SwampYota's 2003 Tacoma Build

*Under Construction*...much like the truck.

Scroll down to see the progress.

Current Pic, as of July 25, 2020



Clean Pic, from April 6, 2020

 

Modifications

Armor

Weld-On Sliders with Kick-Out - SOS Concepts - Part # N/A (00-04 Tacoma Weld On Sliders With Kick Out For Access Cab)

Rear Bumper - Relentless Fabrication - Part # N/A (96-04 Tacoma Wrap Around Rear Plate Bumper)

Suspension, Front

Coilovers - King Off-Road Racing Shocks - Part # 25001-151 (Front 2.5 Diameter Internal Reservoir Coilovers)

Upper Control Arms - Total Chaos Fabrication - Part # 96500 (Urethane Pivot Upper Control Arms)

High Angle CV Boots - Off Road Solutions - Part # ORS-HB201 (CV Boot Kit, High Angle, Inner Joint, w/ Clamps and Grease)

Suspension, Rear

Shocks - Icon Vehicle Dynamics - Part # 56502 (2.0 Aluminum Series Rear Shock)

Leaf Springs - All-Pro Off-Road - Part # 4500T-AP-PR (Rear Leaf Springs, Standard)

Greasable Bushings (front & rear of leafs) - Daystar Suspension Parts - Part # DAY-KT02017BK (Greasable Bushing Kit)

U-Bolt Kit - Wheeler's Off-Road, Inc. - Part # WHE-U6754X (Leaf Spring U-Bolts 6.75")

Tires

Discoverer STT Pro - Cooper - Part # 11467 (285/70/R17)

*REMOVED* Wrangler Duratracs - Goodyear - Part # 150564601 (265/70R16)

Wheels

TRD Graphite Gray 17" - Toyota - Part #

$1,180 PTR20-35110-GR (Fits: 4Runner - Tacoma - FJ Cruiser) (4)

PTR20-35110-GR (17" Graphite Gray TRD Alloy Wheel 17X7")

Engine

Cold Air Intake - Volant Performance - Part # 18634 (1999-2004 Toyota Tacoma 3.4L V6 Cold Air Intake)

Conical Dry Air Filter (no oiling required) - AFE Power - Part # 2199999 (Custom Build Your Own Filter)*
*dimensions for a custom Pro Dry S filter were sent to AFE since Volant only sells filters that require oiling.

TRD Cold Air Intake Cover - @Coupe - Part # N/A (Acrylic Cover for Volant CAI with TRD logo)

EPDM Coolant Hoses - Continental - Part # 5021 (Super Elite Blue Hose Kit, EPDM Rubber w/ Nomex Reinforcement)

Electrical

AGM Battery - NorthStar - Part # NSB-AGM24F (Pure Lead AGM, 24F 840 CCAs)

OBD Reader - ScanGauge II - Part # SG2 (ScanGauge II Advanced, Ultra-Compact Vehicle Monitor)

TRD Battery Hold Down, Aluminum -@Coupe - Part # N/A (Aluminum Battery Hold Down, Black with Red Logo)

Brakes

BPV Bracket, 3.5" - Bay Area Metal Fabrication - Part # 19 (Brake Proportioning Valve Bracket, Powdercoated)

Interior

Floor Mats - WeatherTech - Part # 460101 (2003 Toyota Tacoma FloorLiner)

4Runner Locking Glove Box - Toyota - Part # 69056-60080 (Lock Cylinder)

OBD Reader Mount - Paranoid Fabrications - Part # Unknown (1st Gen Tacoma Ashtray ScanGauge II Holder)

Driver's Seat Side Trim Reinforcement - @mechanicjon - Part # N/A (1st Gen Tacoma Seat Trim Side Cover Reinforcement)

Seat Jackers - Desert Does It - Part # N/A (Front Seat Jackers (1995-2004 TACOMA))

Towing

Heavy Duty Fan Clutch, Green - Toyota - Part # 08921-04950 (Fan Clutch)

*REMOVED* Class 3 Trailer Hitch - Curt Manufacturing - Part # 13013 (Class 3 Trailer Hitch with 2" Receiver)

*REMOVED* Wiring Harness for Trailer - Curt Manufacturing - Part # 55379 (T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector)

*REMOVED* Connector Mounting Bracket - Curt Manufacturing - Part # 58301 (Connector Mounting Bracket for 4-Way Flat

*REMOVED* Class 3 Ball Mount - Curt Manufacturing - Part # 45030 (Ball Mount for 2" Hitches - 3/4" Rise, 2" Drop - 7-1/2" Long - 7,500 lbs.)

*REMOVED* Hitch Tube Cover - Curt Manufacturing - Part # 22272 (2" Rubber Hitch Tube Cover)

*REMOVED* 2" Trailer Ball - Unknown Manufacturer - Part # Unknown (Printed On the Ball is BPC 2" K15 5000 LBS.)

Miscellaneous

Hood Struts - Redline Tuning - Part # 21-27009-02 (1995-2004 Toyota Tacoma Hood QuickLIFT Plus)

Spray-On Bedliner - Line-X - Part # N/A (Previous owner had this done)

Fender Liners - Gear Tech Customs - Part # 1GSG (PROTEC 1st Gen Tacoma Splash Guards (95-04))

Bed Hooks - Charvonia Design - Part # N/A (Bed Tie-Down Anchors for Tundra/Tacoma)

 

Reference Guide for Basic Maintenance

I put this spreadsheet together for my own reference, thought this would be a good place to keep it in case anyone else needed it.

 

Maintenance & Installation History

Driver's Side Rear Wheel Bearing - 07.02.2015 - Universal Automotive Services, Inc. (155,900 miles)*
*Howl coming from rear end of truck. Bearing replaced, noise still present. Service technician then suspected rear differential issue and quoted service. Declined.

Oil and Filter Change, Tire Rotation - 11.23.2015 - Hendrick Volkswagen of Concord (156,945 miles)*
*Dealership where truck was purchased, free service as part of maintenance program.

Estimate and Determination of Issue - 11.23.2015 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (156,947 miles)*
*Howl coming from rear end of truck. Dealership determined to be an internal failure of the rear differential assembly. Recommended replacement of rear differential assembly. Declined.

Recall: Spare Tire Carrier Lift Plate - 11.23.2015 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (156,947 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Carrier Kit, Spare (04002-11204 X 1 each) and Bolt, w/ Washer (900890-11180).

Rear Differential Assembly Replacement - 03.01.2016 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (157,023 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Carrier Assembly, Differential (41110-35860) and Gasket, Differential (42181-60050).

Battery Replacement - 03.01.2016 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (157,023 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Toyota True2 24F Battery (00544-24FT2-530).

Oil and Filter Change, Tire Rotation - 05.25.2016 - Hendrick Volkswagen of Concord (158,177 miles)*
*Dealership where truck was purchased, free service as part of maintenance program.

Trailer Hitch, Wiring Harness and Trailer Ball Installed - 06.25.2016 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included Curt Manufacturing Class 3 Trailer Hitch w/ 2" Receiver (13013), T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector (55379), Connector Mounting Bracket for 4-Way Flat Connector (58301), Ball Mount for 2" Hitches, Class 3 (45030), 2" Rubber Hitch Tube Cover (22272) and a 2" Trailer Ball from an unknown manufacturer.

Tire Replacement - 07.29.2016 - Goodyear Auto Service Center (159,405 miles)*
*Parts installed included Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 265/70R16 (150564601 X 4 each). A 3 Year Alignment Program was also purchased (078246).

Complete Fuel System Cleaner - 08.15.2016 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Redline Brand, SI-1 Complete Fuel System Cleaner purchased from O'Reilly Auto Parts. Added with 14.244 gallons of 89 Octane fuel from Circle K/Shell on Highway 49 in Harrisburg, NC.

O2 (Air/Fuel Ratio) Sensor Replacement, Bank 1 - 08.30.2016 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts replaced included Denso O2 Sensor (

$170 234-9003 Air Fuel Ratio Sensor

234-9003) purchased from Auto Anything.

Timing Belt Replacement - 11.30.2016 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (161,048 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Belt Set, Timing (13568-YZZ03).

Water Pump Replacement - 11.30.2016 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (161,048 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Water Pump Assembly (16100-69398), Thermostat (

$24 90916-03075 Thermostat

90916-03075) and Antifreeze (00272-1LLAC).

Valve Cover Gasket Replacement - 11.30.2016 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (161,048 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Plug, Semicircular (11183-62010 X 4 each) and Gasket, Cylinder Head (11213-62020).

Oil and Filter Change, Tire Rotation - 12.21.2016 - Hendrick Volkswagen of Concord (161,270 miles)*
*Dealership where truck was purchased, free service as part of maintenance program.

Wheel Alignment - 02.10.2017 - Goodyear Auto Service Center (161,887 miles)*
*Using 3 Year Alignment Program for Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs.

Hood Struts Installed - 03.25.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included Redline Tuning QuickLIFT Plus Hood Struts w/ Gas Springs (

$100 21-27009-02 Hood QuickLIFT Plus System Compatible with Toyota Tacoma 1995-2004 (All Black Components)

21-27009-02) purchased via Tacoma World Group Buy courtesy of @RedlineTuning.

Heavy Duty Fan Clutch Replacement - 04.21.2017 - Me (162,768 miles)*
*Parts installed included Fan Clutch (08921-04950) purchased from McGeorge Toyota Online Parts.

Console Cup Holder Repair - 05.25.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts replaced included Retainer, Cup Holder (66995-AD021 x 1 each) and Retainer, Cup Holder (66995-AD011 x 4 each) purchased from Camelback Toyota Scion via @gunny1005.

Coin Holder Replacement - 06.01.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts replaced included Console Coin Holder (55450-0C010) purchased from @License2Ill.

4Runner Locking Glove Box Mechanism Installed - 07.07.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts replaced included Lock Cylinder (69056-60080) purchased used from eBay.

ScanGauge II and Paranoid Fabrications Ash Tray Mount Installed - 07.24.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included ScanGauge II (SG2) purchased from Amazon and 1st Gen Tacoma Ashtray ScanGauge II Holder (No Part Number) purchased from @paranoid56 Paranoid Fabrications.

Cold Air Intake Installed - 08.13.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included Volant Cold Air Intake (18634) purchased from @BYJOSHCOOK, AFE Custom Conical Pro Dry S Filter (21-99999) and an Acrylic CAI Cover with TRD Logo (custom part purchased from @Coupe).

Wheel Alignment - 08.16.2017 - Goodyear Auto Service Center (164,000 miles)*
*Using 3 Year Alignment Program for Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs.

Oil and Filter Change, Tire Rotation - 08.16.2017 - Hendrick Volkswagen of Concord (164,005 miles)*
*Dealership where truck was purchased, free service as part of maintenance program.

Driver's Side Seat Trim Reinforcement - 09.13.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included 14ga Driver's Side Seat Trim Reinforcement (custom part purchased from @mechanicjon).

TRD Aluminum Battery Hold Down Installed - 10.28.2017 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts installed included an aluminum Battery Hold Down powder-coated black with TRD Logo (custom part purchased from @Coupe).

Complete Fuel System Cleaner - 01.15.2018 - Me (165,630 miles)*
*Redline Brand, SI-1 Complete Fuel System Cleaner purchased from O'Reilly Auto Parts. Added with 15.585 gallons of 87 Octane fuel from 7-11/Exxon on Highway 29 in Concord, NC.

Wheel Alignment - 02.01.2018 - Goodyear Auto Service Center (165,516 miles)*
*Using 3 Year Alignment Program for Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs.

Radiator and Cap Replacement - 02.18.2018 - Me (165,630 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Denso Radiator (221-3136) purchased from Oscaro, Inc. and Radiator Cap Sub-Assembly (

$25 16401-0C010 Toyota Radiator Cap - 16401-0C010

16401-0C010) purchased from Camelback Toyota Scion via @gunny1005. Antifreeze (00272-1LLAC X 2 each) was purchased from Hendrick Toyota of Concord. 2 gallons of Food Lion brand distilled water were used for the 50/50 mix. A TRD Radiator Cap Sticker was purchased on eBay from User redrokdesigns.

Full Coolant System Hose Replacement - 02.18.2018 - Me (165,630 miles)*
*Parts installed included Continental Elite Blue Hose Kit with Xtreme Heat Technology (5021) purchased from Continental.

Thermostat and Gasket Replacement - 02.18.2018 - Me (165,630 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Engine Coolant Thermostat (90916-03075) and Gasket, Water Inlet Housing (16325-62010) purchased from Hendrick Toyota of Concord.

Oil and Filter Change, Tire Rotation - 04.18.2018 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (166,253 miles)*
*Dealership where truck was purchased, free service as part of maintenance program.

Induction Cleaning Service - 04.18.2018 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (166,253 miles)*
*Service performed was a 3 Part Top Engine / Induction Service (00053-00100).

Wheel Alignment - 04.18.2018 - Goodyear Auto Service Center (166,253 miles)*
*Using 3 Year Alignment Program for Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs.

Front Bumper Powdercoat - 05.18.2018 - New Finish, Inc. (Mileage Unknown)*
*Elite Off-Road bumper taken for powdercoating.

Weld-On Sliders with Kick-Out Installed - 09.29.2018 - SOS Concepts (Mileage Unknown)*
*Sliders were welded on the Tacoma by Eddy Tengan, owner of SOS Concepts.

Icon 2.0 Rear Shocks Installed - 04.14.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included Icon Rear 2.0 Aluminum Series Rear Shocks (56502 X 2 each) purchased from Wheeler's Off-Road, Inc.

All-Pro Standard Leaf Springs Installed - 04.14.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included All-Pro Off-Road Rear Leaf Springs, Standard (4500T-AP-PR) purchased from Trail-Gear, Inc.

Daystar Greasable Bushing Kits Installed - 04.14.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included Daystar Greasable Bushing Kit (DAY-KT02017BK X 2 each) replacing the front leaf spring bushings and rear leaf spring bushings in the stock shackle, purchased from Wheeler's Off-Road Inc.

Axle U-Bolt Replacement - 04.15.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included Wheeler's Off-Road U Bolt Set, 6.75" (WHE-U6754X) purchased from Wheeler's Off-Road, Inc.

BPV Bracket Installed - 04.15.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included Bay Area Metal Fabrication Brake Proportioning Valve Bracket 3.5", Powdercoated (19)

King 2.5 Coilovers Installed - 04.18.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included King Off-Road 2.5 Front Coilover Shocks (25001-151) purchased from Downsouth Motorsports.

UCA Polyurethane Bushings Replacement - 04.18.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Total Chaos Fabrication Polyurethane Bushings (69000) purchased from Total Chaos Fabrication.

Total Chaos Uniball UCA's Installed - 04.18.2019 - Me (170,514 miles)*
*Parts installed included Total Chaos Fabrication Uniball Upper Control Arms (96500) purchased from @boostedka.

Tire Replacement - 05.21.2019 - Firestone Complete Auto Care (170,519 miles)*
*Parts installed included Cooper Discoverer STT Pro 285/70R17 (11467 X 4 each). A Certificate for Replacement/Refund was purchased for each tire as well. Tires and certificates purchased from Discount Tire Direct.

Wheel Replacement - 05.21.2019 - Firestone Complete Auto (170,519 miles)*
*Parts installed included Toyota TRD Graphite Gray 17" Wheel (

$1,180 PTR20-35110-GR (Fits: 4Runner - Tacoma - FJ Cruiser) (4)

PTR20-35110-GR X 4 each). A Lifetime Wheel Alignment was purchased through Firestone as well.

Oil and Filter Change - 07.20.2019 - Me (171,050 miles)*
*Parts replaced included 5.5 quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30 High Mileage Full Synthetic motor oil, 1 each Toyota Oil Filter (

$54 90915-YZZD1 Oil Filter 1 Case (QTY 10)

90915-YZZD1) and 1 each Toyota Drain Plug Gasket (

$9 90430-12031 Genuine Toyota - Oil Drain Plug Gaskets (QTY10)

90430-12031).

PCV Valve, Grommet and Ventilation Hose Replacement - 07.20.2019 - Me (171,050 miles)*
*Parts replaced included 1 each Toyota PCV Valve Sub-Assembly (

$16 12204-62010 PCV Valve Sub-Assembly

12204-62010), 1 each Toyota PCV Valve Grommet (90480-18001) and 1 each Toyota Hose, Ventilation for PCV (12261-62041).

Positive Battery Terminal Replacement - 09.12.2019 - Hendrick Toyota of Concord (171,032 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Terminal Assembly, Battery (

$10 90982-05035 Toyota Battery Terminal - 90982-05035

90982-05035).

Rear Bumper Powdercoat - 12.23.2019 - New Finish, Inc. (Mileage Unknown)*
*Relentless Fabrication bumper taken for powdercoating.

AGM Battery Installed - 12.28.2019 - Me (Mileage Unknown)*
*Parts replaced included NorthStar Pure Lead AGM, 24F 840 CCAs Battery (NSB-AGM24F) purchased via Tacoma World Group Buy.

High Angle Inner CV Boots Installed - 12.30.2019 - Cabarrus Import Service, Inc. (172,061 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Off Road Solutions CV Boot Kit, High Angle, Inner Joint, w/ Clamps and Grease (ORS-HB201 X 2 each) purchased from Off Road Solutions.

Windshield Replacement - 01.20.2020 - Safelite AutoGlass (172,129 miles)*
*Parts replaced included Windshield (FW02011 GGN).

Fender Liners Installed - 04.03.2020 - Me (172,788 miles)*
*Parts installed included PROTEC 1st Gen Tacoma Splash Guards 95-04 (1GSG) purchased from @cnote4l.

Tire Alignment - 05.21.2020 - Firestone Complete Auto Care (173,066 miles)*
*Lifetime Wheel Alignment. Previous alignment done at install on 05.21.2019 or 2,547 miles ago.

Oil and Filter Change - 07.24.2020 - Me (173,260 miles)*
*Parts replaced included 5.5 quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30 High Mileage Full Synthetic motor oil, 1 each Toyota Oil Filter (90915-YZZG2) and 1 each Toyota Drain Plug Gasket (90430-12031).

Driveshaft Lubricated - 07.24.2020 - Me (173,260 miles)*
*The 3 zerks on the front driveshaft were filled with Amsoil Synthetic Polymeric EP Grease, NLGI 1 (GPTR1CR), the 4 universal joint zerks on the rear driveshaft were filled with Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease, NLGI 2 (53201-0) and the slide yoke and double cardon joint zerks were filled with Mobil 1 Mobilegrease NLGI 2 Lithium Base Grease w/ Moly (XHP 462).

Bed Hooks Installed - 12.30.2021 - Me (176,046 miles)*
*Parts replaced included all four factory Toyota bed hooks (66312-35010) with a billet aluminum bed tie-down anchor from Charvonia Designs.

Seat Jackers Installed - 12.30.2021 - Me (176,046 miles)*
*Parts installed included Front Seat Jackers for the driver's seat from Desert Does It.

 

Truck Purchase

Day 1 - June 27, 2015. I had wanted a Toyota pickup truck since I was a kid and saw that awesome 4X4 on Back To The Future.



Well, 30 years +/- later I finally got my truck. A 2003 Toyota Tacoma with 155,522 miles. Here we go.

When I bought the truck I didn't really have any plans for modifying it. The truck was in great shape and I hadn't heard of Tacoma World at that point. Well those plans changed.

 

Chasing a Noise

Day 5 - July 2, 2015. The truck had what I thought was a bad wheel bearing, there was a howl coming from the rear end that increased with acceleration. I took the truck to a recommended mechanic who thought the same. The rear driver's side wheel bearing was replaced but the noise remained. At that point the mechanic decided it was the rear differential and quoted service. Conveniently he claimed the rear wheel bearing had needed to be replaced too.

Confirmation

Day 181 - November 23, 2015. The truck wasn't purchased as a daily driver so I wasn't in a hurry to fork over a lot of money for rear diff work, and I didn't really trust the mechanic who replaced the wrong part on his first attempt. I took the truck to the dealership for it's free oil change and tire rotation on November 23, 2015. I decided to have Toyota perform their own diagnosis. Toyota confirmed that it was indeed an "Interior failure of rear differential assembly."

An Expensive and Regrettable Fix

Day 280 - March 1, 2016. The quoted repair from Toyota was high and meant that I had to wait until I got my tax return to have the rear differential fixed. On February 29, 2016 I dropped it off at Hendrick Toyota of Concord to have it fixed. The next day I had a truck with a new rear end. The regrettable part of this service was at the time I had no idea what mods would happen to this truck, I hadn't gone down that Tacoma World rabbit hole. A couple years later I realized the truck could've been regeared to accommodate the additional weight and larger tires that it currently has for what was spent on factory gears. It is what it is.

In case anyone was curious what a new rear end would cost using OEM parts and a Toyota Technician, well, here you go:

 

First Mods, Never Used. Now Removed

June 25, 2016 - The first modification to the truck was for the boat. I added a Curt Manufacturing brand Class 3 Trailer Hitch with a 2" receiver (Part # 13013), Class 3 Ball Mount (Part # 45030) and a 2" Trailer Ball.

For the trailer lights, I added a Curt Manufacturing brand T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector (Part # 55379), the connector was attached to the hitch using a Mounting Bracket Connector for 4-Way Flat Connections (Part # 58301) and for days when the hitch wasn't being used a 2" Rubber Hitch Tube Cover (Part # 22272) was purchased from Curt Manufacturing.

On December 28, 2019 all of this was removed as it was not compatible with the Relentless Fabrication bumper I added. In the 3 years and 6 months that this was on the truck the boat never left the garage and the towing accessories were never used which made it an easy decision to remove them.

 

First Tire Purchase

July 29, 2016 - Purchased a set of Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires (Part # 150564601) from Goodyear and got the 3 Year Alignment program to keep them wearing right. I stayed pretty close to stock size with 265/70 R16.

On May 29, 2019 these were removed and replaced with a larger tire and wheel. They had 11,114 miles on them and were aligned regularly. As of February 17, 2020 they are still sitting in the garage next to all the Curt towing equipment mentioned in the previous post. I need to sell some stuff.

 

DIY Maintenance and O2 Sensors

August 30, 2016 - Around this time I had begun referencing Tacoma World for all things maintenance and modification related which started to steer the direction of this build. A year before I had no intentions of doing much of anything to the truck but that had changed with all of the great trucks I had seen on Tacoma World.

One of the best things about Tacoma World is the advice you can get when wrenching on the truck, in fact, there is a thread with all these links conveniently compiled for 1st Generation Tacomas:

1st Gen. "DIY" and "How To" Thread: Compiled list of helpful links

My first DIY maintenance for the truck came in response to a P0031 code. I didn't see a "How To" thread for the upstream or bank 1 oxygen sensor so I made one. If by chance you need a guide to replace this part, here you go:

O2 (Air/Fuel Ratio) Sensor Replacement, Bank 1 - 5VZ-FE, w/ Manual Transmission

 

Mods on Deck

February 17, 2017 - If there is one common theme with the modification of this truck and me it's procrastination. I'm good about buying a part then letting it sit for a while before I get around to putting it on. There's no better example of that than the TRD Headers. In February 2017 I was looking around the internet and found a set of TRD Headers for the 3.4L (Part # PTR10-34950-04) for sale at McGeorge Toyota in Richmond, VA. Knowing this part was discontinued years earlier, I called McGeorge Toyota and had the parts desk confirm it was actually in stock. The parts guy said "he didn't show them as discontinued," which was weird but sure enough they were in stock! $523.88 + Shipping and a couple days later they were delivered to the house....where they remain in the box to this day. Ironically it is 3 years to-the-day later.

These headers require a corrected Y Pipe to fit the 2001-2004 Tacoma. This Y Pipe (Part # PTR10-89990-18) is also a discontinued part and is impossible to find so modification to the exhaust will need to be done. This is the main reason I haven't tackled this job.

 

No More Prop Rod

March 25, 2017 - Probably still one of my favorite mods on the truck is the gas springs on the hood. On March 1, 2017 @RedlineTuning opened a Group Buy for their QuickLIFT systems. I signed up and got a pair of the Redline Tuning QuickLIFT Plus Hood Struts w/ Gas Springs (Part #

$100 21-27009-02 Hood QuickLIFT Plus System Compatible with Toyota Tacoma 1995-2004 (All Black Components)

21-27009-02). March 25th they were installed on the truck. Much better than working around the prop rod.

 

Heavy Duty Fan Clutch

April 21, 2017 - What's a Heavy Duty Fan Clutch you ask? From TTORA: "The towing package on '01-'04 consisted of Toyota installing the correct fan clutch. Up to 2000 they installed one fan clutch in all Taco's & 4Runners which was green in color. Starting in '01 you had to pay extra to get the green fan clutch to have your truck rated to tow 5,000lbs. Otherwise, your truck would be equipped with an orange fan clutch and the weight limit was 3,500lbs."

Still intent on using the truck for towing a boat around, I ordered Toyota part # 08921-04950 and replaced the orange fan clutch with the green fan clutch from the towing package.

 

Cup Holders

May 25, 2017 - If you have a 2001-2004 Tacoma your cup holders are probably missing the retainers. You may not even notice, I didn't until I saw it in another truck on here. If you need to replace them order four of Toyota part # 66995-AD011 and one of Toyota part # 66995-AD021. Remove the console, replace from underneath and stop spilling drinks.

 

Coin Holder

June 1, 2017 - I had no idea these trucks had a coin holder, more useful information from Tacoma World. I checked my center console and mine was missing. The coin holder, Toyota part # 55450-0C010, is detachable and was missing when I bought the truck. No worries, someone is usually parting out a truck on Tacoma World. At the time, @License2Ill was parting out a truck that still had the coin holder. Now the spare change has somewhere to go besides the cup holder.

 

The Only Sticker on the Truck

June 9, 2017 - My sticker came in the mail from @tcBob, to this day still the only sticker on the truck. All the other ones go on the beer fridge in the shed.

 

Tacoma Detailed

June 9, 2017 - The last time I detailed the truck. It was washed, clay-barred and waxed. It's been almost three years, I may need to do that again.

 

Locking Glove Box and Interior Color

July 7, 2017 - I decided I wanted a locking glove box like the one 4Runners come with. First I tried to order new parts from Camelback Toyota using Toyota part # 55569-89101-c0 and 55565-89101-c0. Well those were just the plastic covers for the locking mechanism....and they were black. Strike 1.



Couldn't give those damn parts away. Seriously, I tried:

FREE: '96-02 4Runner Glove Box Handle Cover (Handle & Cover Only NO LOCKING MECHANISM OR KEY)

Next I tried to order a used one from eBay. It's hard to judge color in an eBay photograph so I used the color code on my door jamb. Mechanism arrived, it was not even close. Strike 2.



I gave eBay one more shot and tried to eyeball the color from the picture. Well, the third time wasn’t a charm. As you can see, it’s a little closer but not a match to the truck’s interior trim color (original latch is the one on the right w/o a lock). Strike 3.



Well, that was enough time, effort and money for a damn glove box lock so I used the second one from eBay. Good enough.



I sold the tan one to a member here. Didn't match his Tacoma trim color either.

 

Cold Air Intake

August 13, 2017 - I finally installed the cold air intake that I purchased on May 2, 2017 from @BYJOSHCOOK. It was a Volant Cold Air Intake (Part # 18634):



Before I put it in the truck though I wanted to modify it quite a bit. It was enclosed, like the factory air box, however the tube going into the air box didn't seal. I went to Ferguson Plumbing Supply looking for a rubber gasket. I found one that fit perfectly. It was a PROFLO 3" Compression Service Multi-Tite Gasket (Part # PFSVQTGM) and with a bit of alteration I had an air tight seal for the air box:







Next up, I wanted to get rid of that oiled air filter. I've read they screw up your MAF sensor plus I didn't want to hassle with oiling it periodically. I measured the Volant air filter that came with the CAI then went to the AFE Performance website but didn't see an exact match in their dry filters. They did however build custom filters if you gave them parameters. On July 29, 2017 my AFE Custom Conical Pro Dry S Filter (Part # 21-99999) arrived:



The last thing before install was a new top cover to the air box. There is a member on here, @Coupe, that makes custom acrylic covers for 2nd and 3rd Gen Tacoma CAI air boxes. He was nice enough to fabricate one for my 1st Gen Volant airbox, it arrived on June 24, 2017. Still one of my favorite cosmetic modifications to the truck. Here it is being test fitted with the protective backing still in place:



With all modifications done, I installed it on August 13, 2017:

 

Cold Air Intake - More Pictures

 

ScanGauge and Mount

July 24, 2017 - On July 5th a TW member mentioned that the ScanGauge II was on sale on Amazon for $79.00, which was close to half price. A few days later I had a nice new toy for the truck:



I purchased a mount for the ScanGauge from @paranoid56 Paranoid Fabrications to secure it in the ash tray location. This mount is set at an angle for easy viewing from the driver's seat. When it arrived, I plasti-dipped the part:





The ScanGauge II will show four readings on the screen, but there are multiple options for what information you want to display. Mine currently displays Engine Temperature, Voltage, MPG and Intake Air Temperature. Into the truck it went: