Finally found my Taco

New member here....great forum you guys have...

I've been wanting a tacoma for about 10 years now.....and after totaling my gti 2 weeks ago the search began. Man...was it tough finding one.

I looked and looked and looked on craigslist, here, posted WTB ads everywhere it seemed. I was in a rush and determined to buy a 1st gen and had to settle and buy one from Carmax. I knew I was overpaying but I was somewhat ok with it. I paid 15.9k for this 2003 double cab sr5 with 92K miles:


photo by s h a h a b, on Flickr

I loved the truck....but couldn't get the price tag out of my head. I decided I would continue my search since Carmax gives you 5 days to return your purchase. Well...on the 3rd day I found my taco. I ended up paying 11.5K for her. 2003 black double cab with TRD....she's got 115k miles on her:


taco by s h a h a b, on Flickr

She's not as clean as the Carmax one, but MUCH cheaper

I look forward to sharing my progress with you guys....and i'm sorry in advance for the MANY noob questions I will have. And yes, I know how to use the search function.

 

Nice find I actually like the black one better

 

Nice find! I like the black one better too. But, I'm partial to black vehicles.

 

Good find. I love my DC!

 

nice find. The first one was way overpriced

 

Gen 1s in good condition are Hard to find & getting more difficult to find...I searched for over 4/5 months to find mine & drove hundreds & hundreds of miles!
I ran into deceptions, salvaged & just trashed trucks!
Finding a DC TRD for that price and mileage is Rare!! You did Great!!!!!!
Do not over look the Solid Bed cover, $600-$800 value. Also the Toyota Bedliner, Few hundred $$$ there too....Not all of them come with it... Mine did not..
So be very happy with your purchase...
For the exterior, Get Clay for dark paint From Detail Shop.. I like Meguiars products, not expensive, easy to find, apply by hand & remove....
Clay, Polish & Wax.. she will be beautiful!!! worth the time & energy!
Take your time on the interior, use mild products... Mine has flaws inside and out, but she does not look too bad..
Get timing belt changed, Check brakes, fluids & Drive her like you Stole it!!!
Also She is good for some off road fun! Hit the E locker!!!
Mine: 03 162,000 miles $10G... I Cleaned her up Hard! Got all the Black plastic back to Rich Black! 2" Cali Level lift ( spacer ), Wheels & tires and just got Bakflip.. wheels, tires and Bakflip CL finds!
>Gman

 

Congrats on picking up a nice double cab! I just picked up my 02 earlier this week also and I couldn't be any happier. What do you have planned for it?

 

Considering in Cali where the prices are high for 1st gen DC's I think you got yourself a pretty good deal there! Congrats and enjoy your 1st gen!

 

I searched for a good while myself and didn't budge until I found what i wanted. Congrats OP for sticking to your guns. You got a great deal on a worthy truck!

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I plan on keeping it mostly stock for now. It's gonna need new tires soon so I'm looking into those. Other than that she needs a pretty serious detail- lots and lots of paint swirls and paint could use some reconditioning.

The previous owner said he did the timing belt himself including other belts and water pump etc.

There is a weird chirping sound coming from the engine, it's not loud but it sure bugs me. First priority is to get that taken care of.

 

Check the belts first.. Mine did same thing, at idle mainly...
While it is idling, shoot some water from spray bottle and see if it stops...It will not cure it but you can eliminate that as cause..

I owned One Black truck.... If you have swirls and paint faded... You may need to seek pro detailer... Almost impossible to do by hand... Don't forget to check Yelp for one...
>Gman

 

Nice purchase!

 

Thats a nice looking truck!! And its got low miles! You're gonna have some fun