Show me your old Tacos (4Runner, FJ, Landcruiser, bronco etc)

[Paco 1,934]

Nice!  I love my 2000.  Little things come up on it that can be irritating.  Door lock motors, diff bushings, bearings, CV boots, etc...  But I still love driving it and it still surprises me that it's 21 years old and drives this nice.  Sure beats having a car payment, IMO.  Mine is at 210k too.  Do yourself a favor and research the AHC system.  a couple of great threads on IH8Mud about it.  I started out in the school of thought that's I'd yank it out and replace with conventional suspension but I've come around on it.  It still rides nice and I love getting a 2 inch lift at the touch of a button when I need it.  I just did an AHC fluid flush, which was a lot easier than I thought and the ride got even better.  You and I are both probably due for new AHC globes soon and I hear from the guys who have done it that the ride improves back to that same new car off-the-factory floor feel.  It's an easy job for a DIYer and I'll probably do it in the next year just because.  

If you get new globes I guarantee the ride would get better

[Elvis 3,371]

On 12/9/2020 at 10:17 PM, Your Mom said:

Here’s my 2000 LX470. I would’ve liked to have an 80 series instead but I do way too much highway driving and the 100s are just way better on the road.
The LX has the adjustable height suspension so I can lift and lower it a couple inches as needed. That will go out one day and I’ll replace it with conventional suspension with a 2” lift. But for now it rides smooth as butter.


I have the 3rd row seats removed and a drawer system that forms a sleeping platform with the 2nd row seats folded down. Perfect simple car camping. No tent needed if there’s just two of us. The girlfriend likes it way better than a tent and I like the convenience of it.
There’s a fridge in the back powered by a 100w solar panel on the roof when I’m not driving and by my alternator when I am. Steaks on camping trips, cold beer after every mountain bike ride, cold Gatorades for the kids after practices, etc... It runs 24/7 and I love never needing ice. I can pull the fridge and portable battery out at a campsite and put in a second air mattress for sleeping 2 or I can just sleep next to it when I’m solo.









It’s 6 years older than my old Taco but so much nicer. I had all the seat leather reupholstered and it's getting a new stereo with wireless Apple Carplay next week. The gas mileage sucks but I love driving it. It’s my daily driver for the next 3 years until my younger son turns 16. It’ll go to him and I’ll finally by something newer for myself. Probably a 200 series Cruiser or a 4runner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Late to the thread, but I have to ask...are you kind of a short guy?  I can't imagine sleeping in an SUV.  Well I can, because I tried in my Tahoe.  No worky.

[Chewbacca 7,780]

1 hour ago, Elvis said:

Late to the thread, but I have to ask...are you kind of a short guy?  I can't imagine sleeping in an SUV.  Well I can, because I tried in my Tahoe.  No worky.

There is quite a bit of room with 3rd row removed and second row folded down.  Landcruisers are not small vehicles.

[Your Mom 4,806]

2 hours ago, Paco said:

If you get new globes I guarantee the ride would get better

Is this a joke about tits?  I feel like its a joke about tits. 

 

2 hours ago, Elvis said:

Late to the thread, but I have to ask...are you kind of a short guy?  I can't imagine sleeping in an SUV.  Well I can, because I tried in my Tahoe.  No worky.

I'm not tall but with the front seat slid forward it's 7' 4" from the back of the front seat to the back glass.  It is cramped with the ceiling though, a modified crouched seated position is as tall as you can get.  That mattress I put in there is 6'5", so a little room to spare on each end.  I have a RTT now and it's more comfy but it's plenty doable inside the cab for a minimalist who doesn't like a a lot of set-up/takedown with campsites.  

[Zwylde 812]

Went to Cruising the Coast this weekend with my gf’s family.  Her Brothers Bronco (didn’t take it this year)

 

We ran into a friend of his who just finished this one during the pandemic.  Got it free from an old lady after doing some small house repairs for her.  He had the before pics displayed.

 

 

 

[blacklab 11,939]

What did you do to your FJ today?

oh not much, just added a nuclear power plant. 
 

[Pato del Muerto 52,507]

The above pics reminded me of this one I took that was local to Cody that I’d see around town often.  Probably posted in the truck nuts thread years ago but don’t think I ever put it here. 

[Sam Lin 3,559]

Hilarious Aussie Toyota dealer ad.

 

[Pescado_Rojo 19,416]

On 10/12/2021 at 2:07 PM, Zwylde said:

We ran into a friend of his who just finished this one during the pandemic.  Got it free from an old lady after doing some small house repairs for her.  He had the before pics displayed.

 

 

 

Free Bronco...that he's probably put $50K into. 

[rage-a-holic 4,402]

after a 2200 mile drive from Cozumel to La Paz

 

[Da Fino 2,783]

I’m about to list these floorboards on eBay soon unless someone in the Houston area wants to come grab them. Gen 5 front and rear rubber floorboards. 10k miles of light wear on them. I also have the cargo and third row cover that I had to order from Canada. Those were pretty hard to find and pricy. Car is gone so these are just sitting in my garage. Free to a good home.

[MadTrapper 153]

Spent a few days in Silverton, CO and had a few feet of snow up around 10k ft. Put a new set of Michelins on about a month ago to finally replace the OEM Dunlops. Performed wonderfully.

Nice little trip and the 4 and 6 yo got to experience more snow than I think they were ready for, ha.

[tomahawk dunk 339]

What year/models would y'all recommend if I wanted to get an old Landcruiser/Lexus SUV under $20k? Thanks.

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

You can still find some high mileage J100 LX470s under $20k. Maybe some LCs too, but they go for a little more than their Lexus brethren. They will all have 150k plus on them, though.

You can also look for 4th gen 4Runners and Lexus GX470s. They are the same thing, but the Lexus is nicer inside, and they are all AWD/V8, whereas only the 4Runner limited had that combo.

[tomahawk dunk 339]

Thanks! Any real difference between the LX470 and LC other than badging?

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

Thanks! Any real difference between the LX470 and LC other than badging?

Not really. I think all LXs came with the active height control suspension, and it was only an option on the LCs. Many people replace it with regular suspension. This is also a thing with GXs. My dad has a GX but has regular suspension on it.

[Your Mom 4,806]

3 hours ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Not really. I think all LXs came with the active height control suspension, and it was only an option on the LCs. Many people replace it with regular suspension. This is also a thing with GXs. My dad has a GX but has regular suspension on it.

This.  I have an LX470.  I would have preferred to buy a LC but this was the deal I found when the timing was right.  Other than standard AHC, the LX differences are mostly trim. Start here:  https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/100-series-faq.30754/

I love the Active Height Control but lots of folks replace it with conventional.  It gives you about a 2 inch lift or a 2 inch lowering at the touch of a button and it rides like a dream on the road.  For a long time the conventional wisdom said when AHC started acting up it was time to just rip it out.  But unless the lines are rusted out it's a pretty simple hydraulic system.  More and more guys are sticking with it now.   Mine been all over the backroads of Big Bend and some fairly chunky spots in Moab.  IH8Mud.com is the big Cruiser forum and is a wealth of knowledge. You'll find tons of guys on there that use the AHC to its fullest ability right next to cruisers with a traditional lift in places like Moab and the big passes and trails in Colorado.   

If your primary goal is off-road then you should look for an 80 series.  Solid axle, many have all 3 diffs lockable.  They are absolute beasts off-road.  But the last one was made in 1997 and while you might get 400k out of the engine and the frame, thats a lot of age on all the other parts.  The 100 series were made from 1998 to 2007.  If you aren't wheeling it really hardcore in places like the Rubicon, it will go everywhere off-road you need it to and behave much better on the road.  It doesn't have the charactoer of an 80 series, but it's a solid vehicle.  My only real complaint is that  the the headlights are straight up awful.  I just replaced mine with HID projectors and wish I'd done it sooner.  It was a pain in the ass but at least I can see great at night now, the stock lights are just terrible.  Mines a 2000 and is my daily driver.  I'm going to drive it until one of my kids takes it and then I'm planning to get a new longbed Tacoma after the next re-design in a couple years.  

If you want good mileage, high towing ability, or to go fast, these are not the vehicles for you.

 

[Chewbacca 7,780]

What year/models would y'all recommend if I wanted to get an old Landcruiser/Lexus SUV under $20k? Thanks.

100 series LC/LX. Get the newest one you can in the best condition.

[Planet Houston 4,930]

Not old, but I think these belong here. 

 

[Your Mom 4,806]

Saw this cool Bronco this morning in South Austin.

 

Just got back from Big Bend RSP with my rig.

 

 

 

[The Royal We 3,072]

42 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Saw this cool Bronco this morning in South Austin.

 

 

Just got back from Big Bend RSP with my rig.

 

 

 

That's a sweet looking rig.  What do the panels charge and how does it sleep?  You and a special lady friend fit in there?

[cknight 184]

On 1/12/2022 at 10:39 PM, Planet Houston said:

Not old, but I think these belong here. 

 

Congratulations! Love the look of those. Did you have any trouble with the dealer? I've been hearing horror stories of waiting for a year or more and then when the Bronco arrives the dealer is throwing on a $25 - $30K ADM.

 

[Your Mom 4,806]

1 hour ago, The Royal We said:

That's a sweet looking rig.  What do the panels charge and how does it sleep?  You and a special lady friend fit in there?

The panel charges a lithium iron phosphate battery that powers my refrigerator.  And plenty of room for the lady friend.  

[blacklab 11,939]

Finally got out to hidden falls in the FJ

[Your Mom 4,806]

Been meaning to get out there. Never been. I recently learned they have gun ranges there too. I camp and mountain bike at a place up not far from there.  A stop in on the way home would make for a pretty good weekend. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Your Mom

[utee94 15,825]

You can camp at HF, too.  We take our Jeep fairly regularly, and we camped out there once with a local Austin Jeep group, it was a lot of fun.

[blacklab 11,939]

There were a couple of big jeep groups there yesterday. We saw 1 FJ, one 90’s Toyota pickup, 1 land cruiser, a couple of 4runners and the 40-50 other people out there were in a jeep. 
 

the only reason I have the picture of the FJ on the rock is we watched one of the jeep groups doing it and their ringleader came over and asked me if I wanted to do it. All the people I’ve interacted with out there have been cool as hell. 

[rage-a-holic 4,402]

met an old guy at the beach yesterday, from California....his company makes golf scoreboards....he told me (seriously) he could get me a discount. 

Anyway, he had a pristine 3rd gen

 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

The new redesigned Sequoia photos have been released. Not sure if this is the right thread for it, but here you go:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gmauthority.com/blog/2022/01/redesigned-2023-toyota-sequoia-leaked-ahead-of-official-reveal/amp/

Motor trend had photos up but I guess they pulled them down.

[ballrific 215]

Can anyone rec a toyota/suv shop in Austin that does good suspension work?  Like clockwork my 4th gen's xreas suspension is going out and wanted to replace with some good aftermarket shocks (I've heard to look at bilsteins).  Just want to swap them out without costing an arm and a leg. 

Just hit 100k on the old girl and replaced the timing belt and water pump, which was pricier than I expected.  Should have probably had it done in Houston before moving back to Austin prices.

[Spoosner 86]

On 1/14/2022 at 10:36 AM, Your Mom said:

 

 

 

 

@Your Mom It appears we have the same Lexus, although mine is pretty much stock at the moment. I'm thinking about changing that. Do you mind sharing what updates/upgrades you made from a suspension, wheels, & tires perspective? Do you regret any of them from a handling, reliability, or noise perspective?

[Your Mom 4,806]

31 minutes ago, Spoosner said:

@Your Mom It appears we have the same Lexus, although mine is pretty much stock at the moment. I'm thinking about changing that. Do you mind sharing what updates/upgrades you made from a suspension, wheels, & tires perspective? Do you regret any of them from a handling, reliability, or noise perspective?

That is stock suspension.  In that photo the AHC is in High because we had gone down 27 miles of dirt roads with some rocky creek crossings to get there.  But it normally rides an inch or two lower in Neutral node.   I'm happy with the AHC setup.  My lines aren't rusty and everything still works fine.  I did buy a new set of AHC globe actuators that I haven't installed yet.  It still rides smoother than my 2006 Tacoma but not as smooth as others describe and I suspect my AHC globes are near the end of their life.  You can test that by counting the fluid graduations in the reservior between High mode and Low.  My graduations are at 7 which is the threshold for needing replacement, 14 graduations is what new globes should have.  The system works still but I'm told the ride will improve with new globes that move more fluid. I've flushed the fluid before and it was fairly simple.  Swapping globes with a fluid flush shouldn't be much harder, except some people report a lot of difficulty unscrewing the old globes and have to resort of a chisel and hammer.  I've been soaking mine in PB Blaster every few days lately and might tackle that this week.  I need the AHC because with the tent on top it will only fit in my garage if I lower it all the way to Low mode.  If I replace it with conventional suspension I'll need to remove the tent or park outside.  

My wheels are stock.  They were powdercoated black.  The tires are 285/75r16 Nitto Terra Grapplers.  My understanding is that that's the largest size that won't rub.  The nittos have a little less agressive tread than BFG K02s.  All in all I really like the vehicle.  I put a ton of miles on it and I find it very comfortable and enjoyable to drive, albeit slow.  I'm going to drive it for another year and a half or so and then it will go to one of my sons.  

[Pato del Muerto 52,507]

So this makes an appearance at my work parking lot from time to time, owned by a guy that works in building maintenance. It’s pretty damn perfect. 

[ohchaucer 1,443]

My history:

Cruiser #1 - 1997 40th Anniversary LX450 with locking differentials. Sold it to my wife’s cousin to be their permanent Martha’s Vineyard beach car and it still fires up every Spring without a moments hesitation. Best truck I’ve ever owned and might buy it back some day if it doesn’t completely disintegrate into rust and sand (which it probably will living up there year round)

Cruiser #2 - 1986 FJ60. Loved it but it was just damn impractical for the family at the time and it was meant to be a restore project that I just didn’t have the time to invest in (I don’t have any of those skills myself so it would have all been outsourced). Still it was fun as hell for a while and I’ll always be in the market to replace it.

Cruiser #3 - current - 2006 - mainly my play around and sometimes drive to the train car. I don’t plan to do much to it. It’s a family friendly beach and mountains driver that I’ll replace with another 60 or 62 when the kids are a little older.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Saw this at a car wash near my house earlier today. 
 

[utee94 15,825]

Scouts probably belong on this thread, so cross-posting from Daily Texan forum, apparently Volkswagen owns the International Harvester/Scout branding/IP, and intends to revive the Scout brand as an EV sport-utility and pickup in the US.

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/vw-revive-scout-electric-suv-pickup-us

[Jerry Callo 8,704]

The wife is driving a 2018 4Runner Limited with about 38k miles.  She had brakes done the past weekend and the brake guys mentioned the front struts leaking hydraulic fluid.  I googled around and learned that the Limited package comes with the XREAS system which distributes hydraulic pressure between the tires on the opposite ends of the vehicle.  I'm not planning on repairing anything yet as there are no noticeable ride issues.  But when that time comes, I'm thinking of removing the XREAS system and replacing with normal struts.  Anyone here deal with this issue? 

[AUinHsv 579]

Isn't that still under warranty?

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

The wife is driving a 2018 4Runner Limited with about 38k miles.  She had brakes done the past weekend and the brake guys mentioned the front struts leaking hydraulic fluid.  I googled around and learned that the Limited package comes with the XREAS system which distributes hydraulic pressure between the tires on the opposite ends of the vehicle.  I'm not planning on repairing anything yet as there are no noticeable ride issues.  But when that time comes, I'm thinking of removing the XREAS system and replacing with normal struts.  Anyone here deal with this issue? 

You certainly can do that if you want. It won’t affect or hurt anything. It is a pretty neat system, though.

Also, brakes at 38k? Damn.

[Jerry Callo 8,704]

45 minutes ago, AUinHsv said:

Isn't that still under warranty?

I understand the warranty is 3 years or 36,000.  It's beyond both.  Toyota said it was outside of warranty.

[Jerry Callo 8,704]

8 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

You certainly can do that if you want. It won’t affect or hurt anything. It is a pretty neat system, though.

Also, brakes at 38k? Damn.

I'm all for a pretty neat system unless it starts to fail at 36,000 and costs $4,000 to replace.  I understand how the system works, but I don't really grasp the necessity of the system.  So many people upgrade the suspension in these that there are bound to be some slightly used take-offs on the secondary market.  Otherwise, new regular struts are much cheaper than replacing the entire XREAS system.

[Izhmash 563]

Any Gen2 Tacos in Austin want a free set of Bilstein Struts (fully assembled) + rear Shocks? I removed them off my 2011 TRD Offroad in 2013 and they have been sitting in my garage ever since. They only have 13K miles on them. Also have original upper A-Arms if any interest in those.

Free to a Taco Owner that will use them. I can meet in North Austin (we live near Domain). Message me.

You cannot have the rear springs. I want to make some knives out of those

 

[hookemATL 11,740]

Total newb to the 4x4/off roading world but I spent a couple days this week near Uwharrie National Forest for a work project. We did some training with OEX (Overland Experts), and holy shit was that fun. I can totally see how folks can get deeply sucked into such a hobby. Bonus that i didn’t tip one of the Land Cruisers over or bust an axle. Great success!
 

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

Love that baby HZJ71 at the end. I think my dream cruiser would be a nice LHD HZJ73.

This is perfect.

[Pescado_Rojo 19,416]

On 5/20/2022 at 10:41 AM, Jerry Callo said:

The wife is driving a 2018 4Runner Limited with about 38k miles.  She had brakes done the past weekend and the brake guys mentioned the front struts leaking hydraulic fluid.  I googled around and learned that the Limited package comes with the XREAS system which distributes hydraulic pressure between the tires on the opposite ends of the vehicle.  I'm not planning on repairing anything yet as there are no noticeable ride issues.  But when that time comes, I'm thinking of removing the XREAS system and replacing with normal struts.  Anyone here deal with this issue? 

Had the same issue on the ex-wife's 2016. I pulled it all out and put Bilsteins on it and she never noticed a difference.  

[msucolt45 4,062]

Not an old Taco, but I picked this one up after work today. My first Tacoma and supported our very own Red McCombs at the same time.
2022 SR5 4x2.

Hook’em !!!

[Your Mom 4,806]

That's pretty much the newer version of the one I bought 16 years ago.  260,000 and still going.  The kid who was an infant when I bought it is roaming around town and probably getting into some mischief in it as we speak.   

[ohchaucer 1,443]

Anyone here have the new TRD Pro Taco? Or any thoughts on that on vs sport vs off road?

I’m not immediately in the market and am trying to work it so I can get a new truck and keep the 03 Cruiser. Probably still on the losing side of that argument but I can still dream.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Anyone here have the new TRD Pro Taco? Or any thoughts on that on vs sport vs off road?

I’m not immediately in the market and am trying to work it so I can get a new truck and keep the 03 Cruiser. Probably still on the losing side of that argument but I can still dream.

I don’t. I like them, but seems like a lot of money for the differences between the Pro and Off-Road.

[Your Mom 4,806]

I'm holding off on a new truck until they come out with the new Tacoma design, in 2024 most likely.  But I was reading up on the Pro vs OR recently and it didn't sound like there were enough upgrades to justify $10k.  It's mostly suspension upgrades on a system that was already very capable.  You could likely upgrade an OR version to similar specs with after-market stuff for way less.  Plus, I want a long bed and they don't offer that in the Pro.  

Edited May 27, 2022 by Your Mom