Advice needed- keep it or loose it?

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

I have a '95 Tacoma with 250+k on the (V6) ticker, and for the last year or so there has been a couple of issues with the truck that have left me less than satisfied- not with the truck, but rather, the performance etc.


Firstly, The engine stuff:

I've an intermittent misfire on the #3 cylinder. It has happened here and there (mostly at certain altitudes on certain grades in certain temperatures and humidities), and comes and goes infrequently- sometimes it does it, then it'll go 6 months without doing it again.

Then there is the vibration that I'm getting from the exhaust manifold shroud on the rear of the engine- the one that you really can't get to unless you start moving the entire engine around.

Also is the decline in power over the last several years- the engine just seems like it has lost some of its pep.

Lastly, it's due for a timing belt again.


Then the other stuff:

I need suspension and brakes. Rear springs are sitting pretty flat these days, and the front feels a bit washy.

The transmission shifts well- I did overheat it once (although as soon as the light came on I pulled over and let it cool down), then changed the fluid within a week.

The transfer case has a little dampness around the seal, but not enough to call it a leak.


So here's where I need your advice:

I'm thinking it is either time for some major work on the rig, or it's time to unload it onto someone else. Below is my pro's / con's list... what would you do?

Pro's:

* I know the entire history of the truck, what it needs, and cosmetically it's in great condition in and out.
* I found a used engine with 86k on it, and it's TRD SUPERCHARGED ($2100, and compression is 188-189 psi in all 6)!
* I have a set of 63" Chevy springs in my garage, and they're in great shape.
* I think that with an investment of say, $4k or so, and a few days, I could drive it for another 200k reliably.
* I hate buying used rigs, and I can't justify the price of a brand new truck.

Con's:

* I'm a bit tired of the truck... but maybe it's just because it has some issues. If it ran & drove like new again, I'd probably be really stoked on it.
* I might sink a bunch of money into the truck, only to have some other big ticket item go wrong with it (such as the transmission).
* I like the look of the last generation of Tacoma's (through 2004), and have wanted a double cab for quite some time.
* I think engine swaps are a pita.
* I'd bet that if someone hit the truck the day after I fixed it all up, the insurance company would total it (such high mileage) and would pay out about $2500- less than what I had just dumped into it.


Opinions please:

Keep it and fix it up for an estimated $4k or sell it for an estimated $3-4k, and go look for another rig?

 

[Martinjmpr]

At 14 years and 250k miles, my thought is that your truck is nearing the end of its useful life. Sure you can replace the engine, but as you said, what goes next?

My only quibble would be whether you could realistically get $3-4k for a Taco with that kind of mileage. Maybe, I don't know what the truck market is like in your area. It would probably make a good project vehicle (for you or someone else) but I don't think I'd want to take a vehicle with that kind of mileage on an extended trip where a breakdown could be a real problem.

Just curious about why you don't like buying used vehicles? I hate buying new vehicles! I've only done it twice (three times if you count my new motorcycle) but I will probably never do it again, at least not for anything with 4 wheels. I'm just too much of a cheap SOB to buy a vehicle and know it's going to lose 10-15% of its value the second I drive it off the lot. I'd rather let the other guy take that hit!

It really depends on how your finances are, what your needs for the vehicle are, what the market is like in your area, etc. But if I were in your situation, and I didn't mind having car payments, I'd look at a 2006-2007 vehicle, preferably one that's still under the factory warranty and hasn't been modded or abused. The first owner's already taken the depreciation hit and other than the new-car smell and the new-car price, you basically have a new vehicle.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Hey James,
Now I see what you're getting at... I'd start with something fresh, something fun, and something with more value that you can build over time perhaps.. Like a FJ60 maybe They are a dime a dozen without a peep of rust all over Arizona for example 250K is a lot. My current DDer truck has about 246K and is in about the same spot, runs well but definitely time to move on...

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

Update- So I decided to sell it. What would you sell this rig for? I know that blue book values are typically worthless, but mine books out at $4500. I have an offer of $4k, and the guy wants to pick it up today... would I be nuts to refuse $4k for a Tacoma with 250k+ miles, or should I hold out a bit and see what happens?

 

[shawkins]

I would say $4K is a fair price. A friend of mine just got a '96 Taco with around 175K on it IIRC for around $5K. His is a single cab 5-Speed though.

 

[Redline]

Sell it for the 4k, buy a newer truck with 100k or less miles and start anew

 

[OTR]

sell it for the 4k, buy a newer truck with 100k or less miles and start anew

x2

 

[IH8RDS]

sell low, buy high. At least that what usually happens to me. I end up keeping vehicle for there lifespan and they usually end up not worth much in the end.

Sell it if you have an offer for 4K.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I have an offer of $4k, and the guy wants to pick it up today... would I be nuts to refuse $4k for a Tacoma with 250k+ miles, or should I hold out a bit and see what happens?

You could scan CL to see what similar trucks are going for but if you've got a $4k cash offer on the table I think you'd be crazy to turn it down in this economy.

Did you pull any of the pull-able accessories off so you can sell them separately? I haven't done that in the past but I damn sure will do it now. You almost never get full value for accessories, better to strip the truck and sell them separately, unless your $4k offer is specifically counting on those mods as being part of the truck.

 

[SAR_Squid79]

It all depends on you and the connection you have with your truck.

If you're thinking that you might want to sell it, and you have an interesting offer, maybe you should let her go. With women, I always say "If you're starting to think it might be over - it already is".

I KNOW that I don't want to sell my truck. Somebody would have to offer me $25,000 for me to even think about it! If I were you, I'd shoot for an '03 instead of an '04. It's probably going to be difficult to find a good one, though...

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

You could scan CL to see what similar trucks are going for but if you've got a $4k cash offer on the table I think you'd be crazy to turn it down in this economy.

Did you pull any of the pull-able accessories off so you can sell them separately? I haven't done that in the past but I damn sure will do it now. You almost never get full value for accessories, better to strip the truck and sell them separately, unless your $4k offer is specifically counting on those mods as being part of the truck.

I'm kind of in agreement with that given the current state of things that I'd be nuts to turn down the offer. However, $4k guy never showed. A guy says he's coming over and bringing cash, then never shows... big surprise right? the good news though, is that I have it listed for $5k, and there's been a lot of response to the ad, so I'll see where it goes.

As for taking off all of the goodies, I've pretty much stripped it back down to stock (minus the ham radio and CD changer- both of which can come out within 1/2 hour), and one can't really tell that there were ever any goodies installed.

It all depends on you and the connection you have with your truck.

If you're thinking that you might want to sell it, and you have an interesting offer, maybe you should let her go. With women, I always say "If you're starting to think it might be over - it already is".

I KNOW that I don't want to sell my truck. Somebody would have to offer me $25,000 for me to even think about it! If I were you, I'd shoot for an '03 instead of an '04. It's probably going to be difficult to find a good one, though...

Not too much of a connection to the truck- I kind of see it as more of a tool, and tend to not get too attached to my vehicles. As with all tools... when they wear out, I look for a replacement. I feel like this one is wearing out, and am on the fence about the practicality of fixing it up vs. selling and buying something else, but am leaning toward the latter.

I'm not too worried about the year of the truck that I get, as long as it will serve the purpose. I'm thinking either a DC Taco, a 4Runner, or perhaps a Land Cruiser (FJ60-ish). I believe that all would be suitable for my needs, and that all have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'm not too worried about the year of the truck that I get, as long as it will serve the purpose. I'm thinking either a DC Taco, a 4Runner, or perhaps a Land Cruiser (FJ60-ish). I believe that all would be suitable for my needs, and that all have their advantages and disadvantages.

I was a Cruiser owner years ago and if you think a 250K mile old Taco feels worn out, so will an FJ60 that you get for $4000. It will probably be in fair shape, but the engine will need refreshing, the tranny shifting will be loose, the knuckles will be weeping. My FJ40 was a mostly unmolested stocker with I think either 250K or 350K (only 5 odometer digits, so who knows?) and I don't miss the constant maintenance, battling rust all the time, the tinkering it required.

Personally I have become comfortable with the fact that my '91 will be the last gasoline powered truck I ever own. The frame is solid and everything else is fixable. There has simply been nothing introduced since 1995 that catches my fancy and I've gotten to know everything I need to about this truck that to start new with something older just doesn't interest me.

Like you say, it's just a tool. Knowing what sub system to keep an eye on and what things will not need attention only comes with 10 years and 150K of knuckle busting experience with it. It may be old and not all shiny and new, but I have personally had eyes and hands on just about every square inch of the truck (inside and out, literally since I built the engine for example) now and that goes a very, very long way towards confidence inspiration. I know what tools I need to bring, what parts to have, what parts I need to find, what things I need look like if I'm digging through a junk yard or tool bin. I know pretty much what all the wires in the harness do by sight, what the different tubes and hoses do, what all the sensors do, what EFI, vacuum or emissions stuff can be bypassed to keep it running.

I am obviously super biased, but I think you are missing a major opportunity to get to know your truck. Rebuild the engine, fix the issues. Just me, though. I figure the only want to know for sure that something is done your way is to do it yourself. I've never been able to trust even very low mileage newer trucks, though, since I was burned badly by the one and only new car I've ever owned. It barely made 70K when I sold it and that was even with me limping along a few things. It went through a tranny, ate intake manifold gaskets every 20K. Not exactly the sort of thing that made you comfortable taking in the backcountry.