Looking to buy

I looked at the truck today, it looked nice in person. It was pretty dirty, and it looks like it would be a blast offroad. Everything worked at it should, and there was not a lot of rust. No funny noises, but there was 5 stored codes that were all related to the evap system, but there were no lights on the dash or pending codes. I cleared them, went for a test drive and they did not come back. It's hard to justify spending 25.5k plus tax for a 2013 pickup, so I'm going to look at a few more trucks before I make a decision. Also, the tires rubbed really bad on the upper control arms.

 

Way too much $. That undercarriage looks like previous owner didn’t garage it. The fenders are hideous IMO. Did they cut the tailpipe? This truck gives me 1st gen vibes though.

Look for a 2011. I have a 23 Pro but like my 2011 better!

 

I feel like 99% of tacomas are not garaged, but they could still have pressure washed the frame before trying to sell.
Fenders are definitely bad looking, would replace with green ones for sure if I was buying this.
Chopping the tail pipe is very common for Tacomas that see trails

 

I’ve dealt with that dealer before, and they are boners. If you move ahead with any vehicle from them, you absolutely need to get it inspected by a trustworthy mechanic.

 

The tailpipe chop comes with the high clearance rear bumper. That is to be expected.

 

First thing I’d do to that truck is lower the front coilovers. The outer CV boots look like they are rubbing because of the extreme CV angles.

Also, get rid of the anti-sway bar.

 

What’s up with the rear leaves? I see a shackle flip and limit straps. You may be looking at Chevy 63” swaps.

Depending on what you want to do with it, shackle flips can be a problem. Specifically, if you want to put a lot of weight in/on the bed, such as a camper, flipped shackles can ride rough.

The previous owner definitely wheeled that rig. Not a deal breaker, but it warrants a much closer inspection of the truck.

 

Thanks for the insight, I use the truck that I have now for overlanding. So I have a bed rack and roof top tent on there always, so that's good to know!

 

1% club

 

I would pass on that truck. That’s a lot of mods, you might be inheriting someone else’s project. The fact that the tires rub on the street is concerning, imagine how bad it will be off-road? That truck doesn’t look well built nor loved.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to pass on the truck, and look for something new and stock. Unfortunately I don't think it will be a tacoma, looks like I'll stay on the nissan frontier side of overlanding.

 

I guarantee most of the people on TW know more about that build than the person selling it. PDX Motors are nitwits, but they're just selling a truck they acquired. Someone will want it. It does have some positive points. Rubbing on the control arms for who knows how long is a deal breaker.

 

The new frontiers are pretty cool looking, but I haven’t had a chance to drive one yet. Interested to see what happens with a Honda/Nissan merger

 

I would think the control arm situation should be pretty easily remedied with a different tire size or with wheel spacers, and it’s a bargaining chip in the meantime.

On the other hand, a lot of the components bolted to the frame look rusty; I’m skeptical that the frame hasn’t been touched up in places to hide rust.

If it were me I’d give it a critical look if I liked the build otherwise, or hold out for a more stock Tacoma before going to Nissan, unless I got a really sweet deal on a Pro 4x. (The Nissan also sits on compression shackles, just like this shackle-flipped Taco, so the shackle flip itself wouldn’t push me to Nissan.)

But also, I’m a Toyota fanboy, so take that opinion with a grain of salt.