Your First Toyota Experience

WASURF63

Adventurer
My first experience was when my parents bought a new 1981 Starlet. It was the cheapest thing on the lot with a/c. They raised a family with that thing. I remember going on family vacations with the 4 of us and pulling a small Harbor Freight trailer. It was a bullet proof.

Our family has owned a lot of Toyota's
1981 Starlet
1986 Pickup 4x4 Extra-Cab
1988 Camry
1992 Pickup 2wd Extra-Cab
1994 Tercel
1996 Tacoma 2wd (no p/s or a/c)
1997 4Runner 4x4
1999 Avalon
2001 Tundra Extra-Cab 4x4
2005 Corolla
2006 Tacoma Extra-Cab 4x4
2007 Yaris Sedan
2007 Scion Xb
2009 Yaris Sedan

My wife and I will probably not buy another Toyota.



My wife and I will probably not buy another Toyota.[/quote]


???
Because now you'll never need another :), or because you would rather buy something besides a Toyota next time :( ?
Just curious.
 

CA-RJ

Expo Approved™
Toyota doesn't make anything that we like or can afford. My wife's next car will be a VW Jetta TDi or an Audi A4. I am not sure what the next 4x4 for me will be, but it has to be a stick which means I will be looking at Nissan Xterra's or Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's.
 

WASURF63

Adventurer
Toyota doesn't make anything that we like or can afford. My wife's next car will be a VW Jetta TDi or an Audi A4. I am not sure what the next 4x4 for me will be, but it has to be a stick which means I will be looking at Nissan Xterra's or Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's.

We have an '05 Xterra also (wifes DD). It's been a great vehicle.
 

WASURF63

Adventurer
My parents had a Corona wagon also that I beat the c**p out of in high school. Took a licking and kept on ticking. A few years later I picked up an 81 4x4. 79 and 80 had the 20R, so I think you are correct. Great cars/trucks!

Interesting that our vehicle backgrounds are that similar :costumed-smiley-007

Maybe it's a SoCal thing or could it be related to our signatures somehow?:Wow1:
Maybe just a coincidence, but I moved here from O'side, (for my current job) 15yrs ago.
My Toyota's have always been my reliable DD's/offroad and surf vehicles.
 
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irish_11

Explorer
My parent's owned our first Toyotas before I was born, and I continue to own them today. Our first was a 1981 Yota short bed 4x4. We owned it for 26 years, and it was my first truck. I finally convinced my dad after years of trying to give it to me when I turned 17. I drove that until the summer between my freshman and sophmore years in college when I sold it to a friend and picked up a 1988 4runner. I was driving back and forth form Seattle to Montana and need something that would carry me, friends and gear (also fuel injection helped). I drove that until 2008 when the block cracked. I rebuilt it, and I still have it today, but I decided in the mean time that I missed having a truck. So I bought my tacoma and Im never looking back. Everything I loved about my old yotas with a more powerful engine and a locker.

I've owned 3 toyota 4x4's, all have been red (faded red), all have been 1st generations for their model, all have been work horses, and all have taken me places that I will never forget. I'm going to keep buying Yota's for those reasons and so many more.

1981 Yota pickup short bed
1988 4runner
1999 Tacoma
 

spdracr

New member
hj504, its funny but I use to tell my mom that I wanted a black Toyota 4x4 with 4 KC Lights, this, a direct result of B2TF and my then next door neighbor owning the infamous truck. My mother had an 85' Corolla with 225k which became mine in high school. I drove that car until 300k where I replaced it with a Toy truck. My mother got sick of seeing it in the backyard and eventually gave it to a local salvage yard; however, it still ran and on the original motor I might add. With the help of Uncle Sam and my mother I had a brand new 04' black x-cab trd waiting when I returned from the Sand Box. I still love my truck as much as I loved the thought of owning one in 1985 (age 7.) :drool:
 

ETAV8R

Founder of D.E.R.P.
Pretty much all I've driven other than company cars my mom used for her job which were all domestic.

First car I ever drove was a dark blue 82 Corolla Liftback. Drove it with my mom on an empty street.
E7-5.jpg


Next up was the urban assault prankster mobile- 87 Toyota Tercel 5 door in a lovely brown color. The rubber bumpers made pushing shopping carts a worry free teenage funfest.
800px-%2787-%2790_Toyota_Tercel_5-Door.jpg


I had always lusted after Toyota pickups. Several more well to do friends in high school had them. When I graduated I got a 1990 2WD Xtra Cab in dark gray. Got lucky and found a guy selling the front bumper, grill, marker lights, and fenders from a 90 4WD. Eventually put those and a fabtech lift on. Drove that truck everywhere. Drove it back to orange county every weekend while stationed in 29 Palms over a five month period. It lost a tranny and idler arm but other than that it was a hearty truck. It ended its life after a lady turned left in front of me. Very sad.

90pickupwrecked.jpg


Next up was the 1990 replacement, a 1999 Tacoma 4x4(finally) TRD. Another hearty truck with no problems. Again I took that truck all over. I like to drive and explore I guess. I had the truck paid off and got caught up in wanting a Scion tC. So I had two vehicles at one time. Learned a good lesson that unless you need to have a second vehicle don't do it. I then got the idea of buying a new 2008 Access Cab in blue. It was at the end of the 08 line and exactly what I wanted was not to be had. Dealer got my 09 in gray (again) and I could not be more pleased.

Here are all three of these last Toyota vehicles-
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I trust Toyota products. I'm sure there will be more in my future.
 

jh504

Explorer
Great stories folks. It is a shame that Toyota seems to be getting further and further away from their roots.
Of course with the $25,000 a new truck costs you could do a heck of a restoration on an old solid axle mini truck.
 

jh504

Explorer
hj504, its funny but I use to tell my mom that I wanted a black Toyota 4x4 with 4 KC Lights, this, a direct result of B2TF and my then next door neighbor owning the infamous truck. My mother had an 85' Corolla with 225k which became mine in high school. I drove that car until 300k where I replaced it with a Toy truck. My mother got sick of seeing it in the backyard and eventually gave it to a local salvage yard; however, it still ran and on the original motor I might add. With the help of Uncle Sam and my mother I had a brand new 04' black x-cab trd waiting when I returned from the Sand Box. I still love my truck as much as I loved the thought of owning one in 1985 (age 7.) :drool:

Yeah, Back To The Future really amped me up on the black Yotas too. I have seen a couple of recent movies that had some Toyota's to drool over as well. The Kingdom had some sweet FJ60s and then District 9 had some bad Hilux trucks.

hiluxd9.png
 

ETAV8R

Founder of D.E.R.P.
Toyota has decreased options and quality just as most manufacturers have. Back (to the future) in the day one could just about order specific items/options. My first truck had wing windows in the front that were pretty cool, literally and figuratively. Things like that were available on import and domestic. I understand why specific ordering options aren't around anymore. Oh well I still love my Toyota.
16474_83_toyota_truck_diesel_476_flv.jpg
 

ywen

Explorer
my first toyota experience is my current 03 Tacoma 4x4 which I purchased back in Jan.

Dunno.. compared to my last vehicle, a Honda Element with more miles, this Tacoma seems to not age as well... crappy lose steering, bad springs, rust on the frame... I've got a bad bearing in the front diff causing vibrations in 2WD..

The jury's still out on how this experiment will work out..
 

jh504

Explorer
my first toyota experience is my current 03 Tacoma 4x4 which I purchased back in Jan.

Dunno.. compared to my last vehicle, a Honda Element with more miles, this Tacoma seems to not age as well... crappy lose steering, bad springs, rust on the frame... I've got a bad bearing in the front diff causing vibrations in 2WD..

The jury's still out on how this experiment will work out..

How many miles are on your truck and how was it treated before you got it? That is definitely not the standard with the Tacoma's. I have owned a 98 Tacoma and a 2001 and both of them drove like they were new the whole time I had them. Never had any problems that were not self-induced.

EDIT: Just read through your diagnosis post for the vibration. That truck should be like brand new with 75,000 miles on it. Was it abused by its previous owner? I would take the problem up with Toyota.
 
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Corey

OverCamping Specialist
The first time I really wanted to get a Toyota 4x4 was when I saw my brother inlaws 4x4, and early 80s one.

I ended up getting a 1979 2WD Toyota when I was married back around 1986.
Hauled an old Sears tent trailer with it, it was very dependable.

79truck.jpg


After a divorce I bought brand new a 1990 Xtracab 4x4, as my brother in-law had a 1989 regular cab, and I really liked it.

Towed a brand new 1989 tent trailer with it all over WA. state and up into Canada.

90trk1.jpg


90trk2.jpg


90trk3.jpg


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The 1990 truck got totaled by a drunk woman with no license or insurance.
She T boned me at about 35 MPH.
Spun me around 180 degrees and knocked off the driveshaft.
Rig was totaled, but I was not even hurt.
Truck gave up its life to save me.

Within a month of the truck getting totaled, I found a 1991 4Runner which I bought in October of 1998.
Put some major bucks into it modwise.

I was also introduced to the world of 4x4 Toyota forums when I was researching info on the 4Runner I had just bought.

4runner1.jpg


4runner2.jpg


4runner3.jpg


4Runner was getting pretty tired and was starting to have some major health issues around March of 2006, and I was starting to get interested in the new FJ Cruisers that were being released early as 2007 models.

I placed my order sight unseen in March of 2006, and took delivery of it July 24th 2006.

This rig has been a lot of fun to mod as there is so much aftermarket stuff for it.
It is also a joy to drive and has plenty of power for my needs.

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Rig will be four years old this month, and I have yet to have the spark plugs changed.
Waiting to hit 30K to change them which will be this coming week.
I have a short commute, so I do not rack up a lot of miles on it.

The only ad I have, found it online long ago and saved it.

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