Hello! New member, still looking for my truck.

Hello all.

Looking to make the switch to a Tacoma. Driving a subaru now but in the past I had a Nissan Pathfinder (WD21) that I had setup for mild offroading. Making more money now so I'm looking at getting into a Tacoma.

Primarily looking for a stick shift.

Found a clean second gen 1995 sport for 34k with 31000 miles on it. Access cab/long bed/6 speed. Tempted but it's 7 hours away which is a long way to go to maybe not purchase a vehicle. Have heard the 2nd gens are rust prone? Anything else to look at?

Meanwhile there is a 2018 QC off road near me. Has 41k miles, they want $37250. Has the TRD lift (shiny sensor in the grill) and aftermarket wheels. Anything to look for on the earlier third gens?

Tempted to go new, but the stick shifts are hard to find. Dealer near me is getting two of them in May, but wants a 2k non refundable deposit on a 45k truck...

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to Tacoma World! A great resource is AMD, a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician who works at a dealership in the rust belt of Chicagoland, and also does some work at his home garage. On YouTube, he's found at The Car Care Nut channel, where he has (and continues to) post videos including two playlists on the Tacoma, reviews of various old and new Toyota and Lexus models (including his likes and dislikes), and explanation of various Toyota systems and how to maintain them. He recommends Fluid Film, Wool Wax, and New Hampshire Oil Undercoating (NHOU) application to the frames of Toyota Trucks because "They need it!" Other Toyota models are sealed well with plastic, so are less likely to need frame rustproofing.

nadaguides.com is a good price guide, which uses the J.D. Power database, and is my reference source. We used it to determine a price when I bought the 2009 Access Cab from Dad's estate. As it was his last truck, so it will likely be for me, unless my kids talk me out of it, but since it's become my project for improvements projects that won't happen anytime soon.

Again, Welcome to Tacoma World, and in the words of The Car Care Nut, "Bless You, and have a wonderful day."

 

Welcome once you find what you're looking for, you'll be happy you took time and thought it through before buying it. No need to rush or compromise.

 

Welcome!

 

I'm fairly resigned to save up and purchase new.

What I really, really want, is an off road package/manual transmission in an ACLB config.

So far I think I'll be ordering a Sport 6MT. Can add a locker to the sport but it's harder to change a SB for a LB.