What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Right under your avatar.

You're #195197

 

God I'm stupid. I assumed that was a random ID number, not the actual ascending member number.

 

Nah pretty certain that's your number.

Used to be some cooler data function in BB you could look at you can't now too. Like highest poster in threads. Other stuff like that. Probably got rid of that to keep big dick swing stuff from happening.

 

You're absolutely correct. @tcBob is member #1

 

Yep, I joined when this place when it just started up. Don't remember exactly how it looked but it certainly was nothing like it is now, was also running vBulletin IIRC. I do remember this forum growing pretty fast. Many forums that just start up usually don't start out that well.

 

How did you find this forum?

 

I haven't "armor all'd" my tires in years. Just started using it again. Can you tell?

Maybe that's the reason why I stopped using any type of tire shine on my tries.

 

I don't remember exactly, I want say maybe I saw it mentioned on Custom Tacos. But usually trying to "recruit" new members to a new forum by posting on another is usually not allowed. But many of the regulars on CT didn't make it over here for a while & some never did so maybe it wasn't posted on CT.

I think one of the reasons TW blew up so fast is cause CT wasn't the same place it used to be, it was dying out before it got sold.

 

CT was sold? Seems like all the Toyota forums are getting bought by out by somebody investor who wants to fill it with ads.

Are you the original owner of your truck?

 

Yep that's exactly what happened to it, was bought out by some company that just owns & runs multiple forums. Something like Auto News or Auto Nation, I forget. EDIT: It's Auto Guide.

I'm the second owner of my truck (and the last), it's a 2001, bought it in 2004 with 28,000 mi for $20,000 OTD. Well it was actually like $20,022 or something like that. My loan was for $20,000 & I had to come out of pocket for that $22. Lol

 

Accounting for inflation, that’s rougly $27,000. If you stayed under 100k Miles, I’ve seen four door 4x4’s sell for just a hair under $20k. That means it’s only lost about $10k in value. Crazy.

You plan on driving it forever?

 

Under 100K, I wish, I'm at 217K now. Unfortunately it's not a 4x4, I didn't know any better when I bought it. This truck was supposed to be something to keep stock & keep me out of trouble (used to be a street racer). Well that didn't work out but it did keep me out of trouble. Dejavu, I'm sure I've said this a few times already somewhere.

But maybe some day, either convert it to 4WD or LT. I think maybe LT, which I have always wanted to do, as my next vehicle will definitely be 4WD. Yeah I don't ever plan on selling it. I love 1st gens. And it's a vehicle that I can restore if I ever wanted to, vehicles these days have way too many electronics in them.

 

Convert it to 4x4! I did it in my garage over a week. Fun as hell to do, and way cheaper than going out to buy an already stock 4x4 truck.

Met a lot of different people, and went to a lot of different places to buy and collect parts. I'd do it again if I had to.

 

Yeah not a day goes by that I wish it was a 4x4 and I love to wrench on things. But I don't know, I don't have friends to go crawling with. I also like going fast in desert terrain rather than crawling up hills & stuff. I think I'd rather go LT if my next vehicle is going to be 4x4. Only reason I want 4x4 is so I can play in the dunes at Pismo but we don't go much anymore these days. I could always just run some paddles.

 

I live in Downtown San Francisco. I have literally zero use for 4WD for at least a 150 mile radius. It doesn't snow, it doesn't freeze, and there's certainly nowhere good to wheel in the middle of a city.

I converted it to 4WD for the hell of it. I used 4WD on dirt for the first time since I converted it eight months ago today up in the Oakland Hills, in what basically was a dirt parking lot for the hiking trail. I only ended up paying about $1,500 for it all. Was a great experience doing it too.

 

Bay area, that I can understand, that's a far drive just to play in dirt! Is that why lots of guys crack jokes at you (I'm guilty of it once )? I'll be staying in SF next month, my lil brother is getting married, he lives in Berkeley.

Damn that's cheap, I was expecting much more than that. Seems like I would have to hunt for all the parts from individuals. You don't find very many Tacomas in junkyards around here & those who have them think the parts are worth more than gold. Pick Your Parts never has 6 lug Tacomas.

I was thinking it would be easier to just buy a donor truck. But I don't have a place to work on it. Can't jack up anything on my driveway (sloped) & anytime I work on my truck in the garage it has to be out the same day. My garage is full of machining equipment that I have to clear out & put back in before the day's over.

 

I basically own a mall crawler, that's why I get so much shit. Haha. I'm installing my lift tomorrow - ICON 2.5's, ICON Rear Shocks, SPC UCA's, and AllPro Standard leafs with greaseable shackles. I also have a Relentless Fabrication Predator Bumper and Sliders sitting in my garage waiting to be welding together. I'm just not confident enough in my welding skills right now to get it done. Been practicing with the Miller 180 I restored.

4x4 Tacomas are worth Gold in California. Wrecked 4x4 trucks end up being rebuilt, or end up in Mexico. The ones that do go for sale are far too expensive. You only ever see 5-Lugs at the wrecking yards around here because 4x4 is simply not common in the Pacific Northwest and California.

Honestly, collecting parts is easier as it may sound. I did it while attending school full time, and driving all over the Western Seaboard to pick them up. 4x4 parts are so rare and expensive here I actually drove to Reno to buy my A340F with transfer case. A wrecking yard in California wanted $1,000+ for a full tranny and transfer case combo, for what I paid only $450 total up in Reno. I collected parts over six months starting in July, and did the swap over 1-2 weeks during my Christmas break.

I remember getting gear oil all over myself at 3 AM on Christmas Day because I was too lazy and impatient to get the correct filler neck.

 

Haha!

Nice! Seems like here on TW eveyone is King or Fox fan boys, err I mean fanatics, don't want to get flamed. Back on CT everyone convinced me to get Donahoes. I was just going to get a spacer lift. See lots of guys complaining the Icons are too stiff. Well I agree but it doesn't bother me & when you get some speed they do great IMO. I just put on new Icons in the front last month as well as Icon UCAs. My Donahoes are shot but at least now I'll have something to swap back & forth when it comes times for rebuilds. I sold all my stock susp.

I don't even have room to store parts. My garage is FULL! My buddy is a building a new shop, maybe I'll start collecting parts when it's done if he lets me store sparts there.

Yup, I go check out Pick Your Parts often, I have only ever seen 3 Tacomas but always 5 luggers & pre 01, stripped to the bone fast. Only 4x4 Yotas seen there are 2nd gen 4Rs.

 

BTW, it's all your fault! That day you posted, I bought greasable shackles & eye bolts, and rear super bumps from Wheelers. My leaf bushings don't look so great. They're arriving tomorrow. And my front bumps from Plastics Guy finally shipped today.

Good to see Wheelers is still around. Bought my Donahoes & Deavers from them in 05. Also bought my new Icons from them.

 

Icons were far cheaper than Kings or Fox, so that’s another reason I chose them. I bought them used and had them rebuilt.

It’s funny, I see a lot of 3rd Gen T4R’s that are 4x4. They are very common at the junkyards around here. I actually got my front differential from a 1996 T4R Limited since 4.30 is an uncommon front gear ratio on Tacomas.

I once saw a whole row of Limited T4R’s. Someone robbed them of the E-Lockers, though.