Should I build up to sell...or just sell? Tacoma dilemma

I have a Tacoma dilemma.

I have two First Gen Tcomas. My 2003 automatic 2.7l PreRunner SR5 was a daily driver. It has no rust/cancer, it has a straight frame/body. Unfortunately, it just had a timing chain failure. I don't really need two trucks, so I'm planning to get rid of it. That being said...

Should I:

• Get a solid, used engine, install it then sell the truck OR
• Sell it as-is with bad engine, but WITH some valuable spares thrown in the bed?

Let me know opinions!!

Mark

 

With no engine you are going to get really low offers. If your truck was running it sounds pretty nice, no rust, not abused, what's the book value for a running version of your truck in your area? will you come out ahead with a motor rebuild?

 

It needs to be DD ready to get decent offers.

 

Hmmmmmmm....sounds like DD running is best for price. 5999 seems to be the low- end for the make/model/year/miles in DD condition around the web.

Around here (Missouri Border), I can get a 3RZFE engine for around 2000 in solid shape as a drop-in. Money isn't that important to me, but my time is in short supply (I have a lot of things going on). I wonder if making it DD would even be worth the 2000 dollars plus a weekend worth of work? Maybe I could buy a solid used-engine and put it in the bed for someone to install at their leisure? I'm really not wanting to put time into a vehicle that I'm ultimately not going to keep.

Still not sure where I am on this, but it's making my head hurt thinking about it...........

Mark

 

in your case sell it as is !

Don`t put any time into it. As your never going to recover that time.

Those are my thoughts.

Best of Luck no matter what you decide .

 

I would do what Bivouac said, it seems like it would be more of a hassle than it’s worth for you. With the $6k price range and an engine costing around $2k or more for a good one, I would leave it as is and just say it needs a rebuild in the description. I would not buy an engine and just leave it in the bed, unless a mechanic buys it nobody will want to have to go get it swapped as soon as they buy it. If you are going to do it, do it all the way. As for myself though, I’m usually very leery of vehicles with an engine that is not original, especially if that engine was bought used.

 

If money isn’t that important, sell it as-is.

 

I agree with others, it sounds like it’s time to let someone else pick up a project and for you to just cut your losses since you don’t really have the time to mess with it anyway.

 

Stop the bleeding and sell it as is