Converting a Truck into an SUV.

Yup. Never custom-build something that you can buy off the dealer lot.

Mike

 

I guess it depends on what you want to do with it. I have considered doing a mini taco based earthroamer build, but I think I will wait a few years and get a long bed before I do that. I would do a flippac on the back, replace the back seat bench with two captains chairs, remove the windows and notch out a section in the middle to pass through. You will have to do a custom rubber seal between the two layers, and maybe then carpet that matches the interior to cover the rubber, but then you'd have an effective pass through to the back. As others have said, it would take a lot of work and money or it'll look like shit. No matter what, no one should sit in the back but it's your call.

This is my "inspiration" for the taco-earthroamer:

 

http://www.hennesseyperformance.com/velociraptor-suv.html

I'm of the "why?" opinion too. The Hennessey truck seems dumb to me. But it can be done.

 

Again, an Expedition with an engine swap is probably a far better starting point.

Mike

 

Just don't!

 

Agreed.

 

Illegal in California unless those seats are factory installed.
The foam surround on a shell will destroy the paint on the rear of the cab.
Shells are not secure at all... may as well not lock your doors. Full-width passthrough boots have never been a smart idea if you ever have anything worth stealing in the cab.

I'm not even sure you can still get full-width passthrough boots... exhaust infiltration into the bed and cab is a real issue.

Cutting the rear bulkhead and welding the bed to the cab is going to look like a hack job for about a month. After frame flex stresses the welds and sheetmetal, it'll look like a broken hack job.

Then there's the whole issue of your '05 not having a steel box... you have no way to attach the bed to the back of the cab.

You'll take any resale value there is in the truck and flush it down the toilet.
Someone tried to sell one of these hack jobs on Tundrasolutions a few years back. It never sold.

 

Get a FJ.

 

Get a double cab and a lockable bed cover, if you MUST have a Tacoma with SUV-like-capabilities. Then you'll have a truck for when you need it to

 

.

Da phuq?

 

No shit.

Buy an Excursion and you'll have almost 100k left over to fuel it.