allenfab's 95 Tacoma build

Nice overland boxes! You converting?

 

Damn, I dig those battery terminals. You got a link?

 

I am! I can fit like 4 skottles in each one! You should look into getting a box or two as well!

GP SAE 6 SPOT BATTERY TERMINALS HEAVY DUTY

$68 GP SAE 6 SPOT BATTERY TERMINALS HEAVY DUTY

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076C46DP1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_leXAFb20M5QEE

 

Thank you, sir.

Let me tempt you...

https://bustedknuckleoffroad.com/products/ride-riot-chassis?_pos=1&_sid=b09848986&_ss=r

My only problem would be how to get an air conditioner to work in a tube chassis. That and the radiator sits right behind your right shoulder.

 

why cut length off of back? is that for departure angle increase?

 

At that price, I’d just buy the tube dies and build it myself haha. While I appreciate the work that goes into a chassis like that, I think I’d rather have an ultra-4 style buggy. Much more practical and a lot fewer blind spots. But yea, I’ll never be able to give up an air conditioned wheeler for something like a buggy

 

Exactly

 

nice build, I have it in my head to sas and 4link front and rear on my Gen 3, and it would also be 4wd conversion. lol.

 

I was thinking slap a jeep front window on it and an insulated bulkhead behind the seats. My uncle says there's an upholstery/awning shop in Lakaland that would probably make a canvas top for it with zip up side windows like an old skool jeep. From what I've seen of a build they did using that chassis, there's plenty of room in the passenger dash area for an evaporator and blower...

Anyway, for the work involved, I was thinking it was actually a pretty reasonable price for that chassis. Even if I was a fabricator of your caliber, it'd be worth it to me in sweat saved.

 

Be ready to spend some money is all I have to say haha

At that point though, why not just build a tube frame, slap an entire Jeep tub on it with all its factory amenities, and then cage it for probably a similar cost. But then again, I may or may not enjoy the actual build aspect of a project more than actually using the project once done.

I am all for nice, blinged out buggies, but the form vs. function thing would never work for me. I wouldn't be able to hop in my rock buggy and drive through the Wendy's drive-thru Sunday morning to get my breakfast baconator

 

I KNOW! just thoughts in my head right now. what else would i spend it on though? lol

 

Why not? If sand rails are street legal then I doubt we'd have much trouble making a rock buggy street legal. That would be the only way I'd have one, even if it did have A/C. As for the jeep tub...that buggy looks way cooler than a jeep tub ever would. The Jeep windshield would just be convenient because it's flat and already has mounting points and a way to attach a soft top to it. At least the YJ & TJs do (I don't think the CJs ever had the roll bar extensions that bolted to the top corners of the window frame. I do know for a price they are willing to modify the chassis cosmetically, say like adding a sheet metal roof that tied into the Jeep from window and then all you'd need would be the canvas/clear plastic zip up windows.

That said...there was always this regret I had about getting rid of my Civic. I think a lot about how cutting the front clip off, and building a tube frame around the rest of the body (and inside connected with bulkhead joints), opening up the rear wheel wells, removing the trunk and the rear seat to firewall that area off, then putting some sort of V6 in it with a Toyota drive train with FW 60s on 38s would make a comfortable little unique trail rig. Probably plenty of wrecked ricer bodies in the salvage yard. Hell, that's probably where mine is now.

 

I was looking into the street legal aspect of a rock buggy. It seems pretty darn simple. Just have to have a windshield with working wipers, head lights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, mirrors, seat belts for each occupant, and an exhaust system with a muffler and a tail pipe that doesn't exceed noise ordinances. Seems like they don't even want to inspect it. You just sign an affidavit that all that stuff present and accounted for and file for a custom vehicle registration, pay the normal registration fee based on weight, and Bob's your uncle. And lets face it, pulling up to Wendy's for a Baconator in a rock buggy would be much cooler than pulling up in the Q-tip.

Of course, I'd want something much tamer an engine than a rock bouncer has. I was thinking a 5.0L Coyote F150 engine (about 300hp & ~330ft/lbs of torque) able to run on 87 octane with a 6R80 4WD transmission which is supposed to handle 500 some-odd ft-lbs of torque hooked to an Atlast 4-sp. Set it up on 38s or 40s with a basic set of 60s with chromo axles, rear discs, and detroits and try to pick a diff ratio that will put me at about 2500-2700 rpms at 70 mph. I figure all said and done, worst case I'd have $70k tied up in it--probably less. Can't imagine what a full on Rock Bouncer with Dana 80/14 bolt Corporate built up axles would cost, much less the 1500hp engines and all. Still, I'd have the baddest ride in line for a baconator and I could finally probably fart in Hardrock's general direction for a change.

 

Yea, I'll just keep what I have haha. Besides, I have been kind of "de-tuning" my tacoma to an extent to make it more every-day friendly and streetable. I know, build a dedicated trail rig only to slowly make it more streetable but hey, it turns out that's what I really needed all along

 

Different strokes and all. I feel ya though...albeit, I suspect our tolerances of streetable very significantly, lol. That's why I'd make any buggy I had street legal. I don't want something that's just going to sit on a trailer under a tarp until I'm ready to tow it off to the woods somewhere. I had an ATV and while it was fun to ride, it wasn't that useful. A non-street legal buggy would be the same thing pretty much.

 

I agree. I can’t begin to tell you how many of my buddy’s try to get me to buy a sxs, but yet theirs only get brought out maybe 4 times a year. My old grizzly 700 did the same thing. My truck and a decent sxs cost similar, but they can’t drive it to work and I can.

I can guarantee that my street legal buggy would still have radials on it though

 

You can guess what mine would have. Hint: it starts with TSL and ends with SX.

 

This is why I dont have a tow rig and trailer. Besides the cost factor, I really like driving my Tacoma on the street. I DD a 2003 avalon and a 2015 Camry, it's nice to jump into the Tacoma, row some gears and drive something that is actively trying to kill me at all times!! If I had a trailer I would roll my truck or build it way to crazy and get bored with it. I had a jeep yj and a tow rig in college and the first run out I rolled the jeep, broke it really bad, brought it home to do a 1ton swap and ended up selling the project, trailer and tow rig to buy the tacoma all within 2yrs. So I hear ya on the detuneing!! Additionally I am now a pussy who requires AC in my trail rigs.

It will be interesting to see if this mentality changes now being fairly close to good wheeling now.

 

Seems to be a common sentiment with the A/C. I'm still of the opinion you can have it all with a street legal rock buggy though, lol. I guess it would depend on the state as to how easy it would be, but Florida would be a snap. Cali, would probably be damn near impossible emissions-wise. A set of removable mud flaps would take care of the tire issues.

 

It won’t. At least it wouldn’t for me. Now I personally would never rid myself of a tow rig and trailer, I use them both too much for things other than wheeling anyway. But towing the Tacoma somewhere out of state but then being able to hop in the Tacoma to run into town for food or supplies without having to unhook the trailer from the tow rig or anything is super convenient.