snowmanwithahat's build, "Bruce", 2013 DCSB TRD OR

Current:


History
So after a false start on a first vehicle with a 1999 Dodge 1500 (2wd) and then a Chevy Blazer that saw minimal offroad use (dune running at Silver Lake and state trails) I decided it was time to move on up. I ended up with a 2005 TJ that was way too pretty for what we put it through and sold it before I ruined it. I ended up with a 1996 Cherokee Frankenstein for offroad and a 2004 WRX STI for a DD. Recently though I've had this itch to get back in to something that sits more than 2 inches off the ground. Eventually I found someone with a 2013 TX Pro for sale and it was the perfect combination. Spruce Mica, Access Cab, V6, 6-speed Manual. I've been told it's the only truck ever built with this specific configuration (in this color).

So as luck would have it I ended up buying the truck and taking it home on my birthday. From the day I got it I was in love with the shine on these Spruce Micas.

I've decided to name him Bruce. I know, normally these vehicles are our 'girls', but fuck it, no girl is going to get as dirty or mean as this will be one day. I figured Bruce was a fun throw-back to Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk. If anyone ever makes that connection on a wheeling trip (and hasn't read this build thread) they're getting a beer.

Inspiration: My green 1999 Ram was the main reason for wanting a truck and this color, but a huge shout out goes to the Chevy ZR2 community. Those were the trucks that got me interested in a decent on/off-road Access Cab style build. This guy in particular, 1TFROT, was a huge reason why I wanted to go the truck route. I don't think he has the truck anymore, and I don't think he ever had a build thread, but back on ZR2usa.com he had quite a history. One day this taco will end up in a similar fashion... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5O8gTHV8K0

Stock, completely 'new'. It was about a year old at this point with 12,000 miles. It was in perfect condition though and wasn't modified in any way. Pics are both the same day, with and without sun hitting it. I love the dynamics of this color!



The first modification I made was a simple one... I bashed in the skid plate with a stump, so after bending it back the paint was pretty wicked on it. I decided that silver is just not going to work out so I rattle-canned it flat black.


That's literally all there is so far. I have huge hopes for this thing in the future. I want it to be a very capable DD in its 'golden years' but that's a couple years out since I am still having fun modifying my 2004 WRX STi. In the later years I hope to do a SAS and turn this into an offroad truggy targeting rocks and intense trails. It's a VERY long way off from that, but I wouldn't be disappointed at all if that's the direction this goes after 10 years or so.

For reference, These are my past vehicles in order. Loved them all in one way or another, and that crappy dodge green was the reason why I wanted a Spruce Mica Taco when I saw it. They will serve as a reminder to how I want to steer this truck to be a capable rig. I still have the WRX STI and the green tube buggy (1996 Cherokee base). One day I plan to replace that tube buggy with this truck. Equally capable, but with a cab, heat, A/C, windshield wipers... the little things that make wheeling in Michigan so much more enjoyable.

 

That green is sick.

 

indeed love that green myself!

 

Went to go check out the new Chevy Colorado at a dealership for the fun of it... SO GLAD I DIDN'T WAIT. I originally thought about picking up a Colorado and decided I wanted a Spruce Mica instead, 6 months ago, before the Colorados were out. Definitely a good choice.

 

So I've had this itch that I can't describe easily. Anxiety over having a limited cab and a manual (that quite frankly I don't like at all compared to my STI). So after having the taco for 6 months (a day short of being to the day) I traded it on a used 2013, DCSB, V6, Auto, TRD O/R in none other than ........... Spruce Mica



I'm much more comfortable with this decision going forward. I know by now that I far prefer an auto offroad compared to a manual and I really wanted the extra cab space for both people and gear while wheeling (if that's what this gets used for even).

I did manage to talk the dealership into swapping the black TRD skid-plate that I have on my current access cab and swapping wheels and tires so I can keep the TRD beadlocks. I'm still in the "holy shit I just bought another vehicle phase with crazy amounts of anxiety over the payments but in reality it's hardly different and the truck is by far a better fit for my life at 25. In high school I would have killed for an access cab, but I can't ever say I'm going to be comfortable with that kind of limitation in my life these days.

Side-by-side shot.

 

Nice side by side shot. Not trying to be bias at all, but the Tacoma is a much more attractive truck. And congrats on the DCSB. Good looking truck.

 

Mods are coming slow... First up was a tri-fold Extang Trifecta cover, no real point in posting pictures of it, but I picked that up in the middle of winter to keep my snowboarding gear halfway dry on trips. Second-up for this spring is a new grill. I decided to jump on a sale that ECG Fab was having on a color-matched mesh surround grill. I love the overall look so far. The center does feel a little bit plain but I think I like the effect overall...


Next-up is a kayak rack over the bed and off the hitch and after that a toss-up between BHLM to round out the look up front, new tires, or a winch-mount bumper from US Offroad.

 

Bump for a recent front-window tint to match the rear, Husky floor mats, and KB VooDoo bed and tailgate reinforcements...

Pics coming soon of the refreshed interior with "Oliver Green" Wet Okoles hopefully in just a few weeks!

 

Good looking truck, love the color

 

Looks great, looking forward to the WO GB myself!

 

I'm actually just ordering them on my own without a group buy. I want them quickly, and I don't want to wait for the next one to roll around. There is already a 4-6 week wait time for the covers to be created anyway, so even though I ordered them at the end of July I'm still waiting for them to show up today... I "need" them before winter and boarding season.

I'll have new pictures coming soon when the seat covers are in, but for now all I have is a teaser pic of the updates since the last shot;

35% front window tint (nearly perfect match to the rears)
"TOYOTA" retro style badge for my mesh grill
265/75/16 BFGoodrich KO2s

 

Finally an update! I installed WO seat covers this weekend and finally got a decent (but dirty) photo of the truck.



The Wet Okoles are pretty nice. I like them so far, but the install was a serious pain in the ass without removing the front seats. In general the fit is pretty good but has a few areas that aren't really tight. Overall though they hardly feel like seat covers and instead feel like they're reupholstered seats. The green color is "Oliver Green" (#9 on their site) and honestly it was a bit of a gamble. I really like how its turned out so far and coming from a WRX STI with a blue interior (and silver exterior) I really like the color-matched interior. It looks much more sedated than the STI since it's a dark color and it matches the exterior so overall a much cleaner look.

 

Looks great!!

 

So after a year and a half and several wheeling trips, I figured it was time to paint the skid plate again. It has seen a lot of action...

 

@snowmanwithahat Any updates? Don't see many Spruce Mica builds on here!

How do you like the automatic now that you switched from manual?

 

Glad you asked.

I still think the manual transmission in these trucks is lacking, but that doesn't mean the automatic is a slam-dunk either. Just today I was complaining, because I was pulling out into traffic, didn't want to spin the tires, so I eased into it, but the truck was already in second by the time I was getting into the gas. Of course, that results in pretty violent down-shifts to get moving. I normally put it in "L" (1st) when I'm doing something like that, and then shit up to second as I need to. This time caught me off guard though, so I wasn't ready, and it was annoying, but not exactly accident causing or problematic. I still prefer this auto over the manual, but that's just my opinion lol

I just got done enjoying a long weekend camping and kayaking with the truck. This was intended to be a bit of a build, but really hasn't moved much past the grill, floor mats and seat covers. I even reverted back to stock tires just to kill the old rubber. The focus has gone into my JKU lately (below), which has been a blast offroad. The truck has very much turned into a camping, summer trip vehicle only.

Just about to roll 66k miles. It'll be tame for a bit, if I even keep it. Really trying to decide where this fits in my life. Would love to have something that can tow the Jeep and would handle a camper in the future.

 

So in August I went through and refreshed the suspension with a 2016 3-leaf pack, along with a 3-leaf AAL. I ended up pulling the overload leaf out of the pack. 5160s in the rear, 6112s up front on the 2nd notch. The whole goal was to add rear spring "capacity" by allowing the truck to be loaded heavier making it level when loaded. I effectively added rake in the rear and brought the front up slightly to compensate.

I parked it next to a brand new Chevy 1500 to see how it compared. See for yourself, the bumpers, bed height, hood and rake all look very similar.



A couple weeks later and I got to finally try the truck out loaded with a cord of wood. In the past, it looked quite pathetic, with the rear practically riding on bumpstops.



With the new setup, it handled the load in the bed along with 3 people in the cab very nicely. It's not a major difference, but it really makes the truck feel better both when loaded down and almost neutral and no different while unloaded. As far as I'm concerned it's a v6 half ton.

 

Truck looks great, man. How are you liking those 6112's over the factory suspension?

 

It all seems pretty good, but a little floaty at 80+mph. I think that's just a consequence of alignment, which I haven't done, mainly because I'm not concerned about burning through these rugged trails. I'll get it aligned when I get different tires put on.

I also haven't had it off road yet. I've been out a couple times with my JKU and I just don't take the taco offroad anymore.
I'm also not driving it because it's 200 miles away with my girlfriend for the last couple and next couple months.

 

Well after a terrifying experience with heavily worn BFG Rugged Trails I decided it was time to throw some new (to me) tires on the truck. These actually came off my Jeep JKU before I ripped out the axles and put 40s under it. At face value this looked like a good idea, but there have been a few snags I didn't anticipate (but should have).

Being that these came off a Jeep with mildly worn out suspension, the front tires were cupped pretty bad. The shop I went to did their best, but couldn't quite get these to balance out. The result is a fairly shaky and noisy front tire setup. The rears aren't much better, and produce a good amount of hum. Overall it's definitely less noise than my JKU on 40" MTRs, but not by much, and it's definitely noisier than the newer version of the KO2s that I ended up taking off to put on my dad's truck.

The last two shots don't do it justice, but overall the stance looks amazing. Going back up to 265/75/16s was a great idea and these are the perfect size for my 6112 (2nd notch) / 2016 3-leaf + 3-leaf AAL setup. I'll probably let these wear out through the winter and next summer and replace them with something else, or, more likely, they'll look good and go hopping and humming down the road with a new owner in the near future.