So, just how hard are Toyota vans to work on?

Asking for a friend.....

Just how bad of a nightmare are 80s era Toyota vans to work on?

Like these-

With the driver's seat removed and the access panel open you have access to almost 30% of the engine! 

They are even worse to drive than they are to service

I have good friends who had one for ever and I was their only handy friend. I got to know it pretty well., But that was like a decade ago.

1uzfe swap in the back. Magical times. 

I have nothing of value to add to this thread except to say how badly I want one of those.  I've always wanted to have a cars and coffee type cruiser I can bring the entire family to the show in and this would be up near the top of my list.

It's been a while since I've worked on one, but it seemed like anything I did involved climbing around the interior, then crawling underneath, then back into the interior, then using rust holes as access ports, then opening the hood, then crawling underneath, the rolling around the interior, then......

and after all that, you have a slow, ugly van. 

In reply to Klayfish :

And you made fun of me for the green dune buggy donk thing!

I'm sitting here trying to remember if they are worse than a Previa, but thankfully it's been so long since I have seen one, I don't remember.

I always thought one of those painted up like a Star Trek shuttlecraft would be cool.  I eventually saw one in Houston like that.

Nothing to add on ease of maintenance, but I really want a 4WD version of this.  Fortunately for my sanity, most of the survivors seem to be in the Pacific Northwest, thousands of miles from me.

In reply to eastsidemav :

I recently saw a posting for a JDM (RHD) 4WD, diesel, 5 spd version.  Unfortunately, I can't find the link. I think it was on a FB group about obscure cars.  Asking price was about $8500.

I have been toying around with replacing my GMC that is "going to live on a farm in the country" due to rust issues with something quirky, but I came to my senses today.  I figure its best to stick with something that has cheap and easy to find parts.  

The ad that started the question

the ad states the best reason for owning one.. to make into a camper

I found the ad I saw.  Actually a '92 Previa, so not entirely the same, but still cool.

I learned to drive manual on one of these, I believe it was an '88. It was SO cool. I swear you could probably fit 10 people in that thing. It had huge rear sun roof and even a cooler. 

My dad sold it when it needed a new head gasket, if I remember right it was a lot of money to fix since no one wants to work on it. But I really think he sold it so his teenage son wouldn't be able to drive around with 9 friends, smoke rolling out the windows. 

I would buy one and just budget extra money to have someone else do the work so you don't have to.

I've been looking at these and Previas lately as a good camping van. 

In reply to Ian F :

That van is very, very cool. Wow.