1st gen Tundra yay or nay

I was considering a Dakota too. It was mostly because they can be had with a stick. It seems nearly impossible to find a Tundra with one, and they're only in the V6 models. Besides that, the Tundra's got the Dakota well beat: reliability, aftermarket parts, power, following.

That's my reason for looking first gen Tundra. Being mechanically inclined with the know how to me makes a used vehicle make lots of sense. It means you could have that money for your house or upgrades, and have plenty in savings when you need to make repairs. So I've gotta agree with how you see it there.

 

Ill check this out on mine tomorrow at full lock. After reading your post I went and checked with wheels straight.

 

I say go for it. After loading up 2 dirt bikes and gear in my buddies 2014 Tacoma, I wouldnt even trade my 05 DC with 260k miles for his truck. The 1st gen Tundra is just a little bigger everywhere and has the 4.7, which is a beast. I had a 2011 crewmax with 5.7 and it was a nice truck but I hated the $450 monthly payments on it. Sold that thing and payed $8400 cash with 250k miles on it, but the truck otherwise is in perfect condition, not even a dent on the thing!

 

Tundra for sure.

 

Good Point

 

If you want to mod a 1st Gen to look like your ex-Taco? Check out "The other Guy" vids on YouTube.

 

If you dont mind giving away all the resale value dodges are nice. And gen 2 tundra kill the gen 1 in features, power, tow rating, maintenance (no timing belt), economy and cost (paid $7k for my 07, same as your 05-06's). But if it's too big, it's too big. Just get a tundra.

 

Having test driven a 3rd gen Tacoma (even with a stick shift), I completely understand your complaints. It was severely down on power, and I was NOT impressed. It's only going to get worse when you throw bigger LT tires on it. I love my 1st gen. I picked up my '06 double cab with a tick over 100,000 miles on it for $15,000 down at a dealer in Arizona. It had lived it's life in Washington state and Florida, so it was rust free underneath.

In my opinion, there's not a better used truck you can buy. I fluid filmed mine before it's first winter up here to try my best to save the frame too.

You definitely won't be disappointed. The 2UZ has plenty of power.

 

If you can find a decent shape 05 or 06 tundra with the v8 buy it hell even if it's the 4.0 you can supercharger it.

 

Its very close but doesn't touch on my DC, weird.

 

Well, The Tundra will be louder, get worse MPGs, maybe be less reliable simply because of age, and be less capable offroad, but it's more simple, sounds cooler with an exhaust, will probably tow better because it's slightly bit bigger and heavier and designed to be a half-ton.

If you want a simple truck with no bells and whistles, but still want it to be comfortable and sound and look nice, it's the way to go. Like others have said, watch out for frame rust.

 

I agree with some of the others. I think you would be bored going back to a first gen. You’ve already put so much into the taco, maybe just regear it if you’re stuck in 4th gear

 

So I bought a 2006 double cab with 75000 miles on it last summer. Debated between that and a Tacoma I do like tundras little bigger cab and truck size better then my friends with the Tacoma’s. Can haul 5 guys around comfortably and I really like the truck it’s fast and easy to run anywhere. I have the 2019 tundra also don’t know why but always seems quicker easier to take the first gen over the new one? My thoughts if u own a diesel maybe a engine swap for a tundra now a first gen with a small duramax now ur talking haha

 

I'm a newer 2006 Tundra owner with an 8 ft bed, although I have a v6 engine. I bought it for $4,700 then have sunk close to $3k into it including the bedliner spray in, struts, shocks, front and rear swaybars, spark plugs, brake line flush, tires, boot n pinion, alignment, and a vibration sound issue that was recently fixed. I love the utility of the bed though I can't speak for the V8. I have 194k miles.

I have a base model and didn't realize it wouldn't come standard with traction control and stability control. These are "optional for the 06 models" and possibly for earlier models. Without them you get tremendous body roll and easy to fishtail the bed especially in the rain. That and during rush hour, the traction was almost non-existing when I made left turns wide...Sliding on a hocky rink. The Hellwig swaybars have helped night and day with the body roll and traction in dry and semi-wet light train, but I still need to test it in some heavy rain to say, yes this is now my daily driver. A lot of dealers up in Austin didn't have the traction control and stability control with the 1st gens. I love driving my truck now overall. It drives like a car.

If I had to do it again, I personally would go with a 2007-2010 Tundra V8 which come standard with the traction control and vehicle stability control. I'm too shrewd to take a huge loss on my current truck and plan on driving it until the engine dies. I have test drove the 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. All of them felt much more to what I'm used into "modern features" of a truck, but again, I had to learn the lesson to check the vin, check the vin, check the vin! Coming from a sweet 2017 tacoma, I think you'd be much happier with 2007 and up. The body hasn't changed much at all. The 2007 from what I've read might be susceptible for transmission issues, but I don't know too much more about it than that. I actually work with someone who has 2007 tundra and hasn't had any issues. most reliable truck he's had. Just stay away from base models haha.

The best thing to do is to drive as many of the tundras as you can with different bed and cabin sizes. That'll help you narrow it down much faster.

 

Sweet Tacoma!

The main reasons I didn’t go with a Tacoma...

-doesn’t have V8.
-Smaller fitting (I’m 6.5)
-newer vehicles have too many computer / electronic stuff (some stuff is nice, don’t get me wrong, but most of it is overkill)
-longer bed. I can sleep straight in my bed (again, I’m 6.5)

Cons:
Not great gas mileage
Tad bit heavier
Not a ton of selection of aftermarket parts
Older, which will require maintenance to keep running with no issues. (Nothing too major, but I’ve done Steering rack, LCA Bushings, Lower ball joints, Timing Belt, Water Pump, calipers, rotors, drums, and lots of upgrades.

I’m just about to hit 200k. Love my truck. It’s mine. It’s paid off and I hope to have it around for another 10 years.

 

I think the main reason is the coil from Fox is much wider than the others. I used to have a comparison photo. I’ll have to find it.

 

It also is perched lower than others. They run 16" rather than typical 14" coils, the lower perch is low and wide.

For those mentioning gas mileage, I had an 05 Taco pre runner (2wd v6) for a year and actually get better gas milage with my 03 Tundra. Results vary I'm sure.

 

Because of those sweet 4.56 gears on your 03’.

 

Off topic but how in the world do you fit in a first gen? I'm 5'9" on my best day and I have to put the seat all the way back. Maybe the DC's are a bit roomier? I heard someone once say that the only complaint about the 1st gen's is that it's only 7/8ths of a full size truck. Slightly bigger than a Tacoma but smaller than any new full size pickup. I personally love this as I think the new Tundra's are huge and ugly as sin but if I was 6' 5" I feel as though I would be cramped.

 

6’2” here and and feel very comfy inside the 02’. Seat bottom all the way back and tilted about 4 clicks on the back. Plenty of headroom. I’m amazed at the interior room compared to a bigger truck.

The 2nd Gens have less room IMO. My buddies 2011 headroom sucked. Was always hitting my head on the frame getting in due to what felt like the seat being too high. Needed to kink my neck to enter. Had about 1/2” clearance above my head to the top cab when normal sitting. Hit a bump and my doo would touch. Decent leg room, but the headroom sucked. A deal killer for me.

That truck rode like a bronco too. Way stiff.

 

I will say that I think my truck is very comfortable as well. Far more so that my wife's 2012 Rav4. I'd rather drive the Tundra on road trips but the Rav gets around 28MPG highway...I do wish I'd purchased a double cab though. If something were to happen to my current truck I'd probably opt for the extra HP and room the DC offers.

 

I hear ya. I prefer the AC suicide doors over the DC 4 (full) door look, but would take those extra horses though. No way I’m paying $15k for a used 1st Gen DC though, especially knowing I’d be doing another $5k just to get it right where I want it. I can buy a brand new 2019 DC SR5 TRD for $43 and write the whole thing off because the bed length exceeds 6’. A no brainer in financial terms.

Alas, one still would need to generate $700 a month payment plus the stupid yearly personal property taxes here (~$1200). Hence, the reason a small reinvest into the 02’ for a few more years.

 

More than ever now, but I noticed the difference right away, my truck was stock for the first year I had it. Then I wanted a headset... then door speakers... needed a sub at that point... and tinted windows. Then the snowball got pretty big.

 

Some unexpected money just came my way today. Just enough to consider some new gears. Are the 4.56 the proper gear or the next bigger? 4wd so both diffs need done. Nitro kit looks like the brand to go to?

 

It's one up. When I did the math a 285/75/16 tire and 4.30 gears is the closest match to stock gearing. I went 4.56 for two reasons, it helps offset the extra weight of the tires (which the size ratio doesn't account for) and the 4.30 gears are extremely expensive.

I went with Nitro through Justdiffs. They sell a good kit and I opted for a solid collar, the kit comes with a crush collar but the solid collar is stronger and gets better final fit because it doesn't collapse at all.

 

I agree on going with the 04-05 tundra.I still dive my 2000 limited access cab every day and it had 372,000 miles.The engine is still very strong and I have only done maintenance on it.I wished it did have a 5 speed instead of the 4 speed.mine is also a non vvt engine.

 

That's nuts. What's your RPMs at 60mph?

My stock size/gears runs 2k RPMs at 60. (I think I have 4:10s)

 

If I remember right it's around 2200 or 2300. I haven't driven my truck since maybe August. Its sinful I know.

 

wowza! and you still get that good of MPG? isn't lower RPM usually better for MPG?