Taco Terror's ‘96 Old Truck Build

Well I decided I would go ahead and make a build thread for my truck, its been a long ways from what she started as.

A short intro: My truck is one of the first vehicles I ever wanted. My grandpa bought it when I was little and I remember wanting a black truck just like his for the longest time. After years of growing up riding in the rear jump seat, he gave me the keys.

Wheels and Tires:
BFG AT 33x1050r15
15x7 American Racing Baja rims

Suspenison:
Bilstein 5100 shocks + Eibach Coils
Wheelers Offroad 5 leaf pack + Wheelers AAL (6 Leaf pack now)

Lights:
Clear corners, clear turn signals, Morimoto mini h1 retrofit headlights, Spyder LED tail lights, Super Bright LEDs in everything but the turn signals
Also Rigid D2 Duallys for aux lighting


To do list (all completed, so nothing to do):
Regear to 4.56s (done)
Bigger tires (done)
Window tint (done)
Exhaust relocation (done)
Added height in the rear (done)
etc.


To the build!
How she looks today:





She started out looking like this when I first got her a few years ago at a young 75,000 miles:


Stayed like that for a while, my first "mod" was replacing the drivers side mirror, I was young and couldn't drive for crap at 14, so I ripped it off on a tree backing up the driveway.

About the most expensive thing was a dashmat. Then for my 16th birthday (or was it 15th ) my dad bought me the rims I wanted!!
Some American Racing Baja rims:



I loved it, those old steel rims were just ugly, but now my truck looked amazing.

Button fell off me stock radio, glued it on with super glue but that wasn't a good idea. So I bought a new one:


Then it came time to ask for something for Christmas...that's right, flowmaster 50 series single in dual out:

Duals


Offroad time in the back yard


Clear corners and signal lights:


New headlights:

Sealed beams vs. new ebay H4s:

Non slip pad for pocket below radio:

 

Testing out the springs


Not enough mulch the first time, guess its time to test the stock springs a little more


Got a camper shell and then some 31's:




Stock flex!








Sick of that dim green instrument lighting:






(My grandpa must have spilled some hot ass coffee on the plastic, doesn't look that bad in person though)

 

I know there's more than that.. keep it coming.

 

Damn you got here fast!
and I am working one it man. Just posted what I have so far so something bad doesn't happen and I lose all my progress.

 

I was.. browsing

 

right...

 

Presents!
Bilstein 5100s set to 2.5
Wheelers 5-leaf pack

Woot woot!




After the shop put my lift on:

 

I decided to find out what she looked like without the steps:


Never went back:




To be continued tomorrow...

 

I was in best buy and got to impatient when I walked by the car audio section, and paid the price as the speakers I bought were 1/4 too small so the holes didn't line up.

So I had to modify the supplied adapter bracket:


Speaker in:


And the grill back on, I had to dremel the inside of the grill down to fit the dome tweeters behind it. Really wish I would have just ordered speakers from Crutchfield that fit.


I also was eyeing up a powered bass unit by kicker, it was just so expensive. Then one day while I was in there, they were on sale for a lot less (can't remember how much) so I had to buy one.



Straps are run behind the jump seat because I am particularly anal about drilling into any part of my truck.

 

I participated in a group buy for some Wet Okoles becuase I wanted to keep my seats in nice condition. An added plus is that they make the seats more cushy:


1.5 hours later:


Comparison:


Finished product:

 

Lookin good man

 

Took off the "old man shell" as everyone at school called it, they had been telling me the entire year to do it. So this was my first chance to see it lifted on 31s without a camper shell. But I took it off for a reason

Clean:













Oh and that reason I was talking about...this is it:





Line-X

 

Added horsepower, the Argh! sticker came off soon because it was crooked and it looked cluttered.






The summer was winding down and I was about to go to college. I was bored and needed a new mod. So I did my lighted glovebox mod using an LED strip, push switch from radio shack, and wired it into the power from the cigarette lighter:

 

Haha thanks, its nothing compared to yours though.

 

Plans to ever put the shell back on or are you done with the shell?

 

I am not sure to be honest.

 

You'll get there man

 

Looks good man!

 

Thanks man

 

Missed it by 7 miles, in reality it is a little more because I have bigger tires.