What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Dang I love trimmed fenders! That looks great, super clean lines. 35's will offset it nicely!

 

That is a great perspective from someone working for a company. The company does have overhead to pay for the facility. There are alot of moving components in running a shop, not what is convenient for the customer which unfortunately is the case most of the time.

 

The shops that i go to operate this way. Was at the shop 2 days ago, there for 2 hours, charged for 2 hours worth of work. Paid less than what was originally quoted.

Im also talking about out of pocket expenses. Like brake changes, oil changes, blower motors, spark plugs... things insurance doesnt cover but we are all still forced to pay for.

Insurance companies are good and evil, they like to take money from someone that has been driving for 60 years and never made a single claim, but when someone's neck gets jacked up in a wreck its a battle to get paid...

Case in point... recent post... guy hit a cow.... passenger medical is not covered because it was a long fenced stretch along a highway...

 

thank you sir

 

On jobs I did over and over I would time myself. My fastest recorded time on installing a stereo in a Civic was 12 minutes including before and after pictures and all paperwork. That's 11 pictures with an ancient and slow digital camera, 12 crimps, 2 4" zip ties, 4 twists of a flat blade screwdriver, setting the clock and 1 station on every preset of FM1, and paperwork (writing down the VIN, production date, mileage, license plate number, exterior color code, interior color code, number of doors, and submodel).

 

Yeah that is pretty quick. was there some kind of recall? seems like you got a lot of practice

 

I can’t stay inside. I got to get up and go to work in that temperature.

 

Best month ever with 2 installers was $133K labor (gross) in one month.

Company costs for every installer employed: new truck, new cell phone, new digital camera, business license in each respective state, new copier/scanner, new phone landline, insurance for the truck, insurance for the work being done, health insurance costs, truck maintenance costs, company gas card, and pay to fix screw ups/mistakes.

 

Was this for a dealership? Or did you specialize in insurance claims?

 

Theft and vandalism repairs are all that I did. Everything from re-keying locks to airbags to wheels and tires to complete interiors to steering columns to huge stereo systems and alarms etc

I could install an entire Civic interior in a 8 hour day - every single piece. I've worked on thousands of Tacoma 1st gens. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Hummer, name a brand made after 1970 and I've worked on it, except for Tesla as they weren't made yet at that time.

 

Strictly insurance claims for most of it but I did the same thing for a different company and that company served dealerships as well. We had 85 Geo Metros lined up one time and every one got a antenna, stereo, and 4 speakers installed and we averaged 16 minutes per car with 4 installers (no pictures and no paperwork). I can't recall the guys name but he could cut a perfect round hole in plastic with his locking blade knife and that's exactly how he cut 170 round rear speaker holes!

 

I want to trim my fenders but I'm so scared to screw it up.

 

Can I get the part number for catch can?

 

Fj cruiser wheels powder coated and 295/70/17’s


Still a work in progress!

 

Spray, run key in and out, rinse and repeat several "hundred" times. Not necessarily in the same day. Kepp trying to turn the key, gently as not to break it off. Patience, IF it is not completely corroded. And try to keep up on it, especially during salt season. My wife's Xterra has the same problem with the back hatch, pretty much been since day one. Kind of frustrating for me, as I don't carry her fob.

 

Installed 3 degrees of much needed caster.

 

Do I need to come up there and start driving that thing?

 

Boy that looks clean

 

Fuel pump while I await the Magnuson kit.

 

Use a compass and run it along the fender to ensure clean guide lines. Measure twice and cut once! its not so difficult as it is tedious.