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Or you can now use TapaTalk again!Buying a New Truck
- Thread starter ravensfan
- Start date
Nice! I'm a huge fan of Tacomas. Bet that thing's a beast.
ravensfan
Well-known member
rangerray
Well-known member
My government ride at the office is a 4 x 4 Tacoma and I'm so sad they won't let me get another one. It's been a dang good truck for a park ranger!
Sad story time....
In 2017, I thought I needed a truck so I searched for and found my perfect Tacoma- a bright silver 2004 (first gen so it wasn't too large) with 86K miles, v6, manual tranny/windows/seats/transfer case... Found it on a lot in Mobile AL, so I flew down there from IAD and drove it home. Had it a year and realized I never really used it and it didn't get very good mileage, so I put it back up on AutoTrader. It was a second car anyway. Found a buyer and got a PPI...found the Frame rusted through and buyer backed out..Then Honda replaced the frame for free and I had the timing chain done while it was in the dealership. It had 90k miles exactly, and now it was basically a brand new truck. Still didn't need it, so back on the market. A dude flew to DC from DENVER to buy it..that should've clued me in to how much people loved these trucks, hell I flew to Alabama for the damned thing. Anyway, dude buys it and drives it home.
3 years later I'm a homeowner and I do need a truck. Breaks my heart to think I had the perfect one. When I look on the market, all I see are overpriced gigantic family trucksters and people are holding on to their good old simple trucks with no frills... damn it.
James48843
Well-known member
Rod
Well-known member
ravensfan
Well-known member
Hey I can vouch for James48843 comment about not allowing Toyota trucks in Michigan. I was in that part of the country in 2018 and noticed for every 10 trucks I saw, 8 were Chevys, 1 Dodge and 1 Ford. Toyotas were definitely few and far between. Here in Maryland, Ford is king with the big truck crowd and Toyota with the mid size truck crowd. Different strokes for different folks I guess. :nuts:
Rod
Well-known member
As of now, I am leaning toward a new GMC Sierra. I guess that's because it's what I've been driving since 2008. But, my very first truck was a brand spank'n new 1992 Ford Ranger XLT. Drove it for about 6 years. After that (in 1998) I drove a 1992 Ford Explorer, Eddie Bauer. Then I bought the 2001 GMC Sierra in 2008.
But, before all of that I drove a 1973 Chevy Bel Air. (teen years).. then a Pontiac T-1000 (beginning of Air Force career) before I bought the 1992 Ford Ranger.
BTW, this was a good memory exercise for me. That's why I listed them all. :biggthumpup:
Mcqlives
Active member
I have an 08 Tundra that I love. A tale of caution for you so if you do go with a Toyota you know of the issue. Again, I love my Tundra but wish Toyota would redo this design...
Only issue it has had is that the secondary air injector went out. Toyot places the intake portion where water can splash up and get in there. Over time things get gummed up or rust out and the SAIS quits working as it should. If you get a 4lo light flashing really fast along with the check engine light, traction control light and something else all flashing then you may have that problem. Replacement of the thing is insanely expensive (a couple of thousand is what I got quoted from the dealer and two other shops) but I found a bypass kit online for around $175 and put it on myself. Before I made that choice I asked the mechanics I spoke with if it would fix it forever....the dealer said "Sure!" and the other mechanics said "Nope, they see them come back in on a regular basis". Now my catalytic converter takes a few minutes longer to warm up on cold mornings but the truck runs great and I actually get about a mile per gallon more than I did. I live in a no emission test state but even if I did I probably would have done this and just driven the truck till nice and hot before taking it for inspection.
Only recall has been the frame rust that is common with Toyotas from that time frame and Toyota blasted and coated it for free.
ravensfan
Well-known member
Ahh memories. My first truck was a 1968 Ford. It had a 390 motor, 4 barrel carb and a 3 speed on the column and yes I owned it early in my Air Force career. I guess my fondest memory of that truck was when my wife drove it. Typically we would stop at a light and inevitably someone would pull up next to her, gun their engine and challenge her to a drag race. Of course she obliged them because she loved beating anyone foolish enough to challenge her. Funny thing is she never lost a race. Yeah, lots of good memories in that first truck.
PessOptimist
Well-known member
Trucks? Truck stories? Oh boy.
First truck I could drive on the road was a 77 F-150 4x4 with a 400ci 2bbl. Cute little short bed. When I went to look at it the first thing I did was pop the hood to check the oil. The salesman immediately started it up so I could hear the “pipes” preventing me from checking the oil. Could have taken off finger or two off in the fan. Pipes indeed, headers and short thrush mufflers was all it had. Warnings 1 and 2. It had a roll bar (useless, bolted to the bed only) and a push bar. Lights missing but switches still in dash. Previously registered in Alaska. Warning 3 and/or 4. But it was beautiful. Dealer “allowed” me $1200 for my 10 year old Maverick. Relatively early in my AF career but should have run away. 7-8 years in and recently divorced. Stationed at Ft Huachuca. Gotta have a 4x4. This thing turned out to be a money pit. As soon as I started taking it off road found it needed a transfer case chain and eventually a new engine. But it was pretty. I had no $ for it. Eventually got out of that by buying a new car. Dealer gave me $1200 bucks for it.
Spent the next 6 years at remote overseas AF sites where I didn’t need to worry about a vehicle.
Bought a 91 GMC Sonoma new. Decided to give the Escort I was driving to my daughter as a graduation present. Drove that for many years and many miles. Good truck but somewhere between 100 and 200k miles it started smoking on cold start up. Typical GM valve seal thing. I might get around to fixing it someday but how much money do I want to put in to a 10 year old pickup. It also had GM paint rash but every time I looked in to it I was too late or it didn’t qualify for the program.
Some time in 2001 my spouse (yeah I got married again silly me) came back from getting her Grand Cherokee serviced and told me we needed to go look at a new truck. She didn’t tell me she had all ready promised to buy it. So of course, I didn’t take all the stuff out of the Sonoma. It was a Dodge Dakota 4x4 crew cab. Plenty of room for the dog too. We can go off road. It will be fun. Great, I can show her some of the places I go for work daily. Well, not so much. On gravel roads she was nervous and any time I thought I needed to put it in 4w she got really anxious and when I got to the part where I needed 4w lo she stated no one would ever drive that road. Hmmm. I had been up there that week on the job. End of family adventures. Went out a few times with the dog but she just wanted to get out and try to socialize with creatures that would eat her. A few adventures with swift running irrigation ditches too. The end of seeing AZ off road. In 2016 after not having used 4w for several years I got tired of the 14mpg on my commute. The dog had died. So I traded it for the cheapest small 4d sedan I could find. About 116k miles.
A couple of coworkers had Toyota Tacoma’s and seemed to like them. A friend had a Tundra V-8 first generation that he used to tow a trailer up and down mountains. Seemed to be a good vehicle.
Now you know much much much more than you wanted to about my trucks. Best of luck with your purchases.
PO
quabit
Member
A couple of years ago I passed down a 05 Tundra V8 to my kid. He is still driving it with over 200k miles on it and it is running great. I'm a truck guy and have driven one my whole life. That Toyota was the best truck I have ever own. Since it was an 05 it required to have the timing belt changed every 90K miles but the cost was worth it because I never had any other issues with it besides the normal replacement stuff ie. tires, brakes etc. I'm driving a 2014 Ford F150 V6 Ecoboost now because I wanted the extra hauling power. Now that I look back on it I should have stayed gotten another Toyota or GMC.
I bought the Ford used with under 75K miles on it but have had issues with it ever since and the gas mileage sucks. I have own 2 Fords and this one will be my last. The first one, an Eddie Bauer I had to get rid of after a couple years due to orders. It was new so I didn't have any issues with it which helped sway my decision to try Ford again. My next truck before I retire will be either a Toyota or a GMC since I hadn't tried a GMC yet. I think you will like the new truck
Stoplight
Active member
Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!
I'm in !!!
My first truck ? A Ford F-100, 6th generation...as near as I can tell !!! My first truck "buy", when I was a brand new USAF butter bar at Edwards AFB in CA, circa 1978 ! Maybe a 1974 ? Bought from the old CMSGT, who also sold us our first horse !!! He was retiring... Bought a Jackson horse trailer, and another Appaloosa horse...hauled those horses down to Griffith Park, in LA, and up to Tehachapi with that old truck !!!...good times !!!
Alas...separated in late 1980, at the end of my AF ROTC obligation, and AF career ! "She got the goldmine....I got the shaft !!!" Gave her the horses, trailer, and truck...I traveled back, across country, in a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, with 2 big dogs, and a nasty cat (and her litter box !) !!!
Because I LOVED that Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, I bought a Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Arrow compact pickup...that was a GREAT compact truck !!!
Remarried, moved to Maryland in 1984, and eventually bought a 1991 Ford Ranger...loved THAT truck, too !!! Drove it to death !!!
Bought a brand new 2004 Tundra when the Ford finally died...that was before the Tundra was a big honkin' truck...it was called a "7/8 size", at that time ! I think the new Tacomas are probably the size of that Tundra now !!!
SR5 access cab (suicide doors !), 4WD, 4.7 V-8 engine...It was my "daily driver", from Bel Air into Baltimore City and back, to work !!!
So I STILL own that Tundra !!! LOVE my truck ! A.R.E. color matched cap ; Bed Rug bed liner ; but it's showing its age...heater cable broke ; door panel upholstery came loose ; replaced the head unit with a new fancy one from Crutchfield (bluetooth, etc) ; trying to decide if we want to fix it, or go "new"...don't drive it much anymore, but damn !!! A GREAT truck !!!!
Stoplight...
Rod
Well-known member
Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!
I'm in !!!
Yeah... a lot of us USAF vets/retirees! Some young... some older... and some just old! A good mix of company, I'd say!
Stoplight
Active member
Okay...that 2004 Tundra just hit 136K miles...still running great, but started making some funny "grinding" noises when cold...maybe an axle ? Power steering pump ? Don't know !!! Nothing else fixed, either...I just don't drive it in winter, even in FL !
So I started out looking at new Tacomas...the new Tundras are just too big for my needs and tastes.
However, a new Honda Ridgeline caught my eye ! We owned an Accord back in the late 80's, and loved that car !!! Didn't care for the early year's Ridgeline body style, but the new ones look more like a "traditional" truck. I really like the look...and it supposedly rides like a car, because it's a unibody frame, rather than "frame-on-rail" like other trucks. Not hauling dogs or horses anymore, but I just like having a truck, for those rare occasions when you need a bed...even if the "truck purists" make fun of it !!! You sure don't see many of them on the road...at least, around here...
Sooo...any Ridgeline owners out there, who want to share their experience/comments/opinions on the Ridgeline ? Any comments appreciated, before I sink almost $40K in a new vehicle !!!
Stoplight...
Hmmm...I'm seeing some common threads here ! Truck ownership history, Toyotas, and the USAF !!!
I'm in !!!
My first truck ? A Ford F-100, 6th generation...as near as I can tell !!! My first truck "buy", when I was a brand new USAF butter bar at Edwards AFB in CA, circa 1978 ! Maybe a 1974 ? Bought from the old CMSGT, who also sold us our first horse !!! He was retiring... Bought a Jackson horse trailer, and another Appaloosa horse...hauled those horses down to Griffith Park, in LA, and up to Tehachapi with that old truck !!!...good times !!!
Alas...separated in late 1980, at the end of my AF ROTC obligation, and AF career ! "She got the goldmine....I got the shaft !!!" Gave her the horses, trailer, and truck...I traveled back, across country, in a Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, with 2 big dogs, and a nasty cat (and her litter box !) !!!
Because I LOVED that Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, I bought a Plymouth (Mitsubishi) Arrow compact pickup...that was a GREAT compact truck !!!
Remarried, moved to Maryland in 1984, and eventually bought a 1991 Ford Ranger...loved THAT truck, too !!! Drove it to death !!!
Bought a brand new 2004 Tundra when the Ford finally died...that was before the Tundra was a big honkin' truck...it was called a "7/8 size", at that time ! I think the new Tacomas are probably the size of that Tundra now !!!
SR5 access cab (suicide doors !), 4WD, 4.7 V-8 engine...It was my "daily driver", from Bel Air into Baltimore City and back, to work !!!
So I STILL own that Tundra !!! LOVE my truck ! A.R.E. color matched cap ; Bed Rug bed liner ; but it's showing its age...heater cable broke ; door panel upholstery came loose ; replaced the head unit with a new fancy one from Crutchfield (bluetooth, etc) ; trying to decide if we want to fix it, or go "new"...don't drive it much anymore, but damn !!! A GREAT truck !!!!
Stoplight...
