Working with what I've got

Since I bought my 2002 tacoma shes been nothing but an expensive headache. Tried to sell it but I'm sick of dealing with flakes and everyone that wants to trade their shitbox diesel for it so I'm just keeping it and gonna beat it up until she wont go anymore. I found out my 31×10.5 stt pros with my -19 offset wheels rub like a mofo so I whipped out the hammer and took down those pinch welds and cut some plastic away. She clears now....mostly. Took her to the UP this last weekend to a friends cabin and I was impressed, shes not the trusty 95 that sits wrecked in the driveway but she goes everywhere I ask her to, now it's time I get around to putting all that still shiny fox suspension kit on her and give her hell. Squats quite a bit loaded with all of our gear. It's been a while since I've been around these parts just figured I'd let you guys know what's going on.

 

Hell yeah bro at least everything is kicking. Been following what happened and that blows man. Best of luck. What’s wrong with the taco now?

 

Since I bought the truck, I've paid for...
- new head
- timing belt
- water pump
- steering rack and pinion
- tie rods
- power steering pump
It's been an expensive few months.
The previous owner was a hack and piece mealed everything.
Things to fix...
- electrical issue with tail light
- windshield wipers which currently dont work at all now after the most recent washing but were direct wired to the battery by po
- windshield washer fluid pump needs to be rewired
- exhaust very badly needs attention
- rear diff still needs hole repaired, been filling it regularly
- relocate signals to corner lights, the passenger side got ripped out on the trails.

 

Sounds like it's more bad luck than bad truck; I've had to replace the brake booster thing and evaporator core in my truck...

 

Well it doesnt help that the previous owner flat out lied about the low compression. He was clueless about it. But when it was opened up there was already a heli coil installed and blown out of the head requiring me to get a new head for 600$

 

So just didn't take care of stuff...

What kind of diesels are people trying to trade for your truck?

 

Some guy had a completely rusted out power stroke, I dont even remember what the others were but just not interested in trading a headache for one of a different color. And I dont really have the desire to own a diesel.

 

Been a few trying to trade their cars for it too, I got to the point where I'd just say unless you have a nicer tacoma to trade I'm not interested.

 

DAMN. That’s quite a bit of work. Your more of a person then I am cause I would’ve bought something else by now lol

 

Trust me I tried to. It's just not in the cards right now, with buying my first house and all the other family things going on I'd better just save my money. I'm trying to get to a point where I can move out west in the next year or 2 as well so I might as well work with what I've got, hence the thread title haha

 

Sounds like a keeper to me.

 

Just gonna run it!

 

have you had through a whole Michigan winter yet, how did it handle if you did?

 

Pretty sure most of us had our fair share of headaches, cost me almost 80% of what I paid for the truck to get it running 'comfortably' but I can tell more headaches are on the way.

 

Well the tie rods were shot when I was driving it in the snow so hard to say but I didnt end up in the ditch lol so not bad

Fair enough, I really shouldn't bitch but I'm gonna still. I'm at about 400% of what I paid for mine haha

 

for the wiper pump and wiper switch, check to make sure you are getting voltage where it plugs in under the steering wheel. I thought I had to replace my pump and switch, but when I got it all opened up its was just one disconnected wire that I soldered back together.

 

I’m sorry to hear about your dilemmas of having to repair a poorly maintained and badly modified vehicle. I’m sure with your persistence and love for that truck that you’ll be able to resolve the issues and get it running properly. I’ve been through a cliutch replacement/transmission service and engine swap myself so I feel your pain about fixing an old Tacoma.

 

The wires at the pump on the reservoir are broke off, with no extra wire to work with.

 

I'll get through it, thank you for the confidence. I had a pretty shitty deal with my mechanic a couple weeks ago that could have killed everyone in my truck so I was pretty pissed about that.
He never put a codder pin in my outer tie rod causing the nut to fall off while I was driving. Luckily i was going about 10mph down a dirt road and just couldn't steer anymore, 2 minutes earlier I was going 60mph down blacktop.

 

Missing my 95 I decided to do a facelift on the 02. A little rough but with some tweaking itll look better.

Forgot to give credit to @STLharry I just followed instructions