Toyota Tacoma Needs $4k: Dig In, or Give Up?
If you’re familiar with the Toyota Tacoma, you’ll likely be able to guess what’s causing most of the problems.
It’s the news nobody wants to hear. Your trusty Toyota Tacoma needs thousands of dollars in work. Obviously, whether to dig or bug out is a tough choice for anyone to make. But it can be particularly hard for enthusiasts, who might have installed a host of pricey mods, and often have a sentimental attachment to their vehicles. Often, there’s a battle of between the head and the heart over whether to drop the cash. That said, if you’re looking to justify investing in your old ride? The Car Wizard is here to help.
To be clear, the Tacoma he has on his lift might need some serious TLC, but it still has a lot going for it. First, there’s the current used car market, which is so insane that finding something decent for $4,000 is going to be tough. There’s also the fact that this truck is one of the rigs that had its entire frame replaced by Toyota under warranty. Plus, the 2.7-liter four-cylinder looks to be in good nick, and should still be producing near its factory ratings of 150 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque.
Once the truck is on the lift, however, the problems start to present themselves. While the top of the mill is OK, the oil pan is leaking, and as the Wizard points out, previous attempts to repair it haven’t worked. That means a new one needs to be installed, and to do that, the front differential has to be dropped. Even if the undercarriage was factory fresh, that’s a seven-hour job, and since there’s lots of corrosion present, it means going slow and trying not to snap bolts and fittings. All that work comes to about half of the job total.
Rounding off the list of issues: both the front and rear bumper, along with the fuel filler neck, need to be replaced. The reason, of course, will come as no surprise to anyone from the Northeast. Yup, it’s rust. Even with all these issues, however, the Wizard’s verdict is that putting money into this truck will be well spent. That said, what’s your opinion? As someone who has had to scrap projects due to rust, I still think this seems like a good idea. But what do you think? Hit me up and let me know!
Photos: YouTube