Should I buy this truck?

I found a listing on the local craigslist today and I need some opinions from other Tacoma owners. My 1996 has 284k and I've been keeping an eye for one with lower miles. Here is the listing.
https://hickory.craigslist.org/cto/5916910569.html
It looks a little rougher than my truck but it has 100k less miles. If any of you are from NC don't buy it out from under me if it's a good price haha.

 

What are your plans for a new truck? Daily driving? Dedicated off-road toy?

 

Hows the frame? (rust wise)

 

Semi-daily driver. I typically drive my civic to save on gas. Do you see any big dents other than the tailgate? My eyes aren't the best haha. If he still has it this weekend I am going to go look at it.

 

Says it doesn't have rust but I haven't gotten under it and looked yet

 

I see a little door ding above the front driver side tire, but other than that and the tailgate, I can't really find anymore. But the pictures aren't all that clear.

IMO it looks a little rough, and I can kinda see it needing work to be done to it. Idk if you wanna spend more money on repairs or more money on a truck that doesn't need them. That's up to you.

 

I would probably replace the tailgate and I have the decals to put back on it. I don't know how bad the paint is so that may look even worse. I'm more concerned with how it runs and what it needs and if it has been taken care of. That's not easy to tell until I look at it and even then you never know.

 

Looks like its gonna need all new suspension. Its sitting a little low to me.

 

Crawl all under that truck. Western NC loves to use brine on the roads during the winter.

 

Is it me, or does the hood and rear bumper looks damaged also?

 

Is the anything wrong with your current truck other then it having higher miles? If it's in good shape and has been maintained I would look more in the direction of replacing/rebuilding components (engine, trans) when they go bad.
Then you keep the truck you already know and trust.

 

I would check on the frame rust in the notorious areas and the last timing belt/water pump replacement. If that is due it will be around 700 to have a shop do that. Check all suspensions components, bushings, joints, cv axles and negotiate from there.

 

She looks like she's got a bunch of dings, and hard to make a sound decision without seeing the interior.
Also doesn't have a plate on it and looks to be sitting in a "farm" like setting. So that means she's either been sitting for awhile to let the plate lapse, it may be a dedicated farm truck, or somebody just flipping it. Either way I think its throwing up some red flags and I'd probably pass unless you talk him down to something like 3k.

 

Yeah, my truck is due for coilovers and shocks too

 

I know, I am from the Hickory area. I wish they would just leave the roads alone, the refreeze makes it worse anyway

 

I can't tell. I might go see it tomorrow evening if I have time

 

It's pretty clean, just has a few problems. Suspension is shot, it's in need of a rebuild, needs timing belt, and a steering rack couldn't hurt anything. I would rather sell it and get one with fewer miles before it gets past 300k and I won't be able to get much out of it.

 

Where are supposed to be the worst places on the frame? I'm sure it is in need of a timing belt but I can do that myself and save a couple hundred on labor.

 

Yeah it looks like a work truck so I'm a little worried it hasn't been taken care of. If its got a bunch of dents on the body other than the tailgate and if the interior is bad I'm not going to get it. The guy sounded a little sketchy too so who knows what kind of shape it is in.

 

Check the bottom section all along the long straight part of the frame and also the curved part of the frame where the rear leaf spring mounts are attached to the frame. That section seems to be the first to go which is why the Tacomas are broke in half on a google search for "Tacoma frame rust." The frames rot from the inside out.