Project Whiskey Dent

Picked up this beat to shit 2000 Tacoma over the weekend and have a decision to make. Earlier this year i bought a rolled 2011 2nd gen and put some time and money into it with the goal of making a streetable crawler on 40s. I had an 01 in HS and think the 01-04 Tacos are the best looking Tacomas of all time. So thats the quandary i am in now: Keep the 2000 or the 2011? Decisions or decisions.

Ill let you decide why i am calling this Project Whiskey Dent. There isnt a straight body panel on this thing. Now i really dont have an issue with this as i plan on converting the front end to 01-04. Beds are easier to find for a 1st gen, so that isnt an issue.

Current Specs:
2000 Tacoma Single Cab 4wd
3RZ with a w58 5-speed, 182k miles
33x12.5r15 shit tires that rub up front
Ugly ass bumper
Wrecked interior
AC no worky
Dead something in the vents

Build plan:
New front/rear frame rails for 3/4 links
05+ Super Duty Dana 60, 14B with discs
5.13s, lockers, shafts, etc
Hydro Assist to keep it on the street
40" Nittos (probably) on some beadlocks
Accutune Coilovers
@SMKYTXN Link Brackets for a first gen (Ill be the trail and error for his kit)
Atlas case
Interior cage
PRP seats
Some tunes

Some stuff that it wont get:
No snorkels or any of that shit
No roof racks or roof top tent BS
No angel eye headlights or unnecessary light bars mounted to the roof
No expo AF related items
No fart can mufflers
No douche aftermarket grilles
No retarded fiberglass panels
More to add this list as I come across it.

Now on to the good (or bad) stuff, the pics of this beast.
This is how i picked it up.

 

Looks like the ole girl has had a rough life

 

After one night of working on it, i got the ugly front bumper off, the hood off, the headlights out, the seats and carpet out. Looking better every second i work on it.
The 3rz is pretty clean. PS leaks a little.




Im picking up a set of 2nd gen seats to get me by until i decide if im keeping this thing. Also picking up a nice '02 hood for the front end conversion. Ordered new headlights, grille, turn signals, and taillights today to replace all the broken and cracked shit. Going to try and find the smell inside the vents this evening. Looking for a nice set of tires to get me by until the SAS starts. Probably get me a set of FJ steelies on EBAY.

 

Its been road hard and put up very wet.

 

Some pics of the 2nd gen i put back together after a rollover. Still debating on keeping it or not.



And a pic or two of my crawler that i currently beat on now.

 

That's a tough call for sure. Both of them need a bed, though the cab on the 1st gen is straighter. The AC and heat work on the 2nd, so that's a bonus. See what it's going to take to fix that on the 1st and go from there?

 

I worked on it some this weekend. Went junkyard shopping around Houston and picked up a new (to me) 2002 hood, a 2002 front bumper assembly and some clean 2000 taco bucket seats. Found a Tacoma honey hole where i can pick up a new bed and basically any other tacoma part i need. My new front end parts came in from RockAuto, so once i receive my new fender and bumper brackets, i can finish up the conversion.

I also changed out the bulbs in the gauge cluster to LEDs since when i got it, they were half dead. Afterwards my tach/speedo/odometer no longer work. They are all dead. Fuel gauge and temp gauge work, along with the CEL, and other warning lights. Took the dash apart again to find that i must have tore the paper copper wire thing on the back when re-installing it, so i ordered another used one on Ebay.

 

Been doing some work and upgrades in whiskey dent. The Ebay gauge cluster fixed all the issues i was having. Tack/speedo all work again. I swapped out the odo from the original cluster and it still worked in the new cluster. Changed the oil and replaced the fucked up axle shafts. I now have working 4wd. I put in a el cheapo CD player in and now have some awful tunes. Front speakers are shit so i ordered up a new set on Amazon.

01-04 conversion is now complete as well. Still waiting on the Shrockworks bumper from Kase, then the front end will be done.


Installed a cheap leveling kit for the time being to keep the 33s out of the fenders. Im looking for new set as these are chopped to complete shit.



Stay tuned for more once the 2nd gen taco sells.