Are first gen Toyotas actually worth the price?

If it makes you feel tough writing in the first gen section about how much cooler the 2nd/3rd gens are, keep coming back.

 

Will do.

 

If it makes you feel better you've tried to bump heads with me before, so you've got that going for you at least.

 

Glad to have made such an impact on you. I dont remeber you, so don’t really care.

 

I got $8500 in 2017 for my stock OR DCSB 2002 with 275k miles on it. Even though I offroaded a lot with it, it was a clean California truck with no rust at all on the original frame (as seen on my Avatar). You will pay at least that much for a similar 1st gen. Definitely try to get a non-snow region truck!

 

I just sold my first gen yesterday. '95 single cab 4x4 5-speed 145k miles. I bought it originally to hold me over until I could afford a newer Tacoma. IMO, they're worth the money. Dead simple trucks that will run a long time without expensive maintenance. Small enough to park in any space or be a good trail rig that gets through tight spots. You can probably put a bunch of miles on them and get what you paid minus upkeep costs.

Granted, some people are out of their mind with asking prices.

 

Are the various electronics in the other gens durable out to 20 plus years yet?

 

Judging by the computer that went out in my 01 for seemingly no reason id assume no

 

People pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for some paint splattered on a canvas. I have a huge painting my brother in law did in my living room. Same result, but free, lol.

It's disheartening to see the prices some of the 1st gens are apparently going for. $20k is a "tad high" lol. But if someone has the money and that's what they want, they'll buy it. I think the problem is when someone wants to pay that much simply because it's a low mileage truck, like that means they're essentially buying a new car that doesn't need any maintenance.

It's only worth what someone is willing (and able) to pay for it. Sometimes that's higher than what you would have paid, and sometimes that's lower than what you would have paid.

It doesn't really matter if someone else thinks they "aren't worth the price". If it sold, it was worth that price to someone. Just because you weren't willing to pay that is meaningless.

 

Of course they are. They last FOREVER.

 

I sold my 1st gen extra cab with plans to buy a 3rd gen trd off-road.

Walked out of the dealership because as nice as it was good god I love how compact the first gen is. They’re just so damn special.

just picked up an 2004 double cab 4x4 trd with the locker, absolutely pristine garaged it’s whole life. Bought from the original owner in Kirkland, WA so zero rust. Telling my wife to bury me with this truck. This thing was totally worth the Toyota tax premium I paid, Ive never ever purchased a car without feeling some sort of buyers remorse after. I know I would’ve felt so guilty after buying a third gen too.

...but this truck just feels right, dream truck. So excited to start putting together the build. And I have zero car payment. LOVE. I’m so goddamn happy with this truck. Love the double cab. Love having a bed (this ones lined too unlike my last one!) when I need it. Love that parts are so damn cheap and easy to fix.

god damn it’s SO worth it. It kills me to see so many beautiful first gen builds here happened like 7-8+ years ago and those owners have moved onto other trucks. I kept my extra cab for years and years, I think this ones going to stay around for a loooooong time. Someday there will be dozens of us left, I plan to be one of them. Such a perfect little truck. 4x4, locker, holds 3-4 passengers, reliable as all hell, got a bed, and you just can’t find trucks like this anymore. And don’t get me wrong I absolutely fell in love with the third gen, the styling is incredible and it still has that compact feel when you’re in the cab. But there’s nothing quite like a first gen. It just does SO much for a little truck. They’re like the damn x-wings of trucks.

it really does come down to comfort though. Lets face it, the later gen tacos aren’t great towing vehicles especially in the country that the towing benchmark means you should be able to unseat a house from its foundation with the blip of the throttle. I don’t consider towing the highest priority in a Tacoma purchase, and I had plans to buy a boat someday too (changed my mind, I’ll let the friends lose money on their boats). But comfort definitely matters to many, and even myself to a large degree. Virtually all new era trucks ride incredibly, they feel amazing even with lifts on them. I’ll be getting hernias when I lift my first gen. Comfort was something I decided to sacrifice in order to save coin and the trade off was worth having something I personally enjoyed more. Perhaps this will change in the coming years but right now you’d have to waterboard me to get me to budge on the first gen.

 

I think Porsche has he same thing going. The more than 20 year old ones have a feeling of perfect balance and contact with the road that just broadcasts good design. The new ones feel like any other overdone car that insulates driver from course. Your post above made me realize that I think the same thing about Tacomas. I tried the new ones and for the first time I started sweating getting parking lot dings with my old one lol.

 

I support this message... get to Vote this November 2020....

adding to this... you can’t find them out there in better condition and lower mileage , therefore like someone said.. if you blah..blah ..so this is not the truck for you.

Many want these reliable , work worses, functional , badass little cute trucks.

 

Can a Dodge do this?

 

Do it, get a boat! go get yourself a 91-94 mc prostar. Best decision you will ever make and they're cheap compared to the new boats today. Amazing wakes.

 

most of them last so far
but not all of them ... due to weather in certain parts of the country

i found a '96 paradise blue at the local salvage lot recently with just 164k miles that did not survive the mid west climate very well





i think it just collapsed on the road, no sign of impact from a wreck

 

I think your comment "with just 164k miles" speaks volumes for Tacoma longevity as many owners of "other" brand trucks would be thrilled if their trucks lasted 164K miles.

 

200k by end of the month

 

at the local muffler/brake shop one of the mechanics had a yellow '98 Dakota v8 4x4 so i asked if i could check it over while i was waiting for them to check my original suspension parts for a third opinion.
he said he had almost 180k on the old Dodge (2nd owner) and was fairly mechanically sound but did not get the best gas mileage being a v8
the only thing 'major' he said he had to replace were the tie rods
but the body panels were not in great condition, heavily rotted, and the frame was crusty all over where i could see but it was still not as bad as the Tacoma frame!

 

Haha the prostar 205v was actually the boat I wanted!

I bought a new home instead Sucks, can't take your friends wakeboarding behind a house. Damn it. Now I have regret.

Edit: photo of my double cab purchase last week mentioned on previous page. She’s cherry