Hello everyone!
New to the forum here, and the new owner of a 1998 100 series that I bought a couple of weeks ago (200k on the odometer).
Had it checked out by a local mechanic who specializes in Toyota trucks (I’m in the San Diego area) to have an inspection before I purchased. Most of the problems seem to be “keep an eye on it” and “when you can afford it, go ahead and fix this” type issues. Number 1 item was the radiator had some hairline cracks in it and it was recommended I get that fixed ASAP. So I had the radiator replaced (as well as the hoses and heater Tees), as well some fluid flushes (brake fluid and power steering fluid).
After I had bought it, I took it to another local mechanic who also specializes in Toyota trucks to do the above work. They found a couple of other things the first guy missed, so hopefully they aren’t too major for now at least.
This is a secondary vehicle for me (daily driver is a 2000 Toyota Solara [200k on it and still going strong]). I’m going to attempt to fix as many things on it as possible by myself to teach myself how to better work on vehicles (likewise, it'll be nice to have the LC if my other car breaks down, so I have time to work on it as well).
My general idea for this vehicle is to use it as a weekend-warrior type truck; use it to throw a kayak on top for driving around town to fish; take it out to the mountains on BLM land to do some target shooting; and slowly build it into a thoughtful camper type rig to do some more camping and have everything be relatively self contained (things like a drawer/sleeping platform so I can sleep in the vehicle, an awning attached to the roofrack, dual battery system to run accessories without worrying about affecting my starter battery, etc). I don't envision any kind of intense off-roading, but I’ve also never been exposed to it; so I may very well try a few simple trails and get the bug and then want to actually get deeper into that space. We’ll see (if any of you are in the San Diego area, I’d love to meet some new people ).
I’ve been compiling a list of A) repairs that are needed, and B) mods/accessories that I want to add to it. All of this will be done over time / as my budget allows. So I thought I’d start a thread to try and get some experienced opinions on some things, as well as document the things I’ve done to it that may be helpful for others.
To start with, here are some repairs items I need to look into:
Easy stuff I’m sure I can fix myself:
Things to keep an eye on / may need a mechanic to help me out (I'm going to do as much as I can on the truck that I feel comfortable with, but I need to do more research / determine if I just want to have a pro do it for me)
Beyond that, here’s a dump of random things that I have envisioned for the truck as my budget allows over time (definitely not trying to rush through this):
That's it for now! Let me know what you guys think. I'll follow up once I've tackled a couple of items on the list.
New to the forum here, and the new owner of a 1998 100 series that I bought a couple of weeks ago (200k on the odometer).
Had it checked out by a local mechanic who specializes in Toyota trucks (I’m in the San Diego area) to have an inspection before I purchased. Most of the problems seem to be “keep an eye on it” and “when you can afford it, go ahead and fix this” type issues. Number 1 item was the radiator had some hairline cracks in it and it was recommended I get that fixed ASAP. So I had the radiator replaced (as well as the hoses and heater Tees), as well some fluid flushes (brake fluid and power steering fluid).
After I had bought it, I took it to another local mechanic who also specializes in Toyota trucks to do the above work. They found a couple of other things the first guy missed, so hopefully they aren’t too major for now at least.
This is a secondary vehicle for me (daily driver is a 2000 Toyota Solara [200k on it and still going strong]). I’m going to attempt to fix as many things on it as possible by myself to teach myself how to better work on vehicles (likewise, it'll be nice to have the LC if my other car breaks down, so I have time to work on it as well).
My general idea for this vehicle is to use it as a weekend-warrior type truck; use it to throw a kayak on top for driving around town to fish; take it out to the mountains on BLM land to do some target shooting; and slowly build it into a thoughtful camper type rig to do some more camping and have everything be relatively self contained (things like a drawer/sleeping platform so I can sleep in the vehicle, an awning attached to the roofrack, dual battery system to run accessories without worrying about affecting my starter battery, etc). I don't envision any kind of intense off-roading, but I’ve also never been exposed to it; so I may very well try a few simple trails and get the bug and then want to actually get deeper into that space. We’ll see (if any of you are in the San Diego area, I’d love to meet some new people ).
I’ve been compiling a list of A) repairs that are needed, and B) mods/accessories that I want to add to it. All of this will be done over time / as my budget allows. So I thought I’d start a thread to try and get some experienced opinions on some things, as well as document the things I’ve done to it that may be helpful for others.
To start with, here are some repairs items I need to look into:
Easy stuff I’m sure I can fix myself:
- Door lock actuators are weak (I think I’ll attempt to do to the motor swap that I’ve seen on these forums)
- Driver side window regulator is weak (doesn’t seem too hard to fix)
- Power antenna is broken (thinking about replacing it with a static antenna)
- Have what seems to be the quintessential “clunk”. It's not terrible, but I definitely feel it (I've read about this a lot and seen some videos RE: lubing the driveshaft. I think I can do this myself, but am also pretty sure that my mechanic will just throw that in next time I have him service the vehicle).
Things to keep an eye on / may need a mechanic to help me out (I'm going to do as much as I can on the truck that I feel comfortable with, but I need to do more research / determine if I just want to have a pro do it for me)
- Timing belt sticker is worn off; can’t tell when it was last done (not going to worry about it for right now, but will get this service done at some point in the near future to be safe)
- Oil leak (seems to just be a small valve cover gasket leak; not running to the ground or losing oil or anything like that)
- Slight seepage from the transmission pan (again, just seems like some minor seepage. Would just tightening the bolts and cleaning the dried up fluid be a good place to start?)
- Front axle boots leaking grease (mechanic told me it’s not that bad; and I plan on replacing the suspension soon enough, so he suggested to not worry about it and just have it taken care of during that process)
- Steering rack is slightly leaking (again, mechanic told me it’s not that bad and to just keep an eye on it. Not really sure what is involved in resolving that if it starts getting worse. Guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it unless you guys have some advice for me).
- Small rust spot around the windshield (it’s relatively small, but I want to get that taken care of sooner rather than later so it doesn’t spread and cause any leaks or other problems)
Beyond that, here’s a dump of random things that I have envisioned for the truck as my budget allows over time (definitely not trying to rush through this):
- Building a drawer system / sleeping platform
- New stereo + speakers
- Backup camera (which will be compatible with the stereo receiver)
- Removing the running boards
- Dual battery system
- Aftermarket roof rack
- 270 degree awning attached to that roof rack
- Direction-adjustable LEDs attached to the roof rack for campsite lighting
- Upgraded headlights
- Upgraded LED interior lights
- 2nd row seat cover to protect the leather from the dog
- An “attic rack” for shoving jackets/sleeping mats/etc into
- Heavier-duty floor mats
- Tinted windows (will get this done at a shop)
- Replace old suspension w/ something like an Old Man Emu kit (will probably have this done at a shop too. We’ll see how confident I feel in my abilities when the time comes)
- Maybe an on-board air compressor….. (probably don’t really need it but they seem inexpensive enough… )
That's it for now! Let me know what you guys think. I'll follow up once I've tackled a couple of items on the list.
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