"Ole' MG"- Adam's 2000 Tacoma Build + Adventures

Thanks! I love it down here, but I've explored most of the area. I need to head up to the front range more often and see what's there.

Yeah, for sure going to regret tracking all my purchases for the truck, but for some reason my ocd tells me I have to haha.

 

11/20/18- Installing the All-Pro bumper

Now that I had some time off school for Thanksgiving I decided to finally install the All-Pro Baja front bumper that had been sitting in my apartment for almost 2 months. Because my truck was a 2000, it had the longer frame horns, which meant I was going to have to cut 3 inches off the front of the frame, weld in a bracket, and cut off the stock skid plate cross-member. The only issue was I had no idea how to weld and didn't trust myself to make straight enough cuts. So I contacted a local shop to have them cut and weld the frame and then I would install the bumper myself.

But first I had to remove all the old stuff from the front end. I removed the stock bumper, skid plates, frame crush cans, as well as the fender brackets that help hold the bumper on. I also trimmed the plastic fender well lining and painted the white metal that was behind the stock bumper black. I relocated the turn signals to the marker lights also. Basically followed this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-free-blinker-light-relocation-mod.186115/

Stock front bumper removed. Looked so naked:


The guy I bought the bumper from had painted it with black bed liner, but it needed touched up from being moved around. Grabbed a can and threw a few coats on. Nothing professional, but looked good to me. Now all that was left was getting the frame cut and welded.

Dropped it off at the shop and they got to cutting. Then I got a call from them saying that my passenger's side frame was bent inward and that they wanted to straighten it. They then insisted on installing the bumper themselves to make sure it fit well. I was getting a little upset at the high bill that was racking up, but I didn't want to deal with having to try and fit that bumper on a bent frame, so I agreed.

After the shop finished installation:


Couldn't resist some beauty shots:




Overall, I was happy with how it came out. I'm still not sure how the frame got bent as the truck had never been in an accident to my knowledge, but it is what it is. I kept the frame horns and cross-member that the shop cut off so that if wanted to go back to stock, I could weld them back on. I still needed to paint and install the IFS skid, but at least I finally had the bumper on.

Also, shout out to @Findus11 for hooking me up with the bumper and skid and giving me a great deal!

 

1/2/19-1/4/19- Smelter and a light bar

This winter had been very wet and we got a lot of snow, especially compared to the past few years, which were extremely mild. Having just been hit with a nice snow storm, I decided to go out and play in it. I chose to head up Smelter Mountain, a road I've been on before (Here), as it was one of the few trails/roads near me that was not closed for the winter. I figured there would be a few feet of snow on the road, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I was right. When I got there, there was at least 2 feet of snow, but there were tracks from other vehicles, so at least I wasn't blazing a new trail. I threw it in 4hi, locked the rear diff, and kept my foot into it as to not loose momentum and made it almost to the end of the road. When I decided to turn around, I marveled in the white beauty around me and got a chance to try out my new camera.




Looking southeast from the top:


Downtown Durango:



The La Plata Mountains:


1/4/19- Installing an LED light bar

Now that I had my new front bumper, I felt the front hoop looked a little empty and decided to add an LED light bar. I do a lot of wheeling on 4wd roads at night due to my work and school schedule, so I wanted something with good light output that didn't break the bank. I considered a lot of round lights, such as Hellas and ARB's because I think they look better personally, but ended up going with a 20 inch Auxbeam LED light bar.
Link:

$73 Auxbeam 20" LED Light Bar 126W Light Bar with 42pcs 3W Led Off Road Driving Lights Spot Flood Combo Beam for Jeep Driving Off Road ATV SUV UTV

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9BJ2G...olid=3FR16WKR5M4F8&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I also got the associated wiring harness.
Link:

$16 Auxbeam LED Light Bar Wiring Harness, 8.2 FT 12V 40Amp Fuse Relay ON/Off Switch for LED Off-Road Driving Light Fog Light Work Light (1 Lead 2.5 Meter Universal)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHBV4GW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The light bar mounted perfectly to the tabs on the bumper with the included hardware; I did have to get some fender washers because the included nuts were a little small for the holes in the bumper tabs. As far as the wiring harness, I ran it through the hole in the passenger's side of the radiator support and around the perimeter of the engine bay to the battery. I attached the inline fuse with double-sided tape to the fuse box and the relay to the side of the fender with a self-tapping screw.

I ran the switch into the cab through the rubber grommet on the driver's side of the firewall and attached the switch next the ECT power button to the left of the steering wheel.

Installed:




Halogen headlights are definitely better then LED in the snow:


Overall, I was happy with the low cost and light output of the light bar. Plus it fills out the bumper a little better. I don't use it that often, but it definitely comes in handy on the trails late at night.

 

1/24/19-1/25/19- Refreshing the cooling system and installing the IFS skid

My radiator was beginning to leak around the seams near the tank. It was the original radiator, and being 19 years old, I decided to replace it. I also chose to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat and gasket, radiator cap, and coolant. I ordered the hoses (plus factory style clamps), thermostat, and radiator cap from Toyota and got a Denso radiator from Rockauto. Here's the link: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4722549&cc=1364723&jsn=416

Replacing everything was straightforward; I drained the radiator, removed the hoses, removed the 4 bolts and 2 clips that hold the fan shroud in, and then the 4 bolts for the radiator itself. The lower water outlet and the upper outlet on the intake manifold were pretty corroded, so I took a scotch-bright pad and cleaned those up. I then removed the lower outlet and the old thermostat. The old thermostat's jiggle valve was in the 12 o'clock position and was original to the truck as far as I knew.

Old thermostat w/ jiggle valve at 12 o'clock:


The issue came when trying to install the new radiator. I slipped it in, lined up the 2 metal tabs, and went to bolt it in. But I couldn't because the holes on the radiator were too close together and didn't line up with the truck at all. Crap.

Looking at the hole in my engine bay while figuring out how to make the new rad fit:



I ended up taking the radiator out and shimming the brackets on the radiator out with a couple of washers, which brought the holes out far enough to line up. I then installed the new thermostat (with the jiggle valve at the 6 o'clock position) and hoses and filled it up with some new Toyota LL red coolant that I had. After burping the system, I took it for a drive. I noticed (via my Scanguage) that my engine was now reading between 184 and 190 degrees, which was 10-20 degrees cooler than before, proving that putting the jiggle valve on the thermostat down does in fact allow the engine to run cooler.

1/25/19- Painting and installing the IFS skid (finally)

The All-Pro IFS skid plate that I bought with my front bumper had been sitting in my apartment waiting to be installed for almost 2 months. Finally having some free time, I decided it was time to paint it and install it on the truck. First, I decided to test fit it on the truck before painting to make sure all the bolt holes lined up. I used a floor jack on the rear and myself up front to lift it into place. And everything lined up perfectly. Awesome!

Test fitting:




As you can see, I bought some counter sunk bolts with allen heads for the rear so that they would be flush with the skid and I wouldn't scrape bolt heads on rocks. Unfortunately, I was only able to get the passenger side bolt to thread in; the driver's side wouldn't so I ended up using the stock skid plate bolt on that side.

Next I had to paint it. I used Rustoleum Professional primer followed by Rustoleum Professional flat black paint. I probably put at least 5 coats of each on, so the paint is nice and thick.

Painting the skid:


After waiting for the paint to dry completely, I reinstalled it on the truck.

Installed (and a little dirty ):

 

I had the same issue with the All-Pro skids where those countersunk holes wouldn't line up. I ended up drilling them out and using regular bolts with large washers...

 

Mine actually lined up pretty well, just the threads on the driver's side are so knackered from taking the old skid on and off that the new bolt wouldn't thread in very far before risking stripping out. I should probably take a tap and chase the threads on those holes one of these days.

 

2/11/19- Chokecherry Canyon

Chokecherry Canyon (or Glade Run) is a recreational off-road area about an hour south of where I live in New Mexico. It's popular with rock crawling and ATV/side by sides. I've been there numerous times on ATV's, but never in my truck. So I decided to head down there and do some exploring. Converse to the area where I live, Chokecherry has a lot of sand washes and sandstone rocks which can be fun to rip through and crawl up. I didn't attempt any of the really technical trails in MG, but had fun running down some of the washes (in 2wd with the rear diff locked of course) and crawling up some moderate, rocky trails.

Stopping to air down tires for the sandy washes:


After ripping down the washes for a little while, I found a steep slick rock ledge where I could test out the increased approach angle provided by my All-Pro bumper.




The truck did great crawling up the ledge in 4lo. If I still had the stock front bumper, I probably would have scraped on the approach, but with the All-Pro it was no issue. I have videos of several obstacles from this trip (including this one), but didn't feel like making a YouTube channel to upload them here.

Next, I found my way to the designated rock-crawling area, which consisted of slick rock ledges and bowls reserved only for the truly serious rigs (a.k.a not my little Taco).

Above the rock-crawling area, where various competitions are held:





Coming down from the crawling area:



Exploring some more trails:


Yes, I went down this:


After cruising around on some milder trails, I found one that was a little more technical. It was an obstacle called The Waterfall. The entrance (or exit, not sure which) was a steep incline that topped out on the side of a cliff. A steep rock ledge followed this. Before I attempting, I got out and walked some of the trail. It seemed doable with the exception of the rock ledge, which I was a little leary about, but decided to try it anyways.




The first steep incline:


After making it up the incline, I approached the rock ledge. After making several attempts, I couldn't pop the front wheels up on the ledge. Unfortunately I couldn't approach the ledge straight due to a cliff to the right side and coming at it at an angle wasn't working. So I decided I would have to back all the way down the trail as there wasn't enough room to turn around. Which was a little butt-clenching to say the least.

The ledge was in front of the truck here:


After this, I decided to air the tires back up and head home as it was starting to get dark.

Airing up:


It was fun and exciting day and I got to put the truck to the test more than usual. I'll definitely be going back as there are so many different areas and trails to explore.

 

Haven't updated this thread in a while; I've been busy driving the truck! Been on a road trip around the western USA living out of the back of the truck for the past 5 weeks. Driven about 5,400 miles so far and am currently in northeastern Washington.

A few phone pics:





More photos/stories of my travels to come! Also details on my bed/sleeping setup and roof rack.

 

Bad ass! I wanna do that at some point... damn work...

 

Thanks! I'm between jobs/school right now so I figured it'd be the perfect time to do something like this.

Truck has done great, only a couple issues so far. Rear axle seals let go so I had to get new seals, wheel bearings, and rear brakes. Also finally cracked my original windshield, only took 19 years haha.

 

Guess I should update my build thread- got back from my western Road Trip about a month ago. Was on the road living in the back of the Taco for a total of 9 weeks. I drove 9,800 miles total and visited 12 states and 16 National Parks. It was one of the best experiences of my life thus-far. I have so many pictures I'm not sure what to do with all of them haha. The Tacoma did amazing; only issue beyond the axle seals at the start of the trip was the Throttle position sensor (TPS) went out and caused a high idle for the last 3 weeks of the trip. And I suppose MG did get a little mad at me when I went 9,000 miles between oil changes .

A few pics:

Olympic NP:


North Cascades NP:



Glacier NP:


Badlands NP:



Mount Rushmore:


Devil's Tower:


Yellowstone NP:


Grand Teton NP:


Canyonlands NP (feat. dirty camera sensor... uhhh):


Eventually I'll do a write-up on here of my trip with more pictures. But first I need to get this thread caught up with details of my roof rack and sleeping platform setups.

 

I love the build and the pictures! The Taco makes a great home.

 

Damn... super jealous of the epic trip

 

2/28/19-3/7/19- Preparing For Life On The Road, Part 1- The Roof Basket

I had recently decided to take a semester off school because the major and school I was previously at weren't working out. During this time off I decided I was going to take a road trip around the western United States exploring places I've never been to before. I was planning on being gone for about 2 months and living out of the back of the Tacoma (as there was no way I could afford to stay at hotels). Part of the plan was to visit as many National Parks as I could with an annual pass I was planning on buying. So while I was working to save up money for the trip, I began to prepare the truck to be lived out of for 2 months.

First, I decided to purchase a roof cargo basket to put on top of the camper shell to hold some items: a Hi-Lift jack, awning, and solar panel to provide power to charge my phone, laptop, and run interior lights. I looked for used Yakima and Thule baskets, but they were all ridiculously expensive, so I went with a cheap Chinese basket from Amazon. (Link:

$160 Leader Accessories Roof Rack Cargo Basket with 150LB Capacity Car Top Luggage Carrier 64"x 39"x 4" Fit for SUV Truck Cars

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DK4J1CC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

The roof basket seemed pretty well made considering it was only $150, but the reviews did say water could get in around the seems, so the first thing I did was seal around all the bolts and seems with black silicone.

All sealed up:


Next, I mounted it to my existing Yakima 1A Rain Gutter towers on top of the camper shell. It fit really nicely, but made the truck very tall (7ft to be exact).

Wind faring (with stickers added during the trip):


Then I ordered a Hi-Lift Jack to mount to the driver's side of the roof basket. (Link:

$101 Hi-Lift Jack HL484 48" Hi-Lift Black Cast and Steel Jack for Tractor

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00042KG3A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I decided to make my own brackets to mount it to the basket. I bought 2 long 1/4" bolts, 4 large fender washers, a 5' aluminum plate with holes, and some 1/4" wing nuts. I ran the bolts through the side of the basket and through the holes in the jack. The fender washers keep the bolts from sliding through the holes in the baskets. The aluminum plate sandwiches the jack against the basket. I made two of these "brackets"; one to hold the front of the jack and one for the back.

Brackets holding the Hi-Lift on (black tape to prevent rubbing the paint off the roof basket):




Bike lock used to secure the jack:


After mounting the jack, I decided to order a small awning to mount on the other side of the roof basket so that I could have a place to escape the sun and rain on my trip. Again, I looked at more expensive name brand awnings, but couldn't justify the costs. I went with another cheap Amazon special, here's the link:

$100 Yescom 4.6x6.6' Car Side Awning SUV Truck Vehicle Awning Rooftop Pull Out Tent Shelter PU2000mm UV50+ Shade SUV Outdoor Camping Travel Beige

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075L4YDG3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It was 4.6' wide, so it would fit perfectly on the side of the cargo basket. Luckily, the awning came with mounting hardware so I didn't have to jerryrig something to mount it.

All mounted up:


Mounting hardware (pic was taken after the trip and unfortunately the supposed "stainless steel" brackets rusted):



Awning deployed (it's 6.6' long by the way):


After mounting the awning, I ordered the solar panel and solar charge controller that would supply power for the deep cycle AGM battery and power inverter that would eventually be mounted in the bed. I chose a Renogy 100W panel with a 30A charge controller. Here's the link:

$130 Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Solar Panel Starter Kit with 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel + 30A PWM Charge Controller + Adaptor Kit + Tray Cables + Mounting Z Brackets for RV Boats Trailer Off-Grid System

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFCNFRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. The kit I ordered also included most of the necessary wiring and mounting hardware.

I decided to mount the panel inside the roof basket, behind the wind faring (for protection) in the front driver's side corner of the basket so that I could still have the majority of the basket to put other stuff in. The kit included some aluminum mounting brackets, but I needed to buy some small U-bolts to attach the panel to the roof cargo basket.

Solar panel installed:




Mounting hardware:


I ran the included wiring along the side of the roof basket and then down the back of the camper shell along the rear door frame. I attached the wiring using wiring clips with double sided tape.

Solar panel wiring:


Now I all I needed was an AGM battery and power inverter for the solar panel to supply power to. All in all, I was impressed with the quality of the roof basket, the awning, as well as the solar panel and associated charge controller and wiring, especially considering their relatively low costs.

With the roof rack setup complete, next on the list was building a sleeping and storage platform in the bed. (Sneak peak of both in some of the above photos ).

 

Love the build, and way jelly of the road trip. I’m about due for one next year maybe the San Rafael swell.
The AlCan is kind of a commute and some new scenery is in order.

A good source for stock OEM steelies is this outfit: https://www.wheelsandcaps.com/p-23720-steel-wheel-rim-16x7-69392.aspx
Of course they are in tight supply(I had to order 2 sets of 2 over a 2-3 wk period depending on availability) but the price is good and if you’re not in a screaming hurry they work well. I couldn’t get them sandblasted and painted for the price-and delivered.
They look good enough for my purposes:

 

Thanks, appreciate it! I've been looking at that website for the steel wheels as well, unfortunately they've been out of stock for a while now, so hopefully they get some more in.

I'm waiting until my current tires wear down a little more then planning on getting those steelies paired with 235/85/16 Falken Wildpeak at3w.

Also, definitely been neglecting this build thread, one of these days I'll actually write a trip report and get this thread caught up

 

Copy that, I think I had to wait for about 2-3 weeks between pairs to get them, now to scrounge up some 4 more beaters for the 85, or 3 of the mags, might be better for the 22R. Always something.....

 

If you're ever in the Denver area, you can have my spare steel wheel. It's been sitting in my garage for too long.

 

Thanks! May take you up that if I'm in the area, been thinking about piecing a set of 4 together from people's old spares...

Also, because I guess this is a build thread, here's a fairly recent pic of the truck:


Haven't done a lot to it, been busy with work. New headlights, repainted grille and bumper, red shackles because why not, and took the roof rack setup off for the winter. Oh and replaced a door handle because cheap plastic and cold don't mix

 

Nice rig, I like it!
I would love to hit some or all of the trails you have shared, thank you.