OT: New Truck Frustrations?

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by Tickdoc

I feel ya.....and that's why I got this:



Would've bought an old toyota but finding one with less than 500,000 miles seems impossible. This one is already ls swapped and fully reconditioned.

i remember that now.

where did you locate that cherry?

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

this may be the solution that i go with. i know toyotas have a reputation for durability, but it's my experience that almost any used truck, at around the 200k mark (this one has 197 on it...), lots of things are shot. suspension, starters, alternators, etc.

it may make sense to buy something like this for 8 grand and dump a bunch of money in upfront to refresh it to good condition and drive it forever.

we'll see what shakes out.

Those are built pretty well and and I don't think you'll have any trouble doing basic service to it. I think you might be surprised how well a 200k mi tundra from that area can drive if it's cared for at all. That said if you look more you might be able to find one with less miles. Also iirc they made a tubdra with a v6 and manual but it's extremely rare. That said I'd still go with the v8. That v8 is one of the best motors toyota ever made and I think it's the same one that's in the 100 series land cruiser. I saw one of those the other day with 500k miles btw, original motor no rebuild.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i remember that now.

where did you locate that cherry?

Autotrader classic

[gomango]

Every ten years or so, we buy an old F150 for the cabin.

Like this one.



https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/h...253164250.html

Our cabin is near the Canadian border and I usually don't have to spend more than $4,000 tops. I always buy them locally.

We use them for canoes, kayaks, firewood, hauling building supplies, plowing our long driveway, hauling our dirtbikes/mtbs, launching our Lund Alaskan etc.

I maintain them but won't put in an engine or tranny for instance. Our last F150 croaked with 317,000 miles.

Most of my fishing buddies drive crazy expensive trucks. For instance, one of the guys is already looking at the RAM Laramie Longhorn.

Way above my pay grade, but is surely will be comfy when we drive to the local fishing spots.

[paredown]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

Early 2000s tundra is probably the only thing that makes sense for you. Either that or shell out for an F150 eco boost. They are amazing and get really good MPG. We towed my land cruiser on a flat bed with one like it was nothing. Don’t even look at diesels lol.

I'm another happy Gen 1 Tundra owner--and mine is a 2003 V6 stripper long bed. One of my contractor friends keeps saying 'If I wanted to drive around in a station wagon, I'd buy one' in response to the vanishing single door long bed. Toyo has dropped it completely...

For what I do, the V6 2WD long bed is fine--and it can handle close to a 2,000 lb load. I see the occasional low mileage one go fairly cheap (cheaper than Tacos)--and the V6 SR5 would be a nice truck, although they are pretty scarce. I've been half-heartedly looking for a low mileage example in a 2006--or into the early years of Gen 2... Maintenance on mine has been pretty limited brakes, a muffler @120,000, replacement MAF, O2 sensors and fuel filter, spark plugs and wires...

[texbike]

It's not a truck, but a 100 series Land Cruiser has a lot of room in it and will run forever with reasonable maintenance. We just sold my 2000 LX 470 with 270K miles on it. I put an incredible amount of miles on it over almost 5 years and there wasn't a single repair needed outside of typical wear items and maintenance of fluids and filters. I priced it reasonably and it was sold within 24 hours (over 10 calls on it). The new owner was ecstatic and has been sending updates on everything he's doing with it. His plan was to go through the truck, fix anything that he felt it needed to bring it back to 90% of new and create a strong baseline to maintain from moving forward. His thought was that for less than $12-$15K all in, he would have a truck that was nicer than many of the newer options and wouldn't lose much in depreciation.

Here in Texas, a rust-free, early 100 series in nice condition with around 200K + miles can still be found for around $8-$10K.

Texbike

[Wattvagen]

if it doesnt NEED to be V8, i think with the current offers you can get into a new Colorado V6 4WD for right around 30.

That's a brand new truck with warranty, although above your 25k threshold by a bit.

[mtechnica]

Originally Posted by paredown

I'm another happy Gen 1 Tundra owner--and mine is a 2003 V6 stripper long bed. One of my contractor friends keeps saying 'If I wanted to drive around in a station wagon, I'd buy one' in response to the vanishing single door long bed. Toyo has dropped it completely...

For what I do, the V6 2WD long bed is fine--and it can handle close to a 2,000 lb load. I see the occasional low mileage one go fairly cheap (cheaper than Tacos)--and the V6 SR5 would be a nice truck, although they are pretty scarce. I've been half-heartedly looking for a low mileage example in a 2006--or into the early years of Gen 2... Maintenance on mine has been pretty limited brakes, a muffler @120,000, replacement MAF, O2 sensors and fuel filter, spark plugs and wires...

Originally Posted by texbike

It's not a truck, but a 100 series Land Cruiser has a lot of room in it and will run forever with reasonable maintenance. We just sold my 2000 LX 470 with 270K miles on it. I put an incredible amount of miles on it over almost 5 years and there wasn't a single repair needed outside of typical wear items and maintenance of fluids and filters. I priced it reasonably and it was sold within 24 hours (over 10 calls on it). The new owner was ecstatic and has been sending updates on everything he's doing with it. His plan was to go through the truck, fix anything that he felt it needed to bring it back to 90% of new and create a strong baseline to maintain from moving forward. His thought was that for less than $12-$15K all in, he would have a truck that was nicer than many of the newer options and wouldn't lose much in depreciation.

Here in Texas, a rust-free, early 100 series in nice condition with around 200K + miles can still be found for around $8-$10K.

Texbike

Best of both worlds, v8 Tundra with land cruiser engine! Can be yours for $8k somewhere in NJ lol

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Keith A

So what's the attraction to the trucks of this era?

Plenty.

My wife was convinced she wanted a Tahoe so we rented one for a family trip, then rented a truck. Didn't take much more convincing after that. I searched for a good 6 months and got her into a 2017 Lariat with the 3.5 Ecoboost and man it has been the best decision we've ever made. Now granted the Lariat is on the higher end of their 7 models of F150 (yep....7!!) but he second you shut the door you literally feel like you're driving a tricked out Tahoe or similar nice SUV.

We've already taken it on a couple road trips, including a ski trip and we are blown away at how quiet it rides, how much extra room the cabin has, and all the creature comforts it came with.

Being an active family with four people who go camping, fishing, ride bikes, ski, play sports, etc.....it's been an absolute game changer.

[572cv]

I'm nursing along the '06 Nissan Frontier (Manual T !!!), I hope till electrics hit the market. The v6 and FWD provides enough traction and power, and the trade off is that the bed is shortish. I like a small truck, though, just so much easier to maneuver, park, and pay for. Oh, bought it 2nd hand with 40K for $12K, as good a deal as I could imagine.

[geeter]

Originally Posted by Pegoready

I feel your pain.

The world of trucks has gotten bonkers. It seems like every person in my parts is a wannabe part time contractor, but also wants their one vehicle to be a kid hauler and weekend toy transport all in one. That leads to a lot of $60k trucks rolling around like it's no thing. A nice truck is a status symbol and a safety blanket.

I do wish a simple truck existed that one could buy new.

I always enjoy Mr. Money Mustache's take on trucks such as this gem:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015...say-about-you/

Great read. Thanks for posting

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Tickdoc

I feel ya.....and that's why I got this:

Good grief.........that's truck porn right there. Gorgeous

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by texbike

It's not a truck, but a 100 series Land Cruiser has a lot of room in it and will run forever with reasonable maintenance.

Those incredibly capable LandBruisers will likely have seen serious abuse in New Jersey. Mall runs, Saturday soccer games, Sunday school carpooling. Get a good PPI!

If you see an Overlander rack on the roof with jerry cans, spare tire, and a come-along, it's fine...but if there's a "my kid made honor roll" bumper sticker, be wary!

[54ny77]

agree on the taco. i was in the market couple years ago for a new vehicle, and really liked the taco looks. new vs. used for late model where i live is marginal difference in price, it's mind boggling how well they hold their value. didn't need a full size truck anymore, and am constrained for parking where i live so a full size would be a bear. prior truck was full size '07 f150 4x4, v8 (triton 5.4l--watch out for spark plug issues, that can be expensive repair), 8' bed, used primarily for daily driving and work/construction. and pulling neighbors' cars stuck in snow... it got used and abused, but was well cared for mechanically. it sold literally in a couple of days from putting it on craigslist, for not much less than i paid for it (i bought it used).

i rented a nicely equipped tacoma 4x4 crew cab for a week. long story short, it was grossly underpowered (passing power was a joke), mileage laughable (as bad as my ford!), interior materials cheap, and it rode like crap since wheelbase short. bounce bounce bounce. handling was mush too, like driving an 80's buick. i see many many taco's decked out in "tacticool" gear in my area, and the most action they'll ever see is a rainy day on a nicely groomed fireroad....

then i said ok, let's try a 4runner. rented a limited for a week. that was pretty nice. but talk about eye popping price.

i ended up with a vw gti.


[edit: incidentally, years ago i had a toyota 4x4 with the 22r engine, 4x4 long bed, and i'm sure that truck is still going. i was the second owner (the original was my neighbor, who used it for work) and in the years i owned it i beat the snot out of it and it didn't flich. plenty of off-roading trips, etc. going up long highway hills was comical (45 mph, anyone?), but that truck was literally indestructible. i sold it with almost a couple hundred k miles on it, and it needed barely more than brakes and oil changes that entire time.

Originally Posted by djg21

I had a Taco DCSB for a handful of years and ended up hating it. It’s hard to find them used, and the cost of new is marginally more. So I ended up with a 5 yr lease on a top-of-the line loaded TRD Baja edition. The terms and residual were so good, I figured I’d be able to readily sell it near the expiration of my lease. After 3 1/2 years, I had enough. Interestingly I couldn’t sell it used for what it was worth. Everyone looking for used Tacos wanted a bro deal and expected me to give the truck away for far below blue book. I ended up trading it in on a certified BMW X5.

The Taco was underpowered and got crappy mileage. I never got over 16mpg, and anything over 75 mph on a highway was noisy and uncomfortable. The Taco’s interior seating was crappy, and the tech like Bluetooth never worked well. The Short bed was too small to hold bikes w/o removing the front wheels. I recently sat in a new one equipped with a moonroof, and my 6’3” height made it a non-starter — my head was against the roof even with the seat all the way down.

If buying another truck, I’d look to a fill size like an F150 eco-drive. Bigger, more comfortable, and better gas mileage.

[robt57]

Pacifica Vans holds 4x8 sheets with hatch closed. Sub $30k very doable by 12/31/2020 with incentives. Stow and go seats etc.

The Voyager is now the Pacifica with low options package. Same body, motor, 4x8 sheet capacity... No stow and go I think.

We just got a high end Pacifica Plug in Hybrid that should come in around $25-6k after high discounts and Tax rebates and credits etc, if they all work as intended.

By hi-end, I mean $46k sticker. Elect heated this and that, leather, big wheels yada...

No stow and go in the PHEV Hybrids, battery for the EV there...


We had an old PU for crud work, not worth insuring and low low use = leaky oil/seals on our last two 'extra' trucks. One an E350 van.

The mini vans have crazy low floor heights too. The E350 and F-150 4x4 had quite high decks, #hernia...