New parts on an older car are often a good sign. When on a vehicle like today’s Nice Price or No Dice Tacoma, they are kind of a surprise, given the model’s legendary build quality and reliability. Let’s see what this tidy truck might really be worth.
Mountain Dew, the citrus-flavored soda owned by PepsiCo, is a textbook example of successful rebranding. Debuting in the 1950s, Mountain Dew was originally positioned as the beverage of choice for hillbillies, bumpkins, and rubes. In the 1990s, the company pivoted to a new marketing campaign promoting Mountain Dew as a refreshing power-up for gamers, both X and video, extolling them and their wannabe followers to “Do the Dew.”
General Motors attempted a similar rebrand of the Oldsmobile marque in the 1980s and ’90s, but unfortunately to less successful ends. That brand’s tagline, “Not your father’s Oldsmobile,” simultaneously offended existing customers and confused potential conquest customers, because while it explained what the brand wasn’t, it failed to succinctly communicate what it was. The 1990 Olds Troféo we looked at on Wednesday was one of the products GM released to capitalize on this newfound brio, but it proved to be the wrong car then and, at $9,995, the wrong car now. Based on your comments, it just didn’t spark any interest nor stir a single loin. As a result, it dropped in a 76% ‘No Dice’ loss.
What’s in a name?
Speaking of marketing, are you old enough to recall when plain-wrap products were a big thing in the 1980s? The supposed money-saving store brands were so prevalent in popular culture that they were parodied in the alt-punk movie “Repo Man.” It’s impossible to say that Toyota ascribed to this formulary, but by calling its 80s pickup the nondescript “Toyota Truck,” it was eminently plausible.
That must have proved limiting for the marque, as when the time came to refresh the model for the 1995 model year, the company anointed it with a new moniker, creating the now-iconic Tacoma line of compact trucks.
The styling of the Tacoma trucks remained fairly nondescript over the years, to the point where it is difficult to tell one generation from another. That changed with the latest edition, which features aggressively extroverted styling. That’s perhaps most notable for the teardrop-shaped fake grilles under the headlamps, reminiscent of the prison tats convicts earn when they off somebody.
For anyone looking for a little less aggression in their life, but also in need of a compact truck with a stellar reputation for build quality and durability, we have today’s 2003 Toyota Tacoma 4X4.
New parts and old parts
Not only does this Tacoma seem to have held up fairly well over more than two decades of use and substantial 185,000 miles, but it’s also had some recent work done to keep it rolling.
According to the seller, that included a new clutch for the five-speed manual, new ball joints for the front suspension, Bilstein shocks, fresh fluids all around, and a new set of oddly-named PRINX tires. The ad claims that the work totaled $3,700 in parts and labor, with confirming invoices included in the sale.
The remainder of the mechanicals appear to be in good order. Power is provided by Toyota’s 2.7-liter inline-four, producing 150 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque when new. Behind that is the aforementioned five-speed manual, along with a two-speed transfer case for the 4WD. The front suspension is independent, while out back, there is the expected live axle on leaf springs. Braking is accomplished by discs up front and drums holding down the fort at the rear. A pop under the hood shows an immaculate engine bay that belies the truck’s age and mileage. It all appears stock and free of any monkey business.
That ol’ sun
In fact, the only sign of this truck’s age is the failing clear coat over the still-handsome Impulse Red Pearl paint. That will eventually require a respray, but for the moment, it’s just a sad reminder that the sun is not always our friend. No such issues appear to affect the bed, which has been coated with a shot-on coat of bumpy liner and seems free of dents or dings. Those weird tires are mounted to the factory alloys, which look great, suffering neither from curb encounters nor brake dust etching.
A heavy tint on the windows has helped the cloth upholstery stay in the game. There is some obvious wear on the hard plastics in the cabin, but that’s fairly minor. This is an extended cab, so there’s a good bit of room behind the two bucket seats for lockable storage. Other pluses in the cabin include a sliding rear window and an aftermarket stereo. On the downside, the window winders are manual, so kids might be confused as to how they work.
Per the seller, the truck will come with a clean title and has already passed its smog test, making it easy-peasy for the next owner at the DMV.
A solid deal?
Like Mazda’s Miata, the Toyota pickup, no matter what generation, is almost always a sensible choice. I say almost always because there are outliers like this $49,997 dealer-offered 2000 standard cab. Holy crap, right?
Fortunately, our Tacoma isn’t priced for crazy people. At $12,500 it’s arguably more reasonable, at least in comparison to that single example of the competition. Is it, however, a good deal?
What’s your take on this Tacoma and that $12,500 asking price? Does that make you want to “Tap the Tac,” to use the parlance of Mountain Dew’s marketers? Or is that too much when the miles and white flag-waving clear coat are taken into account?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Hat tip to Jim Brush for the hookup!
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