SpeediTurtle's College Budget 96 Taco Build

Sub'd.

 

Thanks! Some of the pictures were taken with my canon rebel t3i the others are @TwinPineMedia's photos.

 

The spacers are awesome. I haven't had a problem with them yet. Spridertax makes a great product.

 

nice build so far! What's next?

 

Thanks! I'm putting my dakar springs on sometime this week, then Im switching out my cot for a more permanent plywood box. I have plans drawn up for a rear bumper as well. That's probably it before my Utah trip.

 

So for a while now, I've been using a cot in the bed of my truck every time I go camping. The cot is an inch too big for my bed and I was never able to close my campershell fully. This weekend I got a little creative and made myself a sleeping platform that doubles as a storage compartment. The box is 6' long, 12.5" tall, and 26" wide.
IMG_0067 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0068 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0070 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0072 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0073 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0074 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0076 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
I ruined my driver side shackle when installing my dakars so I ordered a new one last night. Springs should be on by Thursday.

 

Those dimensions sound familiar...


Is that bolted to the bed? I bolted mine to the bed in 6 different spots a lot to strengthen it up, and also to make sure it didn't go anywhere. Yours looks way heavier and stronger though.

 

Nope, It's heavy enough that it pretty much stays in place. The lid rattles a little bit so I'm going to glue some weather stripping on, but other than that it's pretty darn solid.

 

Well it took me all day, but I finally got my dakars on. I had a ton of trouble with the passenger side shackle and ended up having to pound out and repress pins from two different sets in order to frankenstein a new shackle together. It turned out fine, it just took a while.
HOLY LEAN
IMG_0078 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
View from underneath
IMG_0081 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Had to do some exhaust modification
IMG_0080 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Also, I put some new stickers on
IMG_0083 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

 

Just a little photo dump from this weekend. My friend Brett and I met up with some friends from home and decided to hit some trails. We ended up goofing around in the Pierce OHV area for a bit and then hit the Signal Peak trail (near Fordyce) and got to the summit. The trail was hard without lockers but I still made it. Pushed the truck to its current limits but it preformed great.

We found this little guy on the trail
IMG_0104 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Bretts rig doing things on rocks
IMG_0111 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0112 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
There were some fun water crossings in Pierce
IMG_0115 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Thanks guys
IMG_0134 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
I know it doesn't seem like it, but this trail was STEEP
IMG_0135 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
About a quarter of the way up
IMG_0139 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Brett made us take a wrong turn so we had to go up and down this suer steep hill
IMG_0142 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
booty pics
IMG_0146 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Neat little meadow
IMG_0150 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0153 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Hit some switchbacks and caught nice view
IMG_0168 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0169 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Summited and Brett overheated
IMG_0206 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Exploring the fire lookout
IMG_0172 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0176 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0177 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0203 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Shameless selfie because I was stoked that my truck me it up
IMG_0202 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

 

Today we start our Utah adventure. @McSaucyWalrus is meeting up with Brett and me in Reno. We are then heading to SLC to pick up @TwinPineMedia. From there we are going to Zion, Flagstaff, Moab, Grand Junction, and then back. I'm super excited. I'll try to post photo's along the way but no guarantees. Full trip report in to weeks.

Here's some photos from our prep day yesterday.
IMG_0214 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0212 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

 

Sorry for the big lapse in time. I haven't been able to sit down and type a trip report out yet.

So, on June 26th, @McSaucyWalrus met Brett and me in Reno. From there, we made the tedious drive out to Salt Lake City in order to meet up with @TwinPineMedia.
IMG_0251 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0258 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

We spent the next day fishing in the Uintas and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Photos by @TwinPineMedia

The following day we all headed down to Zion, UT. Due to a $30 entrance fee, and us being cheap college students, we decided not to go into the park. Instead we cooled off in the Virgin River and enjoyed some ice-cream at Fort Zion. We then hopped on a trail behind the fort and made camp below one of the plateaus.
IMG_0305 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0306 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0307 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0310 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

That night, Zach and I hiked out and snapped some photos of the Milky Way.
IMG_0332 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

The next day, we began our trek to Flagstaff, AZ, to pick up our friend Cameron. The drive was long and hot but the vast landscapes were breathtaking. During the drive, we had one of our only malfunctions of the trip. Brett's car blew a fuse and lost A/C and all power on his dash. 10 minutes later with a new fuse in, we were back on the road. We stopped briefly to check out the Colorado River and give our butts a break.

IMG_0358 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0371 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0377 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0383 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
@McSaucyWalrus

We spent a few days in Flagstaff, the most memorable being the day we went to Sedona to wheel Broken Arrow. The Trail was fun, however, it has been run over with "Pink Jeep" tours. The drivers of these tours were unfriendly and frankly stupid. Other than that, it was a fun day of wheeling.

The next day we headed to our highlight destination, Moab! We spent about a week in Moab hitting different trails, camping, and goofing around.

Our fist night was spent a few miles from Mineral Bottom. We planned on running White Rim but after entering the Park we realized 1. We didn't have permits 2. Cameron wouldn't be able to ride his dirtbike. Instead, we headed out to Area BFE In hopes of watching some of the big boys play in the rocks. Upon arrival, BFE was empty so we decided to try our hand a some of the "Testing Area's" obstacles.
IMG_0429 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0443 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0445 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
The day ended due to a big thunderstorm, so we battened down the hatches and slept through the storm.

The next day we ran Strike Ravine and explored some sketchy mine shafts in the area. After Strike Ravine we headed into town for lunch. Wanting to do some more challenging wheeling, we headed out to a trail we had seen when driving in. (We later found out that this trail was "Behind The Rocks"). Due to another thunderstorm we were only able to run the first half-ish mile. After some further research, we were quite thankful we got rained out.
IMG_0460 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

The next day was the 4th of July, so I dawned my American Flag/ Bald Eagle tank top and we headed out to Fins and Things. Trevor had some initial concerns about his "mostly stock" truck getting through the trail but his truck preformed flawlessly as did the other rigs. I can't explain how much fun we had on the trail. Every stop was filled with smiles, "Did you see that?", and "This is SO MUCH FUN." I was so absorbed in wheeling that I didn't even touch my camera. Here's some shots Zach got.

The day after, we decided to take a break from our trucks and do some hiking around Arches National Park. The only thing more abundant than awesome views were people. We decided to get away from the people and wheeled out to Tower Arch. The view was amazing and better yet, there were no other people.
IMG_0467 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0468 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0471 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

That night we decided to Camp in the La Salle mountains. This was by far our best night. We scored a spot that overlooked all of Moab and the surrounding areas. (Just in time for an amazing sunset)
IMG_0472 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0478 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

Our last day in Utah was spent wheeling the "Top of the World" trail. Such an awesome day. After we got off the trail we headed off to Grand Junction, CO. The stoke level was high as we meandered through a grassy plain while the sun set on yet another epic day.
Photos by @TwinPineMedia

Our next day was spent trying to find some decent wheeling in Grand Junction. We went to Coal Mine Canyon but only found un-improved roads.

Our last day, wast spent trying to figure out how to get Cameron's dirtbike back to Reno in the most cost effective manner. Long story short, we were able to pre order one online so that it would be ready for pick up when we arrived in Salt Lake City. After Dropping Cameron off at the airport Zach, Brett, Trevor, and I started our long drive back. Once in Salt Lake, we transferred the dirtbike to my car, ate dinner, and said our goodbye's to Trevor as he was heading to his parent's new home in Montana. From SLC we went 8-9 hours back to Reno arriving at 4:30am.

The trip was a major success. Two weeks went by way too quickly. I am always amazed at what these trucks are capable of with just a few modifications. I can't wait to see where our next trip takes us.
If you've read this far, you're a champ. Thanks for listening, now get out and wheel!

 

So the build is being put on pause for a bit while I save up for a welder. I'll still post wheeling picture though!

 

Needed to get outside this weekend so I packed up and headed out to one of my favorite lakes.
IMG_0548 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0549 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
My UBJ's are officially turfed. I am just going to pack them with grease for now until I can afford some new ones.

 

Sick build thread. I dig it dude. Just got my '98 recently and I'm also a broke student, so I feel your pain there....
Junction is not wonderful when it comes to wheelin, but you guys were so close to the good stuff around Telluride, Silverton, and Ouray. The San Juans are unbeatable. How many miles on your truck?

 

Yeah, we didn't have much time to venture around. I wish we could've though, and she just reached 220,000.

 

Sorry I haven't been active. School has officially taken over my life. Only been able to get out in the truck once(it wasn't even wheeling). Did a little photo shoot at Donner Lake with some friends.
IMG_0654-2 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0650-2 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_0646-2 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

Hoping to have my welder by the end of the month. Then I'll start working on the truck again.

 

I turned 20 yesterday and had kind of a stressful day so today I opted for a little rainy day relaxation. I headed up dog valley road near Verdi to try and capture some fall colors. It was so damn beautiful.
Untitled by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1015 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1006 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1030 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

After a decent little adventure to Donner lake and back, I was lucky enough to catch some snow near Verdi Peak.
IMG_1025 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

 

Hey guys, sorry I'm never on here anymore. School is still bending me over. My clutch has started go out so that is high on the list of things to do. Next mods are basically boring maintenance stuff, ball joints, brakes, clutch, looking for worn out bushings and stuff. I've been hammering the truck and it just needs some tlc. Welder is still in the works, its just hard to commit to spending that much money when Im only working two days a week.
In other news, I just got back from my first ever hunting trip. I had a blast. (excuse the crapy iPhone pictures)
Untitled by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Untitled by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Untitled by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
Untitled by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr

 

Photo dump of the last few adventures I've been on.
IMG_1081 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1089 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1111 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1119 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr
IMG_1131 by Lucas Dodson, on FlickrIMG_1144 by Lucas Dodson, on Flickr