Hey all! Lurked on the forum for longer than I’d like to admit so this is my first post. I’ll be due for a vehicle upgrade in the next year or so and being where I live (central Colorado on the continental divide), my family’s outdoor bent, and my tiny town erasing concerns of poor fuel efficiency I’ve zeroed in on a Cruiser. I’ll admit I was on the Taco train for a while, but if I’m honest we need the interior space for 2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 canine critters more than a truck bed. Doesn’t hurt that we have a great local shop (Classic Cruisers) and a friend who wrenches there either.
So the wife has approved and I’ve been watching all the usual suspects for vehicles for sale. I have read extensively on the forums here about the trade-offs of the different series and model years and have pretty definitively settled on the 100s. Probably won’t do much rock crawling or “wheeling”, more exploring all the fantastic wikderness that are within a few hours to camp, mountain bike, fish, etc not to mention road trips with highway miles and if the fam likes it some extended overland style treks. If I could drive something like Tin Cup Pass with confidence that would be sufficient I think. The truck will be my daily driver, but I drive less than a mile to work and only in the coldest months. It seems the hundred has the balance of road manners, size, offroad capability, and safety that I seek.
My sense of the model years from reading here is that the factors involved are safety features, car seat mounting points, ATRAC v locker, and of course just the newer and lower mileage factor. My guess based on how I’ll use the truck is 01 or beyond is what I’m after, but I’d love some input from y’all with more than arm chair experience. I don’t think I need a locker, and the safer the better. What is the big deal with the nav units? Also I’m looking primarily at non-AHC vehicles since that seems like an unnecessary liability. How do the brakes differ among the early 2000 model years?
Am I thinking right? If not set me straight! So looking forward to getting the truck and contributing more to this community.
So the wife has approved and I’ve been watching all the usual suspects for vehicles for sale. I have read extensively on the forums here about the trade-offs of the different series and model years and have pretty definitively settled on the 100s. Probably won’t do much rock crawling or “wheeling”, more exploring all the fantastic wikderness that are within a few hours to camp, mountain bike, fish, etc not to mention road trips with highway miles and if the fam likes it some extended overland style treks. If I could drive something like Tin Cup Pass with confidence that would be sufficient I think. The truck will be my daily driver, but I drive less than a mile to work and only in the coldest months. It seems the hundred has the balance of road manners, size, offroad capability, and safety that I seek.
My sense of the model years from reading here is that the factors involved are safety features, car seat mounting points, ATRAC v locker, and of course just the newer and lower mileage factor. My guess based on how I’ll use the truck is 01 or beyond is what I’m after, but I’d love some input from y’all with more than arm chair experience. I don’t think I need a locker, and the safer the better. What is the big deal with the nav units? Also I’m looking primarily at non-AHC vehicles since that seems like an unnecessary liability. How do the brakes differ among the early 2000 model years?
Am I thinking right? If not set me straight! So looking forward to getting the truck and contributing more to this community.