Tacoma Stalking, er...uh, Spotting, with Charlie™ (3rd Gen Edition)!

Yeah, but I feel like most of the miles I racked up this year were the result of a rescue operation spanning several months; I'd say she was worth the miles I put on my truck...

 

I was doing 15K a year when I was still in the office, plus if someone did a road trip that would be easy to do. Hell, my father would do about 20-25K a year long ago when he was working for the phone company.

Totally batshit; that said, if people are going to pay it....

 

The only used Tacomas that I saw on the lot at Peruzzi, plus a Ford Super Duty that was parked with them for some reason...


December 3rd, 2023:

Hatfield, Pennsylvania

 

New Taco inventory at Peruzzi...

 

December 7th, 2023:

Chalfont, Pennsylvania

 

I thought this was a good deal until I saw that it's 2WD; I have no problem driving a 2WD truck, but if I ever get rid of my beloved 2010, I feel like I should upgrade to a 4x4...


December 13th, 2023:

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

 

Yup...It was frustrating when I was searching to replace my 2010 and some dealers would not properly sort by drivetrain...They 4x2's would be in with the 4x4 or AWD sometimes...

 

I think the price is surprisingly decent, but if I'm going to get rid of a 2WD truck that was a gift from my parents and has been paid off for almost 11 years, I want 4WD!

I'd also rather have a house than a new vehicle. My 2010 got a brand new frame courtesy of Toyota just over two years ago, and I treat the frame every year so it is still very clean.

And again...

Payments.

I don't want payments!

 

Yup...I drove mine until the sum total of repairs was a significant portion of a new vehicle...and wife was sick of me working on the truck every weekend...

 

My truck got a new frame (along with brake lines, fuel lines, leaf springs, and lower control arms) at no cost to me thanks to the recall, back in November 2021; I was involved in a freak accident at a scrapyard in February 2022 that wasn't my fault, and I got $3,000 worth of bodywork courtesy of the scrapyard's insurance company. Finally in September 2022, the thermostat failed due to old age at like 157K miles, touching off a chain reaction that blew the head gasket. There was no damage to the engine and not even a warped head. My dad paid for the head gasket job as an early Christmas present.

So, that's at least $25,000 worth of work that I got at no cost to me. The truck was probably worth about $12,000 at the time of the frame replacement; I also spent $554 putting a new radiator in it (March 2023; 166K miles), and probably almost $1,500 more over the course of this year between routine maintenance and a couple unscheduled repairs. I have good credit, but interest rates suck; I was also laid off from my job in October and I am driving DoorDash and Uber Eats so I don't have to dip into my savings. The cost of maintaining a high mileages truck that's been paid off for years is wayyy cheaper than financing a $26K truck at today's interest rates!

 

THat is a pretty sweet ride, and if I needed one it would be on my list as well. And agreed, I've dropped $4K into mine this year but it's about 50-50 routine stuff or not and some is age versus miles based.

 

With good enough credit toyota will give you 4.99 for 5yr or 3.99 for 4.

 

My parents bought me the truck I still have, and my dad managed to get 0.9% APR through Citadel back in 2009; 4% or higher is an insult...

 

December 14th, 2023:

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

 

Have to adapt. I had a 1.15% or so on my 2010...credit union rate...the best they can do today is 6.74%.