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About to buy my first Taco and have questions...

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by NJRadioGuy, Sep 30, 2013.

  1. Sep 30, 2013 at 7:52 PM
    #1
    NJRadioGuy

    NJRadioGuy [OP] Active Member

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    Peter
    Northern New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    Stock 2004 TRD-Off Road, 5speed
    Hi all,

    Our '98 Ranger is about to be retired and I've decided to get a used Tacoma as its replacement. I'm about to go out to PA to look at a used '01 Xtra Cab with a 3.4 V6, 5-speed stick, manual transfer case (second stick) and a TRD Off-road package. With 118,000 miles and the frame replacement recall done recently they're asking about $12k. Not sure if that's fair or wildly over-priced, but it's certainly in our wheelhouse.

    I'm concerned that it's seen 12 mountains-of-PA winters and even though the frame may be like-new, what should I expect the underside to be like? What is acceptable and what isn't for a vehicle of that vintage?

    What are the problem areas I need to look at extra closely when I go to check it out? In addition, I've never owned a 4x4 of any kind in the past, so what do I need to know about transfer cases when inspecting the vehicle and how can I verify everything on the up-and-up down there? I'm afraid of finding out in a few months that the TC or part of the powertrain was abused by one of the two previous owners, leaving me with a costly repair bill.

    Thanks in advance, and I know I'll be asking a lot more questions if I pull the trigger on this machine this week.

    Regards!
    Peter
     
  2. Sep 30, 2013 at 8:03 PM
    #2
    yote

    yote Washington State University

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    Mark
    Tacoma, WA
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    2002 Ext Cab TRD Off-Road
    The price differs greatly among various parts of this country. Some areas Tacomas in good condition go like hot cakes, and in others they go for cheap cheap cheap. I would suggest cruising Craigslist and see what they're going for in both yours, and surrounding areas.

    As far as frame condition. I would take a good hard look over ALL of it. Bring an inspection mirror/flashlight to see the tops of the frame. If you do encounter rust, determine how bad it is and if it's bad & you are able to hit it with a hammer & it breaks through-- walk away. Surface rust isn't bad, it's the rust that has started eating through the frame metal that you have to worry about.

    As far as the transfer case I usually just find some gravel or dirt and engage the 4 wheel drive to see if everything is shifting/running smoothly
     
  3. Sep 30, 2013 at 9:22 PM
    #3
    NJRadioGuy

    NJRadioGuy [OP] Active Member

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    Peter
    Northern New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    Stock 2004 TRD-Off Road, 5speed
    Thanks for the tip, Mark. This is from a larger used-car lot with full service facilities (as opposed to a lot on the corner), so I know I'm going to pay a premium for that, which I don't mind if it's reasonable. I like the CL idea, but there just aren't any TRDs that show up there on a regular basis. When one shows they're gone in a few hours. We've been looking for 3 months and every time I see a TRD Off-road with a stick, it's inevitably gone, for full asking price, before I've called. I had initially gone after an 04 but that went two hours after the dealer got it on the 'Net and he gave me right of first refusal on the 01 with identical mileage, for $2k less than he was asking for the 04. I had wanted black, but red is nice too, of course!

    I really want to learn to off-road with this but the nearest place to do so legally near me is 100 miles away in eastern PA (I'm in a highly-urbanized NJ suburb, 30 miles west of NYC). So I won't be doing much 'roading at all for a while--just in the snow in February ;D

    But back to the original issue, assuming the frame and underbody passes muster, what else should I be looking at and do you know of any known issues with the 01s (beyond the frame recall, that is)? Are they notorious for things like bad brakes, easily-worn suspensions, axle seals, etc, even with average or above-average maintenance or are they known to be trouble-free for the most part?

    My old Ranger was taking $2000-3000/yr in repairs annually and the haemorrhaging of money had to stop. Rear brakes, pumpkin and frame/underbody rot were the big problems with my 165,000 mile Ranger. Brake lines rusted out and failed 3 times before I changed 'em all out, for example. That was my first-ever truck and I really don't know what to expect from something of that age. Believe me, if I could find an 05 or newer V6 6-speed Taco with TRD-OR for about $14k I'd be all over it!
     
  4. Sep 30, 2013 at 9:41 PM
    #4
    yote

    yote Washington State University

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    Tacoma, WA
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    Try looking on Craigslist for surrounding areas or even in another state since your states are pretty small. I know what you mean, they go pretty quick over here. I live in Seattle, WA but had to travel to Portland, OR to get mine.

    Get whatever color you want. I thought oh maybe a red one will do (I really wanted green/black) so I'm soooo glad I got a black one. I'd still like a green one but I love my black one enough to make me forget that silly idea pretty quick since they're close in color.

    I'm not saying off-road it. I'm just saying find some broken ground (doesn't have to be much) and engage 4wd just to make sure it works smoothly & there are no hiccups.

    Tacoma's are completely different than Ford Rangers. They are faaaaar superior IMHO. They run like a champ as long as you regularly maintain it & are very fun to work on.. even for regular oil changes believe it or not.
     
  5. Oct 1, 2013 at 6:50 AM
    #5
    MowTaco

    MowTaco Well-Known Member

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    You shouldn't need to worry too much about frame rust yet if the frame was recently replaced. I think it could only be like 5 years old max.

    Some relatively common problems (none are really a deal breaker, but just things to keep in mind to check out. If you find them to be existent on this truck you could use them as a bargaining point)

    -weak rear leaves (look for the leaves to be "frowning" or axle wrap while driving)
    -steering rack bushings (everything in the front end will just feel kinda sloppy)
    -Steering shaft slip joint (the truck will suddenly dart one way on the highway if this is sloppy, it can be startling. It's especially bad if you hit a good sized bump going around a long curve at high speed like a clover leaf interchange. It feels serious, but really isn't too big of a deal to fix)
    -squeaky clutch (it's just kinda normal, some people get it to go away replacing a spring but mine comes from within the bell housing itself)

    Other than that, just hit every button and make sure it all works
     
  6. Oct 1, 2013 at 7:10 AM
    #6
    Noelie84

    Noelie84 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

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    Noel
    Wales, Maine
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    8.5 Fisher XV2, some switches, some lights.
    Definitely hit every button & make sure it works. Especially the rear locker; they freeze up if they're not used regularly.

    Also, TIMING BELT! Make sure it's been done; ask for documentation! If not, it's going to be a fairly big expense right after you spend good money buying the truck, so if it hasn't been done use it to negotiate price.

    It's a stick, so start it up, put it in neutral, let the clutch out, and listen for the throwout bearing. If it's going bad, you'll be able to hear it.

    Check the frame and undercarriage for dents/scrapes/dings. If it's been beat on offroad, they'll have marks.

    Good luck!
     
  7. Oct 1, 2013 at 4:09 PM
    #7
    NJRadioGuy

    NJRadioGuy [OP] Active Member

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    Peter
    Northern New Jersey
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    Stock 2004 TRD-Off Road, 5speed
    Well, so much for that :(
    Took a look at this 01. The throwout bearing was shot and there was no record of the timing belt having being done. Clutch was also extremely stiff. It ran OK, was super-clean but 4th gear was a bit of a problem--synchros were grinding. Dealer wouldn't go below $11k for it so I passed. Nothing else decent under $20k within 100 miles on cars.com or autotrader (or CL), so it's back into the hunt. My home-area mechanic said it would probably cost another 3k to get it into decent shape. For that money, I'd rather have it good from word-go.

    I appreciate the info, guys. Wish I could have joined your ranks today.
     
  8. Oct 1, 2013 at 4:12 PM
    #8
    yote

    yote Washington State University

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    Tacoma, WA
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    Excellent choice. It took me a month and a half of checking Craigslist every, single, day.. every 30 minutes to find mine. Be patient and don't take anything less than your idea of what you want
     
  9. Oct 1, 2013 at 4:20 PM
    #9
    jake72

    jake72 Well-Known Member

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    This site contains affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
    #9
  10. Oct 2, 2013 at 7:19 AM
    #10
    MowTaco

    MowTaco Well-Known Member

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    What browser do you use? Chrome has a sweet craigslist notification extension that you can put search terms into and it automatically checks constantly. I scored a gopro yesterday within minutes of it being posted thanks to the extension...

    I currently also have it searching for a supercharger and a new motorcycle... I think it's gonna prove to spend my money faster than TW haha
     
  11. Oct 2, 2013 at 7:34 AM
    #11
    Noelie84

    Noelie84 What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

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    8.5 Fisher XV2, some switches, some lights.
    X2.
    Passing on a truck that you REALLY REALLY want rather than convincing yourself that the defects aren't that bad is hard.
    I hunted for three months solid before I found the Tacoma I wanted the first time ('99 TRD v6 5spd extracab 4x4), because I knew exactly what I wanted. I looked at a lot of turds first, too.
    Second time around I got lucky, found what I wanted within two weeks.

    Good luck with the hunt!
     
  12. Oct 2, 2013 at 8:00 AM
    #12
    CrunchyTaco99

    CrunchyTaco99 Well-Known Member

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    Joe
    North Georgia
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    99 TRD Tacoma
    33x12.50 Pro Comp M/T's All-Pro Coils, UCA and 3" leafs.
    You can come south and take a look at mine!

    Had it listed a couple of months ago but started having some hesitation issues and pulled the ad. Screwing with the throttle body now. Everything else has been replaced. Two small dents on the body and gonna replace the CV's soon due to the boots being busted.

    Southern truck so no rust. Newer OME suspension, replaced the steering rack bushing, tack welded the steering slip joint, no throw out bearing issues, timing belt/water pump replaced 15k miles ago.

    Lots of offroad goodies. 112,000 miles. Truck is very clean. Let me know if you are interested and I will speed up the my repairs.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1380725986.409203.jpg
     
  13. Oct 2, 2013 at 8:03 AM
    #13
    CrunchyTaco99

    CrunchyTaco99 Well-Known Member

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    North Georgia
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    33x12.50 Pro Comp M/T's All-Pro Coils, UCA and 3" leafs.
    And for a related story. Drove 8 hrs to look at a 4runner at a small dealership. Was set to buy it if it was like the guy said. Was not clean like the guy said and he wouldn't budge on a pretty high price. Let him keep it. Really felt crappy for spending 16hrs round trip and getting the truck. Found this one a couple months later. Sure was glad that I waited!

    It's a good thing that you didn't buy that one. Wait and find one you really want and is in better shape.
     
  14. Oct 2, 2013 at 8:05 AM
    #14
    richardbui23

    richardbui23 That guy

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    buy a new one :anonymous:
     
  15. Oct 2, 2013 at 8:58 AM
    #15
    TIPICOTACO

    TIPICOTACO Well-Known Member

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    Tyler
    nw nj
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    '01 DC 4X4 TRD "RAD BARON"
    Some lift, some armor, some scratches..
    I searched religiously for 2 months til I found mine.... at a dealer In eastern Long Island!!

    I believe autotrader.com was where I found it, but def stay on top of CL as well as searchtempest.com (allows you to search many many CL locations at once.)

    where in NJ are you?? Im in sussex county and work on rt 23 in Morris county, I'l keep my eyes peeled for ya!
     
  16. Oct 2, 2013 at 9:05 AM
    #16
    Coast2Coast

    Coast2Coast Well-Known Member

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    Good choice on passing on the truck. I searched for my most recent taco for over a year. I was looking for an exact model, trim, year, color, AND price range. I ended up getting an 09 TRD OR for only slightly more than this truck you looked at because it has high miles and a few random dings. So don't give up on finding one of those, but it's up to you to decide whether you want a first or a second gen. BTW being in a hurry is always my kryptonite when it comes to purchasing a used vehicle. If I'm in a hurry to get it, I almost always get the wrong one and regret it later so take your time if possible. I watched 15 or 20 premium priced black TRD ORs come and go in my area before I found the price I was looking for. I could have paid an extra $10000 for what? This is a Toyota. I can do a home buffing job, replace a couple wheel bearings, and throw some brake pads on for a lot less than $10000 :D

    Somebody mentioned looking at the underside because there will be scrapes and dents if it was off roaded. This is a good tip but a lack of damage is not a solid indicator. I have a 99 4runner that has a spotless frame and underbody that looks better than both my 09 tacomas. I recently ran into a guy that said he used to own my 4runner. He was pretty excited to see that his old truck was still in the area and got into stories of all the things that he used to do with it. He basically told me that he used to wheel the hell out of it and he even sunk it completely under water in a muskeg hole somewhere where it sat for a few days before he brought it home and sold it in a pile of parts. But I already had figured that out when I found the dried mud inside the door panels, ventilation system, etc when I tried to fix the long list of electrical problems it has. Another case of being in a hurry, I didn't bother to check any electrical inside the truck except for the 4wd and rear diff lock. What do you know when I got playing around with it later, some of the power windows were dead, the ventilation system only works on floor, and you have to reach up inside the dash to change from hot to cold lol. The entire thing is locked up with dried mud and needs to be swapped out. CHECK EVERYTHING.

    My advice, if you see ANY signs of off roading and you don't plan on making this truck into an off road machine like I have with mine, I would stay clear. Pretty much every wearable part on that 4runner wore out in the first year that I owned it lol. I've had to shell out nearly as much in parts as I paid to purchase the 99, and it's only about half way to being what I would consider "marketable" again. I have a blast with it out in the hills though.

    The right truck is out there, good luck with your search! :thumbsup:
     
  17. Oct 2, 2013 at 9:17 AM
    #17
    offrdmania

    offrdmania Taco Wagon

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    Took me forever to find my truck. About a month. They would show up on Craigslist and be gone the same day. California has them going for about $800 over book because we dont have rust issues. Found my truck in Nevada. Not an ounce of even surface rust. Frame still has the factory oval VIN sticker on it.
     
  18. Oct 10, 2013 at 2:50 PM
    #18
    TIPICOTACO

    TIPICOTACO Well-Known Member

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    Some lift, some armor, some scratches..

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