How do you say goodbye to an old friend?

After taking home the new 2021 Tundy, it seems that keeping the 97 Taco no longer make sense. It might be time to let her go.

But hold on. This is hard to do.

I’m the original owner and have kept her in perfect shape all of these years. Lots of dirt miles on this recreational only truck. We have seen a lot of places the past 23 years.

This truck introduced me to wonderful things and changed my life. It took me places I never would have gone and for that I will be forever grateful. We are truly fortunate to live in the USA.

Always going alone and always wanting to make it back, I always drove easy on her.

Being self-employed and single most of those years allowed me to take extended road trips. Sometime as much as a month at a time. Many trips per year. We have seen the California coastal trails, Sierras, high desert, the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades etc. I'm guessing over 400 nights in the bed.

I’ve had this truck longer than any woman or job.

I feel like I’ll be leaving a soldier behind. One who always had my back and never let me down.

Geez, I’m starting to tear up just writing this.

Is it supposed to be this hard?

Am I the only one?

 

Find a church or community group and ask if they know of anyone needs a truck real badly. With strange times like these there are probably some well deserving hard down on their luck who could use that truck. Maybe a tradesman whose old truck went belly up or a single mom who needs transport to get to that job. It might give someone the step up to actually climb out of that hole life put it in front of them. Better than donating it to some faceless charity who will probably crush it for scrap metal value.

 

Sounds like it makes sense to me to keep her seeing how emotionally attached you are...never let her go as she is a unicorn!

 

Nope, my dad is in the same boat as you with his 87 ford bronco II. He has over 300,000 miles and counting. All original parts minus 2 radiators from collision damage. He now has 3 vehicles and is bouncing the idea around of getting rid of it. After having them as long as you have and sole owner, the memories make it hard to get rid of it.

 

Thanks for the reply. I like the way you think.

I work in home building and already have 4 workers who want the Taco. Two offering $8,000

It runs and looks like new.

 

I was attached so to speak to one car, a 1971 Lemans Sport, 2 door, 455, 3 speed turbo 400, console shift, man that car would fly. Burn the tires off all day and keep giving more. She was broke into twice, pioneer audio that rocked zztop and van halen like none other. Totaled in 1986. I was crushed.

After that I just dont care like I did, they are cars and trucks. Yes I enjoy them, but have no problem tossing the keys on a desk and pointing to the lot and saying I want that one over there.

 

Heck all this! Send that perfect truck to me.

I’ll send you postcards from a bunch more pretty places.

 

I hear ya. Folks get attached to Broncos.

The wife says to just keep it and use it for trails or places I don’t want to take the new Tundy.

But having two trucks that see little use just seems a bit excessive. And, I want to drive the new Tundy on every trip. Even if the first road trip, it may see miles of muddy road.

 

My 1999 Dakota R/T had 76000 original miles on it. My daughter totaled it in a accident . I had dropped collision on it. I sold it to a nice young man who is restoring it. He came to house and put radiator in and hood and drive it away. The airbags deployed plus frame damage convinced me to let her go. I love my 2021 sr5 SX but really miss my truck I bought new and had 21 years . Glad someone is restoring it and it didn’t go to scrapyard

 

All right.. Now you’re bringing back old memories.

Pioneer in my 69 Z-28

That 302 did not have the power of a big block, but it did high RPM’s pretty good.

I know what you mean. Somehow I don’t think I’ll ever have the same feelings for the 2021 Tundy, even though it’s a lot more truck.

 

Whoa, that R/T is clean. As clean as the old Taco.

Hope you enjoy the modern beast.

 

If you have the means and you truely are attached to the taco. By all means keep it. I know for a fact my 2001 Tacoma will be with me till death.

 

In my own selfish way, I decided to keep my Taco with 265k miles on it, knowing fully well how it’s been maintained. To add to that, my wife is also happy with that decision as the truck is used as an all around vehicle. Lastly, I’m confident on how reliable the truck is.

 

Try to keep it. We handed our daughter the keys to our ‘13 when we got the Tundra. Still love that little truck. And now we wheel them together. More memories being created.

 

Sounds like the exact thing my daughter’s boyfriend (Jared) is looking for...

Unfortunately, I’ve never had a rig that really became a “part of me” other than maybe my 2008 Tundra (after 298k, I certainly was very comfortable in it).

If I could have swung it, I’d have sold Jared my first Tundra when I bought this one... but I needed the full market value to justify the new one and he wasn’t in a position to afford that.

 

You got the road trip bug, too?

Please enjoy some road trip pix from the two of us.

Road Trips curated by Gritty Lens / 500px

 

Yea uhh that’s a beautiful truck. I don’t think I’d get rid of er. Lol

 

I kept my 04 taco.. can't give it up

 

Awesome story and tribute to a well-loved tool. Thanks for sharing.

 

If you have the means, hold it until the emotional attachment goes away. If it never does, then have them bury you in it. Few things worse than regretting selling a vehicle. You can buy another 97, but you can't buy YOUR 97.

I owned a vehicle for 15+ years and kept it probably 5 years longer than I should have in a similar situation. At some point, the desire to drive it and attachment evaporated, so I listed it for sale. It went to a collector who will care for it as I did. I had a quiet and sad moment when I walked away from it for the last time, but I don't regret selling it. It was a great car, but it was time to let someone else enjoy it. If you never get there, make it yours forever.

 

I say keep it if you can afford it. I still have my 2000 tundra even though it only gets driven rarely. Can’t tell you how many offers I’ve had on it. Too many good memories to let it go...

 

I purchased a 2020 CM in June and sold my 04 in July that I owned for 13 years. I have regretted it ever since. It went to an 18 year old kid so I felt good about that. Messaged him about two month after the sale and he was already selling it. I told him he broke my heart. In the end he traded it to his dad for a car with better gas mileage.

 

viking funeral

 

Honestly, your kinda nuts! Which means your a mentally healthy individual. As for the old truck. By all means hang on to it if you can. Run it on errands around town so your new truck remains cleaner, less beat up, less wear from city traffic, etc. Don't think things can't happen to the new one either. Countless things may occur and you would be very glad for secondary or as I described it primary transportation. Let's just say not old but more experienced people have been there and went to the school of hard knocks. A few of us actually got educated while in attendance and moved on to the American dream club. I sold 3 out of 4 of my beaters before I bought my tundra. Kept 1 97 Nissan hardbody beater for an errand/store/work truck to preserve the big investment in the tundra.

 

Fantastic pictures. I can’t believe how beautiful our world is sometimes.

Is that your full time gig?

 

So nice indeed. There is so much beauty in nature. Just wish we had more people who could prioritize it over their greed. It's nuts that they choose to live high society material lives vs taking time to smell the roses. Life is very very short. Find a balance between wealth and life.

 

Ha ha.. had to google Viking Funeral. Might make a good photo.

Thank you.

Naw, I work construction. Photography is just for fun.

Now that I think about it, maybe I'm really just attached to the experiences and not so much the truck.

Nope, the truck.

 

Agreed. I would not want to use the new Tundy every day.

Even if I sell the Taco I will still have a 2nd car. My commute car is a 2017, umm, cough, cough, clearing throat…. Prius prime.

Don’t tell anyone.

 

Won't tell you your business, but I will offer my opinion. I would sell the prius and use the proceeds to restore the taco if it needs anything, just for example, thermostat, wheel bearings, u joints, hoses, belts, maybe a starter, alternator, fuel pump. Etc. All to make it just as or even more dependable than the prius. Just my opinion though. Wish you the best, regardless.