Accidental Noob in Sacramento...

Why accidental? How did I get here?

I used to have a 93 Xcab 4wd 5spd DX with the venerable 22RE four-banger...until a dark and stormy day...and extremely windy day...when a huge branch fell on it. The guys at Bertolucci's said they couldn't figure out a way to get it right without cutting off the roof and welding on a new one, and then there was the windshieled, hood, and left fender, and radiator. They knew they couldn't fix this 16-year-old truck for anything near 80% of its value, and AAA would total it. Truth be told, I could have driven it away...carefully (ever seen that Top Gear episode with the Hilux?). Someone will get an awesome salvage deal, with virtually new Michelins, fully serviced drive line, freshly adjusted valves, all the crazy impossible little coolant hoses replaced a few months ago, only 200K on it. Thank god I didn't replace the whole exhaust system like I was about to do.

So I had to decide, quick, what did I want to do? I am not an offroader per se, mainly using the 4wd for snowboarding and backcountry camping and hiking. But I need a truck for projects and stuff. I freaked out while I had the rental car and realized that getting some 2x4s and some concrete was a big pain in the ass with a car! How do people live like that?!?!

Hmmm, maybe I should check out the new Tacomas and took one for a drive. Pretty nice, but bigger and, gee, pretty freaking expensive for the spec. I wanted. And hey, they are wider, and I don't think the garbage cans will get past it in my narrow driveway next to my old bungalow. That would drive me nuts. Well what about the earlier Tacos?

So I find this forum (and some others) and start digging like hell for what to look for and expect. Pretty soon, I had my sights set on a stock 2001-2004 Xcab V6 SR5 TRD 5-speed. Looked far and wide, all over Norcal, only two in Sac and both salvage titles! WTF!?!?!

I snagged one way down in Santa Cruz, 2001 (built Aug. 01), 102k, clean Carfax, single owner, dealer service records for 30k, 60k, and 90k, including T-belt. Nice matching Snugtop. I spent 2 hours in, over, and under it, and all I could find was a broken pop-out window latch, burned out bulb behind the fan control, a missing screw in a mudflap, and it needed an alignment and some different rubber. Well, OK, the fender flares and bumpers need some TLC. Oh, and it smelled a bit like damp dog.

I snagged it, and after a lot of cleaning, the smell is gone, it is all aligned and wearing Michelin LTX AT2s, and it is FREAKING AWESOME! More powerful, quieter, more comfortable, all this little buttons that do things automatically like open the windows and cruise control. Gee whiz, what will they think of next?

So on this forum, I look up squeaky clutch pedal. Bam! Thread for that. I Look up floor jack...BAM (by the way, Costco is bringing back the Arcan 3.5T XL35R this winter sometime, I was just there and asked). Ipod adapter...BAM! Dash removal...BAM!

You guys, or folks, or whatever you are, you all rock.

 

Hello & welcome.

 

Welcome Nice first post!!

 

I had a the same color ext. cab TRD just like that new in 2000. I miss that truck a lot.

 

Welcome to TW.

 

welcome, yo.

 

welcome to tw

 

Good find, welcome to TW

 

Thanks, all. Here is the "totaled" 93, in an auction yard somewhere by now, I guess...

14 years of turn-the-key-and-go, all over the Sierras, Oregon beaches and mountains, Washington. Crawling out of the back on frosty mornings to shoot sunrises...

Just turned 200k. The guys at the body shop said it was immaculate. Three came over to talk to me as I was doing the final cleanout...sniff...it served me well.

Now, on to other business, like do I hit the fender flares with a heat gun, or the boot polish, or the peanut butter (hmmm, not good for Yosemite and bears...), the plastikote, or some expensive mystery goo? Oh yeah, and the Ipod adapter...