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How to build a T Rex

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Builds (2005-2015)' started by chipnoreo, Nov 13, 2012.

  1. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:35 PM
    #1
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2012
    Member:
    #88331
    Messages:
    2,515
    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway
    Took a 13,000 mile road trip and half way through it my trusty old T100 with 270,000 miles on it died beyond the point of reasonable repair. So I sold it thousands of miles away from home and bought a shiny new Tacoma. I wanted two things... 4x4 and stick shift.... 250+ Tacomas in the Phoenix area (where I was at the time), about 30 4wd, and 4 of those were manual. Made my choice pretty easy and luckily I found one at the right price with most of the "would be nice to have" options :D

    As any good Tacoma owner should, I have been busy fitting it to perfectly suit my needs. It will probably never be done but this thread will detail all my work. :)

    [​IMG]
    Just got my loan finalized!

    Adventures on the 8,000 miles home:


    First off road trip- 4 Peaks Trail, AZ
    [​IMG]

    Wolf Creek, colorado
    IMG_4947-1_ade2a3e7dd73b8e34e19cf2963d42adf8fa81607.jpg

    Escalante, Utah
    [​IMG]

    Somewhere in Canada.... lookin like shit!
    IMG_2889_338927a2463b699dc545a30a8585be765dff716d.jpg



    Jan 2013
    [​IMG]

    May 2013
    [​IMG]


    Nov 2013
    [​IMG]

    Nov 2013
    [​IMG]

    Knik Dec 2013
    [​IMG]

    Mods Summary:

    Suspension and Tires
    -Fox Extended travel Coil Overs
    -Total Chaos uniball UCAs
    -Dakar Leafs
    -Fox 2.0 Resies in rear
    -Wheeler's Superbumps in front
    -285/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac
    -17" Procomp Xtreme Alloy Wheels Series 6001

    Armor
    -Brute Force Fab Sliders

    Exterior

    -Black headlights from e bay (sealed with silicone)
    -AVS bug shield
    -Shackle hitch receiver
    -delete factory front tie down and replace with bolt on shackle mount
    -Extra tie downs in bed
    -Custom dirt bike rack in bed
    -Thin lip satoshi grill- mesh from customcargrill.com
    used directions and write ups on homertaco's vendor pages.
    -Custom TRD "TAKoma" stickers
    -Extang Solid Fold Tonneu
    -15" radio antenna

    Lighting
    -Fog Lights on anytime mod- LOVE this mod. Cheap and easy, even for the electronically challenged.
    -smoked tail lights used VHT niteshades
    -22" Lightbar mounted behind the grill wired on/off/on with high beams with OTTRAW switch

    Interior
    -Weathertech floor liners
    -Blue interior paint all over and lookin' awesome!
    -Illuminated 4wd switch
    -center console organizer
    -A/C disconnected from defrost
    -Wet Okole Seat Covers-front and rear
    -Cobra LX 29 CB with firestik II antenna

    Performance/Other
    -Redline hood struts-quick lift
    -Diff breather relocate
    -Magnetic Beer Koozies!!

    "Alaskan Mods"
    -Compu-star
    RF-2WG5-SH 2 way auto start
    -OEM Engine block heater

    Sitting in my living room needing attention....
    -Backup camera (needs a deck to go with it...)
    -HIDs


    In the works...
    -bumpers
    -Stage 2 or 3 clutch
    -Bluetooth-enabled deck
    -Lighting inside, outside, and all around. Lots and lots of lights. Alaska gets dark!
    -and a hell of a lot of other little things....



    Selected Mods Photos (see rest of build for more :D)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2015
  2. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:39 PM
    #2
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2012
    Member:
    #88331
    Messages:
    2,515
    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway
    And a breif history of my past Toyotas.... When I was 15, my parents taught me how to drive stick on my dad's 1993 2wd 4 banger access cab. I was permitted to drive that truck until I bought my own.... I fell in love with toyota trucks then. I got a job as soon as I was old enough and started saving.... my senior year of highschool, I bought a 1991 4wd Access cab, v6 as my first car. It was lovingly refereed to as "the beast"

    [​IMG]
    I drove it for 3 years. It was an awesome truck and I attempted my first mods and repairs on it... usually with good results. Usually. It then got diagnosed with a failing head gasket... which was not covered under the recall :( I didn't want to deal with it so I sold it to my family who ended up fixing it and giving it to my youngest brother. He just sold it out of the family last December :( Anyway, I then bought my T100, a 1996 4wd Access cab, v6. this one was dubbed "T Rex", now T Rex Sr... the Taco is Jr ;)

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I ripped the interior out of this truck over one summer and completely redid it. It was awesome. I loved this truck. I took it on what ended up being a 13,000 mile road trip. Around 6,000 miles in, the entire rear end of the truck pretty much died. Axel casing cracked, shafts bent, wheel bearing blown... My bill at the shop was getting huge... so I somehow sold it to one of the mechanics at the shop and went and bought my Taco and drove it home to Alaska :D

    Anyway, on to the build!

    Upon my return home, some basic "protect it from Alaska" mods were a must. My birthday was right around the time I got home so I asked for some Weathertech floor mats and a bug visor, which I use as a rock deflector. My windshield is fucked no matter what in AK, may as well deflect the would be rocks in my hood there anyway ;)

    IMG_3091_065e906341466f78e5f22fccff09f8fe94c7559c.jpg
    Floor mats and seat covers

    IMG_3102_1795394200700f5269fcf5a1573676f3fb5b94d4.jpg
    Bug Sheild
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2013
  3. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:41 PM
    #3
    benbacher

    benbacher Purveyor of Fun Vendor

    Joined:
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    ^
    Anchorage, AK
    Vehicle:
    '10 Tacoma 4x4 LBDC SR5 TRD Sport
    Too many to list now.
    Haha hey I recognize those condos;)
     
  4. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:44 PM
    #4
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway
    Two days after I got my plates switched over to AK, I got pulled over by the cops for having illegal tint. Apparently what is legal in AZ is not in AK.... So off came the tint. Using a clothes steamer made it really easy.

    While I was at it, I also replaced my headlights. The brackets on the passenger headlight was broken so I got some E bay headlights and sealed them up with silicone.

    27bd1fcf_c8148a18f9fbaf6830ca72d00bf5f12b9676a802.jpg
    Tint Removal

    19777b1c_f7e756ac0d28b0149f68d14581951859dd8574cb.jpg
    New headlights done!

    Also put on a goofy T Rex Sticker...
    6dd1d190_b2d252e6ed5ec7a452dcc69a30461ea164b375ab.jpg


    89fdeb44_765418a1f949a1e026f1d6456d80c8323ac34b2b.jpg
    Scenic Photo Shoot!
     
  5. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:46 PM
    #5
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway

    Lol. Home sweet home...

    Sooo AWESOME for workin on the truck... NOT. There is actually a rule in the condo association stuff saying no car work... I assume it mostly applies to things that are going to leak oil all over...... and do everything else in the parking lot anyway.

    My neighbors think I am weird because I am out in the parking lot waxing my truck twice a month in the summer....
     
  6. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:53 PM
    #6
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Gender:
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    First Name:
    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway
    Next problem I wanted to deal with was the lack of tie downs... So I installed a few D rings and made a dirt bike rack!

    IMG_4161_acee839251c7f76b35ecce5ce45e474b4954447e.jpg
    D Rings. I put some large washers behind them to reinforce them. More or less sturdy.

    ae345b57_5d9120d2a3021c208ddf11de26615ab7ee0644b3.jpg
    Plans for the bike rack. Nice n simple and no welding needed. Since I have no welder access at the moment :(

    6d4aeeca_bb9a4249ad222da342d55d44c09b9c40ec6d9204.jpg
    Done with the drilling and grinding.


    0aa6047f_6c2d9e4249f72065557f1c167f04c8137aff0eac.jpg
    Lining it up to attach to the bed

    a27607ca_ace95040bd27bd02705387b421d093bfbc20bbd5.jpg
    Force dispersion method.....

    f32ee12d_67bfde4402b85ea54231307bc5aa1ae6ec1d0a66.jpg
    Powder coated and installed!! :D
     
  7. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:53 PM
    #7
    teamamerica

    teamamerica Get off your horse and drink your milk.

    Joined:
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    732
    Wy
    Vehicle:
    2009 tacoma
    none yet
    what brand of seat covers are those?
     
  8. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:55 PM
    #8
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway

    they are the factory toyota ones. I got those off E Bay for 150ish.

    The black gets really hot in the sun and really cold in the winter though....
     
  9. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:58 PM
    #9
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Gender:
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    First Name:
    Anna
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway
    So this last weekend I got bored and started messing with the truck again.

    Finally got my lighted 4wd switch in :DIMG_5739_d9ea675f740a75c80c8aa6e1418ee7184ae585bf.jpg

    IMG_5740_d08a453ca11c782eb22a91e96b33deeba4f26e51.jpg
    Painted the console... more blue to come :D. No garage and sub-freezing temps so I painted it in my bathroom with my fan on.... roommate LOVED that....

    IMG_5742_81930b4852f88caf77fd773e8598e930b351154f.jpg
    Got some recovery gear... cause ya know, people like to drive into ditches in the winter in AK. Going to get a lock to put on it to deter people from taking it....

    IMG_5743_bed63d152f6b886b6ba919f3157143d613e01d08.jpg
    Gotta have a quality recovery strap to go with the fancy hitch receiver.

    Anyone have a clever way of storing a 30 foot recovery strap in an access cab? I have it shoved awkwardly under the seat right now....

    I also had the brilliant idea to work on my ticking AC fan. Took it out no problem. Went to bring it inside to work on it and immediately drop it on the ground, shattering the fan. No way I am driving around in Alaska in the winter with no heater so I went to Toyota and was able to get a new fan that is supposedly fixed for $150. Not too bad since the best I could find online was 100 with 40 dollar overnight shipping... Now it's so quiet that unless it is on high I can't even tell the heater is on...
     
  10. Nov 13, 2012 at 9:58 PM
    #10
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

    Joined:
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    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway

    :(
     
  11. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:01 PM
    #11
    benbacher

    benbacher Purveyor of Fun Vendor

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    Anchorage, AK
    Vehicle:
    '10 Tacoma 4x4 LBDC SR5 TRD Sport
    Too many to list now.
    Lol my good friend is the condo association president there.
     
  12. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:06 PM
    #12
    Blueitrgsr

    Blueitrgsr Well-Known Member

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    Brad
    Gainesville, Fl
    Vehicle:
    2006 Reg Cab 4wd
    Some bilsteins, OME 885's, and an AAL.
    Good looking truck, I look forward to seeing more of it.
     
  13. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:06 PM
    #13
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

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    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway

    Really?!?!?!

    I need to talk to him... about getting more plug ins for the people who have to park in the middle! I don't like leaving the truck cold but don't have much choice if I don't get one of the few good parking spots :(
     
  14. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:17 PM
    #14
    Khaos

    Khaos Big Member

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    Bryant
    Jacksonville, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2011 DC TRD SPORT Prerunner
    3” spacer lift, 285/75/17 KO2, Spidertrax 1.25” spacers
    Nice truck, without derailing your thread, what kind of mods does it require to keep a vehicle in Alaska? What are you plugging in? Forgive my ignorance, living in Fl I don't deal with any weather you would consider cold.
     
  15. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:21 PM
    #15
    benbacher

    benbacher Purveyor of Fun Vendor

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    Vehicle:
    '10 Tacoma 4x4 LBDC SR5 TRD Sport
    Too many to list now.
    Engine block heater. Keeps the oil warm so startup isn't as hard on the truck.
     
  16. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:26 PM
    #16
    chipnoreo

    chipnoreo [OP] Ready for snow!

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    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    Ram Eco Diesel
    Getting 30 mpg on the highway

    No worries. I moved to AK from Alabama when I was 16. I had a lot to learn about driving in the winter....

    First thing I did having bought the truck in arizona is change out the wiper fluid... because there was water in it when i bought it which froze as soon as I drove to colorado... bad news.

    Also installed an engine block heater. Had no pictures of that and forgot to mention it. It is an easy install. The hardest part is finding the hole and getting a good angle on it. I might install an oil pan and batter heater if I get bored and happen to have money laying around. But those aren't really needed unless you are in fairbanks or somewhere where is stays in the negatives for long amounts of time.

    I also got an autostart put on the truck. Makes mornings a million times better. Hit a button, 5 to 10 minutes later the engine is warm so the truck is happy and the inside is warm so I am happy.

    So I guess long story short, block heater and autostart :D
     
  17. Nov 13, 2012 at 10:41 PM
    #17
    RelentlessFab

    RelentlessFab Eric @Relentless Fab Vendor

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    Relentless Armored! Too many others to list.
    Nice job so far!
     
  18. Nov 14, 2012 at 1:35 PM
    #18
    Syntonization

    Syntonization tAKoma Godfather

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    Jeremiah
    Anchorage, AK
    Vehicle:
    09' TRD Sport dbl cab long bed
    Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX 295/70/17. Tuff Wheels 17x8 -13 Offset. Front Suspension: Fox Racing 2.5 Series Extended travel shocks w/ Eibach coil-overs, Total Chaos UCA's. Rear: Dakar Leaf Springs, Fox Racing 2.5 Series Long travel shocks. Superbump Stops. Cab mount frame chop. BruteFab frame sliders. Pelfreybuilt Front bumper, Hi-Clearance Rear w/swingarm and table. Color matched BRM! Superwinch Tigershark TS9500 SR. Morimoto 5Five FX-R Stage III HID Projector retrofit 6000K. Rigid DOT Fog lights, 20" light bar, dually ditch lights. 6500 lm LED underbody rock lights. Fog lights on any time MOD. K&N 77 Cold Air Intake. Flowmaster American Thunder CAT back dual exhaust. CompuStar 2 way remote start w/ 2 stage alarm and keyless entry. White under hood LED strip lighting, with automatic hood pin on/off switch. Dynamat & Dynaliner sound deadening in doors & cab. Kenwood DDX574BH Head unit with Maestro OBDII interface. Rockford Fosgate Punch 5 ch amp with Punch Component tweeters, woofers & sub. USB charging/data ports in blank plug under head unit. Instrument cluster, red and white LED's replacement. Backlit 4x4 selector switch. Anytime on/off Rear-view mirror back up camera. Uniden PRO520XL CB w/ co phased ATT's. Toyota Hood Protector. Coverking Neoprene black w/ red center seat covers. Color matched Devil Horns grill emblem.
    Nice build Anna. I can't believe that I didn't look at your truck the other night, I'll have pay more attention next time
     
  19. Nov 14, 2012 at 1:37 PM
    #19
    brian

    brian Another Traitor

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    Looks good! :thumbsup:
     
  20. Nov 14, 2012 at 1:51 PM
    #20
    Zombie Runner

    Zombie Runner Are these black helicopters for me?

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    oil change...
    Nice truck!
     

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