Absurd values of 1st gens, has it always been this crazy?

If you want to see some wild pricing, check em out on bringatrailer.com. I think this was originally for collectible cars only but they later expanded to commuter cars as well. I've found that they are mostly very good condition used cars, i.e., for people who know what they have. I got lucky recently shopping for a Jeep for my kid, and got a reasonable price for an entirely unmolested '04 Wrangler that apparently did all its driving indoors, as the paint and undercarriage were clean enough to eat off of. Even the guys at the dealer were amazed. But anyway, back to the wild pricing on Tacos... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-toyota-tacoma-84/

 

If they really wanted to sell they could get $15,000-$18,000 but $45,000? Are they selling 3 Tacomas?haha

 

you may have missed the part where it says "sold for USD $45,000"

 

In the past year, only four 1st gens on BaT have topped $30k and none has hit $40k.

Arguably, a low-mile like-new first gen is well worth that kind of money. Heck, a new side by side often goes north of $20k now, so some "absurd" prices are really not so crazy... There are no compact 4WD trucks that are not 20+ years old, so one's options are limited. It's supply and demand.

Here's all the 1st gens (5 lug incl.) on BaT. The floor and ceiling have both lowered in the past year. Plenty of decent trucks in the mid-teens. If they're rust free they're probably worth it.
It won't be long before shops start doing complete restorations of 1st gens much like they're doing with '80s and '90s era pickups now. Like it or not, they're classics, or bound to be.

Half of the trucks sold over $30k had under 50k miles. Half of those had fewer than 20k miles. IMO, $30k, for a 25k mile 1st gen, is totally reasonable.

 

This has been a fun post to read. I have a 2000 3.4v6 manual trd off road xcab with a decent shell with 413k. Had it 23 years and have a service record pile of papers 1.5" thick. Just added new cats, did my 4th timing belt, and my 1st clutch replacement.
I have people randomly walking up the driveway wanting to buy it. One guy said 8k, even after I told him it has 400k miles. Another said 5k. I said not for sale, at least yet.

Input shaft bearing is starting to whine. Might have to drop the tranny and get it rebuilt. I wish I'd done it a year ago with the clutch, but oh well. It's gonna need cv boots at some point. I put a small amount of oil in, maybe 1/2 quart, every 5k oil change. The oil is clean when I change it. I think some of the gaskets must be wearing out.

I've driven some of the newer tacomas but man, I worry about all that tech being expensive to maintain. This truck just works and is like a family member.

 

Until you realize half the shit is shot for just sitting there for 25 years

 

That's just not as true as it once was. Some suspension rubber may need to be but few seals are rubber anymore and they last far longer then people think. I have a low mileage car that has exactly zero drips or leaks from anything, be it engine, transmission, IRS/diff, brakes or cooling. I had to replace the clutch master cylinder due to an internal leak but from start to finish, it was well under an hour including bleeding it by myself. I'll probably rip that apart and replace the cups in it and lightly hone the cylinder and it'll be good as new.

 

Toyota + owner like this is almost ALWAYS money better spent than low mile older car. A well maintaned car in this era has almost indefinate life AS LONG as it has been kept up properly with proper parts.

If your old enough you'll remember the anti "made in Japan" throw away car mentality in the 70's. Turns out Japanese cars were far supior in different time periods. Toyota was IMO the leader. Although the big 3 (well not Chtysler) seemed to peak late 90's thru 2010ish.
The small truck has a strong following here only to be killed by cafe standards and other saftey or bureaucratic green groups. Even 3rd world countries have a new Hilux diesel(?), 5 speed real 4x4s avalible to mow done the Greta road blocks.

We have come a long way in precision lasting quality parts and materials. Again IMO we lost balance and our cars have become throwaways again, but this time due to over engineering.

 

If cars rotted like bananas no one would collect them.

The small truck was killed as much by America's ever super-sizing preferences as by unintended mileage standards. Beverage bottles, apples, and trucks, they all get bigger year over year. The EPA CAFE standards incentivize larger vehicles by lowering their mileage benchmark, and making the mileage standards for "small footprint" vehicles difficult to obtain. The incentives are totally backwards. The auto industry loves it because they make much bigger profits on large vehicles than small vehicles. It has nothing to do with Greta -- it's about industry colluding with government to incentivize larger and larger (and more profitable) trucks by giving them lower CAFE standards.

 

If it was true when I bought mine when it was 15 with 68k miles (and it was), it sure is true now

 

Directly or indirectly the epa may be the final nail in the ice. Overcomplicated and extreem drastically shorten the vehicles life. As counterintuitive as it is, many alernatives or electric have an overall dirtier footprint. Thats off topick and a whole other subject. Kudos to Toyota.

 

how many miles did u actually put on the original clutch? im not to sure if all my 322k is on the original clutch. chances are its not but the previous owner wasnt sure.

 

https://greensboro.craigslist.org/cto/d/apex-1999-toyota-tacoma-regular-cab-4wd/7833448005.html

same truck, couple hundred miles north, worse shape, less $:
https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/d/philadelphia-1999-toyota-tacoma/7830413124.html

 

Always liked the 1st gen better lookwise, they just look ''right.''

It'll be interesting to see what happens when I put my low mileage 2015 2nd gen TRDOR up this spring [going to two vehicles] and how well they hold. I'd suspect 1st gens may do better but while I'll put it here first, I've sold everything I've priced in my yard [I'm on a very good selling road] in as short as 15 minutes. Longest was 5 times out in the front yard but only on nice weather days. And if it doesn't sell for what I ask, oh well, I'll just keep it.

 

2nd gens seem to hold their value well still since 4th Gen is such garbage, but nothing like what I see with the 1st gens. I look pretty much everyday and what I'm seeing is downright hilarious. People are crazy.... Yet it seems like they're selling.

 

The only Toyota pickups I liked better then the first gens were the ''pre gens'' like my 1984 SFA. [other then the bed seam rust issues I finally got pissed off about, ripped the bed off, cut out the seams and cleaned out the goop they used and leaded them in after spot welding them back together. No rust after that at that area. No power, bleh ride, but I still loved them ALMOST as much as the FJ40.

 

The Japanese cars were throwaways back then at least in my area because they'd rot out beneath you, everywhere. The damn running gear wouldn't die though.

And much truth re the over engineering.

 

Yup

 

Find a state where they sell low(er) and bring her home. I was all bummed sitting at Scheels in Sparks I lost a bid on a truck on Bring A Trailer, hopped on CL waiting for the wife to finish shopping, and God himself threw me a bone and presented me with a 2000 reg cab, 3rz/W59, manual everything with 155k on the clock for 6k from a guy who owned a shop in Reno. Truck was collateral from a customer who owed him money so he just gave up the title instead. Full service records + NV smog printout to boot. Passed CA smog with flying colors the next day. Did I just get lucky? Hell yeah, but I waited a while and stayed patient too. CA trucks with double the mileage were going for more than this...

Year ago when I drove her home in stopping Truckee. Smiled the whole way home.

 

I upgraded from an F-150 Platinum to my as now second owner 2000 Limited (95,xxx miles when I acquired). Best decision I ever made on a pickup.