fiend

Right now I have a 91 Bronco w/ 6" lift 35's and some goodies and with over 130k miles on it and 8-10mpg(I drive a lot also) it's decently reliable but not economical at all. It's time to retire it on the road, get a reliable DD and I can build up the bronco for when I get that sweet tow rig(*dreams*)

My family has always had good luck with toy's and taco's look like a real good choice. I'm looking for all the info ya'll have about good years. I'm trying to not go under 1995. I'd like 4 or 6 cyl, 4x4, ext cab, longest bed possible. This will be DD and playing in the local mudpit(the kiddie mudpit now) for under 15k, under 10k if possible. No lifting it for now, i'll prolly throw a pair of 31 AT's on at the most.

What can ya'll recommend, what to stay away from, am I being unrealistic in prices or what? Thanks!

/Edit forgot to mention auto vs manual tranny. Are the auto's going over 100k miles w/o rebuilds or what? I've only ever driven auto's but I can drive a manual decently, and can learn how to drive it better.

Ric

first off WELCOME well i dont know much about the Tacos, heck i dont know much at all,lol but i do know that when you get one, you`ll probley sell the ford, you will be surprised at how well rounded Toyotas are, someone will chime in here with more experiance on Tacos.

JDeMello

For 10k-15k you should be able to get a 98-00 depending on your location and what options you want.


Here are some tips.

95.5 - 97 Tacoma some had problems with v6 head gasget but it was rare. Had short rear leaf springs not ideal.

98-00 had rear locker option, I would look for these years. these years also had longer rear leafs which seemed to work and last allot longer. 98-99 had the single catalatic converter 00 came out with the dual converter this makes it a little harder to put headers on.

01-04 had the new look with better iterior most of the problems from the earlier ones were worked out. But prolly out of your price range.

I would look for a 98-00 limited they had better seats than the SR5's and they have the lockers usally. I have a 99 v6 4x4 with just over a 100k and it's maybe worth 12k. If you watch the Tacoma board someone is always selling there truck and they usally have stuff done to them.

I lean toward trying to find used trucks with stuff done them. Most people who modify there trucks tend to take care of them better just watch out for it being abused!

Any more questions ask away!

Rayday81

I have a 99 Taco with the rear diff lock and I love it. It has helped so many times. 75K and no problems. I have a manual and I would say go witha manual. When I was looking for my truck I drove a couple auto's and I really didn't like the way they drove. It seemed to me like it took them a long time to shift. Real men have sticks!
But, if you have to deal with stop and go traffic maybe the absence of a clutch would be nice.
I don't know, if you have more questions shoot 'em at me and good luck on finding your new love.

fiend

I'm looking for Ext cab 4cyl manual or auto. If I get a reg cab i'l prolly try and find a bench seat for extra room. But I would prefer the x-cab. Gonna try and get from a toy dealership so I can get a warranty and the mechanics manuals and stuff.

Right now I do mainly highway driving, so no stop and go for me.

What sized tires are toy axles holding up to?

What kinda MPG are people getting out of 4 and 6 cyl ones?

amusement

I had a 95 Taco 4 cyl, manual ...

Do not buy Taco unless it has ABS brakes!

Mine didn't .. I braked so bad .. I though I had front drums.

Tacoma Dude

I'm getting roughly 300 miles per tank off my 3.4L V6 (02 Double cab) - actually maybe more. I went from 265/70R16 to 265/75R16 and I think I gain 6 miles per every 75 or something like that...

fiend

That city or highway?

zedex

98 taco TRD. 3.4 liter. 5 spd 170k. Great truck. But i wouldnt call it fuel efficient by any means. I would definitely buy another one.

bamachem

I have a 99 4runner 4wd and I get about 16-17 around town and about 18-19 on the highway. Taco's should get a little better (v6 Auto). A 5-speed 4cyl should get over 20 on the highway.

fiend

Anything is better than 10 mpg highway.

Also what places are ya'll goin for accessories? Like bumpers and what not

zedex

Yes. Definitely better than 10. I build my own bumpers but you can buy ARB,TJM, and ive seen some good ones made by local US guys. Here are mine, click on NEW Toyota bumper.http://community.webshots.com/user/zedex1100

fiend

What about brakes?

Discs all around or what?

DUCK01

Whatever you do, don't sell the Bronco!

I had a '91 black on tan Eddie Bauer with the 5.0, 4" Superlift, 33" BFG Muds, Borla exhaust, etc, etc, etc. I sold it not long after I bought my last truck and regret it all the time. Get a daily driver, but don't sell the Bronco even if you don't drive it much.

fiend

Believe me I DO NOT want to sell this thing, i'm gonna miss it SO MUCH. But I absolutely can't afford it, being a college student. If I sell it, use the money for a down payment and buy a Tacoma, the difference in price 'cause of gas costs b/w Bronco and Tacoma will pay for gas and the monthly payments almost. Plus the added bonus of not insuring the Bronco and not having to repair it.

Tacoma Dude

Both.
I go local and a quick jump on the freeway for work so it's more highway than city.

It's been pretty cold lately though and I've noticed a drop in my mileage per 1/4 tank so...

DUCK01

You're in the same position I was in a few years back. I kept my Bronco after I bought my Lightning flat out. I figured I'd still have time to hunt and fish, but hunting weekends soon turned into weekends at the track. I finally decided that I'd rather sell the Bronco to someone who'd use it instead of letting it sit and rot (plus keep it insured and tagged). I think I sold it for six or seven grand and, with no payments on my truck, quickly dumped that into my Lightning. About a year and a half later, I was running low 12s/high 11s, but didn't really have a daily driver - my truck really only needed to be driven on weekends and to/from the track because of the simple cost of operation, so I sold it and bought my Sequoia.

I now have something that's reliable, cheap to operate, and requires almost ZERO attention, but I've lost all sense of individuality - I see at least 3 identical Sequoias every day. Can you tell I miss my Bronco and my Lightning. :cry: LOL!

You're making a smart move getting a cheap daily driver, but if there's any way you can afford to keep the Bronco, try and do it.

fiend

I've thought of every way, but I just really can't find any way to justify keeping it economically wise. Economics rules all.

DUCK01

As much as it sucks, I can't say you're doing the wrong thing. Just be sure to take plenty of pictures of your Bronco before you get rid of it. It may sound gay now, but you'll want them in the future.


The whole gallery:
http://www.f150online.com/galleries/...y.cfm?gnum=561

Unfortunately, I never did that with my other truck. I wish I had some pics after my drop, 20s, etc, etc.