A bit of a conundrum

So, I have been doing some modifications to my 2011 Sport DCLB to make it more suitable for off road use. I have put and ARB front bumper and Smittybilt 10k winch with synthetic rope, and intended to lift it next. I also hope to eventually use it to tow a light camper, and take some fairly long road trips. However, I know that as I modify it more, I will risk changes in ride quality, and the more I offroad it, the more carnage it will see, and while I have no problem using my truck, I don't want it to get beat up. So I've been mulling the options, trying to decide what to do.

Interestingly, I have an old FJ60 that needs more work than I want to put into it. I also have a pretty nice mountain bike I don't ride. I have an offer on the table to trade these two straight up for a street legal 82 Toyota Pickup that is already lifted, regeared, has locker in the front and spool in the rear, and is in good, rust-free condition other than one rust hole in the passenger floorboard that is about the size of a silver dollar. I am contemplating doing the trade and using my Tacoma for a daily driver/light duty use, and using the pickup as a camping/hunting/fishing/off roading vehicle. In the end, I think it will be cheaper for me, because I was probably going to spend close to $2000 to lift the Tacoma, probably another $1500-2000 on new tires +/- wheels, then sliders, skids, etc. It would add up quickly. Not to mention increased risk of damage, accelerated wear and tear on the Tacoma, etc. I am about breaking even on the trade for the pickup when I compare what I have in the FJ and bike for his asking price.

I'm mostly just airing my thoughts, but in a similar situation, would you be more likely to continue to modify the Tacoma, or keep it mild with it and get the 82 pickup and use it as your offroad rig?

 

I love those early 80s trucks. What else does it need besides floorboard work?

 

@Alfuh

 

From what he tells me and what I can see in the pics so far, nothing really. The motor/trans have a little over 200k on them, 50k on the clutch. He said it burns a little oil, but for an occasional use vehicle, I don't mind. I see rebuilt 22r's around here fairly frequently. I would probably swap a Chevy 4.3L in it if the engine blew. It has a steel flatbed on it currently, but he's going to include a rust-free stock bed in the deal. The interior is the roughest part, and I would probably put some better seats in it. But as for NEEDS, it appears to have very few.

 

A few pics he sent me. It's about a five hour drive for me to check it out, but if I decide to do it, he's going to haul it up when he comes to get the FJ.

 

Oh, he did say it needs new front shocks, but he has them and new hoops, so they just need bolted on.

 

Wow.......

 

Thing looks like a pile of garbage to me...

 

Yeah, that is a major restore job, not some "light modifications".

I'm having like an anxiety attack looking at those pictures and imagining I'm the one that has to work with that.

 

Well, he has offered to put a rebuilt motor in it prior to the trade as well, so I'm probably going to go ahead with it.

It's a classic truck, and I've always wanted one. It's not a tacoma, but it isn't going to be my daily driver. And you haven't seen the FJ!

 

I think you guys are misunderstanding its purpose. It will be used 95% as an off-road rig for hunting, camping, fishing, etc. And I don't mean taking down a gravel road with a couple of mud holes in it.

 

It's beautiful, don't let it slip through your fingers. You;ll regret it later. Great project.

 

Do you want to get stranded while you are doing all this hunting, camping, and fishing?

I see vehicles like that as something to honor and restore. I personally could not just drive around a vehicle like that. Have you ever seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles? Where the cop pulls Candy and Martin over and its like "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?" and Candy is like "Can't tell the speedometer is melted". That's what this reminds me of.

A beater to off road in can be had in much better condition. I personally wouldn't take a pile of junk to do those activities. Maybe it's just me. Nothing where I'm in a remote location OR have a risk of roll over like in off-roading.

 

That's the spirit!!!

 

And you can tell all that just by looking at a few pics? The engine will have been rebuilt. Both axles have brand new gears and brakes. There is a locker in the front and a spool in the rear. It's a stock 5 speed tranny and t-case. But I guess you already knew all that since you looked at the pics.

 

What I was more joking about was the condition of the interior. I would have a rough time with that.

Don't get defensive. You were asking for opinions so I just gave you one. Fine and dandy if you don't agree. Don't let me stop you from doing something you want to do. You just asked for opinions. My opinion is that your current Taco would be cheaper to mod. This thing would turn into a money pit for me because I would restore it, not keep it a junker. I'd probably get that thing lookin pretty and paint it a nice spruce mica!

 

No offense taken man. And yeah, the interior is pretty rough. I am reserving the final decision until I see it in person.

 

And if I mod the current Tacoma, we all know how that will go. First, a lift, then wheels/tires, then a high clearance rear bumper, then a full set of skids, then sliders, then on board air, then a dual battery setup, then a kick ass stereo sytem, then more lighting, then a supercharger, then a SAS. Somewhere in there, I'm going to get kicked out of the house, so I have to factor in the cost of all that mess. Not so sure it will be cheaper in the end.

 

Haha.
I'm in a similar boat as you. I'm young and want to mod my Tacoma to the point where maybe only the paint color is the only remaining stock part lol. I have two trucks I mod, my spouse has a Grand Cherokee I'm messing with and now we want an Audi S4 (used). So we know spending money on cars like their kids.
You start messing with stuff and spend money on a few big things like lifts wheels and tires then it starts to sink in how hard you have to work for stuff. So you eventually self regulate.
I had lift fever until I spend $1,800 this month on wheels and tires. I'm cool for a while hahaha. Lift will be next year.

If you have that mod mentality, you'll probably get it with the vintage Toyota too. Just you wait.