JBIX's Burned and Bruised Tacoma Rebuild

I have always wanted a 1st gen Tacoma for a daily driver and weekend wheeler but could never afford one with the cost of school and all my other projects, so I bought a truck that needed a lot of work.


Here's what it looks like today after working on it for a year and a half.






Specs:
2000 Tacoma TRD currently has 78k miles
3.4 5 speed 4x4
factory Elocker
01 front end conversion
OME 881s and sport struts
Dakar leaf springs Bilstein shocks
ARB bull bar
custom rear bumper
3rd gen 4runner 5 star wheels with duplicolor gunmetal paint
bed bobbed 13"
285/75 Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S
Magnaflow muffler
SecondSkin sound deadened floor
CB


Still to come:
Sliders
winch

How I bought it:






I found this truck on CL from a guy who bought it from a salvage auction.
As you can see, it had a small fire at one point in its life.
Looks like it started in the fuel tank.
The fire burned up everything behind the cab, as well as melted the windows an the interior inside the cab.
It had 74k true miles (I had a friend carfax it), ran, and the AC worked!
No working brakes however.

Downside is the truck does have a salvaged title, but I was looking for a truck to build and keep. Having been through the truck with a fine tooth comb, I'm confident it's sound, and reliable so the title problem doesn't bother me.

It also came with two parts trucks:


more details and pictures to come

 

Holy transformation!!!

 

"needed a lot of work" is an under-statement. I hope you paid next to nothing when you bought it.

Is that a short bed? It looks shorter than it should be. You've probably got one of the only extended cabs with a short bed on it.

But damn, that's a lot of work!

 

Its been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.
So far, for what it is, I don't have much invested in it.

Yes, the bed has been bobbed 13.25 inches

 

more pics of how it started

inside the cab








01 front end


Dash, steering column, radio, 01 gauge cluster installed






sealing the rust

Cab and E-locker wiring


bed bob












cab painted






all the glass installed




lights




New TB/WP, plugs, wires, valve cover gaskets


OME 881s up front installed and 3rd gen 4runner wheels


Painted the wheels Duplicolor Gunmetal and got some 285/75 Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S tires




big ass box




ARB


Bed work


Be painted








wet sanding


transformation pic

 

so my temp gauge is grounding out somewhere,
haven't been able to find out where so in the mean time I got an UltraGauge OBDII scanner


Got a free Toyota bed mat
so I cut it down and threw it in

 

^^^^^
Bro, spray your bed the bed mat does your truck injustice...IMO of course. Can't get over all the work you did....very NICE

 

thanks man,
the bed mat is just temporary
I want to get it lineXed but you know...$$$$

 

Made some brackets to mount the Hi-Lift on my ARB











I'm not sure if I like it. I might just end up mounting it in the bed.
Thoughts?

 

updates:

Dakar springs



oem mud flaps



Scored a free Warn XD9000 winch. With synthetic line, which probably needs to be replaced

 

bought a double cab camper shell for my bobbed bed.




cant wait to get it color matched

 

You got some bill paying skills, Wow, I'm jealous

 

If you think I have a lot of money in this truck then you're wrong. I'm building this thing on a tight budget

 

I understand, I don't have those skills, I'm very impressed

 

thanks man!

 

looking good man! you get 18.7 mpg average with 285s?

 

Wow what a transformation! Let me know if you ever decide to sell the camper. I'm looking for one for my double cab

 

Wow OP!That's some desire,passion dedication and such!She's lookin good!Congrats!

 

That bed looks awesome, great stuff in here.

 

Yes it gets 19-20 on the highway and 16-17 in town.

Actually I've been thinking about it, it was an impulse buy lol.

Thanks dude!

Thank you!