El Cucuy - The Budget Build

Nice to finally be able to join you fine folks at Tacoma World, been lurking here for some time now. So, just recently bought an '05 double cab 4.0 PreRunner on the cheap. And when I say cheap I mean for $2,500. Yes, that was the price, so it allowed me to put some money into it. So, my good friend has been eyeing a new Tacoma and finally decided to sell me his old truck. Just prior to getting it, his daughter rear ended a truck but it barley left an impression in the lower painted bumper of a partial receiver, no big deal. Then his son backed into a pole causing the driver's side bumper to get bent and when you would put the tail gate down it would catch the bed liner and make a loud bang, like someone just fired off a round. A body shop quoted him almost $5k to repair and replace those parts, to include pulling a crease that was caused when he backed into a pole (sent that energy by the fuel door). If you look for it in the pics you may just see it. So, either buy it from him for $7k ish after it is repaired or $2,500 cash as is. Sold, take my money! That day I began ordering all sorts of goodies, about 95% from Amazon (hence the term budget build). Bought a come-along at Harbor Freight for $35, wrapped it around a big oak tree and to the bent bumper support and went to town on it. No more popping noise and nice and smooth operation. So, here is the current upgrade list:

headlight housings - Amazon
fog light housings - Amazon
32" Auxbeam light bar - Amazon
brackets and harness - Amazon
yellow fog light covers - Amazon
LED headlight and fog light bulbs - Amazon
load resistors - Amazon
LED turn signals - Amazon
LED reverse light bulbs - Amazon
tail light housing - Ebay
Bilstein 5100 fronts - Amazon
2" blocks - Amazon
LED 3rd brake light - Amazon
new nerf bars - Ebay
AVS rain guards - Amazon
cargo bungee net - free
Tacticool car seat back organizers - Amazon
additional molle packs - Amazon
LED license plate lights - Amazon
replacement side mirrors - Amazon
shorty antennae - you guessed it, Amazon
Firestone helper bags - Kustom Touch and Wheels (Gulf Breeze, FL)
bags installed at Kustom Touch - ask for Jeremy
windows tinted to include whole front windshield at 50% - Kustom Touch
285/55/20 Fuel Gripper AT - from a distributor friend (at cost)
20X9 Helo wheels 0 offset - from a distributor friend (at cost)
spike lugs - from a distributor friend (at cost)
back up camera - Amazon
Kenwood DMX4707S Digital Multimedia Receiver - All Wired for Sound (Pace, Fl)
Memphis Audio components front and coaxial rear - All Wired for Sound
Kicker 10" subs - All Wired for Sound
Rockford sub amp - All Wired for Sound
Rockford mids and highs amp - All Wired for Sound
Professionally installed at All Wired for Sound, ask for Robby
EL CUCUY custom license plate - FL DMV - lol

So, I am fairly sure I left a few things out but you get the idea. I know I have about 2X the amount into it vs the price I paid for it, so I think it is still a deal considering the majority of the items were installed with a friend in his garage.

I pick up the truck tomorrow from having all the audio installed, so will post pics and a review of the sound quality too. Having trouble uploading pics from this PC so i will post them from my phone here in a few minutes.

So far I have only made 1 decent trip and that was recently to Steinhatchee, FL to do some scalloping. Towed a 20' 3,300 lbs (dry) camper for about 5 hours each way and it was perfect, except for the ludicrous MPG. Inflated the bags to about 25 psi and she sat nice and level. Now it is time to replace the rear shocks with some Bilsteins as well.

The El Cucuy budget build has been really fun, now it is time to fully enjoy it. In case there are some that dont know what El Cucuy means, it is Spanish for the Boogie Man. I had that plate on my old 87 Mazda B2000 and sold the truck 2 years ago. Plate became available again so I had to have it, again. The legend of El Cucuy lives again

 

Pictures?