I'm new to Tacomas, Is this one a good buy?

The 3.0 (3.slow) is very underpowered and is known to have head gasket problems.

 

The 3.0 is really hard to work on!....make sure it is a 3.4 with the T-belt job and H20 pump changed out at least once.

 

X2

 

Thanks, i'll confirm that. I appreciate the tips.

 

Beauty taco OP.....for sure....loaded up nice with the sunroof!.....Frame is # 1 ...really check it out........ and if it is a 3.4 you could /should / maybe buy it.

Sometimes you have to jump on a Taco cause if it is relatively clean it will be gone......I did and love mine.

For comparison I paid $9700 Canadian for my 2001 last Sept. from a sketchy dealer in Toronto....3 hrs away from me ...they only had it for 24hrs before I got it...super clean Arizonia truck with 109,000 miles but it is only a base model reg cab.

Good luck in your taco hunt!

 

Thanks a lot ontarioyota. We'll see what I find tomorrow.

 

Welcome to TW from Sparks, NV

 

UPDATE: So i just looked at the Tacoma. The frame was coated about 7 years ago. Some of the coating has worn off but there is no sign of perforating rust on the frame. It's super clean, hardly no rust on the body except the corners of the tailgate, runs great, runs quiet, shifts perfectly, heater and AC work.

HOWEVER, after 249,000 miles the timing belt and water pump have never been changed (he thinks, but he's still checking his records). It's a non-interference motor, so if the belt were to break in the next week it's not a complete disaster.

His lowest number is $5k. What do you all think?

Thanks for your input.

 

I personally think $5k is too much, and I most definitely would not pull the trigger until a Toyota dealership looked at it.

Fink

 

im still with Fink and the others on this. i just couldn't drop 5k of my hard earned money on a truck with that many miles. . . and, as fink and others said get it checked out. i bought a jeep when i was 15 and me and pops crawled around and drove it and the dealer seemed like a real great dude. . . 4 years and some $10,000 dollars of broken shit later and i was elated to see it go on the low boy from the highest craigslist bidder!! lol. but that is a jeep

back to yotas, even if you don't take it to a dealer a certified mechanic that has a history with toyotas will be able to find a lot of thing's you'd have never seen. i always go to my friends fathers import shop. he knows it all and has only helped me.

 

I agree .. $5K seems like a lot. If you decide to buy it, I would go back with $4350 in cash and show it to him .. Cash makes it very hard to turn down

 

oh wow 250k on original water pump and t belt is insane. You will have to drop around 800 to get those replaced (if you cant do it yourself). tell him 4500 and use the t belt thing to bargain. the truck is not worth 5k like it sits.

 

i also agree with that. he may want 5, but if you roll up with $4K something all in hundreds all spread out and waving in his face. he'll jump on it!!

 

Looks like you all think the price is too high. I agree. Thank you very much for your input. We'll see what happens.

 

just gotta bust out the inner Jew in these situations. good luck

 

Don't know much about a "3.slow" at all, but I had a 96, ran it to 280k till it got recalled due to rust issues at the time in illinois. It was a 3.4, strong truck. I would never pay more than 4k, this needs a huge tune up, if its a 3.slow, 3k?

 

Are you serious? What do you think the stealership is going to say? Check it yourself. It is a old car so don't waste your time and money paying somebody to look it over. Half of those guys that work at the dealership don't know much.

 

its a 3.4, im 9999999999999999% sure.

the only way it could be the 3.0 is if some legally retarded retard swapped it out.

 

oh yeah. go there to "buy" it and start finding everything you hate about it.

"hey man you nicked the window with a hammer right there!"
"ahh. . . no i didn't."

"and you changed the tires to these old ones!"
"huh?"

"and this truck what had 50,000 miles on it last week! what's going on with that?!!!"
"uuh . . aahhh!"

"yeah! and . .. ah. . .this truck was red yesterday! what are you playing at jerk?!!"
"what? . . no"

then just hand him $3,000 dollars and grab the keys and get out of there.

 

too high imo

i have a 95 pickup i bought with 211xxx miles for $3500, V6, 4x4, sunroof, bedliner with cap, 5sp, SR5, ex cab, power windows, locks, and mirrors, but no ac.

only difference we have is a half year and miles, and yours is the tacoma, mine is still the pickup...i would get him down lower

just my .02