Should I do it? $11,000 for an ‘02 150k v8 4x4

good deal? Or maybe a lower price with 200-250k miles?

2002 v8 4x4 access cab 155k miles with timing belt/water pump done at 95k miles 13 years ago. LBJ’s at 120k 9 years ago. Little rust from a video call but was in Florida + Virgina for part of its life. The guys father had it and was military.

It’s 3 hours away and $11k seems like a lot but also… just really would hate myself if I get another terrible headache of a car.

Do you run into issues getting parts frequently?

If I got this I plan to replace timing belt/serp belt and radiator (unless it looks new in person). Think she will be a good daily driver with having to fix something here and there? Not being stranded every week (no joke been my life for 3 years lol).

I am coming from a lemon of a new ram that was extra challenging to work on and I was forced to do frequently. I really admire the simplicity, reliability, and driving feel of the 1st gen Tundras. Especially now that I have done quite a bit of work on vehicles. Sure yall do to.

 

Check the frame for rust. Lookup all the rust issues with that generation before throwing any money at one.

 

100% I have looked at a few now and know to look inside the font frame and the back and the parts that are laminated.

Luckily I am in a pretty rust free zone.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

We love our Tundras, but these 20+ year old vehicles require regular attention and maintenance. They rarely leave us stranded however, the difference is that we can usually plan and schedule the work rather than alongside the road.

Read the mega thread and go look at it armed with the experience and knowledge of dozens of long time owners.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

The price may or may not be too high, but someone will snatch it up soon regardless.

 

Yeah....
If you're gonna buy an old truck Toyota is the way to go.
I'd take it to a mechanic and have them go over it myself.

 

Having found myself in a similar situation with my '03 for a similar amount of money, here's what I have found. I've owned it for 3 years and I am REGULARLY upgrading and repairing parts. If you can't dedicate the time and money to stay ahead of maintenance on a 22-23 year old truck, it's probably not for you. So far I haven't had any issues getting parts, but I plan ahead for longer lead times. I also do all of my own work. That being said, when these trucks are well maintained, they are great! If you start out with a huge list of items, it's going to be hard to get ahead of it. I highly suggest finding someone with extensive 1GT knowledge to take with you to do a thorough PPI.

 

Hey OP, instead of starting a different thread for every truck you come across, why not keep it all together in one "My FGT Search" thread? That way folks aren't repeating the same information over and over again.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/2003-sidestep-tundra-help.159044/#post-3935332
https://www.tundras.com/threads/looked-at-an-‘01-at-a-subaru-dealership-today.159076/#post-3936131
https://www.tundras.com/threads/should-i-do-it-11-000-for-an-‘02-150k-v8-4x4.159142/#post-3937376

 

Too much rust?

 

That's nothing for rust. It's just surface rust. I recently sold my 2020 tundra and bought a 98 GMC Z71, 27 years old. Engine is 185-190 compression all a round. Transmission, rear diff, front diff and transfer case all work perfect. Everything in the truck works. But, older trucks take a bit more maintenance than say a 10 year old truck. With that said, I love tundras, have had 4 of them, but like others have said, they require attention. When I recently bought my truck, it didn't require much other than breaks and change all the fluids. Eventually I will do some suspension work, replace ball joints, tie rods, shocks, etc. My truck is a bit less complicated than the tundra and I know my way around a Chevy, so it's easy for me to work on them. The tundras are a bit more complicated as far as electrical stuff but mechanical wise, it's about the same. Price doesn't seem bad, I haven't really look at older tundra prices but they do hold their value. I would say that if you aren't to mechanically inclined, have someone that is looking it over.

 

What am I looking at/through? That amount of rust doesn't look god-awful but ...

I only ask because this is either a basic scratch, or a crack in the steel.

 

Seems really steep in price considering the work it needs. I paid $5100 for a 2005 Sequoia 4x4 Limited with 245k a year ago for reference.

 

$11k? I should’ve bought two of them new at $27.5k including tax/title/license back in 02.

$11k is pricey but a good buy. Only issue I’m concerned with is getting in an accident and not finding the parts I need.

 

For 11k You can find a double cab. Seen a lot in good condition