Why do you own a first gen Tacoma?

So today I got to thinking in the shower as most days I do and I thought to myself, I know what I own a first gen Tacoma. But why do you own a first gen?

Personally I own one because at the time when I was looking to purchase a truck, a Tacoma was simply the best option, it fit into my budget and the fact the Toyota’s are know to be reliable. But throughout the short year of ownership of my Tacoma is has taught me a lot. The biggest thing for me is the mindset of, if you can do it I can do it. I’ve learned that if I gain the right knowledge and tools I can fix and do almost anything I’m willing to start, and this applies to almost anything in life, not just automobiles. I’ve been great full to join this community and experience the community and culture that these Toyotas have, there is such a vast amount about knowledge and passion behind with them. I hope to continue to gain this knowledge and enjoying my first gen and Toyota’s in general.

So now I ask you, why do you own a first gen or Toyota in general?

 

I own a first gen because it’s a small compact work truck. It grew on my the more I saw them. It’s very simple and I like that. Got my 19 in dec 2018 then my first gen dec 2019. I love driving the first gen.

 

I just keep picking them, they seem to fit the bill the best. They handle well, cheap to own, very little to go wrong electronically, decent on fuel, and they're appropriately sized.

 

Drove first gens my whole life (a 95 1/2 and a 04) from 1995 until 2015. Got a second gen in 2015, like it, but really missed my little first gen. Finally was able to buy another first gen Dec 2019 and I love it! They have all been reg cabs. Pretty much all the significant events in my life took place while driving one. They have never let me down, and got me out of a few shitty situations. There is no truck I'd rather own than a first gen taco!

 

I can go to places like this

camp at places like this

And drive to work, like this

 

Because everyone was preaching just how good the 3.4 was .

Going from the 22rec engines it was a big step up in the stock engine.

So much that even having all the parts to do a 7MGTE swap I decided on a 3.4 instead.

One came along I had the cash off I went

Having already repaired a few frames I was aware of that problem.

 

Because they look sweet an last forever if taken care of.Plus parts are cheap

 

I own them because of ranch work, and hunting. They're compact enough to get through the trees, and are cheaper than a SXS (Ranger, Mule, etc.) Moreover, they have better A/C, heat, bed, windshield, all while being street legal, and not a jeep.

 

I bought mine last July. Got to reading and the biggest thing to watch out for was rust on the frame. Didn’t want to deal with head gasket issues, bad transmission shifting, etc. I’ve had a few other Toyota’s but they were all 4 cylinder, they were okay but I wanted a V6 and my wife found this one on marketplace. I recently thought about selling it and my other truck and buying a new one then I got to thinking there’s nothing wrong with either of my trucks so I decided to be content with what I have.

 

In 2001, I wanted a small truck with four doors and 4WD. Besides Tacoma, also in the running were Nissan Frontier and Ford Explorer Sport-Trac.

Does anyone here think I'd still be driving either of those alternatives 19 years after purchasing them new?

"Work good, last long time."

 

Can’t deny pickups are practical. But why a first gen over everything else? Lots or reasons. For me it’s a throwback to the ‘86 Toyota pickup I had years ago. Loved that truck but it was staring to rust when we moved from NJ to FL 30 years ago so I sold it rather than hauling it down here and paying the impact fee that the state charged at the time. 1st gens are the perfect size, for the most part they are over-engineered, fairly bulletproof and easy to work on, and just the best looking pickups ever built. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I work on it. Sounds silly but I smile every time I walk into my garage and see The Garage Queen sitting there. There is something undeniably cool about tooling around town in my shiny red Tacoma. And fact that my wife hates it, thinks it’s a waste of money and the dumbest thing I’ve ever done? Well they’re just bonuses.

 

I bought my '01 brand new, traded a 98 Chevy in on it. The Chevy was 3 years old had 66,000 miles on it and was plagued with problems, I took a huge loss money wise on the trade but gained so much more by buying the Tacoma. It has been worry free for the last 19 years and 342,xxx miles. I had owned 2 Toyota's before this one an '86 4wd and a '93 2wd so I was well aware of the reputation. I now own a 2018 DCSB TRD OR and I still drive the '01 every day back and forth to work 80 mile round trip. Like everyone else says, they are practical, with regular basic maintenance they will run trouble free, and it has become an obsession with me to see just how many miles it will run before the little 4 banger gives up the fight, I have a feeling it may out last me.

 

I don't own a 1st gen, because every person I talk to that is driving one says like theirs and they do not want to get rid of it.

 

That's the truth! Took me a while to find one that wasn't high mileage and not worn out.

 

It’s nice to drive something so simple.

 

I drive one because the drivetrain is as close to bulletproof as you can get, and the truck has very few weak points. It's simply engineered to last. It's easy to drive, light and nimble.
Mine is inching closer to 230k miles and the interior still looks new. It still has the original clutch. Everything works, even the A/C.

You just can't beat it.

 

Reliable (on and off road). Compact. Cost-effective. Bridges the gap of vintage and new styling. Simple to maintain. What's not to love?

 

Because I was stranded in the Yukon on a motorcycle trip and needed to get home.

 

My son (18) just bought one yesterday (we are driving to get it this weekend)A good friend of mine and business associate just bought a new truck (pictured below beside the tacoma) he thought my son would like his old one. It is a 1st Gen Tacoma, standard (manual) transmission (2002 6 cyl 4WD with the locker). It has high miles 234K, but my friend bought the truck new, kept up with all the maintenance, and within the past 5K miles- put on new tires (Duratracs), changed the Timing belt/water pump and replaced the clutch. The truck has zero rust and is super clean in/out (he kept in his garage when not driving it).He sold it to my son for $3500. I thought that was a more than a fair price, very good in fact - even with the mileage. Here are a couple of pics. My friend is actually sad to see his truck go - but knows my son will appreciate it.