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

Don't forget inflation. That 11 grands in 91 is worth over 20k now. That mess up a bit your calculations.

 

If inflation were included, then most people would not buy a used car because they would typically pay for more or slightly less than the cost of the vehicle when it was new. According to this calculator, $5,000 has the same buying power as $9,093 (https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=5000&year1=199101&year2=201707). The person creating this thread would spend an amount that is two thousand lower when it was new, but the vehicle has 220k miles on it at present and is likely worn so 5k is expensive.

Essentially, people realize that not many 1991 Toyota 4x4's exist in their area, so they attempt to sell it for 5k or more.

 

You got it all up side down. 5k is the price today. 11grands in 1991 is worth 20k today (if you buy gold for example). So for today's money 20k new truck is worth 5k, meaning the true value lost is 75%. Still not bad for 26 years old car. Ford value goes lower than that in less than 10 years.

 

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-tacoma/6275521312.html

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/2001-toyota-tacoma/6225899526.html

https://salem.craigslist.org/cto/d/clean-low-mileage-toyota-pick/6241892734.html

https://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/d/2004-toyota-tacoma-sr5-4xmiles/6255105124.html

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/toyota-tacoma/6283284578.html

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/1997-toyota-tacoma-v6-4x4/6281635952.html

'Normal Frame Rust" How bad? Mmmm... $2000.

 

For the most part things cost what the do much more because of their perceived value than their practical ("real") value. When both perceived and practical value are both high, as seems to be the case with clean 1st gen Tacos, so are prices.

This is why divorces cost so much, they are worth it in both perceived and actual value...

 

Bought my truck last June. 2001 ext cab 4cyl 5-speed for about 10-11k and 102k miles. It was kept in great condition by the previous owner. (he has plenty of money to fix small little details)

My brother bought one a few years earlier for about the same price, quality, and miles but an 02. However his crazy ex jerked the wheel and totaled it about 20 yards from our driveway. (about 5 months ago) Thankfully no one got hurt.

 

This is why Picasso's painting are so expensive . Very little practical value. You can buy printed poster bigger and way cheaper.

The price of 1st gen Toyota is what people are asking and paying for. If some truck is overpriced, it will be just unsold. What is the selling price, that is the market value. If someone things it is much more, that the truck is worth, then find something that is worth the price. Ford, Dodge, Chevy - plenty other trucks.

 

The prices are crazy. A friend just purchased a 2004 TRD OR ACSB for $9000 up in PA, and brought it back down to TN/GA. I see KBB for this truck is $11,000-15,000. Holy shit, they hold insane value for a 10-15-yr old vehicle.

It looks & drives fine at 91K, the motor pulls well, all systems work as expected. However, there is noticeable rust bubbling on the driver's side rear fender.

I drove it several times recently, mostly city driving & a dump run, and my 4WD-friendly ROW & driveway. I set the parking brake and the linkage stuck, so I took a look underneath to unstick it... and boy was it rusty down there. I did not see a single bolt that looked like it would turn. I managed to get the brake linkage freed up with liberal doses of WD-40.

Don't really have the heart to tell her how bad the rust issues will be when repair time rolls around...

Myself, I gave up looking for used (reasonable priced ones were always rustbuckets), and bought new.

 

Dear Everybody who wants a First Generation Tacoma,

This thread has very useful information for all of you looking at First Generation Tacomas. I am not going to repeat what I have already said in this thread, but I am going to tell all of you this. There is way too much emotional attachment to first generation Tacoma pickups, and there is not a hell of a lot of them out there. This is why the prices of the ones that are out there are so ridiculously high.

Your effort and time is much better spent searching out a second generation or going with another manufacturer. You will have many more to choose from, and your money will travel farther.

Good Luck,
Paul

P.S. Don't settle for some rust bucket or half a million mile first generation just so you can say you have a first generation. The thing will be way more trouble than you could ever possibly want.

 

What's wrong with half million miles? I agree that 900k miles may be a problem - 100k miles later the odometer will explode, and then you will have to buy a new dash.

 

That just makes me sad.

What the fuck?!