1st Gen 1, 3rd Gen 0

i am finding that some of the early 1st gens (late '90s) are now on par and some have even better value held than a similarly equipped/condition 2oo7 2nd gen Tacoma
per NADA tables.

 

The early ones are desirable because people still want compact trucks and no one's selling 'em here. Plus many consider mid-late '90s to be the peak for Japanese quality & reliability. As for safety, well at least my '96 has a driver's airbag.
My base Tacoma, with 71K miles, was an opportunity I couldn't pass up - not something I had to buy for top-dollar. Over 4 years, I added a cap, AC, new brakes, shocks, and a clutch. My own labor kept the total cost to about $1500. Yeah, it's cramped & crude compared to the new ones, and the clear-coat's peeling, but the body's straight, the frame's solid, it's paid for and may outlast me. I do have a '96 Camry for when I need more comfort and less cargo-room.

Happy Motoring, Mark

 

why did you change some of those parts, just wanted new ones?
I am sure these OEM parts last a lot longer than 71k

 

saw a white first gen of my trucks age (either 95.5/'96/'97) on I-80 coming back from salvage yard on a fallen 1st gen accident (95.5)
first time in a month or two I have seen one this old on the road in an area with a population of nearly 1million
it had quite a bit of serious body panel rot but was still trucking along

 

Truck had no AC. I wanted a cap to keep cargo away from weather & sticky-fingers.
Even after 'only' 71K, it was due for new brake-pads. PLus, upgraded to Akebonos.
The shocks were an attempt to improve the ride. and I got a great rebate-deal from Rock-Auto for 4 KYBs. It's still very stiff but a bit less bouncy.
Reason I got this truck so cheap was it wouldn't go in first & third gear. Luckily it was an easy fix on the tranny. However, who knows how much the PO abused the clutch to take off in second, so eventually it started slipping on me.

Happy Motoring, Mark

 

i watched this video presentation for an 'o17 out of curiosity to see what i am missing out on
nowhere did I see the guy try to lay down a rear sliding window (or anything else!) in the bed over the side rail
if I had tried to do this in the new and improved Tacoma, i probably would have dropped my newly salvaged window and broke it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvtJW0IHSg

the special hideaway sunglasses compartment is cool, i wish i had that!
but the stylish, soft luscious feel of my carpeted door panels is ..... 'i cannot find the right words'

 

Well, there are a few things that would've been nice to have in my basic '96, but not the $36 K price-tag!
I do find the round dash-vents attractive. But I just had the opportunity to drive a friend's Matrix with these same vents and I found aiming them while driving was a hassle, compared to my old rectangular versions.
Then of course, there's the ubiquitous 'driver-distracting/eyes-off-the-road' touch-screen panel that today's buyers have been convinced they can't live without.
And I wonder how many of the two-dozen or so electronic systems will still be working in 20 years?
I realize this is a 4WD, but even 2WD trucks today sit up so high, you need a step-ladder to reach the bed.
In fact, I just saw a video of a new Ford truck that has a fold-out step built into the tailgate!

Happy Motoring, Mark