NEW GUY. 2nd gen question/introduction.

Hi. New guy here. Long intro

Recently bought a 2010 trd sport prerunner. Also own a 2000 trd prerunner im selling due to redundancy with 2 trucks. Around my area(Huntsville Al) Tacomas are like gold and highly overpriced so i have only owned 2 wheel drive tacomas due to cost and availability. 4x4's here are usually ragged out or ridiculously priced. Ive had several 4x4 cherokees and a few older wrangler's and a cj5 so i guess ive gotten the serious off roading out of my system although i really want an FJ. Ive also owned a 2006 Tundra,03 single cab Taco and an 01 single cab.

I recently almost bought a 2017 trd 4x4 3.5 6 speed in quicksand and decided 36k was just too damn much for a truck i have to use for work(plus im not a fan of the bulky 3rd gen front bumper and iffy on the 3.5). Saw the 2010 with 65k miles and good carfax for 22k and grabbed it. In hindsight i feel i should have paid 19k but whatever. It just seemed like a deal when I was about to spend 36k. The 2017 interior is much better imo and the desert tan is awesome but i really needed a work truck vs something id be too paranoid to use like a truck.

Ive got a Thule xsporter rack coming in next week for the 2010 and im looking for a set of the 3rd gen 16" Trd wheels to swap out. The stock radio sucks so thats gotta go.

Now to my question. My 2010 runs great but ive got the "tacoma tick". Its pretty loud from what sounds like the drivers side manifold area. It sounds like a ragged out 30 year old vehicle with an exhaust leak and a dead cylinder. Ive driven those junkers when i was in my poor young days so its a little disappointing to spend 22k and have to deal with that. I got it from a Ford Dealer so they didnt use an oem oil filter and probably not synthetic. Anybody got any advice to quieten this noise?

OH! and is there a stock looking taillight swap for these? The ricer euro lights gotta go haha.

 

And the 06 Tundra I sold a year ago. Got it from original owner with 160K which is nothing on a 4.7. huge stack of dealer maintence. All major services done. Mint inside and out. Paid 8700(I added toolbox and tires). Should have kept it. At the time it was "this truck is too nice for work". Now im working in a 22K vehicle I like half as much. Hindsight..