1996 3.4l m 4x4 extra cab taco restoration

Corbeau seats and mountain hatch going on this week

 

Made it to?

 

arizona!

 

Love it. One day when Mine isn’t my daily driver and work truck, I’d love to bring it back to its former glory like you have done with yours

So what height are you lifted with your new suspension? I’m trying to get about the same height as you. You said you had the leaf pack custom made by deaver? What did those cost and what did you end up going with for the coil overs and shocks in front? (I looked through the thread but I probably missed it)

How’s the ride with your new suspension? Mine feels like this so I can’t wait to get new suspension

 

Merry Christmas! I hear that about work truck. This is mine but I treat it pretty good between jobs. I bought it with the intention of fixing it up but it got a little out of hand. The Deavers are 1.5 “ lift and you only need to go custom if you have a pre 2000 model because the spring purchases are 4” shorter than the later years. Yes he front is a 2” lift on fox 2.5” coils and icon upper control arms. It’s on 265/75/r16 BFF ATs which give it another .5-1” of lift. The ride is much better but it’s not a Cadillac. The off road suspension really let’s you feel everything underneath you for better or for worse. I like the road feel because I like the feedback the truck gives you, if you mainly use it on road I might go with the billys

 

Merry Christmas! I bought mine in pretty much the shape it’s in now with the same intention and my work doesn’t do much damage so there’s that. As of now My time and money have mostly gone into the mechanics of the truck, so she drives really good. It’s difficult with it being my work truck because I only have weekends to pull it apart and I have to have it back together by Monday’s for work. Aside from the fender damage from ball joint failure a while back I have some other body work and the attempt to find a new grille because one of the black strips next to the Toyota logo is busted.

that’s good to know about the springs, having a 96.
I don’t mind the road feel, but with frowning leaf packs and at least 200,000 mile old coils, if I drive over a piece of mouse poop I’d feel the bump

 

Hahahaha the colored in v6 to say v8 is funny. at first I was like V8 Tacoma?

 

*98-00 have regular length leaf springs - 95-97 had the shorter ones

 

love the paradise blue and the single cab v6! The first truck I looked at was a 95 sx in paradise blue but the rust was too excessive to restore. I did the mechanicals over the last two years so it’s time for more of the fun stuff now. I feel like you gotta build it up like a painting, work on every section a little so you don’t overwork one corner. Bring it all together as a whole

 

New seats day

 

I haven’t posted a photo of this bumper complete so here it is

also got the back up camera up and running

mountain hatch tailgate is in and I fixed my tailgate latch

tomorrow is bedliner paint, bolting on the transmission skid plate from rci and wiring up the seat warmers.

I have to relocate the subwoofers as the new seat brackets aren’t tall enough to accommodate them under the seats anymore.

 

Got the transmission skid plate on.


Now just need to figure out something better for the transfer case and the underbody is fully protected

 

What did you use for the transmission skid?

 

Rci since it’s the only one compatible with my IFS skid and I can add a transfer case skid soon

 

Looks like one of my extended cv boots is already spewing grease.... I thought I with with that already

 

Picked this up for $40. Needed New struts and locks. Designed for an 89 so I need to find a better way to seal the cab 100% but all in all a great addition for the money. Took it camping for the first time. Finally getting my money out of this old rig. Got a fj40 style badge for the tailgate

 

A bit late to the game on this thread but just wanted to say I'm really enjoying all of this -- stalked all the pages and I'm loving it! Great work!

 

Where did you get the new side stripes from? I was looking to replace the ones on my 96 ext. cab.

 

Nice build man. Where did you find those leds for the dash? I have had a hard time finding ones that don't leave a bunch of dark spots and aren't total junk.

 

I love your build thread man ! It has given me a lot of ideas for my '97. I am not a fan of red trucks in general but I am lovin yours. What is the name of the color and where did you get the stripes ?

Thanks !