Looking for some input on purchasing a 2004

Hey guys, I've been soaking up info here around doing upgrades and changes to my 01 2wd and have really appreciated the threads, instructions and guides from longstanding members. I've owned mine since 2010 and love it.

I recently saw one posted that is about 7 hours away from me. My wife and I are moving to the mountains and looking to get a reliable all wheel drive vehicle. We were looking at likely getting a subaru or something since we already have a truck... but recently saw this posted:

He has images of the truck:
- Images of all service records
- Images of exterior (clean)
- Images of interior (shows the wear of 258k but nothing bad)

According to him, he is selling because his friend just sold him a 2017 chevy for trade-in value.
Transmission has not been replaced but according to him things are in working order. How long does the trans last on this? What can I expect to need to deal with if I bought it, is this as good a price as it seems?

 

Does any of this look bad? I don't know much about rust and what is an issue. It seems like it could be cleaned up.

 

Nice looking Tundra that looks to be well cared for top and bottom. Very tough purchase project for you. My son still drives my old 2000 and it's frame has been eaten away in spots but he is still driving it every day here in rust country. (Fargo North Dakota) My 2008 does not have the frame rust issue and I live in West Fargo since my wife died in May.
The old guy.

 

Truck is beautiful, love the snowflake wheels. Not a fan of the no-name tires but they look newish. Has this truck had a frame replacement? Frame looks great, but lots of rust on other components. Also, ehat's up with the slip yoke on the drive shaft? rusty here where the yoke moves back and forth. Never seen rust on mine. They require periodic lubrication here through this zerk. Has it not been lubed? has it been sitting a long time? Whether it's a buy or not depends on the price. My 2000 AC has similar miles on the original motor and transmission with no current issues. If the transmission feels good when doing a variety of driving methods and take offs, probably still in good shape. Check the fluid on the dipstick and see how it looks.

 

I agree with Torino (so sorry to hear about the loss of your wife) That DC looks clean, top to bottom. I guess it comes down to what the seller wants for it.
It looks like it will need an exhaust system soon, but honestly, the photos don't show any major concerns.

Welcome to the club and keep us informed

 

I'm at 270K miles on my 2004 and have no concerns with the transmission. They are solid and known for longevity. I recently did a drain and fill of 3+ quarts of fluid after 3 years of ownership and the fluid coming out looked pristine.

 

It's being sold for 7k right now. Seemed like a good price to me?

 

Looks pretty good for 258k, if it drives well and the price is right I'd buy it.

EDIT: Just saw the price for $7k you'd be doing really well even if it needs some work.

 

I paid $7,500 for my '04 in 2017 with 210K miles. At this point, these old trucks have stopped depreciating, in fact, like a fine wine, they have begun appreciating in value. Price sounds good to me if everything checks out.

 

Any advice for if I bought this what would be a good idea for doing new fluids etc?

I'll need to look into slip yoke as well it sounds like. Not sure what that might indicate or mean for other surrounding parts.

 

Slip yoke should be able to be removed and cleaned up. It's a heavy piece.

With everything listed that's been done about all that's left is the front axle, transmission, and brake fluid.

 

It wouldn't hurt to swap out the gear oil in the front/rear differentials and the transfer case. Super easy to do yourself and cheap insurance. The transmission is bullet proof. No other way to say it.
As far as that rust on the drive shaft, it looks to be just that. Rust on the surface of the drive shaft. When I rebuilt my Tundra over last summer, I sanded down the rust on my DSs and painted them with Chassis Saver paint.

You may be in a position to buy a vehicle that needs nothing!

 

Thanks so much for the feedback guys. The earliest I could go and get it would be next week anywho, I'll probably continue to think about it and make a decision this weekend as I'd need to book a one way flight.

@torino69 sorry to hear about the wife. Gotta be tough. But I've heard that is a beautiful area to live in.

This community rocks.

 

Just make sure you actually inspect it yourself, really well. Don't trust just the pictures. Bring a flashlight for the boxed portion of the frame up front.

 

Based on the rust being on everything but the frame, I bet the frame was replaced at some point. You can put the vin on Toyota's website and check.

 

$7k is a steal! Truck looks good and the rust on the non-frame parts is pretty minor. I had a rusted out T100 and everything was super rusty. From the pics that tuck looks clean.

 

Sweet, I think I'm gonna go for it, been talking with the guy a good bit, seems like a great guy. Anyone have any knowledge about buying vehicle in another state and transferring title? I'm in NC and truck is in Georgia... I did this once before for a motorcycle, but the guy that was selling it to me was really easy going and easy to work with and that state had super loose laws on title transfer, you basically sign and notarize and you are good. Georgia seems... more complex... but I can't find anything about out of state and if you can transfer the title without registering it.

The seller is willing to let me use his plates and ship them back so I'm okay to drive it home at least.

 

Typically a trip to the DMV office or whoever issues plates is what it takes. They'll do the paperwork for Georgia and issue a temporary plate. You drive back and do the same in NC to finish up their documents.

If you know what county he's in you could probably call their local office and ask what the process is.

 

I paid $5,500 for my 2004 AC 4WD with 228,000 mi, and have since put ~ $2,000 into it (about 1/2 of that for rust repair/abatement). I plan to keep it forever.

 

Looks clean and a good deal for that price! I paid 8 for my 03 AC but that was because of only 150k miles.

 

I don't understand all the subarus on the road. Other than some killer awd performance they don't really offer much when it comes to longevity.

http://dashboard-light.com/reports/Subaru.html

Look for frame runst around the gas tank on the truck.

 

When I moved from Atlanta to Milwaukee 15 years ago, I just had to transfer the title to a Wisconsin title at the DMV. My Tundra came from the Chicago area and it was an easy deal... Just took the title to the DMV, paid the sales tax, bought the plates and got a new title.

I can't imagine that NC would be too much different. New York or California?? All bets are off....