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PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Builds (2005-2015)' started by PennSilverTaco, Jul 15, 2014.

  1. Sep 1, 2017 at 6:54 PM
    #4681
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

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    I've wanted to get one of these ever since my uncle bought one for his 1991 Toyota pickup. I saw one of these on a silver 2005 (virtually identical to my truck) in a parking lot the other day, caught the owner on his way out of a nearby store, and asked him about it. He said he paid about $800 but it was worth every penny. What do you all think?

    IMG_9717.jpg
     
    BillsSR5 likes this.
  2. Sep 1, 2017 at 7:01 PM
    #4682
    ruffridha9

    ruffridha9 Well-Known Member

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    stock ish
    Yes, it is worth it.
    Very practical.
    Easy setup/takedown.
    And looks sick.

    I have a softopper tho
    And found it on CL for a steal.

    In retrospect- I think I found out about it through TW.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2017
    PennSilverTaco[OP] likes this.
  3. Sep 1, 2017 at 7:13 PM
    #4683
    DustStorm4x4

    DustStorm4x4 BBC 2020

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    I've heard softopper is a little better in the quality department. The windows tend to rot out after a while in the bestop from what I've read.

    Too bad you weren't in TN a week ago. There was a softopper for $400 on Craigslist almost brand new.
     
    PennSilverTaco[OP] likes this.
  4. Sep 1, 2017 at 7:59 PM
    #4684
    steveo27

    steveo27 Ask me about my weiner

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    The same shit everyone else has.
    [​IMG]

    Would I pay 800$? No. Would I pay 800$ for a Softopper? No.

    If I was paying retail, Id look for a used fiberglass shell. Money much better spent in my opinion.

    I bought my Bestop used for 250$. 100% worth it at that price.

    Its great for hunting and fishing, and it doubles as a (virtually) dry place to sleep while camping.

    Its not 100% waterproof. I get some drips when it rains hard, especially down the bed side.

    Ive had it for 3 years now and its still in very good shape. no window "rot". Just maintain/take care of it and itll last.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2017
  5. Sep 1, 2017 at 8:00 PM
    #4685
    tcjacado

    tcjacado Well-Known Member

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    eccracer104 likes this.
  6. Sep 1, 2017 at 8:09 PM
    #4686
    DustStorm4x4

    DustStorm4x4 BBC 2020

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  7. Sep 1, 2017 at 8:11 PM
    #4687
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

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    No.

    And if you're convinced on getting one, do NOT buy Bestop. I regret my Bestop, as do others I know. Buy the softopper brand. Better quality. I will say Bestops customer service is pretty good though. They replaced all my damaged parts when it got blown off my truck on the way to a camping trip.
     
    DustStorm4x4 likes this.
  8. Sep 1, 2017 at 9:00 PM
    #4688
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

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    @Plain Jane Taco
    @DustStorm4x4
    @newb13
    @ABA180
    @HomerTaco
    @98tacoma27

    My good friend Doug and I are completely opposites politically, but we are still pretty much best friends. Doug has Asperger's like yours truly, and has a lot of the typical traits associated with AS. Doug has an even worse social filter than me, and is often a pain in my ass for numerous reasons, but I love him like a brother and will always be there for him. Doug is very proud of his political beliefs, to the point of being obnoxious about it.

    Every year, a guy I know gets me free tickets to the U.S. Diesel Truckin' Nationals, held on the last Saturday of the summer at Raceway Park every September. These tickets costs $30 each, and I get them for free! The very first summer (2015) I got these free tickets, Doug randomly asked me if I'd liked to go a "Peace Fair" which happened to be the same day as the biggest diesel truck show on the East Coast.

    Doug is going to culinary school right and aspires to open a bakery one day, and back in 2015 he had just started school again. His connection with the peace fair was going to be selling his cookies and other baked goods at there, and donating the proceeds to charity. Very commendable, but here's the problem...

    Everybody who knows me, knows that I love trucks. I've loved trucks since I was in diapers, and my daily driver is a pickup truck for crying out loud! Regardless of my political beliefs, why would I choose a "Peace Fair" over the biggest diesel truck show in the Northeast, especially when I've got free tickets to the aforementioned show?!?!

    Doug knows how much I love cars, and it's not like he told me about the fair weeks in advance either. If I remember correctly, he asked if I wanted to go just days before the particular Saturday when both the truck show and the peace fair were being held. So, Doug asked me at the last minute, and then when I politely declined he didn't get mad...

    However, he did seem to have trouble comprehending why I would choose a diesel truck show over a peace fair, and seemed rather disappointed.

    NOTE: I went to the U.S. Diesel Truckin' Nationals for the first time in September 2014. This was the one and only time I actually paid for my ticket. I met my "contact" at the Spring Swap Meet/Car Show (also at Raceway Park) in April 2015, and he just started supplying me with unlimited free tickets to Raceway Park events "because he thinks I'm a good kid."

    ANOTHER NOTE:
    I know I'm a nice guy, but people really seem to like me and thus give me stuff; In addition to the free Raceway Park tickets, I've also gotten a ton of vintage automobile and truck literature, my first steady job, and obscene amounts of food and drink (mostly alcoholic)... All because people like me! Would someone care to explain why I can get all this free shit, but I can't find a steady girlfriend?!?!

    BACK TO THE FIRST NOTE: What I'm trying to say is that Doug may have first invited me to the Peace Fair in 2014...

    So, Doug finally realized that I was not missing the diesel truck show for anything short of a family emergency, and the subject was dropped.

    The next year (either 2015 or 2016; either way I had FREE tickets by now), he asked me if I wanted to go with him to the Peace Fair again! I again politely declined and he took it better this time, but seriously...

    Am I really going to give up TWO FREE TICKETS (a $60 value) to the biggest diesel truck event on the East Coast, for some Peace Fair?

    :headbang:HELL NO!:headbang:

    :burnrubber:
     
    Neil K, newb13 and Plain Jane Taco like this.
  9. Sep 1, 2017 at 10:20 PM
    #4689
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
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    @Plain Jane Taco
    @DustStorm4x4
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    @ABA180
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    @98tacoma27

    Here's another story for y'all! Please read the whole thing! It's a good one!

    The saga of Grammy's Mercedes!

    In 1987 my grandma (My cousins and I still call her Grammy; She's still alive, almost 79 years old, still quite healthy, and still driving!) ordered a brand new Mercedes 300E 4-door sedan from a dealership in the Phoenix, Arizona area (She and my late step-Grandpa lived there for over a decade; 1982-1994). The Mercedes was finished in tuxedo gray with a beige leather interior. Yes, Grammy actually did order the Mercedes (She did NOT buy off the lot). Grammy ordered her new Benz with just about every option. The only options I know for sure that it did not have were heated seats (Grammy HATES heat, is a prolific A/C user, and was living in Arizona at the time; In layman's terms, heated seats were NOT needed in the state where the car spent the first 7 years of its life) and a limited-slip rear differential (Most commonly known as "positraction"; Aside from AMG and other performance models, Benzes from this era were rarely equipped with an LSD from the factory; All Grammy knew about positraction was that it played a pivotal role in the plot of one her favorite movies, My Cousin Vinny, so like most Benz buyers she did not order her car with it; Hell, when she ordered the Benz, My Cousin Vinny was still 5 years away).

    As I said, Grammy lived in Arizona until 1994, so the Benz did too. Even in 1994, my step-Grandpa, who everyone in my family called "Mr. P," was still driving the 1983 Cadillac Brougham he'd owned since new. When they moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family, they kept the Mercedes but sold the Cadillac.

    FUN FACT: The Mercedes was purchased new from a Phoenix-area Mercedes dealer in 1987 and spent the first 7 years of its life registered in Arizona; From 1994 to 1999, it was registered in Pennsylvania. When my Grandparents sold the first Pennsylvania condo in 1999, they declared residency at the lakehouse in Maine, both obtained Maine driver’s licenses, and as such registered both the Lincoln and the Mercedes in Maine. The Benz remained registered in Maine until it was sold to a janitor at my school in 2005. The janitor put Virginia plates on it as soon as the money changed hands…

    As of 2010, the janitor still had the Benz and I have no reason to believe it isn’t still alive and well…

    In 1994, not long after moving to Pennsylvania, Mr. P paid cash for a used low-mileage 1993 Lincoln Continental at a local mom-and-pop used car lot. This 1993 Lincoln was the last car Mr. P ever owned. He bought it in 1994 and it died a miserable, premature death at the hands of my aunt in 2004. My aunt borrowed it until she could buy a new vehicle, after the transmission went in her 1993 Nissan Pathfinder. She neglected to monitor the gauges and notice that the engine was low on oil, and inevitably fried the engine. The Lincoln was junked, and Grammy and Mr. P shared the 2002 Lexus RX300 from 2004 until the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania forced Mr. P to surrender his driver's license in 2010. He passed away in April 2017 at the age of 93.

    Anyway, back to the Mercedes. Grammy paid a company that specialized in transporting high-end vehicles to ship the Mercedes from Arizona to Pennsylvania in an enclosed trailer. While the Benz was in transit, somebody stole the trademark hood ornament. When the car arrived at Grammy's new house, the hood ornament had literally been snapped right off the top of the radiator grill. Grammy was understandably upset, and though the transport company could not explain how this occurred, they took responsibility and their insurance company paid for the damages.

    I spent a good portion of my childhood in Grammy's Mercedes. One of the reasons I loved that car so much compared to vehicles owned by my parents and other family members as the nineties came to an end was it's lack of a passenger airbag. It had a driver's airbag, but I don't think the W124 got dual airbags until 1988 or 1989. The rule of thumb was that kids under 12 should not ride in the front seat of vehicles equipped with a passenger airbag. I was quite small for my age in 1996-2001, so this only exacerbated the problem. However, the Benz did not have a passenger airbag, so I could ride shotgun!

    Mr. P did not like the Mercedes very much and preferred his 1993 Lincoln, but the Lincoln had dual airbags. Before people knew airbags were potentially deadly to kids, I rode in the front seat of the Lincoln all the time. The last time I rode in the front seat of the Lincoln, before my parents forbid me from riding shotgun in vehicles equipped with a passenger airbag, was 1995 or 1996. By early 2001, I was almost 12 years old and growing rapidly, and I just told my parents I was sick of riding in the back and they let me ride in the front from that point on.

    Mr. P did not like the Mercedes, but in the interest of making the most of our Grandpa/Grandson time when I came to visit, he drove the Mercedes whenever we went on adventures together from 1998 onward just so I could ride in front with him! When both my grandparents were present, Mr. P still regularly let me ride shotgun! By the summer of 2001, I was 12 years old and thus at the minimum age it was considered "safe" for kids to ride shotgun in vehicles with a passenger airbag. I was still a bit a small but also a bit overweight and growing rapidly, and my parents realized I really didn't give a shit about the whole "the backseat is the safest place for kids" thing and gave up trying to enforce the rule.

    In 1997 or so, the factory Becker Grand Prix radio (an AM/FM stereo with a tape deck) quit working and Mr. P complained about it because he had to drive the car too and wanted a working radio. Without Grammy's full blessing, he took it to a car stereo shop in Allentown that my uncle recommended and paid them to install a Kenwood cassette player. The radio worked great, but Grammy hated it compared to the factory Becker radio.

    I spent a lot of time in that car in 1998 and 1999. We lived in California from 1996 to 1998, and my dad was about to be transferred to NAS Norfolk so my parents went looking for a house in nearby Virginia Beach. We flew out from California and my parents left me with Grammy and Mr. P in Pennsylvania while they drove down to Virginia to look for a new house.

    By 1998, my mom was driving a 1990 Toyota Camry LE V6 and my dad was driving a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4x4. The Pathfinder had a CD player but no cassette player, and the Camry had a cassette player but no CD player. My parents and I had almost completely transitioned to CDs, and I only had one cassette that I listened to regularly. It was the soundtrack from Disney's The Jungle Book, and it had a fast-paced rock version of "Bare Necessities" that I have been unable to find anywhere. I have not seen that tape since 2003-2004, and if find a copy online I am totally gonna buy. What sucks is my Tacoma obviously does not have a tape deck, and my parents have not owned a vehicle with a tape deck since 2014 (the 2008 Acura TL). Grammy's present vehicle, a 2002 Lexus RX300, does have a tape deck.

    During that extended stay with Grammy and Mr. P, I spent seemingly more time in that Mercedes than I had in the entire time they owned it. Going off-topic ever so slightly, Grammy bought a lakefront home in Maine in 1989-1990 and she still owns it today. In the nearly 28 years Grammy has owned that house, there have only been two summers when my parents and I didn't go. The first time was 1998, when we were in the process of moving back across the country from Mountain View, California to Virginia Beach. The second time was 2014, when Grammy actually had the house on the market and was on the ropes about whether not she actually decided to sell it. She decided to keep the house, and my dad bought a used 17-foot boat (2004 Larson inboard/outboard) in 2015, which we towed to Maine behind my dad's Honda Pilot that summer (and hit a DUI checkpoint just a few miles from Grammy's house). We also went to Maine in 2016 and plan to go this year as well.

    Beginning in 1998 or so, the Mercedes just suddenly decided to start showing it's age. Prior to 1998, the only thing wrong with that car was a rear window that would not go down. I think the window quit working in like 1995 or so, but seriously, that car was perfect except for the damn window. As stated above, the factory radio quit working in about 1997. By the spring of 1998, the car was 11 years old but still only had about 80,000 miles and everything besides the aforementioned rear power window worked. The A/C was ICE COLD and still had good old R-12, and the other three windows as well as the sunroof all worked.

    When I rode in the Benz, regardless of whether it was Grammy or Mr. P at the wheel, they let me listen to pretty much whatever I wanted, which consisted of the local country and rock radio stations; "Cat Country 96" (96.1 FM) and 99.9 "The Hawk" (99.99 FM), respectively); my taste in music really hasn't changed much in almost 20 years, and the music played in my Tacoma in 2017 is pretty much the same as the music played in Grammy's Mercedes almost 20 years earlier, with the addition of oldies and classical from time to time. A CD player for the Mercedes was more than 5 years away (more on that later), so when I didn't want to listen to the radio, I had a choice of two cassettes. The first one was the aforementioned Jungle Book soundtrack I was absolutely obsessed with, and the second one was Grammy's Anne Murray tape. My favorite song on the latter tape, without a doubt, was Anne Murray's cover of "Daydream Believer."

    Grammy and my cousins took a liking to the Jungle Book as well, and our fun with that tape didn't end outside the Mercedes.

    Grammy’s primary residence from 1994 to 1999 was a huge 2-story condo (It was a "condo" in the sense that Grammy and Mr. P owned the home but not the land, and it was in a "triplex," with an end unit condo on each side). From a legal and technical standpoint the place was a condo, but in my eyes it was a mini-mansion. Keep in mind that I was between the ages of 5 and 10, and quite small and underweight, when she owned that house (1994-1999). The house was two stories, not including a fully finished basement, and it had 3 bedrooms. Now that I think about it, I think the original plan had 4 bedrooms, but the original owner opted to nix the 4th bedroom in favor of a loft overlooking the living room/dining room. The neighborhood had no age restrictions with regards to who could live there, but all three floorplans had the master bedroom on the first floor since they were geared towards 55+ homebuyers. The two bedrooms on the second floor were HUGE and had their own private bathrooms! When you dream of one day having enough grandkids to fill a Chevy Suburban but end up with a grandson and two granddaughters, like Grammy did, you tend to spoil them. This included our accommodations at “Grammy’s house.” My girl cousins (sisters; born in July 1989 and March 1992 respectively) shared one of the bedroom suites on the second floor. I got the other bedroom suite all to myself!

    The condo was built in 1992 or 1993, and Grammy and Mr. P bought the place from the original owners in 1994 after moving to Pennsylvania from Arizona to be closer to family. The original owner had gotten a new job in Chicago and had to sell fast. The point of this story-within-a-story is that the original owners spared no expense with the house, and one of the things they ordered was a NuTone whole-house stereo system, which included an intercom, an AM/FM stereo with cassette, and speakers throughout the house. I would put Jungle Book in the cassette player, and my cousins and I would run around the house singing along. Good times…

    In the summer of 1999, the A/C in the Benz stopped blowing cold for the first time. I was spending the summer with my Grandparents at the Maine house at the time. The A/C in Mr. P’s 1993 Lincoln, then a 6-year old car with low miles, was working GREAT (R-12, baby)! Grammy was very busy and at the time it was unseasonably warm by Maine standards, even for the summer. As such, even if Grammy wasn’t busy, she did not want to drive a car with nonfunctional A/C. R-12 was becoming harder to find by then, but some garages still had it in stock at reasonable prices. One such garage was leased from Grammy’s friend by a mechanic named Jeff, just over the state line in a small New Hampshire town called Milton Mills. Grammy’s friend owned a successful independent convenience store in this small New Hampshire town, and like I said rented the large garage to a local mechanic.

    Mr. P drove the Mercedes to Milton Mills first thing in the morning, and I of course went along. Jeff hooked his equipment up to the Mercedes right outside the garage and all we could do was wait while he charged the system. Mr. P seriously knew people from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, including Milton Mills, so he passed the time by chatting with his friends. There was a large fenced-in area next to the garage where Jeff stored customers’ vehicles, and I spent a good chunk of my time there exploring this area. At one point I got bored and wandered around Milton Mills (didn’t take long). About two hours or so later, Jeff presented Mr. P with a bill for $129 and a Benz with a supposedly charged air-conditioner. Mr. P swiped the almighty credit card, got the keys, and we were off. The A/C was definitely blowing cooler, but it still didn’t feel as cold as it should have been. Compared to the A/C in Mr. P’s 1993 Lincoln or my dad’s 1990 Mazda pickup, or even the R134a system in my parents’ 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, the air coming out of the Benz’s vents was “luke-cold” at best. Mr. P was pissed that it had cost him almost $130 to get the A/C charged, especially when the A/C didn’t seem to have improved much. Keep in mind that was 18 years ago, so I don’t remember much, but the system must have either (A) Started working properly and/or was satisfactory enough for Grammy, or (B) Been charged again at some point in the summer of 1999. I honestly think it was just one of those freak occurrences, because though the system had to be recharged every year from at least 2003 until it was sold in 2005, it alway blew ICE COLD when charged.

    Grammy LOVED that car, and I’m pretty sure she planned to drive it until either it died or she died. Grammy is 9 days away from her 79th birthday as of this posting, and still healthy as ever, and I’m pretty sure the Benz is still alive and well too…

    Anyway, heart problems run in Mr. P’s family. He had his first heart attack that I know of in 1990 or 1991, while running on a treadmill as part of a routine stress test. He had a pacemaker fitted sometime in the 1990s, and as far as I know never had another heart attack. He died in April 2017 at the age of 93. In 2001-2002, Mr. P was having significant health problems relating to his heart. 2001 was the last full year of use for the Benz, at least by Grammy. Despite being 6 years newer than the Benz, the Lincoln had been relegated to spare car status and had been kept in Maine full-time since 1999. From 1999 until 2002, Grammy and Mr. P stayed in Maine during the summer and at their other house in Florida during the winter, driving the Mercedes to Florida from Maine and back again at least twice.

    The A/C had to be recharged every year, but other than that and the rear power window that didn’t work, the Mercedes was solid as a rock. By 2002, despite being 15 years old, the Benz still had less than 90K miles on it. In late 2001-early 2002, due to Mr. P’s deteriorating health, my Grandparents decided to live in Florida for a while. The Mercedes was very low to the ground, and my ailing Grandpa had a lot of trouble getting in and out of the front seat. With help from her sons, she researched SUVs and decided on the Lexus RX300. She bought a brand new 2002 Lexus RX300 Coach Edition, which she still has. Just like the Mercedes before it, the Lexus is 15 years old and has less than 90K miles on it! Unlike the Mercedes, however, the A/C in the Lexus has never been serviced and still cranks out subarctic air.

    Aside from the leaky A/C and the rear window, the Mercedes was in near-mint condition when Grammy bought the Lexus. Instead of trading the Benz in for the Lexus (she would have gotten nowhere near what it was worth) or selling it privately, Grammy just parked the Benz in the driveway of another home she owned (in Florida). Grammy owned two ranch-style duplex houses on the same street in the same neighborhood in Florida (she did not own two houses in the same duplex though). She bought the first one from her oldest son in 1993-1994 when he bought a new house just a few minutes away, and moved her mother into it. She bought the second duplex house in the late 1990s as an investment and ended up living there until she moved back to Pennsylvania permanently in 2006.

    My Great-Grandma had 3 sons in addition to Grammy, and she never got a driver’s license. She just chose not to drive. My Great-Grandpa did all the driving and in fact he drove until he was 89 or 90, at which point he sold his Dodge Dynasty and voluntarily surrendered his New Jersey driver’s license due to failing vision (when was the last time a senior citizen voluntarily gave up their license?). My Great-Grandparents never divorced, but they separated close to a decade before I was born and lived thousands of miles from each other for the remainder of their lives. Great-Grandpa died in 2004 at the age of 93, and Great-Grandma died in 2012 at the age of 98.

    So, Grammy simply parked the Mercedes in the driveway of her mother’s house (technically her house), and the car was pretty much forgotten. Great-Gram didn’t drive, and as far as she was concerned, the Benz was just a 2-ton, German-made lawn decoration. It never occurred to my ex-mechanic uncle, who lived minutes away but had his handyman business to run and other things to worry about, to start the Benz and drive it around the block every once in a while to “keep the juices flowing.” So, the Benz just sat. For just over a year, it languished in the driveway of a condo in Boca Raton, exposed to the harsh Florida weather. Strangely enough, Grammy continued to make insurance payments and keep the Maine registration up-to-date, but from about June 2002 until about August 2003, the car just sat in the same spot…

    To be continued!
     
    Plain Jane Taco likes this.
  10. Sep 1, 2017 at 10:28 PM
    #4690
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
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    Messages:
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    Male
    First Name:
    Charlie
    Central Bucks, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Zombie Truck


    @Plain Jane Taco
    @DustStorm4x4
    @newb13
    @ABA180
    @HomerTaco
    @98tacoma27

    When Grammy went shopping for ceiling fans soon after buying the house, it was quite an event. My uncle (Grammy’s oldest son) and his father-in-law drove up from Florida for the sole purpose of doing home improvement work on the condo.

    We (Grammy, Uncle Kenny, my aunt’s dad, and I) went to the Home Depot to buy some new ceiling fans, among other things. Grammy let me pick out the ceiling fan for my room, and I ended up choosing a 4-blade Hampton Bay model with reversible blades. For some reason I liked that fan; I have no idea why. Grammy picked the fan for the girls' room, since my cousins weren't there at the time.

    There ended up being five ceiling fans in that condo (the living room and master bedroom fans which were already installed when Grammy bought the house in 1994, and the ones that were installed in the kitchen and two upstairs bedrooms shortly after she bought it), and mine was the only 4-bladed fan! It did a damn good job of keeping my room comfortable, but looking back on it I think the fan was intended for use in a living room kitchen based on the design. It had reversible blades; plain white wood on one side, and white wood with simulated wicker (also white) on the other side. I chose the "wicker" blades. One of the reasons I chose this fan is because I had an obsession with "schoolhouse" light covers, and the light kit included with this fan had exactly that...

    This is a "schoolhouse" globe light cover:
    [​IMG]

    And this is what the blades on my fan looked like, though the wicker wasn't discolored then:
    [​IMG]

    I helped Uncle Kenny assemble the ceiling fan, and near end of the installation he stood on a ladder, lifted me up and allowed me to connect some of the wires! Grammy took a picture of this and has it somewhere. If I find it I will post it...

    :cheers:
     
    Plain Jane Taco likes this.
  11. Sep 2, 2017 at 4:12 AM
    #4691
    Plain Jane Taco

    Plain Jane Taco ALL human beings deserve equal treatment

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    Charlie.....just as impressive as your stories are their sheer length. It would literally take me an entire day or more to peck all that out....especially on a phone!

    :p

    PS: I'll forgive you for listening to that damn able country music. :D
     
    PennSilverTaco[OP] likes this.
  12. Sep 2, 2017 at 6:56 AM
    #4692
    Valhalla18D

    Valhalla18D Well-Known Member

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    SAW 2.0 coilover, OME AAL, TRD Pro wheels, Toyo M/T 255/85r16, Various other mods.
    What are the complaints in the Bestop and why do you regret the purchase?
     
  13. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:20 AM
    #4693
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
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    Gender:
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    First Name:
    Charlie
    Central Bucks, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Zombie Truck
    Bill, what's next for your truck? A Stormtrooper shift knob?
     
  14. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:22 AM
    #4694
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Member:
    #134007
    Messages:
    65,573
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Charlie
    Central Bucks, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Zombie Truck
    It's September and about a week ago it was in the 90s. Now, I feel like I'm living on Whidbey Island again! For crying out loud, I drove home with the windows down and actually used the heater in my Tacoma, on it's highest setting!
     
  15. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:32 AM
    #4695
    steveo27

    steveo27 Ask me about my weiner

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2013
    Member:
    #110326
    Messages:
    5,768
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Pittsburgh
    Vehicle:
    '11 TRD Off Road & 1992 VW GLI
    The same shit everyone else has.
    Id love to know too?
     
  16. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:32 AM
    #4696
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    The windows are an absolute pain in the ass to put on. If it's below 75 degrees and no direct sunlight, it'll take you at least 20 minutes per side. The clamps and rails just feel cheap, as proof, it was blown off my truck on the way to a camping trip. All 4 bolts were bent, one so much so that I had to cut off the bolt to remove it.
    The way it folds is effing stupid and not efficient.

    The only positive I can really think of is that it keeps stuff in the bed dry, and You can sleep back there if you get stuck somewhere. But you can do the same with a softopper.
     
  17. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:34 AM
    #4697
    Valhalla18D

    Valhalla18D Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2016
    Member:
    #180071
    Messages:
    53
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jessie
    Vehicle:
    2014 Barcelona Red TRD OffRoad
    SAW 2.0 coilover, OME AAL, TRD Pro wheels, Toyo M/T 255/85r16, Various other mods.
    Got it. Thanks for the reply. Makes that choice easy.
     
    PennSilverTaco[OP] likes this.
  18. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:38 AM
    #4698
    Spare Parts

    Spare Parts Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2016
    Member:
    #196811
    Messages:
    13,810
    Southern Maine
    Vehicle:
    2022 Off Road Premium 4Runner Lunar Rock
    I had a used bestop, didn't fit my 3rd gen right so I sold it. Wasn't bad, but I ordered a softoper during group buy, very happy with it. Based on my experience, if buying new go softoper.
     
  19. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:57 AM
    #4699
    uhplifted

    uhplifted The Hopfather

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Member:
    #190174
    Messages:
    25,192
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brian
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Vehicle:
    16 DCLB OR
    Bestop was too lazy to redesign their topper specifically for a 3rd gen, that's why it doesn't fit well. Same issue I have. One more reason to go softopper over bestop
     
  20. Sep 2, 2017 at 7:59 AM
    #4700
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco [OP] Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Member:
    #134007
    Messages:
    65,573
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Charlie
    Central Bucks, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Zombie Truck
    We all know that Tacos have the best braking performance in their class...

    Heck, my friend Joe who runs a detailing business on the side has driven my Tacoma a few times; He detailed it for the Truck Nationals, and he drives a 2009 Pontiac Vibe (basically a rebadged Toyota Matrix). He just recently had his brakes replaced, and I had my front brakes replaced in 2015 when my Taco was in the shop getting this damage repaired. My rear drum brakes/linings are the same ones the truck left the factory with in August 2009. I had to have my rear brakes "adjusted" a few months ago, but I was told they had about 70% life left, after almost 8 years and about 70K miles! Joe drove the truck after the pre-Carlisle detailing. Long story short; The front brakes in my Tacoma are almost 2 years old and have about 25K miles on them, and they outperformed the new brakes on my friend's Vibe!

    Anyway, my truck has kind of a sporty appearance to it now, thanks to the black rims, HomerTaco grille, and WeatherTech rain guards (WeatherTech bug deflector coming soon). I was thinking that maybe I could have the brake calipers painted next time I get the brake pads replaced?

    Normally, I'd have my regular mechanic do it. However, my body guy (Ray "Butch" Urich, owner of Butch's Body Works) is also a mechanic and does inspections. As mentioned above, he replaced my pads and rotors in December 2015 when he was fixing the damage done to my truck by a drunk driver. I am strongly considering having him disassemble the calipers and paint them red. I am beyond satisfied with my factory brakes and have no desire to get upgraded "performance" brakes. I just think that red calipers would contrast nicely with the black wheels and silver paint.

    I'm sure more than a few Tacoma owners have painted their brake calipers and drums before. What do you guys think?
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2017

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