WHAT SHOULD I BE AWARE OF BEFORE PURCHASING THIS TRUCK?

How does sand get up under the bed liner like that?

 

I think from some really good times lol or from a sand storm.

 

Frank says drink a beer, and continue your search... this is not the Tundra you are looking for.

 

Might be just my area but most large dealers don't stock anything much older than 6 years from current and they'll send anything with much more than minor issues to auction.

 

I was thinking more of a Texas oil field/fracking truck

 

Yup! Some pipe jockey owned that thing. He probably beat it, then blew 2 months pay on a 1 ton Ram and is now doing the same to that. If it's not their welder or Rock Revival jeans, they don't take care of it. They just hee haw around in stuff till it's dead, then get a new one.

 

Have u tried a Facebook search for that #ruttinways that’s in the back window?? Maybe the old owner will pop up or find out something about the truck?

 

That truck could be amazing or could be a nightmare. I would prefer not to risk 13k on it and find something local instead. Curious why the dealer can't even spend 10 minutes with a pressure washer. The lack of bother on the sellers part alarms me.

Two things you should know about that truck:
1) it has been beat to hell
2) it will never be as fast as a black Tundra

 

With dirt and evidence of being muddy wet at some point, everywhere, inside an out, my first thought was 'rode hard and put away wet' and I see someone else here has already had that thought. I usually reserve that term for mosin nagant rifles that went through a revolution and then a world war in the hands of a peasant who had no idea how to maintain a rifle. It still screams 'flood' to me. How does that dirt get up under plastic top on the tailgate, packed in there like that? Carpet inside looks like it had soaked in dirty water then was 'wrung out'. Interior plastic looks like it was washed with dirty water and left to dry. Inside engine block, every surface looks like it was soaked in dirty water and allowed to dry. Scary. Even if not a flood, it's been a real beater. Something does not feel right.
Still, if you have the time, energy and dare I say, money (how much, ??) you might find a diamond, or at least a usable truck under all that dirt. Kinda like lotto scratchers...

 

Looks like that thing has been driven down (or in) the beach pretty hard.. That sure looks like Texas beach sand.

 

I'd rather spend that 12k on a clean 4 door 1st gen. That thing looks hammered.

Hopefully they give you a warranty.

 

The corn and shotgun hulls show deer lease

 

These ons is a little scary. Some hack style electrical there and mud in wild places. I don't think flood, I think he just mudded the hell.out of the truck all the time.

 

What do the unladen factory leaf springs look like?

At 270K mine looked like this... the picture and other indicators tell me how the truck was used.

 

You could be right...although those are low brass 20 gauge shells....maybe a little evidence of some blood on the tailgate...hard to tell in the pic

 

tag

 

I had a friend with a Toyota pickup (long before the Taco and Tundra). He loved to play in the mud with it but kept it in good shape. One day he decided that playing on the banks of a river seamed like a good idea. The banks were made up of small rocks and pebbles. When he went through the river to the next bank the stones offered little traction but he made it. When he tired to return he decided to go a little further out in the river to avoid driving on the same part as before. As you can guess, he didn't make it. It was actually kind of hard to get the traction needed to pull his truck out of the river but we got it back to dry ground. All he did was drain the engine oil, fill it, then drove it. Over the next few months he just kept flushing the various oils when they started to change color (the oil in the axles would turn a nasty pale green color when mixed with water).

Back then there was no Carfax. But even if there was it wouldn't of showed up. He knew hos insurance wouldn't do a thing since they don't cover intentional acts like that. About 6 months later he sold the truck. Had he gone deep enough to suck water in through the air cleaner he would of bent a rod or damaged a piston and the engine would have been rebuilt (knew more than one person who found out the hard way). Even then, unless they take the truck to a mechanic who enters the information into a system somewhere there still will not be a record.

I get that this is a Toyota dealership that doesn't want to be bothered with selling it. Most likely because if they do they would most likely have to take it back if it died a few weeks later and repair it even if sold without a warranty. New car dealers tend to be more weary of their reputation. It could be a great truck and last a very long time. I've seen vehicles that have been driven like they were stolen from the moment they left the dealer's lot (those mid 80's Mustang 5.0s were famous around here for that). Even with all the abuse, never having the car broken in correctly, they ran just fine for a very long time. If it was me, I would accept the fact that it's a risky gamble and that the money I saved (and more) could be spent fixing it.

If the truck was going to be my daily driver or a truck I needed to count on, I think I would pass. If it was going to be a second vehicle that I didn't mind tinkering on, I would be open to taking a chance. IMO this would make for a good truck to modify. Maybe lift it and turn it into play truck. The sealed transmission is kind of a wild card. Not being able to easily see the oil means you can't check it to see if there's water in it without draining it.

 

I’m in California, picked up an 2008 5.7 Limited Tundra w/ full dealer service records and 122k miles for $13k in 2018. I’d hold out for a better truck with no questions or concerns.

 

@ROSSP what did you end up doing?

 

Literally unloading it

 

Does this mean u got it? N I like how the antenna is slammed shut in the passenger door

 

Congrats on the purchase! I hope it's a great truck for you. You should def stick around here. Lots of wisdom, know-how, and ideas for how to spend your money

 

Good thing they washed it lol

 

What's the conclusion on this truck OP. I would like to hear your general consensus of the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

Hey guys. Ive had it for almost two weeks now. The good is the condition of the truck was way better than expected. Most of what looked to be rust is just caked on mud. After pressure washing the undercarriage, it cleaned the majority of it off. The bad is that we saw two other locations that will need minor body work. The ugly is the MPG haha. First tank got me about 240 miles. The gas gauge moves faster than any car I've previously driven. Overall I am super happy and satisfied with my purchase. It is exactly what I needed for work and so far its been great ride.

 

Was wondering how to go through a car wash with the antenna on.
Just slam it in the door

 

Delivery driver must have closed it between the door smh. Either way thats since been replaced with a nice shorty antenna.

 

Just having fun.
If it works for you and has been checked out then you got a nice truck for the price of soap and water.

 

Lets see some pics of her all shined up.