I'm At The Combination Tundra Bell and Taco Hut

In my quest for a compact pickup like my old '80, I have discovered that Toyota has not made a long bed compact since 1993. It's been all about the extra cab space since then, and I suppose it must be profitable.

So now; Plan B.

I found thecarconnection.com had the most details about dimensions in one place, including overall length, cargo box length, floor width, floor width at the wheel housings, etc. I have checked the bed dimensions of every model year of every Tacoma, Tundra & Nissan Frontier, which might be suitable to graft onto a 2014 Tacoma regular cab.

It turns out that a 2007 Tundra's bed comes the closest to what I need. The floor width matches the Tacoma at 56.7 inches. The length is within my desired range at 95 inches (although I wish there were an 89-90 inch model). However, not every single crucial detail is can be found on the web.

First Dilemma: The width at the wheel housings on the Tacoma is 41.5 inches, while the Tundra's is 48. That is 3.25 inches per side. Given that a Tundra can accommodate monster tires, is it crazy to think that a set of regular tires would fit within those wheel wells, if it was mounted on the Tacoma body?

Second Dilemma: Of course, and you may have thought of this, I do not know the cab-to-rear axel dimension of either vehicle. If they are not a close enough match, then my two-step solution is out the window. If you have either vehicle and can check that measurement, or know where I can get these dimensions, please let me know!

The box wall height might also be a concern. The 2007 Tundra's bed is higher than most at 22.9 inches. The Tacoma's is 18 inches. If the height of the wall interferes with the rear window molding, I could get a 2006 or earlier bed, which is 17.1 inches high. These are 3 inches longer though, and that would require some garage remodeling.

So this is my plan to get a relatively modern Toyota pickup with the dimensions I want. I've never done any mods like this before, though, so my last question is; am I completely out to lunch? Provided I can find a competent body shop to do the work, is this plan possible?

Your thoughts and dimensions are very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

So you want to pay a shop to do this conversion? If a reputable shop even touches this, they will charge you not just an arm and a leg, but probably all your limbs.

If you are not mechanically inclined to do this yourself, which is a crazy task in itself, paying a shop to undertake the work is not with it, in my opinion.

You’re better off to go buy a 90s pickup and do a complete rebuild.

 

So you want to put a Tacoma body on a Tundra frame? Not worth the cost. You are better off restoring a truck.

 

So just out of curiosity, why would this project be any different - procedurally, that is - from replacing a damaged bed/box with a used bed/box in good condition? (I'm really big on the why part of everything.) It seems like the only problem would be whether it fits or not.

And to clarify: Just the cargo bed, not the whole body.

 

He wants to put a Tundra box on a tacoma.

 

Look into a T100 (Made up to 1998) or a 1st Gen Tundra. I doubt a frankenstein'd Tacoma/Tundra would be pleasing to the eye and there would be a lot of headaches to get the two to work together.

If you had the skill/knowlege to attempt it yourself then I would say go for it but paying someone to do it doesn't make a lot of sense. I doubt that the frame rails of the two trucks are the same width...let alone length.

 

so what im hearing is you want a T100 with an engine swap to something a bit newer would be nice. i was actually looking for a t100 to build last summer since i know some Chevy axles will go right under and make for a really solid wheeler.


also i like the name Tundr-oma, or Tacundra

 

Wish I got a photo of it but I saw an old Ford Ranger with an old Chev Silverado bed on it. Wasn’t quick enough with the camera

 

Replacing like for like is one thing. Merging one with the other is completely different. I‘ve never compared 1st gen Tundra to 2nd gen Tacoma but I imagine the body lines may look like dammit. Bet hey if you got the $$$ and skill go for it. Keep in my 1st gen Tundra has same tire size as second gen Tacoma. You will have wide cab and narrow bed. I would widen the bed to match the width of cab.

 

Not that I'm finicky, but I'm partial to a vehicle built within the last decade (aside from the bed). I considered getting an older model that had my dimensions & restoring it, but such a project is way too much work for a vehicle that old. I didn't cost it out (because I have no idea what it would entail), but I'm sure that even after thousands of dollars of work it would be a far cry from a 2014 model (or thereabouts) vehicle in terms of comfort, safety and remaining life.

Swapping out the bed is as much work as I want to put into it.

 

Getting someone to fab an aluminum flat bed would probably be easier

 

This ^

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

You're overthinking this. You need a 1/2 ton.

 

Cocaine is a hell of a drug

 

Cocaine bear has entered the chat.

@Marshall R nailed it. Either a half ton or an older pickup to be restored.

 

If you have ever watched any of the custom - restoration car shows on TV, you know ANYTHING is possible! If your pockets are deep enough, you can make your "frankentruck" a reality. If you can find the base truck and donor bed, you can even have something cobbled together locally (although you might not want admit it's yours) by a local body shop. Or, you can rethink the project, and just go buy a compromise vehicle that will give you as close to your old 80's ride as possible.

 

You talk about a “long” bed truck. Do you mean an 8’ bed? You’d do well to compare wheelbase lengths between the various trucks you’ve mentioned, because the fact is that those long bed trucks have a longer wheelbase, so that means you’d either have to lengthen your frame or do massive bodywork to ensure that the wheel openings line up with the rear axle. If you go with the latter option then you’d have a massive overhang at the rear.

 

Do you have someone in mind?

 

Sorry I don’t. But I see a ton of old yotas around town with custom aluminum flat decks or boxes. If it were me I would inquire at trailer fab shops. You’re essentially looking for a trailer without wheels, custom sized to use the existing bed mount bolt locations.

 

Just buy a 1st or 2nd Gen single cab Tundra or turn a Tacoma into a flatbed or have someone build a custom bed. Putting a Tundra bed on a Tacoma isn’t gonna look good so not sure what the point would be.