looking for advice on puchasing this truck!!! CL link inside post

looking for some good advise on possibly buying this truck. Good deal? what to look for when I look at it? can anyone tell what size motor it possibly may have. any info would be appreciated thanks!!! https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/5538245838.html

 

It has the v6 (4.0) and 96K miles - some are probably very hard miles judging by the mods on the truck. It also has a lien on the title - not free and clear. He probably still owes the bank money on it. Good looking truck.

 

yeah im not too worried about the lien I have bought vehicles before using the bank. thanks for the help anything to say about the 4.0?

 

The 4.0 is a great engine. There are so many modifications to that truck it is very hard to put a value on it without seeing it in person. That truck if still unmodified would sell for around $13,000 around here. The modifications, if done right with quality parts add some value, but no where near the actual cost to the original owner. But if not done right or with cheap parts would hurt value. You also have to determine how hard it has been driven. Lots of guys do those mods and never take them off pavement. Others push them hard.

 

There's easily 2k in the lockers alone. That truck has definitely seen offroad use.

 

It LOOKS to be in great condition. No apparent damage, all the right parts and pieces. All in all, a well done rig. It's probably seen some off roading. That in and of itself isn't a bad thing if the owner isn't abusive and proper maintenance was done along the way. Check underneath for damage and signs of hard use. See how it drives. If ALL things check out, it isn't a bad deal, just not an extreme bargain. Lots of dollars invested in aftermarket goodies there. Not a ton of miles on a Tacoma if it was treated well.

 

That truck has logged air time like Tony Hawk's skateboard! Wheel bearings, u joints, rear axle seals and bearings, look for irreversible mods like welded frame components, and cut off Oem brackets. If that's what you want and plan to do with the truck... Go for it. If you want to daily drive with legendary Toyota dependability, nope. 10yr old trucks are when the repairs begin. I run mine 10 yrs 150k then sell it outright and buy a new one. $18k you will have a payment book and a repair bill. If it's a toy and you have a different daily driver, then that's a different story.

 

I'm really looking to build a overland vehicle and also use it as my daily driver so I may just hold off and save up and find one maybe with less mods and miles so I can get my use out of it. Thanks for all of the info!!! Love this forum tons of info and help!! Also easy to navigate

 

Yeah if you're looking for a daily driver that you also want to use as an overland/expeditionary truck, steer clear of this one and build your own. It's generally advisable to not buy a truck with this many mods already done to it, unless you know the prior owner personally and can account for how the mods were installed and how the truck was treated and maintained. Otherwise, you're taking a big gamble especially on a vehicle that you need to rely on for daily driving.

That, and it's much more satisfying to build your own rig

 

If you are unsure of your ability then have a trusted mechanic do the visual look at the truck. It sure does look like when they made upgrades they did not cheap out. Look for visual thrashing and go look at the truck at their house- If they keep the house in good order and the truck looks the same- I would consider it.

 

I agree with @eon_blue up there. It's not exactly a "steal" if you'd be using it for every day driving.

If you have a daily driver and want a off-road capable truck I'd say offer him 15k and walk if he says no.

 

Looks like the bed sags towards the rear in the first picture. Look between the cab and the bed, could just be the lighting though

 

One thing we all can agree on : That truck was driven offroad ALOT. You are rolling the dice with a heavily modded truck. Just my 2 cents.

It is a pretty bad ass truck though.

 

Just needs to be repainted orange with a rebel flag on the roof

 

At that price, and the use it has likely seen... no thanks, for 20ish k there are many newer unmolested trucks.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Find a stock truck with low miles and do the mods myself so I know the history behind them. Thanks everyone for the input