Taco Trade, or Purchase New

Hi Everyone,
First time posting. Was just curious about when time came with today's prices should I replace the enigne and transmission with new ones or purchase a new truck.
It's a 2006 Toyota Tacoma with roughly 185,000 miles. Runs great, maintenace all the time. My mechanic said he saw a little oil on a plug last time he changed the plugs, he said we'd keep an eye on it. As most of you can imagine the paint on this baby is going and some of the trim pieces as well. So Paint, Trim, Engine, Trany Vs New.
Any thoughts?

 

Where was the oil at on the plug?
On the upper porcelain side?

Does the engine use any oil?

Personally, I'd run the truck until it wont run any longer.
I don't worry about issues, until there is an issue.

FWIW, I'm not big on reman engines from shops I don't know about.
And I wouldn't buy an eBay reman period.

Toyota only sells short blocks. So new is EXPENSIVE.

Again, run it until it quits. Budget now will help later.

 

Hey TnSHooter,
Thanks for your input. Yeah, there was only oil on the metal portion not the upper porcelain part. Truck does not burn oil at all. Appreciate the input.

 

If oil was actually on the plug, I’d expect it to be using a good bit of oil.

If the plug tube seals leaks, it will let oil leak down on to the plugs.
If it gets bad enough it will reach the porcelain. Most of the time it just makes it to the metal portion where the socket goes onto the socket.

That said, once you pull/loosen the plug. The oil up top runs down on to the threads.
But a seasoned tech should know this stuff.

 

Sounds like your asking if you should do a restoration on your existing truck vs buying new. Lots of factors involved - do you like the features offered on the new trucks, or prefer the simplicity of your current truck? Emotional ties to the current truck? From a budget standpoint, paint, engine, transmission, trim replacements might push you into the same budgetary range of new or lightly used trucks. I can't believe how expensive paintwork is now. I have a Mustang, and just to get an aftermarket bumper cover installed and painted was a small fortune compared to 10 years ago. I've talked to folks in the local club I'm a part of, and paint jobs are running in the mid to upper teens for basic, but quality work and decent products. Then you add in the engine and transmission work you mentioned, and you might be really close to a new or newer used truck.
But I think the big question is if you want to keep the old school truck experience, or want to try the new trucks. I think the dollars might end up being really close to one another by the time you're all finished with the 2006 truck.

 

I agree run the truck until it quits and any repair is expensive. Then get yourself a newer truck. I’m not keen on putting a lot of $$$ and time into an old 20 year old vehicle. One the shit starts happening it usually continues, this week a new starter, next week a new alternator, then a new water pump etc etc. Nickel and dime and eats up your time. Run it til it quits then get a new one.

 

Hey Tnshooter,
It wasn't like it was soaked in oil just slight remnants of oil on the plug. Doesn't burn oil. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

Hey Sprig,
Yeah, seems like that's the route I'll probably end up taking. Maybe just invest in a used Taco. Hopefully I can find something with low mileage, when the time comes. Makes sense about when one thing breaks down the rest start to follow. I'll definitely keep a watch for that. Thanks...

 

You can buy a LOT of replacement parts for $800 a month.

Cancer [rust] is the killer, if the frame is good, rock on unless you just GOTTA have a new ride.

 

fxntime,
The Frame is in excellent shape. I love the old school style and vibe. Not into all the techy new stuff. Any ideas on which used Taco to get if I had too.

 

First sentence. Mine cost me about 4K a couple of years ago here and there..some was routine stuff of course. But that was the worst year by far. Can't buy anything close to it on 4k a year.

 

Hey Lock24,
It totally makes sense with the way the prices are these days I'd probably be better off just looking for a used Taco with low mileage. As input if you had to purchase a used Taco which one would you do. I need 4 x 4.

 

Thanks ABA180

 

Low mileage 14 or 15' 2nd gen were some of the best they ever made in that generation and better then the first couple of years of the 3rd gen easily. The 4.0/A750f wasn't the most ''potent'' on paper but in actual use, they were a far better drive train combo then the 3rd gen ever was except for all the electronic bells and whistles the 3rd gen could offer.

Fuel economy, meh, we won't talk about that, but frankly, the 3rd gen didn't offer a staggering increase over the 2nd gen.

They did fix some valid complaints but introduced just as many new ones.

If they ever offered the Taco 1st gen wheel arch configuration I'd be on that so fast that the title would catch fire. [same for a SFA to be fair]

 

You will probably get another 100,000 out of the factory engine. Maybe 200,000. Drive it and enjoy.

 

LOOK for 4th gen 4runners, 2003-2009, niche market relatively

 

I forgot to ask, what engine do you have?

 

couple errors here,

-looking at a plug doesn't make someone a mechanic
-you could look at a plug
-so are you telling me nobody is actually looking why? Such as VCG. Sounds like nobody knows what they're doing
-what you buy is not my business. You've just said you have a truck that works.
-doesn't matter if it has 185k
-it works
-when a component fails, you replace it
-when a component requires maintenance, you maintain it

iron liners are generally not a wear item.

-why are there trucks with more miles
-why are there older ones, with more miles
-why are there some with up to 1m miles

things you should maybe ask yourself

when you drive, you don't look at the speedometer, because you know the speed.
you don't look at the odometer because it doesn't matter.
It's there to aid in keeping track of what needs to be done when. Such as fluid changes.

 

So, OP are you saying your engine is leaking oil onto the exterior portion of one of the spark plugs?

Or are you saying there's enough oil in the combustion chamber, after the engine is shut off, that the mechanic who was changing your spark plugs (I assume) saw this oil on the spark plug's electrode?

One of those scenarios would have me looking for a leaking valve cover gasket (or similar) maybe, if I also saw a drip on the floor under the truck.

The second scenario would have me much more concerned.

 

What's wrong with the transmission? You didn't mention anything about it. Why talk about replacing it?

You also have said the engine runs fine, but your mechanic found some oil on a spark plug. If the engine is running fine, it's in great shape. My guess is you might need to replace the valve cover seals, especially the ones around the plug holes. If you're worried about your engine's health, have a different mechanic run compression and leak-down tests to verify the health of the engine. 185K means the engine is just barely "broken in," and should last much longer. I think a properly maintained engine from this era should last AT LEAST 500K miles without any serious issues. Just stay on top of the oil changes and other routine maintenance.

As for paint, you might consider hitting Maaco for paint, but recommend you do as much "prep work" as possible, such as removing headlights, fog lights, brake lights, etc. They aren't horribly expensive, but the quality of the product can be significantly improved by helping with the "prep work."