First Taco / My BS thread

As it sits today:


Can't wait to get the new Avid bumper guard powder coated.

Next up is installing my Redline hood struts.

UCAs next Spring.

 

Camping at Mt. Cheaha, in Alabama:

 

Updated wishlist:
(in probable order of installation)

-TRD center caps

-Husky mud flaps

-Weathertech floor mats, front & back)

-Light Racing upper control arms

-tint front windows

-OEM bed mat

-U.S. Offroad hidden winch bumper & 10k winch

-Doug Thorley shortie headers

 

Mods to date:

-OEM rubber floor mats (Ebay)

-N-Fab 3″ nerf bars (Amazon)

-Volant Cold Air Intake & scoop (Auto Anything)

-Magnaflow single cat back exhaust (Amazon)

-Hurst T shifter (Ebay)

-Satoshi grill & Land Cruiser emblem (customcargrills.com)

-Bilstein 5100 shocks(x4) set at .85 + Old Man Emu 884 coils + Deaver AAL = 3"/2" lift & level (Headstrong Offroad)

-Spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers (Amazon, removed now)

-KB Voodoo bed bars (kbvoodoo.com)

-4'x2’ Smittybilt Defender rack (Amazon)

-FN Five Star bronze wheels 16x8 (fnwheels.com)

-Cooper Adventurer AT 265/75R16 (Pep Boys)

-Avid Offroad bumper guard (avidoffroad.com)

-Redline Hoodstruts (redlinetuning.com, waiting to install)

-13″ shortie antenna (Pep Boys)

-tailgate anti-theft clamp (Home Depot)

 

Hey MadDaddy I was looking at the Cooper Adventurer At's and they are on sale again at PepBoys where I live. I was wondering if they were worth taking a shot on.

 

I've enjoyed them. Perhaps it's the wheel offset, but I feel much more stable rounding corners. I've not been through snow or ice with them, but I've handled muddy/Sandy South Georgia dirt roads just fine. Road noise is present compared to the stock dunlops. Still, it's nothing compared to the Terra Grapplers, Duratracs, and BFG's grinding around town & campus. I've had them on for 8 months and wear is minimal. I monitor my air pressure and run slightly higher than recommended psi. I opted for the regular Adventurer ATs versus the heavy ply option.

 

Thanks man I really do appreciate it.

 

-TRD Center cap mod (Fn Wheels/ Amazon)

 

Update, since I haven't done anything to the truck in a year. Completed center cap mod yesterday. Coopers are holding up well. Hoping for two more years out of them:

 

Upcoming plans (over the next few years. Probably pick 1-2 a year):

Sand blast and powdercoat Avid bumper guard.
Tint front side windows
Husky or Rokblokz flaps
Tan softtop
U.S. Offroad hidden winch bumper
Light Racing UCA's

 

Finances have been directed toward other projects over the past year. I'm finally doing a few things to the Taco this Winter.

1. Finally sanding and painting the Avid Bumper guard I bought nearly two years ago. It will be black to match everything else bolted onto the truck like...




2. One of these swell BPF skid plates from with the TRD stamp from @Matt123 . I'll have to grind 1/8" off each side to fit the Avid Bumper guard.
thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-and-3rd-gen-trd-embossed-skid-plate.522576/



3. Going on the hood is a vinyl scoop wrap from @CBoy808 to reduce glare.
thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-anti-glare-hood-scoop-decal-shipping-now.523637/



New tires will go on in the Spring. Last tires put on in Fall '15 and have around 40k miles on them. I've been totally satisfied with the Coopers. I've had to do three plugs due to random nails. I've found myself stuck twice, both times in ridiculously slick mud, so I can't fault the tires. 4wd wouldn't have even helped. In spite of my regular psi monitoring and alignment, the outer tread is really starting to show some wear. I can almost see Abe's scalp! After investigating the uneven wear, it looks like I'll need to bump Light Racing UCAs up to the top of the future mods list. Now that most of the wishlist is completed, it seems I've left some big ticket items for last. UCAs, Softopper, Winch.

Down the line:
Tan canvas top
US Offroad hidden winch
Mobtown Offroad tailgate reinforcement
Weathertech floor liners
AMP moto bed extender

 

Overnight trip to Washington for a stay at the Fitzpatrick. Got the top floor turret room, supposedly the most haunted room in the hotel.

 

Vinyl on scoop:

 

Went to the Atlanta Takeover. Saw some cool stuff that's now on my radar. Mainly the cool tailgate table deals and ARB and Yakima awnings. I'd like to do a small awning off the cab with a wind screen for a covered seating & eating area on camping trips. First I'd need to do a roof rack, which is a pricey investment. I've looked into them in the past but liked the sleek look of a clean roofline.

 

Welp. Just bit the bullet for a Prinsu Cab rack and tan Softopper. Future plans will be adding kayak tote on the passenger side and an ARB awning on the driver side. Plan to sell Dometic fridge and my current KBVoodoo Bed bars and Defender rack to offset cost a little bit.

 

Softopper installed:

 

Got ambitious this Summer. Rokbloks, Softopper, Prinsu, Rexing camera (front & back). Time to get on the UCA’s, alignment, ARB awning, and tailgate reinforcement. Hidden Winch will have to wait until next year.

 

About to hit 85k. Running strong.

Recent service:
Mobtown Offroad steel tailgate plate
New brake pads
Rotated tires
Resurfaced rotors
Mobil 1 Synthetic high mileage oil & filter
Cabin air filter
Lynx rubber battery hold down
SPC UCA's & alignment. The truck feels MUCH better turning and more stable at speed. Not as twitchy at high speed or as sluggish on low-speed turns.

Up Next: I'll do a couple final things to the truck to prep for camping season. We have some treks to Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia lined up this year.

Spark plugs (March)
Replace Volant Intake filter (February)
ARB Awning (April)
Toyota bed mat (April)
Powdercoat and re-install my Avid Offroad light bar (Summer?)

 

Don't forget to grease the zerks on your SPC uppers with every oil change.