Buying a cheap truck - any tips?

[maluckey]

I'll chirp in here that I bought a 2003 Tacoma Prerunner with no rust, a torn seat and 160,000 miles for 6000 out the door. I put 4 tires on it and drove it 600 miles across Texas.

I drained the transmission fluid (BLACK), the oil (SLUDGE), the Differential (OLD and smelled odd) and the brakes fluid (Dingy colored) and drove it another 600 miles at 26MPG while driving up to 80 MPH on the turnpike (legally posted limit).

Not ONE issue despite the previous owners negligence. Next I figured I'd try to revive the paint. I was able to buff out the paint and make it look new.

These trucks are often in this condition, but still seem to take the abuse pretty well. There's no timing belt (it's a chain), and no worries there. Owners seem to focus on the suspension for upgrades.

I picked up 1000lbs of gravel last week in the bed and drove it through the winding roads to the house (10 miles). not a complaint, so I upped the ante to 1200lbs of sand...still no complaint. Not bad for a mid-size truck. These trucks come in 2.4L, 2.7L and 3.4L, with Toyota Superchargers still out there for them if you feel that's your sort of thing.

I used to drive a Silverado, and I like this truck better in all ways except the air-conditiong, which GM has always had a corner on that market!

Anywhoo....just chiming in

 

[thedarkwolf]

I think we all know you have low car standards!

I like to think I have high standards, just at a lower price point then most people want to deal with .

 

[RLGL]

I like to think I have high standards, just at a lower price point then most people want to deal with .

In my area you get junk for that price that needs several thou of repairs. Once they go over 100K repairs are needed.

 

[Scarpozzi]

If you're only doing small loads, a Tacoma or Frontier would be fine for your needs. If you were willing to put a little more money into it, you could secure a much nicer truck.

I'm not a Dodge fan, but when I was looking for a truck last year, I saw quite a few Dodge Dakotas for $6-9k with 50-60k miles on them. When you switched up to a Chevy or Ford half-ton pickup truck, the price jumped.

I looked at Tundra, Tacoma, Dakota, F150, Sierra, and Silverado.

On the used market, I found more F150s (because they're #1 selling, there are more available). I checked classified in a 250-500 mile radius of here and found trucks 4-6 years old priced around $10-14k for a F150 with 30-60k miles... That was F150 with XL or worktruck trim. These are typically stripped down, features-wise...

I settled on a 2009 F150 STX with 20k miles. It had Sirius radio/bluetooth/18" alloys/tow hitch/bedliner/running boards/6.5 ft bed.....for $15900.

I still use my car to haul lumber over 12' long:

If you don't have a Buick, I suggest looking into a long trailer or get a ladder rack.

 

[slag]

I'm not even sure that the lumber you are carrying with your car is legal like that.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm not even sure that the lumber you are carrying with your car is legal like that.

Red flag is required if the lumber extends more than 4 feet past the end of the vehicle........check.

The load wasn't a risk at all to come loose and was secured really well the way I loaded it, but visibility to other drivers was a concern....

That's why I picked it up right when they opened at 7:30am and I traveled mostly back roads to get home.