Why is it so hard to find a nice 1st for a decent price?

what kind of step is that?

Only if you're gonna do some hard-core wheeling.
Mine is the TRD with the locker, 1998 5-speed with 197k miles on it, bought it from my cousin for $6500. He kept no records and neither did the previous owner. Runs great, everything works but the suspension was toast. I thought it was an OK price but everyone I've talked to around here is surprised, that they usually go for $8-10k.

 

Locker is worth every penny if you actually use it...daily driving most people won't, 4x4 will do just find for the majority of that if you need it. Lockers are great off-road recreationally when you're out looking for tough spots to traverse.

 

With the grief that Photobucket caused by voiding links to photos people were sharing, photos I posted some years back most likely no longer show up. So, just in case, here's my 1st Gen as it is today.







121k, and it looks and runs like a champ! My 5th Toyota truck, and this one I'll probably keep for the long haul!

 

Nice truck man, I hope I can get one just like it!

 

Yes, the wait for the perfect one can be long and arduous, but i was fortunate enough discover that there are still wicked deals here and there.

I live in Maine, and I looked hard for about 6 months, all over the states. I was ready to hop on a plane at any time for the right deal, which almost happened, but the vehicle in question sold almost immediately.

3 or 4 months after i gave up hope, i checked craigslist on a whim, and found it. It always happens when you least expect it to.

I got a 4x4 2004 x-cab 2.7l 128k, 1 month old frame, a mere 3 hours away from me, for $7900, which was the asking price. Id feel wrong trying to talk the man down knowing its already a screamin' deal.

Keep up hope brotherrrrrr!

http://imgur.com/a/Aj1s4

 

Was about to buy this before I bought my 2012 TRD sport a month ago... Still for sale. Only 77k miles but couldn't justify getting 2wd with the harsh winters we have here.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/d/toyota-tacoma-prerunner/6164418359.html

 

unfortunately I'm the kind of person who says four wheel drive is a must on a truck lol

 

I just bought my new to me 1st gen Tacoma (a 99 2wd xcab) for $3450, in Oregon where they're certainly not cheap. 4x4s are either trashed or $8000+. Bought it from a lovely woman who's ex passed and left it to her... bone stock, clean as a whistle, all PM done on time and oil changed every 3000 miles. Just rolled over 200k but runs just like it should.

Sold my 04 single cab, 2.7, manual, 4x4, TRD that I'd bought new after we started a family in 2010. I think I sold it with 140k+/- for something like $7800. Could probably sell it for the same price today but I got some real good use out of it.

Looking forward to this Tacoma after a couple of years with a 93 mini. These are great trucks (as you all know) which is why they go for $$$ in good shape. Deals are out there though. 2wd high miles is a good option if your budget is like mine. Still drivin a taco

 

My thoughts exactly... Sweet little ride, would pay 13k for it if it had 4x4.

 

So guys I have decided to pursue the 2000 sr5 extended cab with 227k! He listed this truck on eBay for 5000 starting bid a few weeks ago, and the truck somehow never got one bid. He threw it on craigslist next for 6900 dollars. I'm totally going to offer him 5000$ when I see it and see if he bites. He had to be willing to sell it for five in the first place because he put it online for that price anyways. I'm willing to go up to 5500. What do you guys think?

 

If you're into automatic, do it. I personally like manual, but that's just my preference. Don't forget to bring a hammer and check for rust.

 

My car is a stick so I want a break from it lol

 

1. if a truck runs, $5,000 is going to be pretty close to a base price. This is all trucks, not just Tacomas.
2. As to first gens in particular, people who were starting to drive when they came out and envied them but never had one are roughly in their 30s and have the money to buy. I just bought a white 2003 double cab 4x4 trd offroad with 57,800 miles and a snugtop for $17,000 in California. Why? Because I had the money, I've wanted one since I was 16, prices aren't going down and mileage/condition are getting worse. The carfax value was $18,300 and that was without the snugtop.

 

Your really should look in Western North Dakota or Eastern Montana these trucks don't sell well out here. It seems that every couple of months some old timer decides to sell his low miles rust free just used on the weekends truck for cheap. Well "cheap" for what the same truck would sell for in California. I tried selling my 2004 SR5 a few months back, but not one bite @ $7400. People love fat chicks and full-size trucks in these parts

 

This ad is typical of what comes of for sale if you want to wait. One could get a lot more money in CA

https://www.bismanonline.com/karlsruhe_nd/2004_toyota_tacoma_p_u_trd_package_4x4_5_speed_m

 

That's nice find. Perfect configuration for my taste (V6 manual 4x4 ).

 

Fuck that noise. You can pick up running mini's and Tacomas all day up here for under $2k if you are okay with a 5 lug. Double cabs are around $8k. Nobody wants them because they don't last more than 10 years in the salt here.

 

My 1st gen was a 99 with 4x4, V6, and a 5 speed. It had about 200xxx on it and the clutch needed to be fixed along with something else in the transmission. I was asking for $3000. Two guys went into a bidding war and I got $4500 out of it.
I drove the hell out of the car and kept the inside and outside looking good. I have a 2nd gen now and still kinda miss my 1st.

 

Best bet is to find a high mileage truck that was well cared for. I bought mine with 273k on it for a song! Just need to be patient.... and lucky!

 

Demand is going up for a clean truck or low miles