New member, original 2003 owner from Colorado

Hello everyone!

I am a new member, but long time Tundra owner. I have a 2003 Tundra SR5 in
Stratosphere Mica blue with 142k miles, lovingly named Tina the Tundra. We are the original owners, I saw we because my parents purchased it new when I was 10 and it has since been handed down to me. This is the truck I learned to drive in, I've used it to move, cross country road trips, and have many good family memories in this truck. It is effectively bone stock, save for replacing the stock Bilstein suspension many years back and new LED headlight bulbs (that were more effort than I'd expect lol). Currently she's a (very light) commuter and grocery getter as I work from home and haven't got much need to drive these days. I'm looking forward to getting full use out of this truck including some light off-roading.

She's got some cosmetic issues including outdoor parking paint/clear coat fade, parking lot dings, and more than one someone-hit-me-in-the-parking-lot dings/dents/scratches, but I know she's got more than enough life left in her and I can't bring myself to move on to another vehicle!

Glad to be here!

 

Dammit, now I know I don't have the lowest mileage 2003 on here. (I'm closing in on 160K.) Welcome, and yes, you've got many miles to go with your Tundra. Go add some desert pinstripes to cover up the parking lot dings!

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

@Bakershack Thank you kindly!

@NomadicFrog Ha! Desert Pinstripes, haven't heard that one. I love it! I know we've got loads of off road trails here in CO, just haven't had the guts to hit them yet! She needs some new brake pads/flush and I've got a leaky front passenger strut so I'm nervous to take her up to the mountains - don't wanna fall off a mountain because the brakes don't care to work!

Planning to get the brakes done this week and get a quote for new struts. Considering a small lift/leveling kit for the front, but haven't decided yet. I'd love to do the front struts myself, but I live in an apartments and don't have some of the bigger tools to do the job. I'm happy to rent/buy what I need but don't know if an apartment parking lot is the right place to do it and my parents have a very sloped driveways so that's not ideal either.

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome from NY.

 

You sure do! I'm not sure where you are, and I'm not super familiar with the northeast third of the state, but from Great Sand Dunes National Park in the central south to Dinosaur National Monument in the northwest, and everything southwest of that line: pretty amazing stuff. (And then there is Utah just next door!)

Whatever you do, make sure you know where the turnoff for Black Bear Pass is, and DO NOT TAKE IT BY ACCIDENT because you don't know what it is. ;-) (I did that, on my very first off road trip. Fortunately I got freaked out by something incredibly minor just 1/4 mile from pavement and turned around.)

Get out there and explore, it's awesome!

As somebody living in an apartment in a not ideal area, I feel your pain. I wouldn't feel ok leaving all my tools laying around just to run to the bathroom. But also, before you do anything like that, check your lease: I am specifically forbidden from doing work on vehicles. I don't think they would actually care, but it is mentioned in the lease.

I have actually done a lot of my DIY work at a friend's place in Flagstaff, which has the benefit of a) being in Flagstaff where unlike Tempe, it isn't hotter than the surface of the sun, b) it's flat, c) my friend also has a first gen Tundra and knows his way around it, and d) his wife periodically brings us beers.

Also, messing with those coil springs can be pretty dangerous. The only time I did it was with that friend who had experience. I'm all for doing whatever you can yourself, but it can be tricky some times.

(When you do do stuff yourself, this forum is a fantastic place to search for answers, and if (after searching) you can't find the answer, there are tons of helpful people to ask.)

 

Welcome from So Cal