug and I have short, 32″ legs .
Another, slightly older form of Sundowner that was sold Down Under – a Down Under Sundowner if you will…
Another, slightly older form of Sundowner that was sold Down Under – a Down Under Sundowner if you will…
My first vehicle was a 76 Courier, which AFAIR is mechanically very similar. Since it was from late in the 76 model year it had the slightly larger cab of the next generation, and it fit me ok (5’10” but with relatively short legs). It was very ruggedly built – the payload rating was pretty conservative — except it rusted a lot. Started every day in northern NY, at -30°f, no garage.
The biggest issue I had was when the idle solenoid in the carb failed, which caused massive backfires on deceleration.
I’m about to post mine for sale with 91k miles here in Olympia, WA (it’s originally from Bremerton WA and I’m the 3rd owner). Do you know what this one (that you photographed) ended up selling for? I’m thinking about adding these styled graphics to mine, as I’m a graphic artist and easily can!
alohapili at gmail