05 Tacoma with Unfamiliar Markings

Yeah. I guess a lot of it has to do with my past and how I was raised.
I’m more of a “it is what it is” type of guy. If its not, it’s not.
I mean, if slapping a sticker on it makes you feel better, fine.
But in the end, it doesn’t change anything.

I think that’s a lot of what is wrong with the world now days.
And I’ll have to stop there, because it will end up with someone getting banned.

 

I saw some pics of other vehicles where there was a 4x4 switch in the dash but no transfer case or front differential. The presense of a transfer case and front differential would trump a switch if you want to be sure it's a 4x4...

 

I’d say it’s a 4WD.
And that it’s not been off-road much.
It’s still got both front mad flaps.
One of mine got crushed and rip clean off while crossing a “small” ditch.
The other was eaten when going over and dropping off a tree stump.

The stock mud flaps suck…..

 

the frame has clearly been undercoated as shown by the wiring being sprayed over and the underneath of the cab over sprayed black as well.

The frame rust that IS visible has already come through the undercoating, which would make me run. $10k isn’t bad if the maintenance is up to date and you won’t have to wrench on it. If you do have to wrench on it, the headache of rusted nuts/bolts isn’t worth it to me.

 

That frame doesn't look terrible, it looks pretty good for a 18YO tacoma, I've seen trucks with half that age getting new frames on here. That's a decent price for that rig if the rest of it's condition warrants, it'd sell quickly out here barring any serious issues. Stickers and that classic deal means nothing other then the dude wanted to dress up his tacoma a little. The dude could have loved his truck and babied it, stickers have zero bearing on how he treated it and that's what you should be concerned with. That weights the scale far far more then stickers which I'm surprised such a big deal is being made over, it's an 18YO $10K truck with low miles. I doubt that truck will last long if it's advertised.

 

Another indication of how rusty the truck is - the exhaust has been replaced with the rusty cat being reused - welded into the new exhaust.

 

If you moved from CA, then you are aware of how clean a vehicle's frame should be.

Don't bother, get yourself a vehicle from CA/AZ when time permits.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I can see the undercoating and its hard to know whats underneath it. I still think its a decent deal at $10k but the seller is slow to respond to my questions.

 

I always look at the seller first when buying. If he is shady and dishonest as this one is, I would stay away regardless of how good the truck appears.

 

Why is the seller dishonest, because he added some stickers? Serious question.
I've not read where the OP mentioned the owner was dishonest. Adding stickers to your truck from another trim level hardly makes you dishonest, dishonest would be mis-representing it as having that trim level.

 

I really wouldn’t pay attention to the stickers to be honest with you, it’s an 18 year old vehicle and somebody just found some stickers on Etsy or eBay or wherever and slapped him on the side because they thought they looked cool

I don’t really see this as deceptive and someone trying to sell you something that it isn’t, since that thing doesn’t really exist anyway; there is no such thing as a sport off-road. Some peoples ideas of mods are stickers, it’s all they really know how to do.

Good for you for doing your homework, make sure that what you’re buying is what you expect it to be, regardless of labels or stickers.

Plus plus plus on the frame comments around suspicious looking rust.

 

Looks like black paint, not thick enough to be the rubberized undercoating applied by dealers. The previous owner also painted the steel wheels and hub centers. It's an 18 year-old truck. Can't expect virgins here. The dented bumper and broken tail light indicate a truck that's been used as a truck. I see unrepaired dents on the tailgate and drive's side access door. I see an aftermarket rear exhaust pipe and muffler that'll probably rust out in a couple of years but can be replaced again cheaply. The frame looks to be in very good shape for its age. It's possible the frame was replaced under Toyota's campaign 10 years ago.

@tacoman333 pay attention to the area around the cab mount, on both driver's and passenger sides, particularly on the inboard surface of the frame (facing the transmission). Frames tend to rust out there first due to a convergence of factors (road spray, many welds, water pooling inside frame). You'll likely find rust there, which is fine. Make sure there are no rust holes (beyond tooling holes from the factory!).



@0xDEADBEEF you can see the transfer case bump in the above picture. No crossover pipe because it's a 4-cyl.

 

Thanks for that thorough look through @3JOH22A . The seller still hasn't gotten back to me and does not have a great seller rating online so Im waiting until we talk more thoroughly to consider making the trip as its quite a drive for me.

 

The truck is 18 years old. That's a long time-line for things to get added or changed. The stickers aren't original of course, but they could have been added by a previous owner. Ask the seller if the stickers were on the truck when he bought it or did he add them? The answer or reaction will tell you a lot. You already know only the 4x4 sticker conveys correct information. It has a nice set of features on it including the Access Cab and the long-wheelbase 6' bed and the stick.

Scrutinize the frame, the fluids that you can, and the inside of the oil fill. Check everywhere for fluid leaks or cleaned up leaks. I think the price is a little high. >>> Make sure you engage the 4x4 system on all settings to confirm it works correctly! <<< Ideally, have the seller do it right in the guys driveway before you take it for a test drive and test it again on a long straight-away. That way, he can't blame you if it blows up or gets stuck mid-shift and refuses to move. Note any funky smells or damp carpets. How is the interior? It's always the top make or break for me. If it's sketchy, or worn beyond its years, I shut the driver's door and move along. Ask one more set of questions and if the seller doesn't respond consider moving on.

Good Luck! Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Open Toyota owners account.

Punch in vin

Based on the black rear bumper, it is a pretty basic truck.

I'd think it should be closer to 8k or less.

Frame looks good. Smack it with a hammer by the cats

 

Download the Toyota owners app. Create an account. Go to your garage & add the vin & claim the truck. You’ll be able to see the maintenance history if it was ever at a Toyota dealership. It will tell you what truck it is & where it was sold at. You can remove vehicles too if you don’t buy it. Do it before every Toyota purchase!!

 

Once upon a time, Toyota did have a regional package called the Rugged Trail where they did slap mountain decals on the bedside of the 4x4 base package, but the ones on yours are clearly custom fakes.