Going from 3rd Gen Tacoma to 1st Gen Tundra, who's done it?

First gen Tacoma is small, I had a 2000 and I miss it a little bit, it was rad and some guys are still all in on 1st gen. I was actually looking at that and also a 1985 with 22R. My wife's explicit instructions were "do not buy a POS". Which meant I'd either be buying some 25k+ restored truck which I'd feel awful driving around or I'd have to go modern.

First gen Tundra inside feels quite comparable to 3rd gen Tacoma. I think that's why this thread strikes a chord. Exterior dimensions are pretty close too. MT was even an option in 1st gen but I don't think with the v8 which to me is sort of the point of a Tundra in the first place. If the 3rd gen had a bench seat option it'd probably sit much like 1st gen Tundras with a bench (the one I had). I always wanted to swap to captains chairs so I could stuff a sub in the center console but that would have thrown away 1/3 of the people hauling capability so I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I wish I had paid a bit more attention to fuel economy. I think that was the major reason I sold it, because it was just a guzzler, but compared to the Tacoma, as some have mentioned, the v8 wasn't horrible. Maybe 18 or 17? I don't even know what I get right now.

 

17 or 18 isn’t bad. I don’t do a whole lot better with the Tacoma (19-20 usually). I know trucks have definitely grown since they based fleet standards on wheel base. I guess coming from small cars to it (had a 98 S10 that was my beater for a lot of years) it feels pretty roomy to me. Seeing what I assume are 1st gen Tundras (kind of the round looking ones? Sorry, I suck at truck) they seem to be about the same size as my Tacoma, just more bed, less cab.

 

I bet it was 15-16 and I mis-remember it as 17+. It is spec'd at 16/19. The extra couple of miles per gallon does add up, but the bigger tank didn't suck and low end torque used to be something you didn't think about, it was just there, vs the high rpm power of the 3rd gen.

Yeah, the styling on the first gen is a little subjective. The headlights are one area I think could use some aggressiveness if it were possible to design new drop-in versions, but they did have nice large reflectors. Grille could be sweet with a pro-style TOYOTA or TUNDRA or something, the OEM ones sucked. Fog lights are sort of ridiculously large too, but the bumpers being all chromed out make me think if I did get mine back I'd shop for aftermarket steel bumpers and just not care about the OEM authenticity angle. I say that now but watch me rub it with a diaper if she ever comes home...

 

The styling wasn’t bad, just of its time. It wasn’t egg shaped like a lot of the 90s cars were, so there is that at least. So would the swap from a 3rd gen Tacoma to a 1st gen Tundra be mainly cabin room, mpg, and bed space?

 

Torque would be my #1.

Assuming AT to AT, the 6' 1st gen Tundra bed vs DCLB Tacoma would not be all that massive of a difference. More bed, sure, but not gobs of extra space. The 8' bed, on the other hand, I could sleep in comfortably, my dog had tons of space, I hauled 1500 sq feet of tile with a couple of trips, it was truly awesome.

I think the double cab tacoma has comfier seats than the 1st gen access cab did, but the 1st gen crew cab with 5' bed was a pretty nice truck for people. That's the closest model to 3rd gen DCLB 3rd gen Tacoma.

 

I guess I didn’t really think about actual payload capabilities. What is the difference in that? Seems that the Tacoma is about one fat dude and a bag of donuts....

 

Payload isn't all that different though I think some beefy leaf springs would make the 1st gen shine. I have definitely exceeded 2000lbs in the bed on several occasions. Max towing (and stability of towing) is supposedly way better as @empty_lord well knows, but 3rd gen Tundra is likely the better choice for serious towing.

 

No such thing. All first gens, besides the long bed, had at least a 6’ bed.

 

Ah, thanks for the correction, crew cab 2005 woulda been 2nd gen? I get lost a bit on that stuff b/c I am such a bed-hog

 

Oh, no, I see, crew cab had the 6' bed, just longer wheelbase then? I get it now. Looks shorter but still full size bed. The way a truck should be.

 

Those numbers aren’t as different as I would have expected.

 

i can confirm that about 3000 lbs of stone in the bed of a reg cab will make it ride the bump stops if that helps?

towing my Mercedes around it barely squats. i've been super happy with this truck

 

Correct. First gen is 00-06. The Double Cab (DC) was introduced in 04 but the 05-06 got VVTI and the A750 5 speed. Access cabs (AC) also got the same drivetrain upgrade in 04.

Edit: so did the RCLBs. I always forget about you weirdos.

 

If your not riding on bump stops, are you really riding?

 

We’re not weird. We’re just superior!

280hp and 320 ft lbs in a 4K lb truck? Fuck yea

 

Is there a SC option for 1st gen? I assume no but I figure you're the guy to ask. Maybe just too ridiculous to spend on a 20 year old vehicle?

 

Yeah, but where do the fat chicks go?

 

00-04 have one. VVTI dont.. BUT it can be made to fit. 400hp should be easily attainable

 

There was a factory SC option on 00-04. They’re getting harder to piece together these days and I’ve seen a NIB listed for $5k+ on EBay.

 

in the trailer.




I even removed my bench for buckets because i hate people bumming rides off me

 

F yeah. This is my new mission in life.

1. Get Tundra back, keep Tacoma, avoid divorce
2. Paint (keep it white, change to cement or quicksand?)
3. SC
4. Armor, bumpers, sliders, lights, suspension, dunno anything about that stuff but make it beefy

I'm guessing at 150k I might need to do some legit engine overhaul type stuff too. Maybe $5k for purchase, $5k SC, $5k suspension, $5k paint then I start the electrical mods...

 

at 150k she's barely broke in.

You cant do cement im afraid. i already did that. quicksand and army green are still open! LOL just kidding. but i love my cement color. i t was between cement and army green. BUT cement won because i didnt what to open the hood to a grey and green outside

 

Don’t give him anymore ideas until he finishes all these other projects.

 

Keep coming on over to us you Taco Guys. You are finally seeing the light. Tell the Wurrrlldd!

 

You wouldn't want one if you want the Tundra to last. The bottom end couldn't hold up to the stress and if you baby it, what's the point?

 

Someone on here has a TRD 4.7 drag racing block for sale...... Just saying.

 

No, you are not in a minority...Tacoma's SHOULD be smaller. 1st Gens were the right size both Tacoma's and Tundras.

 

I did something similar for similar reasons albeit not a toyota. When I got married I had a reg cab 2015 sierra , two years old, I had done some stuff to. Got married and thought like you I could save money for other things going to an older truck. I ended up buying a cherry 95 f250. The problem I had , no it wasn't that it was a Ford, was that going like you from a 2 year old vehicle to a in my example, 23 year old vehicle was that even though it only had 55k, old vehicles need maintenance. Not necessarily because of it being ford ,american, or whatever other brand you don't like here, but because it's old. Things may not have been kept up with in my case the truck was great but had been forgotten and neglected. What I thought would be a windfall of savings turned out to be alot of money getting it back to where it should have been. Rotted fuel lines, pinhole in fuel tank, bad wheel bearings , rotted water pump gasket, bad ball joints , tie rods, the list goes on. All of these things appeared to be good when I bought it but as I started driving it daily the cob webs started showing themselves. The truck I bought had been sitting idle for a long time , and it showed but not initially. Aside from all that you don't realize how nice a newer vehicle is until you rewind 20 years in a daily driver. That being said everyone's experience will be different and buying that old is kind of a crapshoot, granted less of one with a toyota but rubber rots regardless of brand and rust is rust, time and decay don't hold back because of the brands badge. Just my .02 still miss that truck but I bought my tundra to replace it.

 

Good to know I’m not the only one that likes smaller trucks Too bad there really aren’t any options out there for those anymore.