Jake’s Taco build and other B.S.

Beautiful GSP pup! I have one myself.

 

could be the gearing, I know the default is 3.31s, my brothers has 3.73s

 

Hey, if I’m wrong I’m wrong and I’m ok with that, but I’m pretty sure I’m right that the boosted motors accelerate quicker than the V8s. Top end on a pickup truck? Who cares about that? Towing? That’s a factor worth considering, but not what I’m talking about.

 

Well yeah the numbers don't lie, the ho 3.5 slaps the 5.0, not arguing that, just saying I don't think the 5.0 is a slug that's all.

 

Lol that's how I feel about my 4 banger... it gets loud when I mash the go pedal... not sure it really goes... but feels good. I'm happy =)

Meanwhile I just did a little 169 mile road trip on the weekend and only burned just over a quarter tank... awesome!

BTW I also looked up Raptor quarter miles

2017 5.0 14.1 sec 96mph
2019 3.5eb 13.9 sec 99mph

ecoboost Seems to be just a hair faster but honestly I love the sound of that Coyote V8.

 

I dont think thats what happened, the OP said he got rid of the Raptor because of the yuppie types.

 

Raptors are bad ass, man. That's the only truck I'd trade my Tacoma for. I probably won't be able to afford one, but I do lust after them lol
Did you off road it much? If so how did it do? It's pretty big for trails.
Anyway, welcome aboard. Your new truck and mods looks great!

 

I am test-driving a 2020 Limited tonight as a potential successor to my 2016 Chevrolet 2500HD. I hope it will be a successful transition as yours was.

 

For sure the Coyote V8 is a beast. My point of comparison is between the normal 5.0L v8 and the two boosted engines. That’s where I see a difference.

 

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the Kings being put on, let alone new wheels, tires, and bed cap within the same week. But OP said he is using the money he got from the raptor... so it's not REALLY extra cash.

 

Bingo! This is why I'm really curious about the new Bronco. Developed and tested the same way as the raptor but based on the smaller ranger frame iirc. Didn't finish Baja 1000 like the raptor did though.... waiting for the report to come out as to why it didn't.

 

Our culture mostly goes into debt for everything. There are a ton of people that simply go and finance 70k for 72 months to drive a Raptor. Live within your means. If you can't pay cash—especially for mods—then you cannot afford it. No reason not to be maxing out your 401k and Roth IRAs rather than buying vehicle stuff.

Buying aftermarket stuff is not worth it—I learned my lesson—which is why I said what I said. Yes, it looks cool for Instagram, but the performance upgrades are not as drastic as what people make it seem to be. I put a Rogue Racing suspension on my Raptor: the only thing left stock was my axles. Sure, the truck rips in the dirt and the rear end stays planted. But the money I spent for performance upgrades compared to what a stock Raptor can do is marginal and not worth the cost. It is way cheaper just to upgrade to a new vehicle every year or two given that Raptors and Pros hold their value extremely well. Furthermore, I could give you a list of guys who have over 100K total into their Raptors and they feel the same way. Keep your vehicle close to stock and take advantage of the factory warranty from Ford or Toyota. Sure, if you do suspension upgrades you may be able to hit a pothole slightly faster than a stock Pro or Raptor, but everyone will still make it to the same place and get through the same terrain. In other words, upgrades are often subjective and really come down to you wanting to hit something at x amount of speed rather than x amount of speed—the difference in speed is not as great as you think.

I spent 10 days in Baja in March with a group of Raptors—most of them heavily modified. We crossed at Tecate and went all the way to Cabo and back: 2000 miles total with a ton of dirt miles. Stock Raptors finished the trip problem free, while modified Raptors had some problems. This is normally always the case because when you go aftermarket you are subjecting yourself to a new set of problems. What I posited in the first paragraph was my takeaway from the trip along with others. I did a 11,000 mile trip up to the Article Circle from Canada and Alaska in 2015. I have enough off-road experience to measure the difference between a modified and stock vehicle.

I have talked to Tacoma owners, who have did gears like you (OP), and they said it essentially put them back to square one. That is, the truck shifts about the same as it did with their stock oem tires. So they were unimpressed. I know bigger tires help with approach and departure angles, but to me, it is not worth the upgrade if it just puts you back at square one. The Tacoma does not have the powertrain to run massive tires, so you can upgrade the gears all you want but you still have a truck that makes less than 300 hp and tq. You can dress up a fat girl all you want, but she is still fat. I moved up to 37s on my Raptor from the stock 35s. Again, all it does is cost you more money because you have to trim the pinch welds, get bigger fenders, and so on. Yes, aesthetically bigger tires looks great. And for certain applications (rock crawling) it is warranted. But most people don't need them.

I understand everyone has their own taste and want to spend their money how they please. I am okay with that. But I stand by my thesis: aftermarket modifications are not going to make a drastic difference in performance. And I am more than willing to take my 2020 stock Pro and go run along side any of you guys. A driver, who knows what he is doing, makes all the difference when off-roading. Lol some of the technology nowadays is hard to beat though. I appreciate your service (OP) and know that you have worked hard to have what you have. I just want people to realize that our culture is materialistic and social media furthers this vice. You can see pictures of vehicles and lust after them thinking you HAVE to have that vehicle or this truck part, but you really don't need such things. I was bit by the same vice and I won't make such a mistake again. Your life isn't going to improve or you be more happy because you have a "cool" looking truck or aftermarket part. Life is more than such things. If you don't understand that, then you are vain.

Disclaimer: what I am talking about is not applicable for Trophy trucks and heavily modified rock crawling trucks because the performance in those trucks compared to a stock Raptor or Pro is vast. The only upgrade I will probably do on my Pro is add Deaver leaf springs once I get my GFC set up and I determine my exact weight in the back. Besides that, I am going to drive the wheels off of the Pro and in 2-3 years trade it in.

 

Everyone over here monday morning quarter backing this guy. Jesus christ I'd be surprised if he sticks around at all.

 

Nah, hes fine. Hes got a good looking rig and has a build planned out. TW gold basically.

 

Might buy a jeep now?

 

The OP was simply sharing his recent Tacoma purchase and $12k in modifications and bam, here come the opinions on how to spend money.

It’s a step backwards in IMHO, but that’s me. I love the Raptor but would need to purchase an extended warranty with a $100 deductible and leave it factory original. Ford products are hit and miss and I am sure the Raptor is no different.

 

Welcome, love that color!

 

Good for you ! Welcome to the regular o'le dudes that love their trucks crowd , hahaha. Nice ride !

 

HAHA , Callaway Apex irons here , lol

 

Welcome! Good choice.