hotwheels22
New member
hi all,
new poster here.
i have a 2 seat 98 4wd tacoma with 170K that has been rock solid for me since buying it with 60K in 2000.
i am looking to get a 4 runner so i can have passengers and some extra space and more towing capacity. expecting to keep it under 8K and 100K. ideally 6 cylinder 4wd with leather.
i am trying to decode VIN's before i get to the point where i run a Carfax - which so far has been able to let me determine if the car is in fact the year that the seller says it is (in the case of the 10th digit of the VIN) and which basically lets me get an idea of how many times a car has been sold and/or whether the owner did in fact buy it when they say they did (in the case of Carfax).
i am pretty much taking anything i am interested out for a spin to check the handling and suspension and testing the CV joints in a parking lot. i also have this over the top checklist i am going through. so far most vehicles have either been not what the owner thought they were (they bought a year old 4 runner from a dealer that had been in a decent wreck) or the owner new what they had and was trying to pass it off (sport model with 4K in suspension repairs). last night i was going to look at a 98 with 110K on it and it turned out after looking at the VIN that it was a 97.
i love my tacoma and would love to try and pick up a new toyota with a similarly rock solid engine while avoiding any pitfalls that may be out there. i'd also like to be fully informed while i am looking.
anybody got specific advice on big ticket repairs to look out for, rock solid engine models, or other information to look out for?
thanks in advance
new poster here.
i have a 2 seat 98 4wd tacoma with 170K that has been rock solid for me since buying it with 60K in 2000.
i am looking to get a 4 runner so i can have passengers and some extra space and more towing capacity. expecting to keep it under 8K and 100K. ideally 6 cylinder 4wd with leather.
i am trying to decode VIN's before i get to the point where i run a Carfax - which so far has been able to let me determine if the car is in fact the year that the seller says it is (in the case of the 10th digit of the VIN) and which basically lets me get an idea of how many times a car has been sold and/or whether the owner did in fact buy it when they say they did (in the case of Carfax).
i am pretty much taking anything i am interested out for a spin to check the handling and suspension and testing the CV joints in a parking lot. i also have this over the top checklist i am going through. so far most vehicles have either been not what the owner thought they were (they bought a year old 4 runner from a dealer that had been in a decent wreck) or the owner new what they had and was trying to pass it off (sport model with 4K in suspension repairs). last night i was going to look at a 98 with 110K on it and it turned out after looking at the VIN that it was a 97.
i love my tacoma and would love to try and pick up a new toyota with a similarly rock solid engine while avoiding any pitfalls that may be out there. i'd also like to be fully informed while i am looking.
anybody got specific advice on big ticket repairs to look out for, rock solid engine models, or other information to look out for?
thanks in advance
