Downgrade to a 1st generation?

So I'm fairly new to the forum, this is actually my first thread! And gotta say love all the info, I spend most of my time on the site! Anyways, I've been doing alot of thinking about my situation with my truck. I have an 09 taco, completely stock, 4cyl access cab, but have reached the point of wanting to mod it.

Long story short, looking at my options, I want to put money into a truck that, by that time, won't have racked up the miles, if anything mod within the first thousand miles, if i were to buy a new one down the road. So basically saying I'm considering selling my 09 back to the dealer, using that money toward a 1st generation, and the money I would be putting toward my monthly payment I'll put aside in my savings. This way once the 1st generation is out, I'm ready for a new truck again. But wanting to save as much as I can to basically pay cash for it on the spot.

Considering all this, I should have done this in the beginning but things turned toward a new truck. I started with 14 miles and now its at 34,182 miles. The truck is prestine, except for a minor hit n run that I woke up to find one morning. The fender caved in a bit, the headlight brackets broke from the back to hold it up, and the bumper scraped a bit. The pics below show all the damage, as well as this strange Freddy Krueger scratch on the passenger side I have no idea about. All comments are much appreciated, and if any of you have done this, what do you guys think?

Am I making the right choice or a stupid one, any criticism is awesome, good or bad.

sorry about the cell phone pics

the overall fender after it was fixed by my pops


the fender up close


the bumper


Freddy Krueger??


oh, and my horrible tire tread (I'm sure that comes into account)

 

I wouldn't consider it downgrading. I traded my 06 for my 04 a few years back.....one of the better decisions that I have made.

 

well not necesarilly downgrade, but going older than newer... and eventually getting newer in a few years

 

It's CERTAINLY not downgrading to go from a 5-lugger 2nd gen to a 6-lug 1st gen, no way. Now, if you went 5-lug to 5-lug, then yes.

 

Not a downgrade. I miss my dblcab 03. Never should have "upgraded" to a 2010 but I love it too.

 

Op, you mispelled "upgrade"

 

I've thought of trading my 06 2wd dbl cab (KBB: $19,000) for a 01-04 4x4 PLENTLY of times. Not DOWNGRADING, but I still like the "newness" of my truck. I like that it pretty much looks like a 2011 model right now. However, in your case, id go to 1st gen.

 

upgrayedd ?

http://youtu.be/uaf5rS8WDFQ

 

tacoma-tacoma isnt a downgrade regardless the gen. tacoma-frontier/colorado/canyon is a significant downgrade. just saying. sometimes i wish i woulda got a 1st gen instead of my 07

 

They don't make 'em like they used to. I feel like I downgraded going from an '01 Xtra cab TRD 4x4 to my current '11 SR5 D-cab 4x4. Didn't have much choice, though. My '01 was totaled last year, and I only had about two weeks to ge into something new.

 

by chance would any of you guys have an idea of what i may get for the truck? I had put about 10k and on the payout info i believe there's still 18,500 to go. Also considering the damage, but also considering that I kept it clean almost like new?

oh and thanks for all the feed back so far! This is just an idea still but really considering it

 

I have a 1999 Tacoma extended cab lifted and put through the ringer....with 200k miles on her original clutch...wheeled and towed her whole life....and she's still sitting in my driveway along with my 2011....there's a reason for that...I can't let it go!! But on the other hand my wife is getting pissed!!

Never a downgrade going from a Tacoma to a Tacoma....

 

Take it from someone who is 27 and finally dug out of years of financial mess.

If you are making payments on it, DO NOT MOD. See out your loan and pay off your 09. Take the money you would have spent on mods and apply it to your payment. I dont know anyone with a paid off truck who regrets doing so. If you owe a lot on your current truck and found a nice 1st gen you can finance for less money then thats an option too but I wouldn't take the dealer depreciation hit on your truck just so you can mod it.

 

There is a lot of wisdom in this statement. If you want to mod keep it cheap, because you will never get near what you but into it back out.

 

depending on what you want to mod. if you are happy with the current truck, mod it. no sense to me in modding based on mileage unless you plan on selling it but then why make it your truck just to ditch it.

48k on my 2010 ive cut and chopped and did stuff i want...

you only live once at 48k my truck is just a baby

 

great advise, but basically knowing that with the mods the dealer will rip me a new one, that's where i'm stuck. As it's a 4cyl 2wd, the ideal tacoma i'd want to have is a 6cyl 4wd. So if i mod it, i'm keeping it no matter what, but don't want to stick with the 4cyl if i get too thirsty to mod and off road. So basically i think i've narrowed it down to 2 routes:

1). Don't mod, sell, and go with a 1st gen and save save SAVE

or

2). Keep, don't mod and save save SAVE (although my savings wouldn't be as high)

if I go with the 2nd option the mods would be light, no lift, some minor dash led changes, rims, very light

 

totally agree!

 

if you are talking about lift and stuff why not sell and save for a 6lug?

 

yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking, just cuz I want the lift to be worth it. I love the truck, but of course, not going with anything less of tacoma. To tell you the truth, that's where this all started, was the lift subject.

 

Trade it I U get F-ED , just my two cents. If I had a 99 0r what ever paid for then build it. Trade it your just diging a bigger hole. Mine was paid for day one its an 08 I just lifted it. I waited for the BS 35-50 to run out. Keep it pay it off , build it. My 99 was a great truck. Don't Trade for something you still have to pay on, F that.