Admittedly a Modest Build

I bought my first Tacoma this month. It's a black 2006 Double Cab, long box. I don't have a big budget for lifts, tires, a sound system and all the things I'd like to add to the truck. But I am a photographer so I'd like a thread to post photos and document the modest stuff I do change.

Prior to the Tacoma I owned a 1993 T-100. I bought it in 1995 and this photo is scanned from a print I made in 1999.





This is the T-100 in October 2011. I took good care of it so it hadn't changed much from when it was new.





This photo of the Tacoma was taken during the test drive in April 2012.





Last week conditions were right to grab a decent photo of the Tacoma.



That's my constant companion in the back seat. She's a 3 yr. old Labradoodle named Rasha.


I said it would be a modest build. Here's my first mod, the thing I feel naked without in any truck, a convex mirror.



I stopped at the Canadian Tire store right down the street from the Toyota dealership when I drove away with the new truck.


Mods on the horizon:
flat black badges- I bought the Plasti-Dip last week
Raider Cobra cap with Thule Aero roof racks and headliner- it's on order
Tires- I have owned 3 sets of Michelin LTX A/T2's and plan on another set soon


Well, that's it for now. I hope to be adding many more photos.

 

Yeah, thanks. I owned the truck for 17 yrs. and wouldn't have parted with it if it were not necessary to have a seat for the mutt. She's 85 lbs. and that gets awful heavy on the passenger.

It's especially important where I live to wash the undercarriage regularly in the winter. They put salt on the roads and those trucks were notorious for rust so I kept that one spotless.


Plus I had the occasional lucky fender-bender. I had all the quarter panels replaced once or twice. The bumpers came with a warranty against rust so they were replaced a few times, too.

Also I had it serviced at a dealership the whole time and they like to keep everything in perfect working order.

The kid who bought it got an amazing truck at a fair price.

The wife refers to the ride of the Tacoma as "luxurious". Overall I'm pleased with the change but the size difference is taking a bit of getting used to.

 

Nothing wrong with a mildly built Tacoma. These trucks come ready to handle most tasks right outta the box. Nice T100 and nice new Taco bro!

 

As good of care as you took with the T100 I'm sure your Tacoma will be looking new for years to come.

 

We use a ton of rock salt here too. Did you pressure wash the underside or just garden hose in the driveway ? I hose my down when I wash it in the winter but generally don't crawl under it to get every corner. Need to do that I guess.

 

Nice photos of the trucks. It looks good just like it is.

 

Thanks everyone.

rbishopp: I don't really have much of a driveway so I wash at the local coin-op. At my favourite place there is a special wand that's intended for washing the undercarriage. I spend at least as much on the undercarriage as I do the topside, getting every nook and cranny. It's a real pain when that coin-op is closed and I have to use a regular straight gun. Then I'm down on my hands and knees to get the underneath clean.

Plus, I got under there every few years and refreshed the undercoating myself with spray cans. It really proved to be worth it.

 

Cool. Thanks for the ideas. A little extra undercoating should be easy enough too.

 

I picked up the new cap today, one and a half weeks early! When is anything ever early? I had a good feeling about this dealer and maybe my inclination was correct.

Anyway, it's a Raider Cobra with Thule Aero roof racks and a grey headliner.



It's not nearly as sleek or sexy as some of the caps I see around but it offers plenty of headroom for getting in and out. My last cap was a cab-height unit and I swore I'd get a higher one the next time.

More photos to come soon I hope. Thanks for looking.

 

I decided to take the roof rack off to see if I could feel a difference.



It was especially windy out here on the prairie today and there was a discernible difference in the wind resistance with the racks off.

I love how much more sturdy and grounded the truck feels with the cap on.

 

I have a DCLB too, I am also doing a very modest build. I love a topper too, that was my first "mod".
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...silver-dclb-build-drop-your-advice-ideas.html
Glad to see someone else on here who doesn't have thousands to spend on a truck. That is so far from real life for me. Not that I am glad you don't have gobs of extra money, I wish we all did.

 

Good to hear from you ILTM. Your truck looks great. I looked at the ARE caps (the MX line is a little raised like I wanted) and really liked the quality of them but I decided on the Raider. I love your wheels. Have you gone any further with the lift plans yet? You got me looking at ToyTec packages. I think you should buy the black headlights if you still can. So much easier than the DIY.

Another slight mod: Plasti-Dip front badge. It can be seen in the last photo. I'm thinking of doing the rear bumper, too. I'm not keen on black on black badges so the rest of the badges may come off.

Cheers

 

I just ordered my used fog lights and new OEM fog light switch and relay. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I'll have my fog lights in and working.

Also added Toyota floor mats and they are so much nicer than the cheapies I had in there to start with. I set aside the carpeted factory ones so they don't get destroyed. I found with the sale of my T-100 that brand spanking new floor mats are impressive to a buyer.