New Member - Veteran Toy 4x4 owner

Greetings all,

Just joined the forum, due to purchasing a new 2009 4x4 Access Cab TRD Sport.

Not my first Toyota 4x4, I have been buying Toyota trucks since 1982.

My first 1982 was a regular cab, 4x4 long bed, 5 speed, in blue with blue interior.
Purchased new in February 1982 from Greer Toyota in Wappingers Falls, NY, for a whopping 9900.00!!! (A lot for a 'mini-pickup' back in 1982!)

Anyone remember these? Great to have the solid axles front and rear, and 4 leaf springs. A 22r motor with about 95 horsepower. The Longbed was 'single wall' only, and dented easily. The benefit was a true 7 foot length! The cab had a bench seat, but had 'wing' vent windows. I managed to get 28 MPG on a trip to Virginia Beach in 1982 with a good old carburator!

My second Toy 4x4 was a 1994 regular cab shortbed. basically a 'dx' package, not much to it, other than dependable! Traded this in on my 3rd
Toy 4x4

My 3rd Toy 4x4 was a 1997 Tacoma regular cab 'SX' package. This SX package added buckets and a console to a regular cab configuration. Rare, but way desireable, due to having short legs, i could put the seat up close, and let the passengers have plenty of legroom....not something i could do with my previous 2 Toy 4x4 due to bench seats.....this truck lasted until 2003 when i upgraded to a 2004 Tacoma.

My 4th Toy 4x4 was a 2004 extended cab TRD Off Road....and lasted 1,500 miles before i was T-boned by a young girl in a Camry. Totalled the truck, and promptly went back and bought the exact same truck...with 2 changes.

My 5th Toy 4x4 was a 2004 extened cab TRD Off Road....same as above, but with Automatic transmission and grey interior instead of 'oak'. The above accident caused me rotator cuff injuries to my shoulder, and it was painful to 'shift' the manual trans all the time, so ended up with an automatic.

My 6th Toy 4x4 is a 2009 Access Cab TRD Sport. Killer deal, truck at invoice, $500 rebate, and 15,500 trade in (almost 4k over trade in value in Kelly Blue Book)....yes, the dealer was desperate to make the deal.

Very happy with the 2009, except for the stereo (horrible FM radio reception)....non-JBL 6 disc changer......and would have preferred the 05-08 rear seat configuration rather than the 'buckets' with subwoofer,
but the new safety features for 2009 outweigh the rear seat configuration.

Especially the rear camera !

I have logged hundreds of thousands of miles in Toyota 4x4 trucks, since 1982, and have NEVER broken down on the road.....gas, oil, tires, brakes, exaust, starter, alternator is about all i've ever replaced.

My other vehicle is a 2007 Toyota 4Runner (family vehicle that wife drives)...awesome vehicle, an SUV that can really off-road if needed.

This forum is a wealth of information...I am glad i joined....

Rich
Hudson Valley, NY

 

welcome man.

 

That's quite a list of rigs. Welcome to TW.

 

Welcome to tw.

 

welcome, where exactly in the hudson valley are you?

 

Welcome to TW!

 

reply to previous question about location: Northern Dutchess County, nearest town is Red Hook.

 

Yeah, I remember those, my buddy Harley had a black one. I had an 82 Datsun King Cab 4x4 that looked a lot like this one:


I was always a little jealous of his Toyota, but now I've got a black one of my own. Welcome Rich from down South!

 

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome...I am an old toy owner too although its been a while since I owned one (bought an 08 DC pre runner this past saturday!)

My first vehicle that I ever owned was an 87 2wd with no air and a vinyl bench seat! Bought new a week after i got out of college That lasted a year before I bought and 88 DX 4x4 and than a 91 4x4 (both regular cabs with the 22re and stick.

LOVE this 08 with the rugged trail package

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to the site

I'm new here but like you a Veteran Toyota owner, bought my first one back in 79
Boy we have seen some changes over the years

 

Welcome, I feel like a rookie. I'm only on my 3rd toyota 4X4!

 

Sometimes i 'long' for the 1982 i bought new in Feb 1982.......but i think it's the old 'rose colored glasses' thing......i am definately spoiled by the 2009.....

When i think back to the single thickness bed sides, the doors that were about 3 inches thick, the factory stereo speakers that were located in the doors.....RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR HIPS!!!....(you couln't hear the stereo if you had two people in the cab!)....the 'killer' 225/75/15 tires on white painted steel rims.....no power ANYTHING....no A/C....just roll all the windows down, open rear slider, and point the wing windows at your torso and drive 55mph!!!.....no tachometer, only speedo, fuel, and temp gage....
and who can forget the Kraco am/fm/cassette that repalced the factory AM/FM stereo!!!! GOOD TIMES! HAHAHAHA

The first thing i did was put a pushbar on the front and some KC Highlighter's on the front....

Funny story....my friend had a 1981 Jeep CJ-7....we went '4wheelin' across from the Culinary Institute near Hyde Park....went thru a mud puddle, and his jeep promptly stalls...in the middle of the puddle.....had to use my toyota to 'pull' him to dry ground....come to find out, the engine compartment of the CJ-7 had no rubber 'flaps' around the front wheelwell, and water splashed in and drowned out his ignition....

I razzed him pretty good about the 'jeep' not being waterproof like my Toyota, and told him that the 'jeep 4wd legend' was suffering due to his driving one....

I have had several Wranglers in the past too, including a 91, 98, 99, 2002, and now a 2008....another vehicle that has come a long way since the early 1980's....

Fun fun fun...

good to hear from other 'long time' original toyota 4x4 owners!!!

Rich