Taking a Chance?

Just inherited my father’s ‘03 Off-road Tacoma after he owned it for 20 years. It had about 20K on it when he bought it in 2004, and I’ve gotten it at the ripe old mileage of 338K.

It’s got a pretty extensive service history in terms of oil/filter changes, swaps on tires/suspension, but that’s about it. Because it’s done as many miles as it has, I immediately changed the timing belt on it as he hadn’t done this in the entire time he owned it. I also replaced plugs and wires. It needs new valve covers, a new power steering pump (there’s an annoying whirring coming from the housing on it), front tie rod, new tires, and some rust inhibitor on places on the frame. Past that, I don’t immediately know.

I do know the transmission fluid has never been changed (I’m not currently have any troubles on that front, and I’ve done enough lurking here to know that if it hasn’t been changed and if it isn’t giving me trouble, leave it alone).

It runs really well. It’s long in the tooth. And I’m debating selling my daily driver to make the truck my new daily driver. I do about 130 miles 4-5 days a week on the highway.

Do I take the chance and sell my car, use the money from selling it to fix the PM stuff on the truck and have a small nexts egg if things go south with the truck, OR do I keep the car and pay for insurance on more vehicles than I want to?

 

If you have the space I would keep both. Do you have more than one car on insurance? A lot of times you get a discount for multivehicles. While the truck might easily go over 400k I wouldn't trust it as a daily with no backup. Unless you have a car you can borrow until you can replace the truck or the motor.

 

I wouldn't want to drive a 2004 anything 130 miles per day. Keep as a fun project, keep it DD.

 

As someone who is fairly risk averse, I say keep the car and pay insurance on both vehicles. Peace of mind is worth a little extra in insurance costs imo...

 

With those miles I don't think I would use it as my daily, and frankly as much as I like my truck it isn't exactly what I would want to spend hours a day commuting in. But I would certainly hang onto it.

 

Keep both. Insure the truck as a recreational or whatever category your state has for vehicles with little use. No collision, just liability and comp. My second 1st gen cost an extra $300/year in a high cost state. Tell them you drive it less than 5k miles per year or whatever the threshold is.

 

I'd certainly keep both until you get a sense of how the taco is doing. You'll know soon. Is it a manual? Maybe have a mechanic you trust really look it over. But you might have the skill yourself...

My 2000 trd off road manual has 413k. I used it as a near daily commute truck for a while of similar length. In my opinion, that's ok. I also take it on long backcountry trips, some 4wd roads but nothing that pounds it.

I have a similar laundry list but with different stuff on it. Expected at these mileages. Still cheaper than a new one.

Mine needed a clutch at 400k, replacing the original. I will have to replace the input shaft bearing in the transmission soon, should have done it with the clutch, but I didn't have a 2nd vehicle and couldn't wait for the tranny to be rebuilt. Hence, my recommendation to keep the car, at least at first.
Enjoy your new (sort of) truck!

 

After reading the OP's first post, I would seriously advise him to consider changing all fluids and replacing the lower ball joints.

 

Don't forget the valve clearance adjustment when doing the valve covers. I'd advise keeping the car as well, it's much less stressful doing major maintenance when there's no time crunch to get the truck back on the road. Keep the pavement miles on the car, save the truck for truck things.

 

On high mileage auto transmissions I have slowly replaced the fluid... pull a line from the radiator trans cooler and pump out 2 or 3 qauarts and replace that, drive it for a few thousnad miles and repeat.

 

338k its up there but toyotas are super reliable if maintained well. I say do a little maintenance drive it as planned but keep your other car in case.