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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Gen1 Tundra,good buy??

June 13, 2011 2:35 p.m. Mazdax605 Dork

Hey guys,

With my 2001 Dodge Ram Wagon starting to really piss me off,and fall apart from the lovely new england winters I have decided I would like a truck again. What I want is a 2wd double/crew cab truck that can safely haul the family of 4(two younger kids 5-9),and haul our large pop-up camper,and possibly a car trailer from time to time. I really like the first generation Tundra more than the current one,and the prices are way better. It seems one can buy a 2004-06 double cab 2wd in the $12k-$19k range if the miles are under 75k which I would like to get. Are these good trucks? Any areas of concern aside from the frames which it appears that Toyota is replacing on affected trucks. Is the 4.7 litre a good engine? Is it as good or better for reliability compared to the 5.7 litre unit in the newer trucks? Are the transmissions well built?

Chris

78 RX-7 GS,74 REPU,83 Sapporo
June 13, 2011 2:47 p.m. RossD SuperDork

My dad had one, the engine was saaaweeet!

It felt like a camry inside. I mean it still did all the truck things we'd ask it to do, but just felt like you were riding around in a tall camry. The seating didn't feel truck like. Not that there was anything wrong with that; it just didn't feel trucky to me.
June 13, 2011 2:51 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

Frontier double-cab is a better choice. With the S/C V6 it will tow and haul like the V8 as well.

The Tundra has a horrible frame design that Toyota will only replace in certain states after it has a half-dollar sized hole in it. I can't believe they are still pulling that kind of money.
June 13, 2011 3:03 p.m. Keith SuperDork

I ran one for a while - bought it at 110k and sold it about 30k later. Most of that mileage was spent with a car trailer hooked up. I liked it a lot. I sold it because I just needed more towing ability.

Mine was a 2001. The boss has one of the later double cab 2004-06 models. They're significantly larger than my crew cab was and have a more competent transmission. There's more room in the bed as well, as the sides are quite a bit deeper. It has an easier time towing a load due to the extra transmission ratios, but it's still working hard like any gas truck.

I'd recommend one.
June 13, 2011 4:15 p.m. Cone_Junky HalfDork

Had an 02. loved it. It was a TRD 2wd extended cab (with the clamshell rear doors). Worked great when we had two child seats in it because it was wide enough to fit an adult in between. Bought it at 60K and sold it at 80K. Only problem I had was all 4 O2 sensors failed (individually), only the front 2 were covered under emissions warranty. Sold it for financial reasons, miss it dearly almost everyday

I do think that 14.7 mpg average was a little excessive for a Japanese 4.7 V8. That was at the last gas price rape session (about $5 a gallon), so it made it seem worse then it actually was.
June 13, 2011 4:32 p.m. kreb Dork

It's the ubiquitous carpenter's vehicle around here and I haven't found anyone who doesn't like it. Doesn't put out crazy torque like the current "big block", but for most of us mere mortals it's plenty adequate.
June 13, 2011 4:44 p.m. Mazdax605 Dork

Javelin wrote:

Frontier double-cab is a better choice. With the S/C V6 it will tow and haul like the V8 as well.

The Tundra has a horrible frame design that Toyota will only replace in certain states after it has a half-dollar sized hole in it. I can't believe they are still pulling that kind of money.

I like the Frontier as well,but the long bed is hard to find it seems,and I question the reliability of the S/C engine. Also I like the 05 model change better for the larger looking cab,but the long bed is even more rare it seems on that vintage,and more like a hens tooth here in New England where everyone wants 4wd.

I have been looking at trucks in the Austin TX area as the 2wd is the more common setup it seems there,and I have a friend in Austin,so I can kill two birds with one stone by getting a new ride,and visiting him. The rust free allure of a used TX truck has its advantages as well.
June 14, 2011 5:15 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

FIL has a 1st gen Tundra as a work truck. It spends much of its time slogging through marshes and such with it.

Good points.
Toyota reliable. It works. Fabric interior keeps itself looking remarkably good, especially considering the things done to it. Engine pulls several tons without any difficulty.

Bad points. Exhaust manifolds crack with enthusiasm. Bed sides are made from tissue paper (I crushed the front rail by squeezing it with my bare hands). Turning radius is 6.5 miles.
June 14, 2011 9:25 a.m. Mazdax605 Dork

The turning radius has to be better than in my full-sized 01 Dodge van.

Does anyone know the long term reliability of the 4.7 litre? Are these capable of 200k miles with not a lot of fanfare? Gas mileage isn't a huge concern for me as I don't drive a lot,but the towing ability,and comfort/ease of hauling four people,and camping gear is high on my list.
June 14, 2011 9:47 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

FIL's Tundra is a 4x4, and Toyota seemed to work themselves into hysteria over the notion of turning too sharply with the 4x4. It really is a huge turning radius. No, I don't remember the exact number of feet. I'm pretty certain it's going to be appreciably more than your Dodge vans turning circle.

I don't know specific studies on the longevity of that engine, but on the various forums, and through FIL and others, many folk have around 200k on theirs without incident.
June 14, 2011 10:37 a.m. Keith SuperDork

I never really noticed the turning radius myself, although the shorter crew cab is better than the double cab in that regard.

The only trouble my Tundra gave me was a bad starter relay, right after I put the truck up for sale. Bill@FM has owned his almost since new (it's at 70k now) and hasn't had a thing go wrong.

One thing I do know is that the recommended tire pressures are way too low. Run those and you'll trash your tires very quickly. I used to run 70 psi on Michelin LTX, worked much better.
June 14, 2011 11:13 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

Just to add some more opine:

I had a 2000 4.7L V8 SR-5 from 44k to 111k miles. It towed an E36 and an E30 on an open trailer without any issues.

Pluses:
- fast, no kidding either, for a truck that thing really moved
- comfortable/quiet/car-like ride quality
- nothing rattled at 110k
- nothing stranded me anywhere, ever
- great turning radius (extra cab... not real 4 door)

Minuses:
- never got better than 12 city /17 hwy and towed at 8-10.
- parts are $$$
- frame rust is an issue especially in the rear where you attach heavy things to tow around. I did not have structural issues but I had rust starting to show when it left here.
- suicide rear doors make parking lots irritating if you need access to the rear seats.
- the brakes seem under-sized and are easily overwhelmed by putting a large load in the bed. For a trailer, it MUST have its own.

In general it was a good truck and the reason I sold it was basically that I got an enclosed trailer and it just about E36 M3 itself trying to pull it. Once I got a Chevy 2500HD I realized that for years... I'd had too little truck for the stuff I asked it to do. The fact that it did it without complaint, failure or rattles says a lot.

While I had it - it needed new heater control cables, hood cable, radiator and just general maintenance.
June 14, 2011 1:30 p.m. NickF40 Dork

I miss my dad's '01 Tundra Limited extended cab, the dark red metallic color with grey cloth interior, sold it in '10 with less than 55,000 miles. I wanted to get that thing SO bad but didn't have the money at the time. Never had a problem with it, didn't have the rust problem either. The only thing was when we sold it, the throttle cable needed replaced, but just well taken care of and general maintenance, had a K&N filter. Have yet to find another version of his in nice shape like his. The 4.7 was an awesome engine and really got up and went, throw a supercharger, cams, and headers and it's a beast of an engine. It was built with legendary Toyota quality too, before they went all "american built"

I can vouch for the fast part...we uhhh......yeah....we got it to 110 easily on the highway before....was a little sketchy but impressive!
June 14, 2011 3:09 p.m. Keith SuperDork

Umm, I'm pretty sure they're drive by wire. They're also all built in the US
June 14, 2011 3:14 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

Keith wrote:

Umm, I'm pretty sure they're drive by wire. They're also all built in the US

The early 2000s like the one I had were drive by wire - but they had a cable that ran to it so it looked like a standard setup unless you took a 2nd look. In '01 (or maybe '03) they changed it & put it in the pedal.
June 14, 2011 3:58 p.m. Keith SuperDork

I'm almost positive my 01 had drive by wire. Too late to check now
June 19, 2011 9:43 p.m. Mazdax605 Dork

Does anyone know if the limited slip in the Tundra is a clutch type? Also would you guys think it is necessary for me in snowy New England? I get around in my open diff Dodge van just fine now,but maybe a truck is a bit lighter in the rear end,and will tend to slip a bit more. Mind you I am only considering 2wd trucks as I really have no use for 4wd even in the snow around here which usually isn't too bad.
June 21, 2011 8:25 p.m. Mazdax605 Dork

Price seems high especially for a 2wd in New England,but looks to be a clean truck.Also the mileage seems a bit high but not crazy:

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/ctd/2451317575.html

I may have a look at it soon if I can get up there. What does the TRD package add to a 2wd truck? Is that hood scoop stock or a Pep Boys special?

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