Future owner of a 1st gen, half-cab, v6, 4wd, manny tranny Taco

Hola!

As you can see, I have a pretty good idea of what I want. I have my idea of a sexy truck, and well... this is it.

I'm looking to leave the truck in my home state of NC while I live and travel around CO in my '05 Honda Pilot. She's at 200k miles, and has been towing my '83 Ski Natique (in the summer) and '01 Arctic Cats (in the winter) for the past year. Pretty satisfied with what she's given me, and I'd love to have a Taco in NC for trips to the beach, trips to the mountains, and occasional towing.

Any advice on common issues I should keep a watch on as I look to purchase one? I'm specifically concerned about:

- How the 4wd system degrades over time, what normal modifications can/should be made.
- How the engine handles being overheated. During the summer I might be towing, and I'll definitely get on the beach.
- Experience with towing?

I'm comfortable with buying one in the 200k - 250k miles range as long as its well taken care of. I figure with enough patience I can land one for $7.5k.

I figure I'll probably X-post this to the New Member forum and ask there too. Cheers!

--Chris N.

 

The first thing to look for on these trucks is for frame rust. These trucks are known to suffer severe frame rust and rot issues, so bad they can literally break in half. The most affected trucks are from areas where winter salt and chemicals are used. The only way to tell if a rusty frame is still good or not is to bang on it with a hammer.The worst area is usually where the leaf springs attach to the frame, right behind the cab, then by the gas tank and the catalytic converter.

Then, if the frame checks out good, you check other stuff such as engine, transmission shifting smoothly, drivetrain, general condition of the truck, etc...

Also, the lower ball joints, they are a weak point of 1st gens, so check if there is play in them.
If you are looking at a V6, the timing belt must be changed at around 90k miles intervals (verify it has been done).

If you are afraid of any 4x4 system failure, go with locking hubs as they are less complex (less components=less likely to fail), but still, electric actuators are reliable (rare to see them fail and most of the time 4x4 issues are a simple vacuum leak).

Overheating an engine too much is not good because it can blow a headgasket. If you are talking about the overheating the transmission, a transmission cooler will help

If you plan on towing, definitely get the V6. Then as I said, install a transmission cooler

if this can help you:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-tacoma-buyers-guide.156943/

oh and welcome to tacoma world

 

@onakat Awesome information! Thanks a ton!

--Chris N.

 

Probably everyone on here who comments will warn about the frame rust. It is the Achilles heel of these trucks. It can look great on the outside, but the rust typically comes through from the inside out. You must pound on the frame rails with a hammer. Any dead sound means rust inside!! A borescope investigation would be great too.

Likely, the truck will be ready for rear springs. They tend to sag with age and mileage.

Likely you will find play in the steering column. Not a danger or anything, but it will probably be play in the slip joint for the column. There are good write-ups for tack welding it, or adding a roll pin. It's one of the best cheap mods you can do, especially if you do much highway travel. Without it, you tend to be constantly correcting the wheel, just to keep it straight. Once done, if you hold the wheel steady, the truck stays on that line.

Welcome to Tacoma World. No cost to join, but will likely cost you a lot for all of the ideas that you get for improving your truck.


And there are many on here with vast expertise on the gambit what can, should be, and should not be done to these trucks. Don't be afraid to ask any question.

 

You'd have a lot more fun out here in CO with a Tacoma than a pilot...

 

Why exactly do I need to pound on the frame rails to check for rust? Is a visual inspection truly not enough?

And if I plan on keeping this truck for a long time and adding 100k miles, do I need to make sure the frame is perfect right now? Is there any preventative maintenance I can do on that aside from making sure I don't live in MA?

--Chris N.

 

The frames were improperly coated, they rust from inside out. Hammer will show that.

 

I haven’t seen too many complaints on the 4WD system degrading over time. Other than axle boots being torn, and maybe broken aftermarket axles being broken offroad, I don’t think it should be a primary worry.

Same thing goes for overheating. Even my black truck with oversized tires, has never overheated. Driven through the Rockies, Smoky Mountains, hot days through Las Vegas to California, all of them with the AC on, and not once overheated.

I’ve towed some trailers and honestly it’s not fun. It’s doable but if you plan on towing more than 5k lbs often, it isn’t the truck for you. I’m sure the oversized tires dont help.

Really, just check everything you normally would when buying a car but keep your eye out for rust. I’m sure for $7.5k you can find a nice one if you look long enough for under the 200k mile mark. Welcome to TW and good luck in the search!

 

if these frames would rust from the outside, yes a visual inspection would be enough. But the thing is that tacoma frames (and any boxed frame, actually) rust from the inside out.
Can look ok from the outside when in fact it's paper thin. Google up "toyota frame rust" if you wanna see for yourself
It is possible to repair, but it depends on how bad and what extent it is. The best is that you don't have to deal with rust, because frame repairs aren't a small job to tackle

If hammer test does not reveal holes and it is just surface rust, then the truck will be allright, but you will have to rustproof it to stop rust from progressing. Also, it only takes a few years of exposure to winter salt and chemicals to make a frame rust through, hence why rustproofing is important in areas where this stuff is used. So even if you find truck with a pristine frame, if you drive it in salt without rustproofing, it will turn to swiss cheese in a record time

 

Many on here recommend applying Fluid Film once or twice a year. If you buy the application sprayer and either 1 or 5 gallon cans, you can do it yourself, provided you have a compressor. The applicator includes a long tube that will go back into the frame rails, and applies the product in a 360 degree spray, completely coating the inside. It isn't that hard to apply, and isn't terribly messy. Alternately, it can be purchased in spray cans. But not sure if you can get the spray inside like the compressor version.