Millenium Falcon Taco Build

A picture of some of the undercoating I've been doing.

 

I know people have varying views with regards to Seafoam but I have had good sucess in my bike and other vehicles.
I threw some in the Tacoma's oil 100kms ago.

 

What I like to do when I get a used vehicle is get a starting point with regards to engine oil.
This truck has been used hard.
As mentioned previously, I used some seafoam in the oil 100kms ago to loosen up any crap that could be loosened up inside the engine.
Now I'll do an oil and filter change.
After draining the oil I use my fluid extractor down the dip stick tube to pull any remaining oil I can get out that gravity hasn't already gotten out during the initial drain.
Then I'll follow most people procedures for refilling the oil, changing and preping the oil filter.
I'll use the filter and oil pictured for 1000-2000 kms and then I'll drain it again.
This next oil change I'll use synthetic oil and a toyota oil filter which I already have on hand.
I'll continue using this higher quality oil and filter from then on in.
I didn't like the plastic style reusable oil drain plug washer so I removed it and used an aluminum crush washer that I keep a stock of in the shop.

 

Poor some seafoam in the oil too and it will help clean the pan and extract any water from the oil system. Its recommended you drive it no more than 500 miles but I think 50-100 is plenty of driving (oil gets pretty thick with the Seafoam). It took two oil changes to get the gunk out for me but I didn't use an extractor.

Also, if you haven't, change the fuel filter. I know its "life time" but at 100k miles, mine needed a change bad.

 

Good call on the fuel filter. Thank You.
Yes the Seafood went in the oil and I drove it about 100kms. Oil was pretty poopy looking.
If it needs to be done twice, no problem. I like a good starting point.
Thanks again bro

 

Seafoam needs to be done once but to get the crap out, oil change was needed twice for me. But again, didn't have the fluid evacuator. When I did my fuel filter (located under driver side door), I ran to E, put in a can of seafoam and about a 1/2 gallon of gas and ran it a bit more (it ran a little rough might of needed more gas to dilute the seafoam) to clean out the fuel tank. Ran a few more tanks of gas to make sure all the crap was out of the tank then changed the filter and the filter on the fuel pump.

My truck wasn't in bad shape but needed a little TLC. Engine perked up a lot when I replaced the worn plugs, and noticeably again after the seafoam, and again after the fuel filter change.

Love the progress you are making! Def one of my fav build threads so far.

 

Thats a huge compliment, that you very much!
I ordered the fuel filter located under the drivers side floor, I may source an in tank filter as well.
I'll keep the thread updated with further progress.

 

Today I've spent the day making some more room in my shop.
There was a wasted room that was an "office" but was used for nothing at all but keeping a nasty old couch and desk in.
All that went in the garbage. I've arranged my tools a little differently and I seem to have loads more room.

 

Planning on picking up my fenders tomorrow.

Those may go on tomorrow.
Also have the skid plates and gas tank guard to prep and paint the side that faces the ground and Rustcheck the side that goes against the truck.

 

To have a shop....missing a beer fridge though

 

It's there.

 

Picked up and installed my fenders today!
Waiting on some clips and then I'll get the fender flares back on.

 

So today I went to work on the skid plate.
It was bent, missing peices and needed a hole or two filled before preping and painting.

I cut some metal from the rear mudflap bracket that I had thrown in the scrap pile.
Flattened it then shaped it to the curve of the missing peice in the skid plate. I copied the shape of the other side and mirrored it.
I used a strip of metal to fill the gap you see in the 6th picture.
The trouble with thinish metal is you have can not neccesarily do a constant bead from one end to the other, you'll just melt through the metal, you'll end up with a hole and more work to do.
I tacked it every little bit as you can see in the pics and then went through after and filled in the spots in between.
On the side facing the ground I did the same thing.
I found another hole you see in the picturess so I cut out a peice of metal to weld over it.
Now it's time to grind the welds down a bit and prep the part for paint.

 

Great job man! Enjoyed viewing your progress! Looking forward to more!

 

I really appreciate that.
Happy to share, more to come.

 

Not sure what this peice is called.
Feel free to chime in if you know, it was right behind (towards the back of the truck) the skid plate, maybe somekind of tranny protector?
Had to cut some weak parts out of it and weld in new peices.

 

Skid plate primed then painted.

 

Damn, your welding is almost as bad as mine!

That is the rear/bottom skid. The "latch" hooks into the front skid and that big hole is for your oil changes. Looks like you may have cut off the two rear mounting screw holes too.

 

Thanks for the info!

Hey, you know how hard it is to weld something thin without a tig.
I'll pop a couple holes for the mounting holes.

 

Rear skid plate ready for paint.
Primed and the bittom sprayed with bedliner.