Can't locate my Tundra / Inventory question

[T100Kevin]

Hi all,

Looking for a Model 8261 (08, 2WD Crewmax, Grade, 5.7) - needs to have Tow and Cold Weather Package as minimum, other options okay - Silver or Dark Blue. I want the Grade for the bench seat as I need to seat six occasionally. I do not need 4x4 for the extra $3K - would use once a year maybe.

I live about 40 miles south of Chicago - virtually everything around here is 4x4 and/or SR5/Limited. I'm working through several dealers to locate this truck. $3K rebate in my area and I'm ready to buy.

Supposedly one dealer found my truck approx 300 miles away - won't tell me where it is or quote a price over phone - wants me to come in and "play the game" . Trying to save my time and locate one first.

My questions:

Anyway to find out what inventory is available in an area/region (ie: Midwest)? instead of dealer by dealer website or phone calls? Called Toyota with no success. I know dealers have access to some search tool that tells them what other dealers have and what is coming in near future.

Anybody know of a Model 8261 (08, 2WD Crewmax, Grade, 5.7) within 200-300 miles of Chicago? Any dealers on line?

Is this a rare model? Does anyone own this type of truck? If so, any feedback/comments on it?

Thanks for the help.

[mhadden]

I am going to guess that you'll have a hard time...I believe 2WD's are not part of Toyota's allocation to this region; you'll probably have to transfer one from Texas/AZ/etc.: I'll keep an eye out over here across the border in NW Indiana for you, but my hopes aren't high.

[HATEnFATE]

You'll have to go to the dealer and set something in stone before they'll locate your truck. It costs them money to get a truck from another dealer and you better believe they wont do anything until you've signed papers. Thats just how it works.

[ARTSBEST]

I live about 50 south of Chicago. I wanted a black Limited extended 4wd with 20"'s. NOWHERE to be found was the responses I got form 3 dealerships.

[T100Kevin]

Update - Picked up my Model 8261 yesterday - $28092.73 OTD - not great deal, but fair in my opinion. It was optioned pretty close to what I wanted - (has CK, CB, HM,ST,TO, and 2Q). I don't know exact process, but dealers can tell what is coming from factory and where it is going - this truck was "reallocated" or diverted from its intended destination right at factory and shipped to the dealer I brought from as if it was going there. Its not exactly custom ordering as you must pick from what is being built - "in the pipeline", so to speak. There is alot to choose from.

Moral - Get the exact model you want, color you want, optioned as you want - have the dealer do some searching. I did have to commit with a deposit, but that's after dealer and I agreed on price. You must be serious and ready to buy before they will divert a certain truck to their location. I pretty happy thus far - time to start personalizing. Time to let the ole 95 T100 go.....

[Spiker]

Good job on getting what you want. Do Toyota dealers do factory orders?

[Impelled]

Actually the GM of the dealership I bought from in Columbus could tell what was coming off the assembly line and where it was going. He had a computer printout that listed rows and rows of trucks and he showed me a white SR5 DC, 4WD, TRD that was to be built, starting in a few days, and was being allocated to his dealership. He predicted 10 days, and I got it in 8. I was looking for those specifics, it went real smooth for me, and this was just twenty minutes after leaving a dealership closer to home, that had me all frustrated and pissed off with the runaround game. This was back at the end of Feb 07, when the trucks where scarce, since then maybe things have changed and they don't have that ability to see the build sheets, but that don't make sense. Also, I thought you could "special order" a Tundra, provided it has the options available for the Zip code.