1995.5 Tacomas only - how many are still out there

there must be a more authoritative place to confirm than that website?

 

Okay, time for me not to be sarcastic.

First thanks for moving the pic over.

Second I dont know if it is truely an sr5, it has a clock, it has the two section cloth seat, slider window, cruise, and other upgrades. so who knows? I dont.

I tried a few vin decoders, none say sr5. is it coded into the vin?

btw the clock thing in my sig line is because of a thread i read here where everyone complained about the clock. sarcastic mode on MY CLOCK WORK PERFECTLY

 

Like the rail rust, from how it sounds. I was told the 95/96/97 short leaf spring frame seems OK (relatively), while the long spring frame has far more rust issues. Like, whatever change was made to the frames to fit longer springs also exasperated the rust issues.

Can anyone confirm:
The short springs are stiffer than the long springs.
I was told the short springs were a carry over from the Hilux & they made the change to soften the ride (which also made them sag more with heavy loads).

I ask because I am working to improve the handling (which, once I swapped the tires, is shockingly good on my particular configuration). I would love to confirm the rear springs are already stiffer than what I am trying to replicate ... (S Runner).

Sheer speculation:
Due to my 2wd standard cab having few options (only A/C adds weight to a totally stripped down model), the smallest/lightest engine, plus the bed has the fiberglass tonneau & the rubber bed mat (adding weight to the rear wheels that is pretty evenly spread across the bed):
It may have better than “normal” front/rear weight distribution for a Taco.
I’m actually thinking about getting it measured, once I get the major mods paid off.

Edit: Added 97 to short leaf frame ... I forgot which it had.

 

I’m not much of a fan to poly bushings.
My plans:
Performance tires-have
Front (1 1/8”) & rear (1”) sways-need to buy, planning the ADDCO ones.
S Runner springs & S Runner Tokico shocks)- have & need to install

Mildly tweeking the suspension in the same was Toyota itself did. If the rear springs are stiffer, that means I don’t need to touch them.

My only planned drivetrain mod is the LCE header.

 

ebay auction
~60k miles, claims to be an antique, I don't think they researched that term
current bid is $13,6k with 3 owners

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Toyota-Tacoma-SR5-/143248046527?oid=163653500700

"Absolutely beautiful in every way." ... except is missing side stripe decals for some reason

 

Nice one, sunroof and push button 4wd.

It probably varies by state but in PA to get specialty registration/plates "antique" is more than 25 years old, for "classic" 15 years. My '03 is now eligible for the latter..wow lol

edit: there are also "vintage" plates which are for vehicles from 1906-1976.

 

Very nice truck. 13k worth? perhaps not.. but still super clean for a 95

 

What is that setup where charcoal canister used to be?

 

it seems to be missing side stripes

I recently looked up definitions to see if my truck was any special certification

I found vintage to be no less than 20yrs old
and antique is 100yrs or more
not sure how authoritative the source of info was...
perhaps motor vehicles have a different grading
https://www.google.com/search?q=vin...0j69i57j0l4.3504j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

I dropped off my 22yr old half-weathered lower fuel shield at the powdercoaters today
the owner said I have a fine piece of metal !
will be ready to put back on in two weeks (their shop is overly booked I guess)

mine works perfectly too but if it goes out I know what you mean about the headache it will be to get a properly working one, perhaps a similar age 4runner works
damnThem

 

you don't say

 

What I like in 95.5 is that is all mechanical where it should be and computer is for the engine at bare minimum: Air + fuel + ignition + timing. The only thing that is bugging me is the EVAP system - it should not be integrated into ECU (hence the name: Engine Control Unit). But I suspect that government bureaucracy forced Toyota to that (otherwise it would not be legal in USA).

Newer trucks are depending on electronic to much. Hundreds of sensors and the failure on one, that is not vital to the health of the vehicle can bring the truck to limp mode or stop rolling altogether. That reminds me of MCAS system in 737 MAX. In that comparison the 1st gen Tacoma is like Travolta's 707.

 

modern engine management is a product of emissions standards - regulations that seem to be designed more to keep auto manufacturers afloat, and get politicians elected, than to actually improve American sustainability.

meanwhile, I feel a lot more sustainable buying this old girl than I would buying a 2019 hybrid off the lot.

 

Hahahaah

 

are the 96 xtracab frames a compatible/exact fit to a 97 xtracab?

 

1995.5 4WD 5speed 2.7 checking in. Still running great at 143k miles.

 

i was just curious why Tartan Jack did not include mine in his post is all

 

Didn’t realize there were 3 frames. I knew the 95-97 were short springs, but not that there was a 2nd change too.
As for 97 .... forgot it was short leaf spring. They made so many mid-year running changes that I simply forgot which spring it had.

No exclusion intentional.

 

I can’t remember which frames 97 had- if they (97) are short leaf springs, they are the same.

Toyota added/changed to longer leafs in 97 or 98 (forgot when), which caused a frame shape/design change. Many 97 changes seem to be “on the fly” & mid-run (such as air bags-> single over-powered to two 2nd gen/era air bags -2nd generation of airbags, not Taco).

Above it is said 95-97 on short leaf frame, so I’ll go with that (I own a 95, so focus on it’s oddities, not where in 97 changes happened or if it was 98. So, that’s a weak-point in my Taco-know.)

Edit: they all rust. All truck frames rust. Some just rust worse than others. Conditions on the road
make rust worse or not-weather & road salt/sand/brine.