Buy Advice 97 Taco & 96 T-100

1st truck - 1997 Taco xtracab STD 4 banger 136k miles - dealer seller for $4580

2nd truck - Late built 1995 with 1996 options OBDII etc T-100 Ext. cab SR-5 V-6 Pickup Auto 98k miles, new tires, one owner/seller. for $3k
Both located in Texas

Looking for buy advice on each of this. I know Toyo's well-grew up in a Toyo fam. Recently sold my 97 Camry, bought a '98 Ranger. But I am thinking it shoulda been a Taco.

It will dwell on Dallas concrete, a DD and occasional runs to HD, Lowe's etc. Hardly to never off-roading.

Knowing what you know about these trucks what are some of the things that would be a deal breaker for you or a deal maker & why?

1997 Taco, paint job is in good shape, seems well maintained.



1996 T100, fair-ish paint job

 

Depends on what you need it for. As a work truck, the T100 hands down. For just average use, the Tacoma. The Tacoma will have far more aftermarket support than the T100.

 

Ask for T100 parts more often or not you will get never heard of them.

I rebuilt a T100 for a friend I would never want that job again.

Since your looking at 3 years of production and very little but engine parts can be sourced from other Toyota`s

Tacoma all the way unless you really need the 8' bed lots of 4'x8' sheets in your future ??

 

The first thing you will want to check for is frame rust. T100s and Tacomas are notorious for severe frame rust issues so bad they can break in half. Seems like you are down south, so probably no rust issues on the trucks but peeking a look at the undercarriage of a vehicle has never been a bad idea anyway. Rustbuckets can be driven around, you know...

As for which one you should get, depends what you want to do with it. Both trucks are pretty similar, but the only advantage of the T100 is that it has a 8' bed and a bigger payload rate, so it's kind of the bigger and beefier brother of the Tacoma. It's possible to get the 3.4l V6 on the tacoma as well

Oh and since solid colors on these trucks are single stage paint, a good polishing on the T100 and the paint will get its shine and lustre back

 

That's some really good advice guys. Duh me! The Tacoma makes sense. After all I just need it as a daily, and occasional runs to Lowe's for a faucet, toilet supply line . Wifey may come along for flower shopping and a bag of top soil may be. So the Tacoma makes sense in our lives. Indulge me again. I haven't talked to dealer yet to establish his bottom dollar. Let's say total is $4700 after taxes, fees, dealer chicks & hens, would you say that's a good deal on a 22 yo/134k miles Taco?

 

welcome to TW, Jay!

 

Thank you! Am here, add a cup of water to the soup.

 

The transmission would be the deciding factor for me. I like my stick shifts. Taco all the way.

The single cab T100s with the 8 foot bed are great work trucks, but that one doesn't have an 8 foot bed. The extended cabs only came with the 6.5ft bed.

 

Both look like good deals. The t100 might need a timing belt replacement if it hasn't been done. But it's cheaper with new tires.

My dad has a 1st gen tacoma and the a/c works so good itll make the dash sweat. I like cold a/c
If it were me and I'd pick the Tacoma because its smaller and easier to maneuver. Unless you drive in a ton of traffic then I'd pick the t100 because of the auto trans.