Advice on starting out

Im currently active duty military stationed in South Carolina but i recently got orders to Utah and im really excited for the area. I currently drive a 350z but im selling it for a Tacoma before i get to Utah. Id really like some beginner info on buying a decent Tacoma in the 10-15k range like what to look for and some mods that i can get myself started on a long travel build. Thanks guys really excited to get to know all of you!

 

There's a tacked thread in this forum you should read "considering long travel, read this first". That will answer a lot of your questions.

My advice is to buy a stock tacoma, keep it that way, and spend what you would spend on LT on a side by side, like a RZR XP or can am maverick. They can be made street legal in UT, will outperform the truck on all terrain, are more fun, and you'll still have a reliable and economical daily driver.

A long travel tacoma (front and rear) in offroad trim (wheels and tires, bumpers, lighting) is going to cost you around $10,000-$15,000 in work - not including the cost of the truck. If you can weld and fabricate metal you can cut the cost drastically, but you're still looking at $5,000 in parts.

If you're determined to do it, buy an already built truck. It will have issues, that's a guarantee - but at least you'll save ten grand over buying and building a similar year truck yourself.

 

^ That, but if you want to do it yourself, then it's really up to you. Lots of information in this place, just gotta look around.

You'll enjoy Hill, lots of room to get in trouble

 

Thanks guys, and yeah im pretty excited for hill. But im not planning on building a fully purpose built truck just something thats more capable but i can still through a dirtbike in the bed and rip out in the dunes and unload it. And im not worried about anything mechanical i can do everything myself i build jet engines for a living haha. Just wanted some beginner info on buying the right Tacoma and maybe were to start as far as mods, like wheels? Tires? Any advice is appreciated

 

So you work JEIM then huh? You just assemble them, you don't build them.

I'll hit up a couple friends of mine at Hill, let them know you're coming.

 

Alright man no need to be a dick about it? Just trying to get advice on what works. Im completely capable of anything mechanic trust me i dont need your reassurance.

 

For $10-$15k you can probably find a well built used Tacoma that will be everything you want without having to throw extra money at it. Tons on Craigslist, when you get to Hill start searching "long travel" on Craigslist in places like Vegas, Inland Empire, etc. Places you could easily jump on a cheap Southwest flight to go see in person.

Assuming you plan on staying in for a while, as one active duty guy to another I'd say definitely keep it as street comfortable as possible if you want to keep it long term because a long travel desert type truck becomes fairly worthless in 70% of the rest of the country/overseas.

 

I hope your mechanic skills are better than your grammar. I'm not being a dick, just being realistic.

^ What he said.

 

Air Force purse swinging contest...

 

Normally give shit to my own, evidently some can't take it too well.