Newbie engine swap questions

just my opinion but i think you will be way over your $10,000 budget once all said an done. i think putting a v8 in a this small of a truck will ruin it. the thing will be fast going straight but once you go mudding or crawling its not going to preform like you thought it would or like it does now.
UNLESS you put a shitload of money into a link suspension, new solid axles and the big shoes to go with it.
i still say go for it. its your money and your pit to throw it in. have fun. and take pics!
we all like pics!!

 

well if it does wind up being that much more i guess itll just take longer hopefully not too much...after investing and putting some money bak i decided i could spend 10k on doing whatever i wanted to to my taco....mayb ill take out a lil more from my budget and eat cheaper steak if i gotta, but ive already started the storm by inviting my friends and mechanic buddies to help i cant turn around now! and about the v8 for offroading purposes, i dont think its going to improve that much, or even at all... but itll help haul my big tires around the highway if nothing else lol...but im ready for a big upgrade on my truck and i think this is just wat i want, evn if im being stubborn

 

dude look on other sites I think $10k is more then enough as long as you are doing most of the work yourself.

 

or he could supercharge the v8.....then, ooh yes then...

 

get a 4.0 lexus v8. its a pretty common swap and will produce more than enough power for a small truck like this. since your goin with a v8 just go ahead and sas it while youve got it took apart ha ha

 

Have you thought about doing a body swap on a V8 donor vehicle? The frame from that vehicle would be structurally sound, the suspension obviously handles the weight and it'd be a lot easier to swap the body out rather than everything below it.

Putting a V8 on a Tacoma for off-roading purposes would require frame reinforcing, fabricating new mounts, beefing up if not replacing the suspension (at least the front), new transmission, transfer case and probably front and rear end. Just seems it'd be easier to swap the body.

 

woah step away from the computer for a min to go shoot my new gun and i getta crapload of posts on here ...4.0 lexus huh? ok thanks ill look into that too....about keeping the v6 and modding the hell out of it, yea but then itd b the same as everyone elses and as for supercharging the v8 haha i dont think id have enuf room in there for that hahaha..i was planning on beefing up the suspension as well already same with the frnt and rear end, hadnt really considered a "body swap" never thought of it...but i dont think that is as interesting... nor would i learn from it like id like to... any other engine suggestions? how bout trannys to go with said engines?

 

would this hair-brained idea be any easier on a 2nd gen??????????

 

Don't be that guy that dumps all his deployment money into a truck, and has little to no savings. I've seen that waaay to much.

 

there was a 2nd-gen at sema 2006 with a tundra engine in it.

 

Yeah I remember that V8 Taco^^^

But I think a 1st gen V8 swap would be sweet, but for that money you could S/C, SAS, ARB, etc. Make it a highly modified truck. Granted, V8 swap would also earn you that title, and if you have the time/resources then go for it, but the before mentioned options may be just as satisfying.

my $.02

 

I'm intrigued! I'll stay tuned!

 

thats certainly one word for it

it would be much cooler and make much more sense to go with a good diesel. from what i can tell there is absolutely no reason for the V8 aside from "it's cool". sorry, but its not 10k cool

you may be the same as everyone else, but would you rather be original at the cost of wasting money and ruining a perfectly good truck? if you wanna be original super charge it and put the tank treads on it. that is extremely badass and i think still cheaper than an engine swap. if you do the V8 swap you'll here alot of thie "oh its got a V8, thats cool...... and stupid". do you really want to impress and confuse people at the same time?

 

X10.

 

i hate u guys...lol making me wonder if i should or not...but for real it seems like you all think itsa bad idea..cool but a bad idea....mayb a supercharger is the best bet for power safely..

 

bigger engine is always cool, but unless its a dragster or something its kind of a waste. for the same amount of money you can have something less original, but far more effective and efficient and MUCH less of a headache.

Edit: plus, you wont always have to be answering the same question over and over, "but why?"

 

x2
I think a good turbo diesel from a jetta or something like that would make a much better impression and result in a much more usable truck then a v8. and make it a flex fuel truck or something. you could even make it run on vegetable oil. lol

but if you are dead set on using a V8. get this one!!!!

 

If I was dead set on doing a v8 swap I would do a carb. motor. Like a sbc or a ford 302 or something. That way you don't have to fight wiring harnesses or anything. It would also be way cheaper.

 

here's a guy that pulled it off. not so much the style of truck you want but still a taco with a V8
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...a-Tacoma-bagged-and-bodied-W0QQAdIdZ228733505

 

The v8 would be kick ass. Go for it. You shouldnt change your mind because people on the forum said it is dumb. I would be jeolous.