Hunt Talk Radio - Look for it on your favorite Podcast platform

Rebuilding a rig instead of buying new

I miss my 2005 tundra but holy shit my 2024 f150 powerboost is nice! I've never bought a vehicle with less than 132,000 miles on it until now. Probably won't take it on the same roads I would have taken the tundra, but I don't feel the call to drive shitty roads as much anymore.

The first scratch was painful :sneaky:
 
grizzly_ said:
It may be cheaper to fix up an older vehicle, but I don't think it's going to be "better"
Click to expand...

Agreed based on one’s goals. If you want a cruiser today’s vehicles are leaps beyond model year 2000s. If you want a brute without emissions or traction control nannies then pre 2000 is significantly better. I have both and while I really like the burb for what I built it for, my 2023 Silverado is my vehicle of choice for 90% of what we do.
 
im rebuilding a 2002 4 door shortbed chevy 2500, built a iron block 6.2 ls, rebuilt the 4l80, rebuilt and istalling a floor shift 241transfercase, aluminum rear drivshaft,
all brakes, suspension, cv axles front and rear wheelbearings ect, long tube headers, exhaust, ect, paid 5000 for the truck with 180,000 miles on it, because it was extremely clean body
im in it about 13500 total,
new comparable truck is 50,000,

wife has a 2021 silverado trailboss, 4000 miles out of powertrain warranty it ate a roller lifter, stupid afm/dod crap
pulled the motor, new bearings, freshened heads with valve job, springs seals. new cam,, lifters, pushrods, oil pump, water pump, belts , hoses ect,
3300 in parts pieces, 900 to have computer unlocked and retuned without the afm/dod
its a real nice truck but resell is terrible, so i guess were stuck with it

the numbers of newer chevy and dodge gas trucks with cam lifter failures is absurd,
i was gonna have deaker just put new motor in her truck, 13500.00 but 4 months of waiting gm still had no inventory of the newest 5.3, so i had to do it myself,,,

live and learn
 
A lot depends about how far you drive to hunt. If you drive 12 to 20 hours from home to where you hunt the newer trucks are very comfortable. Especially if towing. Almost better to drive a newer truck and use a SxS or ATV to run the bad roads where you hunt.
Hunting close to home I would prefer any truck from the 70’s. Simple and easy to work on.
 
No doubt that new vehicles have a lot more comfort and features. But, you pay an awful lot for the features. You can do a lot with 50K-100K in fuel or make a lot of money in your 401K or other investments.

And ... unless you trade frequently and lose on each trade, I'd be worried about the features failing and the cost to repair them. Of course, not all older vehicles are equal. You need to do your research to find which years/models are, but that is why I suggested Lexus GX and LX. Lexus generally focuses on reliability above lots of features. The bonus is that most are well maintained because the people buying them aren't as concerned with regular maintenance prices.

YMMV.
 
If I rebuild a pick-up truck, it'll be a rust-free one from the 50's or 60's on a 70's 4x4 chassis. When my Tundra dies that is. It doesn't want to co-operate though.
 
Unless something changes, I plan on keeping the one I have until they plant/burn me. I will never be able to get the platform I have now again and I like it. Having gotten a great deal I am well to the good end for a loooooong time.
 
Just zipped into town and back in a snowstorm in my '98 Tacoma.
Hit 346k. Got it in 2000 for $15k/36k on it.
Had the whole under side drive/suspension replaced/rebuilt. Bilstein 5100's & 4600's. 1" lift overall.
New AC compressor unit. Heater fan.....etc.
Thought of new engine & tranny and my mech said why?
A Q&D paint job and new bumpers/lights.
$10k give or take.
Love my crank windows.
Parts for the older Toyota's are getting scarce. For factory stuff.

Did similar on the 2001 F-150 offroad. But less involved and less $.

Been eying a '69 F-250 4x4...naah, I will not be needing a big work truck again.
 
RE: A340 transmissions - I’d previously done one drain and fill around when Covid started. Have no idea if the previous owner(s) ever did. Probably not, as when I bought the truck it still had a timing belt dating from the Clinton administration. Anyway, did a drain and fill this afternoon and the fluid was in surprisingly good shape despite being one part of the truck that I’ve neglected. Next time I change the motor oil I’ll probably drop the trans pan and clean the magnets to see what’s really been going on in there.

Hope I’m not jinxing myself, but them things are solid.
 
Last edited:
Bullshot said:
I am in the northeast and sadly have faced this dilemma this week. My 2015 4Runner with “only” 183k is going on the sale block in favor of a 2024 that I found with only 12k. It’s the same exact vehicle. For a pretty steep price, true, but I’ll have another decade plus piece of mind. Undercarriage parts on most vehicles here do rust pretty bad and when they get to this age, honestly, a body off restoration is probably the best route. Not what I am looking to do right now. Body is doing great, motor, tranny and transfer case are probably good for another 100K trouble free. But bolts, brackets, brakes, lines, shields, connectors, steering components, exhaust couplings, and a ton of other light and medium parts underneath are scary. I give Toyota a lot of credit for building a truck that just stays reliable despite the hard use and unavoidable salt/chemical onslaught. For me, buying a newer vehicle is probably the more economical option for my daily driver that I can’t have up on jackstands all the time.
Click to expand...
Fluid Film is your friend in that part of the world.
 
Bullshot said:
I already bought a gallon of it and a sprayer plus some extra spray cans and the new one is going to get soaked as soon as I get it and before and after every winter forever after.
Click to expand...
Attaboy!

I had my truck in the NE for a winter and would grit my teeth every time I saw a salt truck go by. They love that stuff, even if there’s only a light dusting is forecast.
 
Chama Grande said:
You're definitely right, the 5VZ-FE is pretty great, but I was thinking I would budget that to start if I'm buying from random guys on FB marketplace and I don't trust the history of it. Just some piece of mind, and knowing it was solid. But if it had a good compression test and ran well, I might wait.

I'm looking to do exactly what you did with your Tacoma. Sounds like no regrets and it worked out, that's awesome. Did you do any aftermarket lifts or just leave it all stock and keep decent tires on it?
Click to expand...
Make sure you get all the wheel bearings changed. Bearings are apparently good for 85-100,000 miles.
 
mtmuley said:
All about expectations and use of the vehicle. I expect to be able to chain the front end and engage the transfer case with a lever. I don't want a bunch of electronics or a TV screen on my dash. I will keep my older rigs going. mtmuley
Click to expand...
Wholeheartedly agree. These new trucks work off a ton of expensive and very tempermental circuit boards. Why? Cause the dealers gouge your eyeballs out when they go bad. And the manufacturers set this all up with their "Gee wiz" advertising. The simpler the better. Im holding on to my 2011 Sierra 2500HD for quite a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Path of The Pronghorn, Hunting Antelope with my "almost a wolf" dog
Replies
2
Views
1K
Uplander
U
44hunter45
Resurrecting "Red Green" a tough Toyota.
4 5 6
Replies
115
Views
14K
44hunter45
44hunter45
Lostinthewoods
My First Elk....
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
Bennitto
Bennitto
A
Met a new friend hunting
Replies
8
Views
3K
Akcabin
A
davinski
Best new 3/4 ton gasser?
2 3
Replies
56
Views
12K
noharleyyet
noharleyyet

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
119,578
Messages
2,230,668
Members
38,929
Latest member
5Standjake

Share this page

Back
Top