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zach
06-17-2009, 01:31 PM
A friend is trying to offload his 2001 Tundra. I am thinking about buying it.

Here are the specs
2001 Tundra SR5 4X4 Xtended Cab
90k miles
pwr windows, locks, mirrors, CD
green with grey interior
timing belt changed last August
hard wired trailer brake controller
new bilstein shocks all around
brakes calipers and rotors upgraded to larger Sequoia versions
exhaust manifolds/headers replaced under warranty at dealer within last year
mobil 1 changed every 5k miles
All other fluids except tranny fluid changed in the past year

I think he'll take $6-7K for it.

Anybody have any thoughts?

SARAFIL
06-17-2009, 01:39 PM
A friend is trying to offload his 2001 Tundra. I am thinking about buying it.

Here are the specs
2001 Tundra SR5 4X4 Xtended Cab
90k miles
pwr windows, locks, mirrors, CD
green with grey interior
timing belt changed last August
hard wired trailer brake controller
new bilstein shocks all around
brakes calipers and rotors upgraded to larger Sequoia versions
exhaust manifolds/headers replaced under warranty at dealer within last year
mobil 1 changed every 5k miles
All other fluids except tranny fluid changed in the past year

I think he'll take $6-7K for it.

Anybody have any thoughts?

they're nice trucks

two questions though:
1) do you have any use for a truck?
2) where on Earth will you park it? I assume at a family member's house that is not in the city?

zach
06-17-2009, 01:42 PM
they're nice trucks

two questions though:
1) do you have any use for a truck?
2) where on Earth will you park it? I assume at a family member's house that is not in the city?

Excellent questions.

1) I have wanted a truck for a while and was looking at Tacomas. It'll be good for snow and hauling shit. I can always leave it at my parents' place in the suburbs if necessary.
2) Our street is almost entirely "resident" parking. I can get a sticker for it and leave it on the street. There is apparently no limit to the number of cars for which one can get parking permits.

SARAFIL
06-17-2009, 01:47 PM
Excellent questions.

1) I have wanted a truck for a while and was looking at Tacomas. It'll be good for snow and hauling shit. I can always leave it at my parents' place in the suburbs if necessary.
2) Our street is almost entirely "resident" parking. I can get a sticker for it and leave it on the street. There is apparently no limit to the number of cars for which one can get parking permits.

ah yes, resident parking. You probably won't feel bad parking that truck on the street either, who cares if it gets some abuse? :D

zach
06-17-2009, 01:50 PM
ah yes, resident parking. You probably won't feel bad parking that truck on the street either, who cares if it gets some abuse? :D

Exactly. It is a beater, but a useful one. For $6k, I'm not going to worry about scratches.

JST
06-17-2009, 01:51 PM
Excellent questions.

1) I have wanted a truck for a while and was looking at Tacomas. It'll be good for snow and hauling shit. I can always leave it at my parents' place in the suburbs if necessary.


If that's what you are looking to do, you need one of these:

http://www.pumper.com/Images/photos/pumper200805_2.jpg

N.b.--apparently there is something called "Pumper Magazine." Perhaps surprisingly, it is "Dedicated to the liquid waste industry." Who knew?

zach
06-17-2009, 02:03 PM
If that's what you are looking to do, you need one of these:

http://www.pumper.com/Images/photos/pumper200805_2.jpg

N.b.--apparently there is something called "Pumper Magazine." Perhaps surprisingly, it is "Dedicated to the liquid waste industry." Who knew?

You might be amazed by the ridiculously obscure industry publications out there. Here's a comic book that is published quarterly by the American Backflow Prevention Association.

http://forums.carmudgeons.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4434&d=1245261775

rumatt
06-17-2009, 02:06 PM
I am very confused.

bren
06-17-2009, 02:10 PM
I don't really see the point in buying those small pickup trucks. What good is a small bed for hauling stuff? I'm sure you can find a decent half-ton for that kind of money.

zach
06-17-2009, 02:15 PM
I don't really see the point in buying those small pickup trucks. What good is a small bed for hauling stuff? I'm sure you can find a decent half-ton for that kind of money.

Well, I do live in the city, so parking is an issue. This is certainly a lot bigger than the tacomas I was considering...

rumatt
06-17-2009, 02:18 PM
Well, I do live in the city, so parking is an issue.

You've pretty much narrowed in on the source of my confusion.

zach
06-17-2009, 02:19 PM
You've pretty much narrowed in on the source of my confusion.

It'll fit better in a street spot compare to a full size pickup. It will also fit better in my parking spot.

lip277
06-17-2009, 03:57 PM
I don't really see the point in buying those small pickup trucks. What good is a small bed for hauling stuff? I'm sure you can find a decent half-ton for that kind of money.

Except that a Tundra is the full size Toyota.
Tacoma is their 'small' truck

zach
06-17-2009, 04:02 PM
Except that a Tundra is the full size Toyota.
Tacoma is their 'small' truck

To be fair, the 1st gen Tundras were more of a mid-sized truck. The new Tundras are bigger.

Theo
06-17-2009, 04:23 PM
Make sure this is not an issue.

http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showthread.php?t=24148

rumatt
06-17-2009, 04:41 PM
Found your truck:

http://www.nev4.com/gallery/albums/dusseldorf02/Tiny_Truck_1.jpg

Rob
06-17-2009, 04:44 PM
What is the point of a pickup truck that won't even carry a sheet of plywood?

wdc330i
06-17-2009, 05:01 PM
I'm beginning to think every boy should have a pickup truck. :)

zach
06-17-2009, 05:43 PM
I'm beginning to think every boy should have a pickup truck. :)

Agreed. :)

zach
06-17-2009, 05:44 PM
Make sure this is not an issue.

http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showthread.php?t=24148

It's an issue. My friend has treated the frame and underbody with some rust treatment. He took it to a dealer who said it was mostly surface rust - it passed the hammer test (hammering on the frame did not result in any holes).

He said I could borrow it for a few days to see if I like it. I'll probably take him up on that.

lupinsea
06-17-2009, 08:45 PM
Were it me I'd pick the Taco over the Tundra. I used to have a compact Toyota 4x4 P/U and they are fun trucks that are just the right size.

But that's just me. I've never warmed up to the Tundra.

If the Taco will fit your towing / hauling needs why go bigger? Just need to figure out what your needs are.

wdc330i
06-17-2009, 08:51 PM
A friend of mine (a boy and his wife) just picked up a used Tacoma. 90kish miles (or is it more?). They're thrilled with it. Hauling things to the dump; schlepping mulch. Suburban chore heaven.

Rob
06-17-2009, 09:52 PM
If the Taco will fit your towing / hauling needs why go bigger? Just need to figure out what your needs are.

Again, what is the point of a pickup that won't even haul a sheet of plywood? I just don't get it.

bren
06-17-2009, 10:12 PM
Except that a Tundra is the full size Toyota.
Tacoma is their 'small' truck
Oh, right.

In that case it makes even less sense. It won't have the benefits of either a small, or a large truck.

ff
06-17-2009, 10:24 PM
Because he'll probably be able to sell it in 3 years for $6000.

bren
06-17-2009, 10:25 PM
Only if it doesn't rust away to nothing and gets under 18 MPG.

zach
06-18-2009, 07:56 AM
Oh, right.

In that case it makes even less sense. It won't have the benefits of either a small, or a large truck.

I don't disagree, but I was looking for Tacomas and this deal popped up. I'd prefer a Tacoma, but those have even worse documented rust problems, and are considerably more expensive than used Tundras.

The real appeal here is the $6k sticker. If this little experiment doesn't work out, I can dump it for not much less than I paid.

zach
06-18-2009, 07:57 AM
Only if it doesn't rust away to nothing and gets under 18 MPG.

Good points. I'm going to take a look at the rust he has and see how bad it is. Toyota is apparently preparing to buy back some of the Tundras like they did with the Tacomas, so we'll see.

zach
06-18-2009, 07:58 AM
Again, what is the point of a pickup that won't even haul a sheet of plywood? I just don't get it.

I haul more than just plywood, and this is really the biggest truck that I'd feel comfortable with in the city. I saw a new f-150 extended cab last night and it is MUCH bigger than the Tundra.

clyde
06-18-2009, 09:21 AM
I haul more than just plywood, and this is really the biggest truck that I'd feel comfortable with in the city. I saw a new f-150 extended cab last night and it is MUCH bigger than the Tundra.

How much do you plan on driving it? From what you've described, it doesn't sound like that much, which really should mitigate the size related concerns.

Size, maneuvering in traffic, parking lots and garages was a concern I had before getting the Armada. It was a couple inches shorter than most of the 1/2 ton full length bed pick ups, but certainly as wide. Driving it in close quarters works fine, it just takes a slight change in attitude. You add a little bit of patience and don't focus on what you could have done if you were in a small car. Parts of some garages are off limits, so you don't think about it. Expect to park a little further out in some parking lots. Parallel parking, if there's not enough room, there's not enough room and you continue the search. In traffic, you don't shoot for holes like you might have in a car. Basically, add a tablespoon of patience and everything's fine.

The worst part is entering a new garage that has a listed clearance height of just an inch or so more than you need. You hope that they didn't lie or mismeasure and that you don't find yourself forced into going into a section with a lower clearance with no way to back out (like a particular garage near my office).

In the time I was driving the Armada, I had two incidents. In the first one, a bus in the oncoming lane was trying to pass stopped traffic by going halfway into my lane and the bottom of his side view mirror scraped the top of my sideview mirror (at a closing speed near 50mph). The second one was the entrance of the garage at the subway station. They were redoing the entrance area and narrowed/tightened the lane/turn into the garage with plywood boards set as walls on the left side of the lane which turns to the right into the garage. I scraped the plywood with the left front corner of the bumper as the right rear tire was wedging itself against the curb. By the point where I could see just how tight they had made it, it was too late to back out and head to another entrance. The change was unnanounced, there was no signage, and you couldn't see what was going on from the street due to the terrain/structures/layout. Once turning from the street and getting to a point where you could see what they had done, there were 5 cars behind blocking a retreat. In retrospect, I should have just decided to fully drive over the curb as the tires are much more durable than the painted bumper..

equ
06-18-2009, 09:38 AM
An armada or something that size is WAY too big for a city like Boston or NY.

clyde
06-18-2009, 12:02 PM
You can't drive and park it like it's a car and it probably is not ideal for something to be used for multiple trips a day, but it's not WAY to big for Boston or NYC...especially whne it's only going ot be used occasionally.

Nick M3
06-18-2009, 12:07 PM
An armada or something that size is WAY too big for a city like Boston or NY.
Hell, I drove and parked my truck in Boston. :eeps:

SARAFIL
06-18-2009, 12:29 PM
You can't drive and park it like it's a car and it probably is not ideal for something to be used for multiple trips a day, but it's not WAY to big for Boston or NYC...especially whne it's only going ot be used occasionally.

Where he lives there is little off-street parking and it is pricey, so if he has the truck in the city he will end up parking on the street. While not impossible, parallel parking a large truck will be tricky and he will probably have to circle the blocks a few times to find a spot large enough. And he can't just park it anywhere, it has to be in a designated area in his neighborhood.

bren
06-18-2009, 12:49 PM
I get what you are saying, but really what are the odds that the parallel parking spot will be the right size for a mid size PU, but too small for a full size? They are both larger than the gap that will be left from most cars.

clyde
06-18-2009, 02:13 PM
Where he lives there is little off-street parking and it is pricey, so if he has the truck in the city he will end up parking on the street. While not impossible, parallel parking a large truck will be tricky and he will probably have to circle the blocks a few times to find a spot large enough. And he can't just park it anywhere, it has to be in a designated area in his neighborhood.

Right, but that just makes it a little more of a PITA than a regular sized car. The occasional use fits into it as well. Once it's parked, it can stay parked until the next use or street cleaning.

SARAFIL
06-18-2009, 02:15 PM
Right, but that just makes it a little more of a PITA than a regular sized car. The occasional use fits into it as well. Once it's parked, it can stay parked until the next use or street cleaning.

true... I guess he can make a larger truck work, but mid-sized is probably an ideal trade off given the circumstances. I guess it boils down to what he likes and what is the best deal/value.

lupinsea
06-18-2009, 05:14 PM
Not sure how many people he needs to carry in the truck at the time time but what about a compact truck like a Tacoma w/ a standard cab. That was the layout of my truck (http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2004-06-20%2023.36.36%20-0700/Image-5A26BB10C34C11D8.jpg) and I never had any difficulty parking in the city or around the univeristy. It was a nice size.

And I could fit plywood in my truck. It didn't sit flat between the wheel wells and the back edge rested on the tailgate. Basically, it'd tuck into the bottom front corner of the bed and run at an angle to rest on the tailgate. But it was never a problem hauling it around. And if you have anything long-ish to haul, just drop the tailgate and strap everything down.

A roof rack is also an option.

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/vehicle-pictures/2000/toyota/tacoma/00812161990026-480.jpg

zach
06-19-2009, 01:21 PM
Not sure how many people he needs to carry in the truck at the time time but what about a compact truck like a Tacoma w/ a standard cab. That was the layout of my truck (http://homepage.mac.com/jgreening/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2004-06-20%2023.36.36%20-0700/Image-5A26BB10C34C11D8.jpg) and I never had any difficulty parking in the city or around the univeristy. It was a nice size.

And I could fit plywood in my truck. It didn't sit flat between the wheel wells and the back edge rested on the tailgate. Basically, it'd tuck into the bottom front corner of the bed and run at an angle to rest on the tailgate. But it was never a problem hauling it around. And if you have anything long-ish to haul, just drop the tailgate and strap everything down.

A roof rack is also an option.

I'd prefer a Tacoma, but they have insanely high resale value (2001-2004) and even then continued to have horrible rust problems. Toyota is buying back the really bad ones and actually replacing the frames (!) on many others. I've read about junkyards with literally hundreds of older Tacomas that Toyota bought back from customers.

I'm going to be borrowing the Tundra on Sunday to see how I like it.

lupinsea
06-19-2009, 03:11 PM
What about going further back to the previous generation Toyota trucks, before the "Tacomas" came out. I'm thinking early-to-mid 90's. Prices should be pretty low (haven't checked) and they're very stout trucks. My '86 (even older generation) had 225k miles on it before I totaled it and it was going strong. Bought it at 175k for $2500 back in '98.

If it's just a truck for hauling / snow duties and you won't be driving it much, who cares about the model year? Go cheap, get old.

1995 4x4 Toyota trucks w/ V6s for $3300-$4000. (http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/pickup/1995/index.html)

1991 4x4 Toyota trucks w/ V6s for $1600 - $2800. (http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/pickup/1991/index.html)

zach
07-06-2009, 09:21 AM
Boring update: After convincing my wife, settling on a price, the seller decided to keep the truck. Oh well. Thanks to all for the input. :D

FC
07-06-2009, 01:18 PM
Boring update: After convincing my wife, settling on a price, the seller decided to keep the truck. Oh well. Thanks to all for the input. :D

Schade.

Oh well.

lupinsea
07-06-2009, 04:40 PM
Boring update: After convincing my wife, settling on a price, the seller decided to keep the truck. Oh well. Thanks to all for the input. :D

Cool. Now you can go look at Tacomas. :D

zach
07-06-2009, 04:42 PM
Cool. Now you can go look at Tacomas. :D

I've continued looking at both. The issue with Tacomas is the frame rot. I'll need to find one with a new frame, which is not easy. We'll see, I guess.

zach
08-12-2009, 09:22 AM
Update: As I mentioned in a different thread, we got a 2004 Tundra the other day.

Specs:

2004 Tundra SR5 V8 4x4 Access Cab
64k miles
Towing package (includes 7 pin plug thingy and transmission cooler)
TRD Offroad package (includes Bilstein shocks and stiffer springs)
TRD limited slip differential
Most interior options

I like it a lot. Here's a picture of me waiting to get on the ferry from Orient Point, Long Island for the trip to New London and eventually back to Boston.

http://forums.carmudgeons.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4568&d=1250083436

ff
08-12-2009, 09:39 AM
Congrats! Looks to be in excellent condition, too.

FC
08-12-2009, 11:03 AM
Congrats! Looks to be in excellent condition, too.

:+1 ...and hopefully no rust?

zach
08-12-2009, 11:40 AM
Thanks. It's in very good condition. There are a couple of door dings on the passenger side, and a scratch here and there. The frame is nearly rust free, with just a few superficial spots.

lupinsea
08-13-2009, 11:41 AM
Thanks. It's in very good condition. There are a couple of door dings on the passenger side, and a scratch here and there. The frame is nearly rust free, with just a few superficial spots.

Sounds like a perfect truck. They all need those beauty marks to look right.