Standard Cab 4x4, 2002, 3RZ, Standard Trans

As new Tacoma owner, I have had some thoughts recently about the content of this forum. I have been lurking and reading up on my new ride and have noticed a distinct lack of posts about 1st Gen Standard Cab trucks. As I was shopping, I was drawing on the experience I had with my rebuilt 47 Willys and how good the short short wheelbase was in 4 wheeling. I have noticed that most of the posts here are for extended cab or double cab trucks with larger engines and I wonder why that is. I certainly understand the better ride associated with the longer wheelbase and for hauling, the bigger engine is always preferred, but there seem to be a lot of dirt driven modders who post here. I would have thought the standard cab would have been a whole lot more popular. Does anyone care to speculate on why this is not the case?
Thanks,
Pete

 

Probably because there aren't many out there. My last truck was a standard cab but it was a 5lug so not 4x4 or prerunner. The majority of first gen Tacomas are extended cabs.

 

In my search for a First Gen I never saw a single cab 4x4 with the specs I wanted (3RZ, manual trans, manual hubs) Actually I didn't find one single cab 4x4...

I didn't really want one though because I like the extra cab (pun intended) space. It is also great for camping, recovery gear, tools, or occasionally stuffing a person or two back there haha

 

I had a standard cab 2000 3rz 4x4 manual that I would be posting about if a 16 year old girl who was texting hadn't crossed the center line and destroyed my truck back in 2011. Bought it new and drove it 252,000 happy miles before it got crushed.

Replaced it with an extra cab because that's what I could find, and because carrying more stuff on trips had become more important to me than wheeling. The regular cab was a great truck when I was a one man operation, but after I got married it was pretty cramped for two people on long trips.

 

I recently bought a 2000 Tacoma reg cab 4x4, w/3RZ, 5 speed, and manual hubs. It's a great dirt truck. However, the short wheelbase makes it sketchy for the high speed desert stuff I do.

 

I'm a standard cab junkie! Have two of em! One is a built off roader and one is a DD... I think they are the sexiest of the Tacoma's. I live in the cascade range of Oregon and as stated above its super nice to have a short rig fur the tight woods and narrow snowy roads we have. But like others have said there isn't a lot of em cruising around and seems most people really can't stand not having some giant cab with room to play grab ass in...