GEOTACOs Build

Here she is right after the new shoes!

 

Need to post up a new picture on the first page, but since that last picture I have added a hi-lift in the bed, and a snorkel.

 

The snorkel right after install.......Thanks Eric

 

Here are a few links to some off roading pictures:

OMG-Russle-Pickle with Bob, Jeff and a jeeper: http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/ecsandusky/OMG%20Pickles%20and%20Russel/

The Gultches with Bob: http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/ecsandusky/The%20Gultches%20May%202011/

Honkidori Mine with Bob, and Jeff: http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/ecsandusky/Honkidori Mine - Saint Johns 8-14-11/

Chihuahua Gultch, Cinnamon Gultch and Peru Creek with some buddies: http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af63/ecsandusky/Chihuahua gultch cinnamon gultch and peru creek/
Trail got super narrow and i had to choose between a rock diggin in on the drivers side, or bouncing off a tree on the passanger side. I chose the tree and didi $3300 worth of body damage. In hind sight i should have gotten out and moved the tree, but you live and you learn.

 

Got a little trail damage that insurance is bing dicks about, but its been about a month and a half now and they wrote me a check. Im gonna be fixing the front quarter panel myself and re-installing the snorkel, then have a shop fix the door and rear quarter panel.

So with that insurance check, things are coming along rather quickly now. I got in on the BAMF rear diff skid plate and the ATO skid plate group buys, so soon ill have a IFS, Transmission, and T-case skid from ATO and a BAMF rear diff skid. Also just bought a CB radio off Amazon, it should be here on the 8th.

Also am looking at front bumpers so the moab trip in may will be a little easier on the taco.

Rear bumpers are also in the works, looking into a custom CBI.

 

some killer upgrades you got planned there bud...i'ma keep my eyes glued to this thread for a while

 

Yeah man, Eric is helping me reinstall the snorkel on Matts old fender that im picking up tomorrow, then im trying to figure out what other things i can do myself to lessen the cost of the shop repairs, which would mean more money for mods into my pocket.

 

which cb did you end up going with?

 

Got the midland 75-288 (I believe its the same one you have) and a little wil antenna today. Going to look at how to take out the center console and figure out a good way to wire it and a place to put the conections. Ill be sure to take alot of pictures of the install.

 

open up the center console and take out the carpet...a few bolts there...

take out your cupholders..should just pull off to expose the rest of the bolts...

you should then be able to remove the full center by pulling back and up...

 

good to know, thanks!

 

Your taco looks awesome man, keep up the good work

 

Thanks man. Im going to be re-installing the snorkel later this week or weekend, as well as putting the CB in. Then come a bunch of skids

 

Sounds good man, good luck

 

yup..same one..you'll like it

 

Update on the rear bumper.

Im going to go with a high clearance CBI bumper with a dual swing out on it. Im wanting to do this because i have a bestop and a 6' mattress for the bed of the truck. With my short bed i have to have the tail gate down to fit. Once i get the dual swing outs, i will be able to cover up the lowered tailgate and protect my feet from the winter weather. Dual swing out also should help with the back up camera, and still utilizing that.

Im trying to decide if i want to do a tire and dual jerry cans, or a dual tire set up. With the dual tires, they block part of the tail lamps, so i would have to have some LEDs put into the bumper. Im not trying to build some long haul offroad expidition type rig, but i think carrying two spares off road is a good idea.

Another thing ive been thinking about is the weight, Id upgrade my rear leaf springs for sure, but is that too much weight too far back on the truck? does it matter?

Any thoughts or suggestions? Any pictures of 05+ tacos with dual tires on the back?

Only one i can find (not sure on the tire size either, so im not sure if thats what it would look like or if my tires are smaller):

 

Well this past weekend I re-installed my snorkle, and attempted to install a CB....Little did I know, I SUCK at electrical work. So as with the first snorkle install i had to have a few beers before i could muster up the balls to cut a 3.5 inch hole in a perfectly good fender. Here are some pictures:

Before I did anything....another last picture of it "stock"


Taped off


One hole down....


Shit, had too many beers and cant measure for shit...


Dremmel fixes everything


Cant even tell i was drinking while doing this.


next up....the CB...this should be a piece of cake.....

 

So on to the CB....should have known with my measuring skills, now was not the time to be doing electrical work, and the Georgia game was on so i was kinda rushing things...another bad idea.

So i get the center console apart no problem (thanks for the tips Bob)


I start looking at places to mount the CB and where the wires that im gonna tap into are, etc. and i realize there really was no reason for me to take that apart...good thing to know how to do though. so I decide to hook into some wires i have for my off road lights, They are not on much and the wires are in a convienent location. Here comes the problem....there are two white wires and one black....I hooked these up so long ago i dont know which wire goes to the battery and which goes to the lights. So i test the wires and figure it out. My genious self thought i could remmeber which was which. so i hook up the wires and i hear a ssssssss puff and then smell electrical smoke. Im thinking F%ck, my truck is on fire!!!! but thankfully i just burned the fuse or blew something in the CB. So im going to have my buddy who actually works on electrical crap figure it out for me and fix it. or ill take it to a shop for a boost and fix.

needless to say I was PISSED at myself for f-ing this up, so i decided to run the CB antenna. I put the antenna on the roof, where i figured would be a good spot and ran it in the door, behind the molding and weather strip, down and under the sill, around the B-piller, under the driver door sill and up towards the foot rest. Its just sitting there right now and Ill get some pictures of it when i get back from out of town.

It was a cleen install and you cant see the wire at all, unless you turn around and look for it. Im happy with it and cant wait to get the CB actually working.

Next should be skids!!!!!

 

great lookin build so far. just a question about the bestop... will its hardware interfere with having a toolbox in the bed? i know i'd have to at least take it off when i put the thing on but i didnt know if the residual hardware would be in the way. thanks

 

Nice build GT. Lots of cool mods there. I've been looking for pics of a Taco with 286/75/16 duratracs, because I'm thinking I'll go up a tire size from the 265's next time I buy tires. The difference in diameter sounds small, but it looks a lot better with the bigger tires.

Have you considered color matching the grille? I like the color matched look on the indigo inks.

Did you have involvement with the Exxon spill in Billings? I was logging rock core near there when it happened, and saw a huge influx of enviromental folks (I think I heard from someone that 1000 people came in for the clean up).