Tacoma Stalking, er...uh, Spotting, with Charlie™ (3rd Gen Edition)!

It would be cheaper (and much easier) if you just made a tube frame with a 5.7l and set whatever body you wanted on the frame.

 

Yea I was wondering where it went

 

Uh - I have a '17 DC SR5 without 4WD.

Never mind - saw you are talking about an Access Cab.

 

This has been explained to me already. They're transitioning to 2018. Also, my fantasy truck here is a Blazing Blue Pearl AC, either with TRD Sport or SR5 trim.

 

After THIS IDEA, I got to thinking again...

Forget about my idea of doing a V8 swap on a 3rd gen...

I think it would be more fun to make the 3rd gen equivalent of an S-Runner or X-Runner, using the 3.5L V6 it comes with! Toyota finally has the 2018 Tacoma fully represented on "Build Your Own," and the one problem I am encountering is that none of the V6 2WD models seems to be available with a manual transmission.

How hard would it be, in theory, to do a manual transmission swap on one of these trucks?

The way I imagine this "Street" 3rd gen is a Blazing Blue Metallic AC with either the SR5, TRD Sport, or TRD Off-Road trim. It would be lowered and fitted with performance suspension. The factory exhaust would be replaced with Borla dual exhaust. The Entune head unit would be left alone, but the speakers would be replaced and a subwoofer would be installed. The truck would look almost stock, but it would be much lower than factory and have aftermarket 20-inch rims...

 

Also, I really do wish they still made RCs! If something happened to my 2010 or I just decided to trade it in, my next truck would be a 2018 or 2019 RC 4x4 with a manual transmission in the gorgeous Blazing Blue Metallic.

DISCLAIMER: I would never trade my truck in or otherwise get rid of it!

 

3rd Gen Edition of my latest project...

FIRST GEN

SECOND GEN

 

I Ordered mine, took close to 4 Months but it was worth it.

 

I can see why you did. You've got an MGM!

One of the reasons I think settling for whatever's on the lot can suck is because you get an "odd duck" options list.

A perfect example would be the 1993 S-10 Blazer 4x4 my dad bought new in June 1993. It was a beautiful truck, and quite well equipped!

However, it did not the G80 locking rear differential (a $252 option that I'm told quite few S-10s and S-Blazers left the factory with back in the day due to its relatively high cost), the towing package, or power mirrors (it had power windows and locks; power mirrors were a separate option). Sure, my dad had a trailer hitch installed at UHAUL and used it to tow his 16-foot boat without issue, but it did not have the Trailering Special package which included an oil cooler and weight-distributing hitch from the factory.

The 1992 Dodge Dakota LE that my dad had before the Blazer was another. It had A/C, cruise, tilt, and cassette player, but it did not have power windows or power locks. It also had an open rear just like the Blazer. The Blazer, however, had the added benefit of 4-wheel drive so its lack of a locking/limited-slip rear seriously did not matter (the Blazer was a beast in the snow). The Dakota, as my dad found out the hard way during the 1993 Storm of the Century, did not do so good in the snow.

Every once in a while, you get lucky and find a gem sitting on the dealer's lot that had every box checked, but most of the time you get an "odd duck."

Even though my dad has never ordered a vehicle, he has found a few fully loaded gems as well. One example would be our 2004 Honda Odyssey EX, which had cloth seats and a rear DVD entertainment system (this configuration did not exist in the brochure; Leather seats were required to get the DVD player).

 

Bought it off the lot from an internet search of dealer inventory. Flew from Portland to Bend to buy it and drive it home rather than having some bozo drive it to Portland.

 

I bought the 2016 I had off the lot in November 2015. I needed a truck so found one close to the configuration I wanted and got it. My 2017 I ordered and waited about 2 months for. It was worth it.

 

Honestly, I kind of did the reverse of what many people do. My dad bought me a base model Taco as a present when I got my learner's permit. For the last 8 years, I've just been adding all the stuff I wanted!

 

I wanted a Manual Trans OR with Premium & Tech, that was next to impossible to find on any Dealers lot, plus I was able to select a color too.

 

I ordered mine they didn't have a 4cylinder 5speed 4x4 on the lot so since I ordered it I got it with the utility package.. yes for solid rear window..

 

You know what I call a no-frills 2018 Tacoma SR...?

A blank canvas!

 

Lot purchase. Has everything I was looking for plus some. The leather interior was a surprise.

 

I found what I was looking for on Gulf States Toyota web site. Arranged for a test drive with a local stealership the next day (a Wednesday). They didn't have anything close to what I wanted. Turned out that the VIN I had found on GST site was at a different stealership 30-40 miles away. My local stealership arranged a dealer swap the next day and I drove it off the lot on Friday.

So -- bought it off the lot, just not the one I was at!

 

Also, speaking of interiors...

Here's a hack for all Tacoma owners, regardless of what generation they have...

I work at a bar. In the prep kitchen, we have like a half-dozen of these blue vinyl aprons to wear when we wash dishes, juice lemons and limes, etc. I bought a whole bunch of new ones at the restaurant supply store, and it turns out one of them was damaged. Specifically, this apron had slits in the vinyl like a knife been run against it. Needless to say, this apron would be pretty damn useless at keeping water off of clothes...

So instead of bringing the apron all the way back to the store and trying to get a measly $6 or so back, I figured I'd put it underneath my seat cover as an extra layer of protection from snow, spilled drinks, my boss's dog, etc...

 

Wasn't in the market for a new whip but one morning I got a call from the dealership saying they have the exact Taco that I'm looking for so I went to check it out that night and the next day she came home. 2017 DCSB 6MT Base in Quicksand brought home on 2 Nov 2017.



This one, however, I ordered and had to wait 10 months.. 2017 TRD PRO in Cement brought home on 21 Jul 2017.

 

Dude! You have a T4R TRD Pro, and a Taco with a third pedal? I'm bleeping jealous!

Also, as the son of a Navy vet, I'd like to thank you for your service! Semper Fi!