The Unbuild: A Journey Back to Stock

Like what your doing with the truck. It’s a shame what previous owner did with that exhaust. I totally dig a nice looking stock first gen I feel they are the best looking out of the tacos. Also have a soft spot for t-100s an first gen tundra’s.

 

@MattCowsmasher

Yeah I’m the same way. It sort of bleeds into my love for 90s Japanese sports cars. I like the Pickups too.

 

Same here love the 90s tuners hope your truck serves ya well.

 

So, it’s been a little bit since the last update. Moving and new job slowed things down a bit. However, progress was made today, if only a small amount.

Recently, I had a bizarre flat that rendered me quite helpless as the truck didn’t have a spare when I bought it, and even worse, the damn kid that I bought it from must’ve lost the spline socket to the atrocious lug nuts on the wheels.

Long story short, I ordered new lug nuts and through much effort and time, managed to get the pieces of shit off and the new, proper lug nuts on.

Check the pics below for a visual story of tragedy and triumph.




I don’t even know how it got in there. It was the rear tire too!



Yard stake. Get ya every time.



As pictured above, security nuts do not come off well without the spline socket. Thankfully the universal socket did the job before perishing brutally.



This is sorta what my life looked like before college. A literal pile of shit. The grade of steel used was almost as soft as lead.



This one took a combination of the universal socket, the channel locks, and some knuckle skin.



Universal Socket: July 10th, 2018 - July 17, 2018.
Rest In Peace, little buddy.



Mag nuts had about twice the thread count as the POS acorn security nuts. It’s a wonder the wheels didn’t just roll away.



So much nicer.

 

It’s been a little while. COVID notwithstanding, I have still managed to fix lots of stuff.

Front end suspension job from two summers ago.

The front end suspension was almost entirely replaced.



After the new brakes were put on. Figured may as well while everything else is off.



Upper/lower ball joints, Inner/outer tie rods all from Toyota.



New Bilsteins! It was hell getting the upper ball joints and the old shock/spring assembly out especially with the fused on lift spacers...







Also, more recently, I finally got the Heater Blend Door Servo replaced. It truly is a special thing not having to get under the hood to switch to “winter mode”.



The main reason for the update after so long is I’m getting ready to start attending university which is an hour or so one way. I have to get something with a bit better fuel mileage and to be frank, I’m almost done with the thing I set out to do with this poor truck. I bought it a used and poorly modified highschooler “dream truck” but have spent the last 3.5 years restoring her to her stock glory. With only the rear window latches and headlights to go, she is just about ready to let go of. It’s going to be tough.

Only 155k miles young, expect to see her in the 1st gen FS forum soon.