Hello
 

Hi Folks,

I'm Skyler and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm a student in CA who's trying to get his first vehicle. This is all self-funded I'm going to have a shoestring budget of a few thousand dollars so I'm trying to really get a lay of the land, and find a truck that really has a good ROI, and something I can invest time and sweat in to learn how to fix and maintain while I lightly use it(something extra cab, medium/med-small, 90s-early 2000s toyota tacoma most likely). Looking forward to all the insight I can get from you guys. Take care.

Welcome!

A couple thousand for a decent truck is getting extremely difficult to come by, but with the right amount of homework you should be just fine.

I don't know much about Toyotas other than that they are extremely reliable.

If I were going to buy something cheap and easy to maintain out there, I would try to find a 88-98 GMC or Chevy 1/2 ton extended cab 2wd with a 5.7 350 engine. You won't need 4x4 and it just complicates the drivetrain. There are so many of these trucks on the road that parts are SUPER cheap, and you've got plenty of room to work and tinker with the vehicle. The most expensive thing that could go out is your fuel pump.

Should get decent mpgs with the right gearing, but if you're going for a truck you probably aren't too worried about that anyways.

Hope you enjoy the forum, and keep us updated!