To sell or not to sell

Hello everybody, I've been lurking around the forum for a while but finally made an account to get some advice from you all on what you would do in my situation. I just bought a 2015 Tacoma SR5 access cab 4x4 with 17k miles that's in great shape. I'm planning on keeping it 10+ years, doing all my own maintenance, and being very proactive with rust prevention. I also have a 1997 Tacoma SR5 4x4 extended cab, basically the 1st gen version of the same truck, with 210k miles.

**Before I get too in depth, the TL;DR is: which would you prefer off road, a stock first gen you can beat up on, or a like-new second gen with $3-4k worth of lift and armor?**

I've been using the 97 as a daily driver but have a very short commute, so most of the miles I put on it are 4 hours on the interstate to the mountains, where I drive rocky forest service roads to remote trailheads. I don't seek out rough terrain but I like to get as close to the trailhead as possible, even in the winter (with chains), and at times I feel like I've reached the limits of the truck in its stock form.

Now that I have the new truck, I would be a little less concerned about pushing those limits. But if I sold it, say for $3-4k, I could put that money into protective mods on the new truck (skid plates, sliders, arb bumper, maybe 2" lift if I can afford it). The new truck would definitely be preferable for the 4 hour highway drive, but what I'm unsure of is how well that aftermarket stuff would protect it from damage off road. I've definitely gotten into situations in my 97 where I felt like sliding into a tree or damaging a body panel while using a hi-lift were a very real possibility, but I drive fairly conservatively and haven't had any serious mishaps so far.

So what would you do? Keep the 97 or mod the 15?

 

Be honest with yourself, make a list of everything the old truck is going to need in the next year, including license ,insurance,tires, fluids, wipers , everything. Then see if you will get that much value out of the old truck. Keep in mind keeping the old truck will keep the new one a lot nicer a lot longer. Keep in mind, if the old truck makes the new truck last three or more years longer and the replacement for the new truck will most likely be over 50000$ .them three years will add up to a healthy chunk of change. Or, ask 5 or6 k for the old truck while your figuring this out, and if anybody wants it that bad, sell it and buy enough armor for the new truck to shame Fort Knox.

 

Speaking from experience, having a very capable off road truck that you don't care if you beat on, is a blast. If you're wheeling your nice truck and you're afraid you might scratch it, it's going to limit where you go and how much fun you have.

 

Thanks for the input. Definitely no harm in listing it high, an offer like that would make it a much easier decision.

Followup question. Is a 2nd gen with a lift, regeared and locked on 33's and fully armored, going to be as capable off road as a first gen with the exact same mods? In five years I expect to be living much closer to the mountains and highway driving won't be a concern anymore. If I still have the 97 then that's the debate I'll be having.

 

I definitely hear ya on it being more fun off road to have a beater truck. Even stock it's a pretty fun truck to play around with. But the 15 is sooo much more comfortable on the highway on the way out to the mountains, not to mention the added confidence I have that it's not gonna break down and leave me stranded (not that the old one has been anything but reliable).

Another thing I considered with the new truck, it has the tow package, which means if I wanted to go all out modding the 97 someday, I could haul it on a trailer.

 

If you work on your trucks, and do your own mods and fix the stuff you break yourself, I'd keep the '97 and wheel it. Trailer is a good way to go too. If you have to pay someone to mod and fix everything, then I'd think a lot harder because you're paying someone to maintain both vehicles.