PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

Did you do a backup camera in the Yaris?

 

Not really. Gas has been expensive and I wasn't driving it much. I started driving the Yaris in the spring. I just don't need a truck like I used to.

 

Yes

 

Here's the catch-22. If my Tacoma didn't have the issues it has, I could sell it privately and get a good price, and then put a down payment on a newer vehicle; I would probably get five grand for my truck as it sits (with a blown head gasket). There are almost no new vehicles to be had, and I see buying a used vehicle with more than like 25K miles on it as potentially buying somebody else's headache. Thompson Toyota had a 2013 T4R with over 100K miles on the lot earlier this year, and they were asking $25K. In addition to the frame, one of my big deciding factors in keeping my truck rather than cutting my losses and selling is the fact that I've had it since it was brand new, with a meager 20 miles on the clock. The interior is a wee bit rough (the joys of dog ownership), and there is a hole in the carpet on the driver's side, but the truck is clean and has a ton of new parts that I didn't have to pay for; I am once again referring to the frame, brake lines, fuel lines, and suspension components.

I believe that you might have a solid theory with regards to all of this shit going wrong after the frame was replaced.

 

For a factory Bose system in a vehicle that's nearly a decade old, the stereo in my mom's Murano is surprisingly good!

 

@6 gearT444E
@98tacoma27
@BkerChuck
@ColoradoTJ
@Plain Jane Taco
@shakerhood
@steelcity2
@Taco critter
@TnShooter
@wilcam47

After sleeping on it and spending a couple hours at the cars and coffee this morning, I have decided that the best course of action is to go with the original plan of having the head gasket replaced, and have it machined if necessary; I have decided to use the dealership purely because they will do the job in less than half the time and I get a free loaner. I am going to see if the dealership will take the truck early so they can send the head out to be milled if needed.

Pete mills heads when doing a head gasket job no matter what, and the guy at the dealer says the factory doesn't recommend milling the head...?

If all goes according to plan, I will have my truck back before Halloween.

On another note, @Gwyns04 wants another truck after giving the red 1st Gen to her teenage son. She said that if I did plan on trading my truck in, she would give me more than what the dealer offered. If end up getting a newer truck in the next year or two, Gwyn will give me $8,500 cash for my truck.

 

What's the problem? For the first time in a week, I'm not that stressed! Also, I saw a yellow 1994 Toyota pickup with a Mazda rotary engine in it at the show this morning!

 

Didn’t you say the dealership is going to give you a 2 year warranty?

 

Yup, and that's exclusive to this dealership. All Toyota genuine parts come standard with a one-year warranty, and Thompson adds an extra year regardless of what vehicle they do it to for parts and labor. There's a guy who get his low-mileage 1989 Camry All-Trac serviced at this dealer.

My water pump is under warranty through Thompson through November 2023 because they installed it when they did the frame.

 

If you don’t plan on moving in the next 2 years, then that probably a good deal.
I know if I were doing a head gasket, and offered a 2 year warranty, I’d make sure I do it “right” and to the best standards. That’s not a small job. If that job is a come back, you’ve lost money.
Just be sure to get that warranty in writing and make sure it covers labor too.

 

I'm in their system; Thompson replaced my A/C evaporator in September 2018 and covered it for two years. The only reason I am not having Pete do this is because I can't be without my truck for two weeks and not have something to drive; I will always trust Pete more than I trust any dealer. I am still buying new Cooper Discoverer AT/3s from Pete and having him install them next month, along with having him replace my failing backup camera and flush the transmission fluid; I am also flirting with the idea of regearing the rear diff to 3.73 for a little extra grunt; I believe my truck presently has a 3.58 final drive ratio...?

@HomerTaco told me that the 2.7L 4x4s have 4.10 gears, which would explain why the gas mileage is so bad.

Pete is also presently doing some welding work on a 1996 Tacoma 4x4 that failed state inspection due to a rusted frame, but is mechanically sound.

 

Also, I plan on moving, but not out of the area; I am saving up to buy a house and there is a chance that I might rent a place with my friend Mike. I would really prefer to just buy a place, and Helen has a 2-bedroom/1.5-bathroom, 1-story duplex condo that she and Jim bought as a rental property back in like 2017. That condo has everything I would want in a house, including central air and a dishwasher, and it even has a fireplace! My only grievance is that it has oil forced air heat. Hot water baseboard heat with an oil boiler is okay, but I do not like forced air heat with an oil furnace. An oil furnace heats the house efficiently enough, but it is less efficient than an oil boiler and heating oil costs a fortune no matter what type of heating system it is powering. Heating oil also smells like diesel fuel, and if something fails catastrophically, it can be disgusting. Oil forced air heat has the potential to be a lot messier than oil baseboard heat if something fails.

My ideal HVAC system is a straight-cool central air-conditioner matched with a 90%+ efficiency gas furnace, or a gas hot water baseboard system with a standalone straight-cool central A/C. If public gas is unavailable, then I would prefer a heat pump over oil or propane heat. Propane is cheaper to run than oil or electric though...

@Plain Jane Taco's house has dual heat pumps, one for the first floor and one for the second floor, and it has served him and his family well.

 

Also, Bill, is that trailer small enough to be exempt from registration or did you have to get a title and register it?

 

@ABA180

It looks like Colleen is going to be my first zombie! Either I will pretend to be attacking her while someone else takes pictures, or I will have Anna or even one of my other guy friends portray the zombie hunter/huntress while I take pictures. More than likely, this will be next Halloween because the truck is going to be out of commission for close to a week and I'm applying for a second job at Home Depot. Shit is about to get busy!

 

You should be able to get the code off the door sticker to figure out what gears you have. If my memory is correct all V6 2nd Gens were 3.73, cant remember the 4 bangers though.

 

I was just dreaming. With interest rates the way they are on NEW vehicles, I would rather save my money and pay cash for a late model used vehicle than finance one...

 

Hopefully interest rates don't keep shooting up hurting your ability to afford something nice.

 

If they do, I will just keep saving my money and hold onto my current Tacoma, and then I will have enough money to replace the engine when it actually fails at 250K-300K miles! If money wasn't an issue, I would drop $10K-$20K on a completely new drivetrain (engine and tranny) and keep the truck forever.

 

Love it..I bet she probably could put together a zombie outfit easy, if she's the cosplayer (thinjk she is?)

 

I was referring to mortgage rates as they have almost tripled, that really makes a difference on how nice of a house you can get.