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

The title is pretty much the question...

I would first like to point out that I am a prolific A/C user and my parents are prolific A/C users. Whether it's central air in the house or the A/C in our cars, we always use the A/C when it's about 80°F, especially if it's particularly humid or we are on the highway. A lot of times, my mom and I find ourselves using the A/C in our cars as well as the house when it's relatively mild outside, due to our allergies.

A classic and/or show vehicle is one thing, or a vehicle that is of historical significance that would be devalued if A/C was installed. However, I will never have a daily driver without A/C! I find myself not using the A/C and/or rolling down the windows a lot often than I used to, but it's nice to know it's there. I had to get the A/C in my 2010 Tacoma recharged for the first time this past June, by the way.

I don't know how many people know this, but while A/C was standard in all 2nd Gen access cab and double cab Tacos, it was an extra-cost option in regular cabs until the 2011 model year. To date I've only ever seen one 2nd Gen Taco without A/C (and it was up in Maine; In Maine, it is quite common for vehicles, especially what someone would consider a work truck, to not have A/C).

Less than a decade ago, it was still possible to get a stripped-down subcompact car without A/C. The Honda Civic is a notable example. It was indeed possible to get a no-frills Honda Civic with a manual transmission, no A/C, and even no radio! Strangely enough, power windows and locks were standard, but it was possible to get a Civic with no air. Radio wiring provisions were standard, and they came with the speakers installed, so it was at least possible to have a head unit installed.

I know for a fact that it still possible to get a no-frills economobox with no A/C in most parts of Western Europe.

Even Alaska, I would not want a daily driver without A/C, because I've been told that the defogger works better in vehicles that have A/C.

The newest "normal" vehicle I've ever seen without A/C (in person, not listed on eBay), was back in 2004; When my parents were looking to buy a new van, I saw a couple of brand new Honda Civics at a dealer in Northern Virginia (a place where A/C is pretty much obligatory). They actually had two of these stripped-down 4-door Civics. They had automatic transmissions, but that was about it. They didn't even have CD or cassette players, just AM/FM radios. No power windows or locks, no cruise control, and I think they had tilt wheel but I'm not sure. I remember seeing these cars and asking my dad "Who is going to want a brand new 4-door car, without A/C, in Northern Virginia?" If you've never lived in the DC metro area, take it from someone who has. A/C is NOT a luxury down there! It is a REQUIREMENT!

The best my dad could come up with "Someone who needs a cheap and reliable brand new car but doesn't have much money, or someone who is looking to build up their credit." It makes sense, actually, though I still asked again "But in Northern Virginia...?" If I were someone living in an area where it gets particularly hot and I couldn't afford much, I'd rather buy a old beater with working A/C (trust me, I've seen PLENTY such vehicles) than finance a new car with NO A/C. Even public transportation is a better option in the DC Metro during the summer! As awful as buses typically are, at least the Metro buses tend to have really good A/C.

At that same dealer (Koons Honda in Manassas, Virginia), I saw two other brand new vehicles without A/C. Both were IN the showroom. One was a Honda Element. It had the upgraded EX trim alloy wheels, and power windows and locks (which I believe were standard), but it had no A/C and no radio. The other one I saw was a silver Honda Civic coupe. This Civic had automatic transmission, cruise control, CD player, and alloy wheels, but no A/C. It also had crank windows and manual locks. Who the hell orders a nicely-equipped Civic WITHOUT A/C in Virginia?

I know it was possible to get a Camaro ZR1 or ZL1 (forget which) without A/C a few years ago, and buyers of certain McLaren supercars can opt to delete the A/C on certain models. Porsche also offered the hardcore track-ready 911, Boxster, and Cayman models with the option of A/C delete.

My question, however, is this...

Does anybody know if it's possible to get any entry-level vehicle, not including commercial vehicles or anything that would be considered a work truck, without A/C?

 

I doubt it. Boutique cars and super cars? Sure. Maybe someone still sells a stripped beater, but why? Not going to move fast, and ordering the cheapest cars with lowest profit margins is not a practical business model.


Now you can buy a brand new, nicely equipped, good looking car for super cheap and have all the creature comforts you can ask for at that price point.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...pg-disappointment-nissan-versa-smart/2110083/

 

Holy cow.

 

A guy I once worked with ordered a 2WD 1st gen Taco completely stripped to save a few bucks.
I mean, this thing had absolutely nothing, no options at all, not even an AM radio.
He saved a few bucks, but it took over 4 months to get it.
He was an odd person.

 

Wow. Took me 5 swipes to skip that post. I started to read it. I really tried.

Dodge demon plumbs the passenger ac into the supercharger to cool the intake charge to make all the horse powers.

 

My previous truck didn't come with A/C, it was a 1991 DLX level 4WD XtraCab. It had a bench seat, AM/FM radio, crank windows. It did get power steering, though. Anyway, we just bought the most base level Subaru Forester (because we wanted a stick shift) and the way it's built would be the same as an SR5 maybe just 10 years ago. Bucket seats, A/C, AM/FM/CD/iPod, power windows, power locks, remote unlock (it does not have keyless entry or push start). So my guess is it would be impossible to get most cars without these features. Perhaps a very, very cheap Kia might but I doubt U.S., Euro or Japanese cars.

 

Bought my Softtopper and installed it a few weeks before Hurricane Matthew hit NC. Had the truck parked right off Ocean Isle Beach NC the night it hit. No water in the bed and no damage to the topper. Since then I have reclined it many times while packing and unpacking items in the bed with no problems. Have yet to find any water in the bed at all.

 

No I picked up a JVC off Craigslist. I haven't hooked it up yet, and it doesn't have GPS, but it's pretty nice and gets good reviews.

 

I learned how to do this in middle school. The rest is history...

 

Yesterday was Labor Day, and lots of businesses including car dealerships were closed... Translation: One is free to browse the lot without being stalked by salespeople!

I went into town to help my boss with something even though it was Labor Day and I'd previously been given the day off (because that's just the kind of guy I am, plus she offered me extra money before I even had the chance to respond to her initial text), and I stopped at Lafferty Chevrolet in Warminster on the way back home. Lafferty holds the distinction of being the dealership where my dad bought a new S-10 Blazer 4x4 (his first Chevy product, first SUV, and first 4x4!) back in June 1993!

So, I was cruising the Silverado inventory in my Tacoma while jamming to WMMR's "Back to School A-to-Z," and hat's when I saw it...

Here's a picture of my Taco with the ZR2...



This actually quite a "No-Frills" example of a ZR2 (Scroll down to see window sticker). I use the term "No-Frills" semi-sarcastically. Don't get me wrong, it is very well-equipped; But I have used Chevy's "Build and Price" tool to build my dream ZR2 quite a few times recently, and this truck is missing a few options I'd want that CAN'T be installed at the dealer. The biggest one is the 2.8L Duramax diesel engine (this one has the 3.6L V6). This truck also does not have the Bose stereo system, which means it does not have navigation system.

My Tacoma has had built-in navigation for about 3½ months now, and quite frankly I would never go back down the portable GPS route. For starters, it's one less thing I have to plug in; It's also awesome not having this monstrosity on my dashboard! The verdict: If I won the lottery or somehow got rich, and bought myself a new truck, I'd want built-in GPS navigation! If I could not find the exact truck I wanted (exterior/interior colors, options, etc) with this feature, I'd order it. Also, if I win the lottery or somehow become rich, don't get your hopes up because my Tacoma is not for sale!

The Bose sound system isn't as big a deal to me as the GPS navigation. Speakers are easily replaced, and GM offers a dealer-installed Kicker subwoofer for Colorados and Canyons that do not have the Bose system. My friend recently purchased a brand new Silverado Z71 that does not have Bose or the subwoofer, and the factory system is actually pretty good. The problem with the Colorado is that you can get the Bose system without navigation (in the Silverado, it is possible to get navigation without the Bose stereo, but you can't get navigation without the Bose system (I've done research).

All of the other add-ons I want can be installed by the dealer; Rollbar, rollbar-mounted off-road lamps, bed-mounted spare tire, etc.

I also like the extra-cab better than the crew cab, primarily because the extra-cab has a longer bed..

The Colorado I built (a Cajun Red extra-cab with the 2.8L diesel) comes to about $50,000:

Here's an up-close look at the truck:




My dream truck on Chevy's "Build Your Own"...

 

I don't know much about that Chebby. but you have 7740 unread e-mails.

 

A lot of that is spam...

The important ones get read!

 

$750 for fuckin' blue lights under the dash and floor mats?

That was fun, My SB 4dr came in at $47k. I would love to try out that diesel.

 

I was just trying to see how much an "every box checked" truck would cost LOL.

 

Good looking truck.

Better than Toyota's offerings, for my taste.

 

On a separate note, are your dealership lots not gated? All of ours are outside of business hours.

 

It's a combo around here. Most lots are locked but still easily accessible by foot. I'm amazed on the amount of car and trucks that get left unlocked on lots.

 

Lafferty Chevrolet is not gated, and neither is O'Neil GMC-Nissan right next door. Some dealers (including Lafferty from time to time) arrange their inventory in such a way that certain sections are blocked to vehicles but accessible on foot. Peruzzi Toyota in Hatfield (where my dad bought my truck) is locked outside of business hours but accessible on foot. CarSense right next door to Peruzzi is the same way, but it is easy to park along the entrance.

The only dealer in my area I am aware of that is completely inaccessible outside of business hours, even to foot traffic, is Reedman-Toll Auto World in Langhorne. They have tall fences and walls, and even a guardhouse with a gate at the main entrance. I think the guardhouse is more to keep unauthorized people from driving off with dealer inventory than to keep the public from driving their personal vehicles in.

Fred Beans in Doylestown varies from dealer to dealer. The GM dealer (Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC; this place is huge and even sold Pontiac back when Pontiac was still a thing) is pretty much wide open for driving or walking. Fred Beans Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep/RAM right across the street, however, is much smaller and the main lot is commonly blocked by parked vehicles. The Ford dealer is much larger than the Dodge dealer, but smaller than the GM dealer, and the new vehicle lot is blocked off by strategically parked vehicles.

 

I used the exact kit the previous guy mentioned to paint my calipers last weekend. Its a solid kit and the paint it comes with is pretty high grade. I painted my front calipers and rear diff cover. The mini-brush that comes with the kit is kind of a piece of garbage though and the bristles were coming off and mixing with the paint as I went.

The paint takes like 3-4 days to fully cure for some reason. I layered it on really thick and it was still soft to the touch 2 days later (not wet, just soft..). A glob of it actually dripped off on day 2 when it was already sorta dry and somehow and landed on my rims.

Just keep that in mind if you go that route. Maybe blast it with a heat gun for a bit or be aware of how long it takes to dry.