Would you buy your truck again?

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Everyone I know loves my truck and wants one. I tell them if you are not mechanical or can fix your own $hit, all 1st gen Toyota’s will break your heart and nickle and dime you to death.

I’ve had my truck for over 130k in under 4 years, and the $hit I’ve had to repair would probably cost 15k at the dealer. But she runs smooth as butter and roast the tires when I need her to and still get 16-17mpg.

El Dorado Power House

 

When I got mine brand new on 2006, my younger son was 6 1/2 yrs old. He has been driving this truck for last 5 years or so and he loves how it drives. Now, it just broke in at just over 85k miles and needed almost nothing from me. Great truck and did a lot of hauling with it. Absolutely no regret (Actually, I DO have 1 regret and it was that I SHOULD have driven down to Virginia and save $5k and bought a double cap instead of access cab).

 

I did buy my truck again! I was original owner in 2000, bought new off the lot. Sold it to my father 4 years later beachside I needed 3/4 ton to tow a toy hauler. Bought it back from my dad a couple of years ago for my son to drive. Since then, we are attempting to catch up on the differed maintenance. Luckily my dad did the timing belt right before I bought it back from him. I think the AC 1GT is the perfect sized truck.

 

What is this Truck gang wave? I want to be sure I have proper form if someone gives it to me

 

i'm the original owner. This is the best single purchase I've ever made in my life. I even got a $5000 cash rebate when I purchased it. And I feel like every dime I spent on maintenance repair rebuilding, etc. has been 100% worth it.

I hate to admit what I've put into it over the last year, but when I looked at new trucks and would be spending $80,000 and it not even being what I really wanted, that makes it seem pretty cheap in my opinion

I don't even care if I have to rebuild the engine, etc. i've already got it riding better than it did originally with just a few exceptions which I will be addressing in the near future

and I can't tell you how many people I've had talking about my truck and how good it looks now. One of my friends was dropping me off this past weekend and drove right by my truck said "oh I thought that was yours, but that one's new"

 

Had this happen on Thurs/Fri last week. Was on a job site for a small side gig, and there's two dudes there I'm friendly with. Both of them have newer F150 Raptors with lots of gear on them. I caught them both out ogling my Tundra. "Fuuuuuck dude, this looks awesome with the new coilovers, Methods and AT's! I need to get one of these!"

 

The best part is when they look at me with that jaw dropping look and ask who did all of this for you? And I get to say well other than the new paint on the hood and roof I did 90% of it. The next question was well, who fixed your old paint and did the detailing? And my other friend piped in - he did it himself

 

Yup, I got that too. "Who installed the suspension?!"

"Well, I was short on time and was having health issues, so I got two quotes, one shop was saying $1500ish, the other was almost double ... so I just did it myself. I don't want or need to pay someone $450/hr to touch my stuff when they won't do the same quality of work I will!"

"Damn, dude! That's awesome!"

I wish they could see some of the waaaay more sick stuff I'd done in my earlier years.

 

I'm the only one that's done any work or maintenance on my truck since I bought it 19 years ago. All these sh!t shops can keep their d!ck beaters to themselves.

 

I admittedly haven't done any of my tire mounting/balancing. Mostly because I can't, keeping that equipment in my garage isn't feasible. That and alignments, I can do ballparks, but I'd rather someone with a proper rack dial it in.

There was that time when my alternator caught fire, and I had to leave town for work, so I had the dealership run a full diagnostic on the truck to make sure nothing fried (i.e. no comp claim needed), then had it towed to a shop I've trusted to do shit work on our old Highlander in the past so it'd be done when I get back. Only to find they installed a 100A alternator instead of the 130A, they somehow lost the mounting bracket for the alternator harness, and FUBAR'd one of my splash aprons. Again - classic example of why I don't let anyone touch my shit.

 

Amen to the quality of work. And the replacement parts that they chose.

Seeing what other various shops have done (and screwed up) combined with this forum is what got me back into this enjoyable "hobby"

that's truly awesome.

I wish I would've had the time back then but now I do.

 

this reminded me when I was getting the hood and roof repainted the guy called me and wanted me to come by to look at a dent on the roof. It turned out to be a very slight crease all the way across and we realized it was where a garage door had been closed on the top. That could've only happened at one of the shops over the last 18 years. Fortunately, it was negligible, which is why I had not even noticed it before


I also had some white paint I found on my front plastic bumper that happened while I had it in the shop. I don't think the shop did it. I think it was a customer but still ...

 

Solid question right here...

Had her since 2006 for under $9k, just about to roll to 188k miles, and someday I'll change that "1" to a "2". She's going to stick around forever and be my project/toy truck. I love the hell out of my truck.

BUT! The timing belt being a belt, not a chain, and the design of these friggin LBJs would be a cause for pause had I known what I know now.

For daily driving? I'd probably stick with a FGT and never modify a damn thing on it, just OEM the mf'er. Maybe get a Sequoia? Definitely staying under 2007, I'm an analog guy dammit!

 

I know this is a first gen thing, but they also stopped making the next gen-1/2 and some day they'll be the older trucks like the 1st gens. I always go for an SR and upgrade to make it mine. I love my truck and there's nothing about any other model or newer version or newer other vehicle that would sway me. If I ever needed another one, I would likely get the same gen, even if it had some miles and needed some money.

 

My first was an '05 AC that I bought used several years ago. Got tired of opening the front door in order to open the rear door and traded for a DC Tacoma. The Tacoma was okay, it just wasn't a Tundra. Just happened to find an '05 DC 4WD SR5 on a used car lot this past December. All the maintenance had been done on time and at the stealership for the big ticket items (Timing belt/water pump 2X, LBJ's, Trans flush drain & fill). It had a little over 200K miles and knowing the longevity of these trucks I wasn't concerned. First time ever I ever traded a vehicle at no cost to me. That said, I would buy this truck again.