New Tacoma owner after 35 years with Ford Bronco

W

Weegie

Active Member
Hello all!

I just brought home a GORGEOUS Barcelona red Tacoma Friday night and wanted to join up on here! I have a 1987 Ford Bronco that went in over two months ago for inspection and brakes and body work and some other things, never thought it would take this long, he's supposedly coming "home" tonight but I realized that while he is still strong and runs good (only 219,000 miles) he is going to continue to have rust issues and other problems will pop up and getting him fixed and returned in a timely manner isn't working anymore, so the wife made the ssuggestion that I look into Tacomas and I slowly did, and since then I see them EVERYWHERE, EVERYDAY here in Pennsylvania, they are so popular! So I made the decision to get me one but keep the old Bronco too,he is my workhorse for hauling firewood and branches and mulch etc (the Taco looks too darn pretty to do that yet lol!!) so I will keep them both for now and use them both, and if the day comes that I feel it is time to part ways with the old guy I am told due to current conditions I would be shocked to see what price he will command,but I'm jumping ahead here, still easing into getting used to the new guy, and so far the only issues I have is it is a bit tough to get into, I have to slide in at a weird angle and watch I don't hit my head and slide in under the steering wheel, that and there is a blind spot for me thanks to the rear view mirror-the old Bronco was much roomier inside-but I'll adapt to it. I have the SR5 Access cab with the 6 foot bed, and it is lovely other than those two issues so far.

It's a time of changes but I will get used to it, I drive a 2019 Dodge Caravan for work so I am somewhat used to the seat setup and cabin style so that helps me too. But I'll dig it I'm sure!!

Hello from Emmaus, PA! New "Taco" and old "Bronco" owner here!!
 
I forgot to say that I was floored when they said I don't have to change the oil for 10,000 miles and they use 0W-20? I am used to changing it twice a year and 10W-30 with the old Bronco!

Do you all wait 10,000 miles or have it done sonner and do you use that weight oil?

Thank you!
 
Congrats,and welcome to this forum.
Getting back to these oil changes, if this is a brand new tacoma, you have toyotacare for 2 years. Your dealer should set up service appointments for your oil changes and tire rotations along with their basic vehicle inspections. 5k miles will be your first oil change service. After that its 10k miles, or 5k miles if the truck sees severe service. Just normal highway miles within a years is the standard 10k oil change, anything else imo, should be 5k or a year whichever comes first.
Now if your in the salt/rust belt, its really wise to rust proof the chassis on these tacoma''s because the frames will rust bad within a few years. Cosmoline works great on a new chassis. Theres fluid flim type rust inhibiters, but you need to remember to reapply them every year or they will wash away.
Last, you may want to do a profession ceramic coating on the exterior paint. While your at it, doesn't hurt to have seat covers, and especially a bed mat.
 
tacojoel said:
Congrats,and welcome to this forum.
Getting back to these oil changes, if this is a brand new tacoma, you have toyotacare for 2 years. Your dealer should set up service appointments for your oil changes and tire rotations along with their basic vehicle inspections. 5k miles will be your first oil change service. After that its 10k miles, or 5k miles if the truck sees severe service. Just normal highway miles within a years is the standard 10k oil change, anything else imo, should be 5k or a year whichever comes first.
Now if your in the salt/rust belt, its really wise to rust proof the chassis on these tacoma''s because the frames will rust bad within a few years. Cosmoline works great on a new chassis. Theres fluid flim type rust inhibiters, but you need to remember to reapply them every year or they will wash away.
Last, you may want to do a profession ceramic coating on the exterior paint. While your at it, doesn't hurt to have seat covers, and especially a bed mat.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information!!
 
tacojoel said:
Congrats,and welcome to this forum.
Getting back to these oil changes, if this is a brand new tacoma, you have toyotacare for 2 years. Your dealer should set up service appointments for your oil changes and tire rotations along with their basic vehicle inspections. 5k miles will be your first oil change service. After that its 10k miles, or 5k miles if the truck sees severe service. Just normal highway miles within a years is the standard 10k oil change, anything else imo, should be 5k or a year whichever comes first.
Now if your in the salt/rust belt, its really wise to rust proof the chassis on these tacoma''s because the frames will rust bad within a few years. Cosmoline works great on a new chassis. Theres fluid flim type rust inhibiters, but you need to remember to reapply them every year or they will wash away.
Last, you may want to do a profession ceramic coating on the exterior paint. While your at it, doesn't hurt to have seat covers, and especially a bed mat.
Click to expand...
I'm going Tuesday to have Fluid Film or whatever they suggest put on the undercarriage, I asked at Toyota if they did any rustproofing and the salesman said "no" but a guy in the service department said they did treat it from the inside as they found they were rusting from the inside and said they do put something in there, but I'm still going to see what this outfit suggests, they got very high marks in their reviews.
 
Supposedly toyota now does the frame insides with CRC which is basically a form of cosmoline. I'll never use fluid flim again on a vehicle. It wash's away to easy being lanolin based driven here in new england. I found cosmoline a far better option like toyota did. Our military, bmw and mercedes all use it. With fluid film it collects all kind of crap on the chassis which imo looks like crap after a few months if not washed off first by wet roads.
 
tacojoel said:
Supposedly toyota now does the frame insides with CRC which is basically a form of cosmoline. I'll never use fluid flim again on a vehicle. It wash's away to easy being lanolin based driven here in new england. I found cosmoline a far better option like toyota did. Our military, bmw and mercedes all use it. With fluid film it collects all kind of crap on the chassis which imo looks like crap after a few months if not washed off first by wet roads.
Click to expand...
I asked this outfit about Cosmoline and they had no idea what it even was, now after reading this I have no idea what to do?
 
tacojoel said:
Supposedly toyota now does the frame insides with CRC which is basically a form of cosmoline. I'll never use fluid flim again on a vehicle. It wash's away to easy being lanolin based driven here in new england. I found cosmoline a far better option like toyota did. Our military, bmw and mercedes all use it. With fluid film it collects all kind of crap on the chassis which imo looks like crap after a few months if not washed off first by wet roads.
Click to expand...
I checked further into this and had some people at Toyota tell me that "yes" they did treat it with something internally but others said "no, that was only for a recall", even called Toyota and talked to them and gave them the VIN # and they said it didn't have anything done to it so tomorrow morning I will take it to a service place that got great reviews, let them look at it and do whatever they think would be best. The Toyota dealer I bought at said they haven't done any rustproofing in years?!
 
Took the new guy into the garage in Telford, PA. and they did him up with Fluid Film, said there was a little bit of something put on from the factory but said "that wouldn't have lasted long" and told me I probably could get away with a year or maybe even 2 years before this has to be reapplied, so I feel better that I did that.

Thanks for the information!
 
If your starting withy a freshly painted chassis, its a no brainer to use cosmoline. If a chassis already developing surface rust in areas its best to use a fluid flim product. Every region of the u.s is a bit different to completely different. Bottom line is fluid flim won't hold up on wet roads or humid weather, you have to repeat the treatment every fall, only then it prevents rust,
As far as any rust protection using crc. Back in 2020 when i ordered the truck, toyota, or the dealer definitely sprayed some sort of waxy spoog inside the frame sections of my truck when i received it from the dealer. You could see runs that dripped from the inside of those frame sections.
 
tacojoel said:
If your starting withy a freshly painted chassis, its a no brainer to use cosmoline. If a chassis already developing surface rust in areas its best to use a fluid flim product. Every region of the u.s is a bit different to completely different. Bottom line is fluid flim won't hold up on wet roads or humid weather, you have to repeat the treatment every fall, only then it prevents rust,
As far as any rust protection using crc. Back in 2020 when i ordered the truck, toyota, or the dealer definitely sprayed some sort of waxy spoog inside the frame sections of my truck when i received it from the dealer. You could see runs that dripped from the inside of those frame sections.
Click to expand...
This place only uses Fluid Film, said they use it on a lot of Toyotas and have great success with it and said I might be able to go a year maybe two before having it done again? We'll see. He said there was a little bit of something on the truck from the factory but he said it wouldn't do much or last long. They had no idea what Cosmoline is, and when I Googled dealers who used Fluid film in my area they were one of only two that came up.

I asked if I had to wash the truck if any got on it and he said "no", but coming home I noticed a film on the windshiled then also some oily spots on the body, called him up and told him that and asked how long I should wait until I washed it and he said at least 24 hours but don't use high pressure wash underneath which of course I won't do. The car wash at the dealer has no way to spray the undercarriage so I'll wait a few days then just have them run it through there.
 
Weegie said:
This place only uses Fluid Film, said they use it on a lot of Toyotas and have great success with it and said I might be able to go a year maybe two before having it done again? We'll see. He said there was a little bit of something on the truck from the factory but he said it wouldn't do much or last long. They had no idea what Cosmoline is, and when I Googled dealers who used Fluid film in my area they were one of only two that came up.

I asked if I had to wash the truck if any got on it and he said "no", but coming home I noticed a film on the windshiled then also some oily spots on the body, called him up and told him that and asked how long I should wait until I washed it and he said at least 24 hours but don't use high pressure wash underneath which of course I won't do. The car wash at the dealer has no way to spray the undercarriage so I'll wait a few days then just have them run it through there.
Click to expand...
You go through a car wash after doing fluid flim...its gone, washed away, and you'll need to have it done over...been there with my tundra. I use to have a local shop that did fluid flim on my tundra every year to show down the surface rust. I now only use fluid flim on my lawn tractors mower deck, even that has to be done every season.
Obviously your guy is pretty clueless on rust inhibitors out there, and only know's fluid flim thats widely advertised. Trouble is, once fluid flim is applied and you want to switch to cosmoline the following year, you'd need to power wash every inch of the chassis including any hidden crevices that were fluid flimed. Cosmoline won't go over any existing fluid flim without a reaction of a dripping mess that looks like fine machine oil dripping that never sets.
 
tacojoel said:
You go through a car wash after doing fluid flim...its gone, washed away, and you'll need to have it done over...been there with my tundra. I use to have a local shop that did fluid flim on my tundra every year to show down the surface rust. I now only use fluid flim on my lawn tractors mower deck, even that has to be done every season.
Obviously your guy is pretty clueless on rust inhibitors out there, and only know's fluid flim thats widely advertised. Trouble is, once fluid flim is applied and you want to switch to cosmoline the following year, you'd need to power wash every inch of the chassis including any hidden crevices that were fluid flimed. Cosmoline won't go over any existing fluid flim without a reaction of a dripping mess that looks like fine machine oil dripping that never sets.
Click to expand...

there are way too many folks out there drunk on the fancy FF
it does have its purposes but IDK what flavour koolaid they are drinking after my experimentations with it and the need to wash my trucks wheel housings out during the winter slop months.
i have not yet tested it with the high-pressure side blaster undercarriage wash

so far this product i stumbled upon (HV WoolWax) has been decent for adherence to most every part of my rig EXCEPT for that 3rd member and driveshafts, it sticks on body panels and protects those wheel-arch molding screws that get crusty. as long as i don't hit it with a soapy wash-mitt it resists the low-pressure rinse at the DIY wand wash
woolWax HV pail.jpg

its thicke when its coldish
woolWax HV thicke pail.jpg

more pics coming...
 
Last edited:
tacojoel said:
You go through a car wash after doing fluid flim...its gone, washed away, and you'll need to have it done over.
Click to expand...

Even if I go to the one at the Toyota dealer that has no underside water, just those spin type soft brushes for the sides and top? This guy told me that the metal "sucks up" the Fluid Film and it would be dry in a day or two, is that wrong too?
 
Weegie said:
Even if I go to the one at the Toyota dealer that has no underside water, just those spin type soft brushes for the sides and top? This guy told me that the metal "sucks up" the Fluid Film and it would be dry in a day or two, is that wrong too?
Click to expand...
Does that place offer no-extra-charge touchups during the winter season for whatever may or may not wash away?
 
JayQQ97 said:
Does that place offer no-extra-charge touchups during the winter season for whatever may or may not wash away?
Click to expand...
I don't know I'll have to ask them.

I also was told by others that this will drip for a few days, be careful of parking it in the garage. There's not one drop that dripped, it's in my double car garage that dries firewood like a kiln, it was 95 degrees in there today so I'm assuming that is helping to dry this up too?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top