To Buy Or Not To Buy

Hey, first post so bear with me in case I blow past any secret conventions. Hopefully I'll be a tacoma owner soon though! Thinking of purchasing a 2000 SR5 5M 2.7 with 195k... Seller asks 8k. Comes with some nice to haves, canopy with rack, 3" lift on 33" wheels.

I like the truck, but at 195k I'm a bit worried of bearing the brunt of the cost of keeping an old engine alive. I'm happy to do my own work but I suspect the drivetrain will start asking for replacement parts soon (clutch is the obvious one, never replaced yet). Looking for thoughts on buying a truck this old, does it make sense? I'm not worried about rust for this particular truck, just what the long term picture for owning an elderly 2.7 looks like. Is a compression test mandatory before purchase (or anything else)? Are the valve adjustment issues on the 2.7 common? Thanks for reading, very helpful community here.

 

First,

I think it is a bit much for a truck that old with that much mileage. How accurate are the records of what has been done? Is this a sale from a reputable person? Meaning, do you know them personally?
I wouldn't go with this buy, but it is your money and you are the one that has seen it in person.
Good luck with the hunt.

 

I sold my 05 trd offroad 4x4 double cab with 191k for 9500.

If you really want it, offer 5k and that's it

 

Absolutely. Should be part of a pre purchase professional inspection you have done by a seasoned independent mechanic, that you pay for.

Even at $100, and a no deal on the purchase, that $100 would have just saved you a pile.

 

And if you have to ask yourself, is it worth losing a hundred dollars on?

If the answer is no, then you have your answer

 

technically, he said he doesn't want to spend a lot keeping an old engine (195k miles) alive. your engine won't die anytime soon. just give it a new timing belt and a synthetic oil change. if you want, and are willing to, do the valve clearance. but ask for 7-7.5k instead of 8 cause of the immediate work you want to do to it. and maybe a tune up.

I highly doubt the clutch will go anytime soon. you literally have to hold the clutch halfway while high revving for hundreds of miles to burn one out.

at the worst, you'll need a tranny mount, carrier bearing, clutch master or slave cylinders, or u-joints. but u-joints you can put a couple of shots of grease into the fittings and be on your way.

 

That seems pretty low, regardless of condition.

+1. The $8K asking price is a little high, but not totally unreasonable.


Condition is EVERYTHING, OP. If the truck has been well-maintained and is clean inside-out (including a rust-free undercarriage), it should be worth ~$7K.

 

The black book value for rough condition (trade in) when I sold it was 10500. That's what I listed it at. It had bad cats and needed a frame. I fully disclosed it as the seller. He asked if I would take 9500. I wanted it gone, and it was gone in 2 weeks. I paid 10500 for it 4 years prior with 144k on it.

 

Oh. Never pay retail price for something you don't have to.

 

I bought it from a wholesale dealer. He got it at auction

 

this is it. Well, I added something but I forget what they were

 

Op. Do you have some pictures of this truck you are looking at

 

The op said it's a 2.7...

I would offer 6 if it was an 3.4

But it's alot for a 16 year old 4 banger...

 

Got it. That puts your pricing in perspective, which I think is helpful in light of the the OP's original questions. It's safe to say, if the truck he's considering has bad cats and a bad frame, it would be worth very little.

I agree. Unfortunately, Tacomas (in good condition) aren't known for selling much below retail, at least not in this part of the country.

Not according to NADA.

 

OP..

Use this to gauge the value of the vehicle.
It will not allow you to plug in a 2000. But it will allow a 2001.

In rough condition, with no milage imput or vin, it's telling me it's worth 5k at auction.

http://www.blackbookportals.com/bb/...yid=thinkbank.COM&cust=&NewForm=N&bb_selchg=Y

People have emotional attachments to vehicles. I understand it as well as anyone else here with a taco. But, money is money.

 

Here's the craigslist ad for those interested in pictures. Not many pictures of the underside though..
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5333987774.html

FYI, this would not be a daily use vehicle. I want it to enable getting to places outside, which means it needs to get me to the mountains and not strand me there. It may see some long distance driving in the future though. Another piece of info, its a 4 owner truck, so there's no way of being sure how it was treated. My thoughts right now are to make a low estimate, like 5-6k with a mechanic's inspection if he takes the offer.

Do most people around here do their own work on their trucks? My impression is if you put the effort in & the frame doesn't rot out, the truck will last for quite some time.

 

LoL, that's cute. you just wait

 

Your impression is correct...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/200-000-mile-club.112697/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/300-000-mile-club.152951/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/almost-400k.362412/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/media/my-mileage-pics-for-my-2000-toyota-tacoma-trd.407116/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/well-i-finally-hit-400-thousand.398219/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/400-000-1st-gen.80759/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/media/my-mileage-pics-for-my-2000-toyota-tacoma-trd.407115/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/500000-miles-no-problems.87419/