I hate to ask a 100 series question, but...

[Elk]

Expo community, here is a little back story followed by my tech question.

I live in the Mid-Atlantic region and presently drive a 2007 Tacoma. It has been a reliable pleasure, but the frame is exhibiting the characteristic catalytic converter side rot and will go in for the recall soon. I also have two growing children, and the truck is beginning to feel cramped on any travels beyond an hour. I plan to have the recall done then sell the truck when it is returned. In the meantime I would like another Toyota.

The 100 series seems to fit my needs for a long distance highway oriented rig with comfortable offroad manners. I prefer a fully paid vehicle, so I passed over the 4Runner Trail for the time being, and my second bet, the Subaru Forester feels flimsy and cheap, despite being a reputable performer.

The question:

I have searched for the past year and recently came across a bone stock 2006, single owner 100 at a small dealer that sells primarily used Porsches. The truck has 174k miles, had the timing belt done at approximately 95k according to the engine sticker and so it will need it again very soon. I followed Slee's 100 series guide and the truck looks pretty good. The chassis has minimal Pennsylvania rust and Carfax reports a detailed maintenance history of 26 records at the dealer. The interior is clean, the leather great and smoke free. So far so good.

The coolant was low. Is this a sign of the water pump getting ready to go? I didn't see weeping at the pump.

Three Bridgestone Duelers and one General Grabber? A sign that the PO didn't want to put more money into the truck?

The power antenna only flies half mast. The AHC raises and lowers as it should and within 10 seconds or so. Should I fear the globes going soon?

The truck is listed at $16k. It is the cleanest I have seen for this vintage and the price is pretty competitive for my area. I am not tempted to run, but I like being careful. I have budgeted $1k for the timing belt and pump at an indie shop, but would otherwise do the majority of my own work.

If you made it this far, thank you for your time. I realize there are many smiilar novice threads, but your input is valued. I will also be asking on Mud.

 

[WrongWay]

I would also budget to either match up the tires or if it was me, replace all 4. Otherwise, seems like a nice find. Miles do seem high for that model year, but price does reflect that.

 

[redthies]

The 100 series is a great truck. I've owned Tacomas in the past as well as Hiluxs, a Tundra and quite a few 40, 60 and 80 series LCs some of which were diesel 5 speed versions. All that said, I think the 100 is the best overall Toyota I've ever owned.

Low coolant could be any number of things, and if it is water pump related, don't sweat it as you are going to replace it with t-belt.

Mismatched tires? Yeah, he cheaped out, but maybe one got cut just before he traded it and that's what the tire shop had in the correct size. If you have good maintenance records, I wouldn't read to far into this.

Half mast antenna? Mine too. Pretty common issue. You can replace or repair as you like. I believe there's lots of info on this over on 'mud.

Overall, I'd still take it to a Toyota dealer and spend the $100 for an inspection, but it sounds like a good candidate!

 

[hoser]

I wouldn't be alarmed by anything you've said so far. The antenna issue might be as simple as pushing the antenna up/down button.

 

[spressomon]

How rusty or not is the underside?

 

[Elk]

How rusty or not is the underside?

East Coast surface rust. There is no pitting and there are no cancer spots. I suspect the truck was garaged based on the paint and leather, but the amount of salt used in the Mid-Atlantic is staggering. This looks very clean by local standards.

Are there any concerns with AHC at this age?

 

[r3run33]

water pump not really an issue with the 4.7 (the 200 series has the 5.7 which does have water pump issues). water pump is usually replaced only because when you are doing the timing belt and everything is ripped apart; its preventative maintenance. The AHC is not know to be affected by milage; mine was crapped out within a year of purchase when vehicle was under warranty. No problems for close to 100K miles. Now if it was used for towing etc that could affect but its "Pot Luck" when it goes out. To replace its cheaper to just go with regular suspension set up and ditch the AHC. If its a private dealer try to "Low ball" price and keep trying. On IH8MUd there are 300K miles out there.

 

[r3run33]

oh the antenna; just needs graphite spray to go up and down. When super cold here mine has trouble going also. No crash reports and rust should be your only concern. Oh and price

 

[EVP]

Elk,

In case you have not already stumbled on to the two sites listed below, I highly recommend checking them out. Cheers
http://tlcfaq.com
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/newbie/newbieUZJ100.htm

 

[__ARCADIAN__]

My water pump weaped after the PO skipped the water pump replacement as a part of the 90k service. That was at 190k. As it was said before, just have it replaced with the 90k service.

I have a 100 with 192k. I bought it a year ago, thinking I would use it for a long trip and special trips around the SE. We ended up driving it more than our other cars. It is a very comfortable rig and we love to travel in it, other than the gas mileage.

Price seems pretty good, you could also look for a vehicle from the SE that doesn't have rust. The mileage isn't typically an issue. Mine is super smooth, and it is built up quite a bit.

 

[REDrum]

The price is in the right ball park. If its stock, they have receipts on work, and you like the color, then I'd say fair buy. Don't over think it, and don't worry about buyers remorse, it just doesn't happen with UZJ100s. Sure they have repair cycles, like all mechanical things, but these are very robust and low repair trucks, (180 degrees to their UK counterparts....), IMO,their repair costs are pretty modest between PM cycles.

But you'll need to budget more than 1K for timing belt and water pump R&R, the job is a PITA, and there are other PM costs well worth doing "while the patient is open".

ATAC isn't bad but NOT a fan of the stooooopid air makes it go up/down system-a-majiggy. Way more prefer 98/99 with rear springs and factory locker.

 

[MarcFJ60]

I was also looking for a 100 series last year in the DC area. I pretty much looked within a 250 mile radius, although preferring south more than north for obvious reasons. It was tough finding my target 100 series in the area (2002-2007, $20K-ish). I finally settled on a GX470, but would have much preferred a 100. An 06 with 174K for $16K seems pretty good from what I saw last year. Maybe not a stellar deal, but pretty good if things check out. A bonus is that it is nearby.

My GX has the same 4.7L powertrain, so I may be able to give some insight with regard to disappearing coolant since I chased this on mine. I assume the 100 series has this same issue, but I know 4.7L Tundras, 4Runners, and GXs do: The plastic/Aluminum radiators begin to leak prematurely - especially at the plastic/AL seam. A new radiator is about 175, and could easily be done with the timing belt job. Check the radiator for the tell tale signs of red crystals along the sides. The leaks are generally small - not enough to leave a puddle, but enough to empty you reservoir every couple weeks. Some new versions of the radiator deal with this better due to being all aluminum or having cuts in them to relieve heat expansion, which seems to cause the leaks.

In addition to this, there is an O-ring above the waterpump that sometimes leaks. This is less common than the radiator, although I had both issues. In my case, what leaked out puddled on top of the intake manifold and would burn off when the engine got hot. So I would smell coolant, but could not find the leak initially. Here too, this should get resolved with the new timing belt/water pump service, assuming the kit includes this particular O-Ring. My car had the service done only about a year prior, so I'm assuming they must have re-used that O-ring or knicked it when installing it, which I believe is somewhat common if you're not careful.

 

[Elk]

Thanks for the support everyone. I am now a 100 series owner.

 

[MarcFJ60]

Pics????

 

[fireball]

Congrats! That sounds like a good deal, one of the cheapest 06+ MYs I've heard of, even given the higher mileage.

Personally I'd rather buy something that needs a TB and new tires so that I can either do the work myself or make sure I get it done at a shop of my choosing, and get to select the tires I want, rather than what the PO decided to put on.

Post up some pics and welcome to the club!