$$$Baller On A Budget$$$ -- under 30k build

Pretty common here, seemingly, pre '21 Tacomas they would write when they went to 265/75r16 speedo was now actually accurate. My '21 is accurate "out of the can". Free speed apps for smartphone is easy way to check.

 

Mod20: 2" Drop Tow Ball / Mount
Purpose: Towing
Cost: $25

This is self explanatory and not very exciting, a Draw Tite 2" ball mount, pin, and ball. Sprayed everything down with Mavcoat as usual.

 

Mod21: Spotter Mirrors
Purpose: Vision / Safety
Cost: $5

This is the very first vehicle I've owned where I couldn't adjust my mirrors to see all my blind spots as well as my rear tires to aide in parallel parking. Obviously seeing traffic in the opposite lanes is more important than seeing your rear tires/side of vehicle, so I basically have been utilizing the backup camera for parking.

I finally had enough and decided that I was going to get these:

But man..... $200 for a couple mirrors when my stock mirrors are perfectly fine seems like a big pill to swallow. Since I'm a baller on a budget I decided to get a couple 2" adjustable glass stick on mirrors.. if they don't work out I can always bite the bullet on the nice looking spotter mirrors some time down the road.

These are going to really help me when parallel parking and backing into spots, especially at night. I can also see the side of my truck.

 

Busted Mirror
Last year I was rear ended.. now this...

Last weekend on vacation I had a place with a pretty narrow garage. I backed in but didn't have enough room on the passenger side to open the door properly. I adjusted my parking position and wound up clipping the outer driver's side view mirror on the garage door keypad... The keypad didn't even break....my mirror didn't flip backwards, but unfortunately I mooshed the main assembly a bit.

Mirror cover in good shape.


Extent of the damage:


More here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...3rd-gen-today.399305/page-13202#post-28960090

And the fix... Still not perfect, but it didn't cost me anything but an hour of my Sunday morning.


Writeup is here if anyone is interested.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...3rd-gen-today.399305/page-13204#post-28961535

 

Mod22: RC Seat Covers (ROUND 2)
Purpose: Upholstery Protection/Comfort
Cost: FREE

This really isn't a new mod since I've had the RC seat covers for a while, but RC seat covers take 2....

My seat cover on the driver's side ripped in the infamous seat bolster area... RC was nice enough to send me a new set FREE OF CHARGE!

Minor modifications were made to keep em in place a little better (after 3+ years and 50k+ miles I realized that the design could be improved). I removed the seats to get everything strapped down nice and tight.

Read about it here if your interested:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...at-covers-review.678922/page-18#post-28969094

 

Mod23: Uni Filter
Purpose: Preventative Maintenance / Future Service
Cost: $20

This is the first modification I have made in the engine bay. I'm not a believer in trying to re-engineer what Toyota spent nearly the past 20 years perfecting (the 2.7L 2TR-FE I4 engine), but much like the AC Drain mod, this one seemed like it was more of a preventative measure rather than a mod that is done for performance gains/functionality/convenience/aesthetics... All they had to do was offer a replacement foam filter and schedule for the SAIS filter replacement in the owners manual/maintenance log.

Since they don't and the stock filter has been documented to sometimes damage the SAIS costing some I4 owners big bucks to repair I decided to change the stock configuration and service my filter yearly:



If you're a 4cyl owner and are interested read more about it here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-sr-thread-lets-see-them.411453/page-391#post-29177535

 

5+ years of ownership.
I have exceeded my 30k budget, but not by much
Truck price:(includes tax/tags/title/registration/out the door and on the road)
$27,595

Modification cost:
Seat jackers $15
Grille $45
AC drain $15
Wheels/Tires/ET lugs $1455
Lighting $400
BHLM $370
Exhaust paint $10
Tint $75
Mud Flaps $60
Mavcoat $60
Interior $200
Bed accessories $280
Towing $65
Spotter Mirrors $5
Uni Filter $20
Total: $3075

Grand Total: as of 9/29/2023
$27595+$3075 = $30670

Minus the OEM items I sold for $450: $30,220

I'm looking at adding some 1320 bed stiffeners for more tie down points sometime soon.

The SR is the perfect canvas. Reliable and affordable.

 

Love it!

 

Waiting for a new suspension. It's worth it to replace the Hitachi struts (I didn't care for those)

 

I so agree with this. Mine is an SR5 but same principle. Bought it for cheaper than an OR, modified it and I’ve driven it all over North America.

I absolutely love the simplicity of these base SR models.

 

I've had an SR for a looooong time... my first gen was an SR and I replaced the suspension with the Bilstein 4600 rears and Bilstein 5100 adjustable fronts.
I decided when I got this truck that I wasn't touching any suspension components. I enjoy the Hitachi ride, however when I am taking trails and off pavement hauling my kayaks I can see how a stiffer setup would be beneficial.
95% of my daily driving is paved and the Stock suspension is much like driving a large sedan and not at all like driving a small truck.
I guess it all depends on how you use your rig.. I'm getting up there in age too, I'm sure that plays a factor. 10 years ago I would have ripped this truck apart the week after I bought it and started changing everything.

 

I put regular 5100’s in the rear only, couldn’t pass on $74 each. It helps when I have the bed loaded which is the reason I own the truck, to do truck stuff. I agree though, the hitachis ride nice. Hitachi merged with tokico awhile back so I don’t doubt the quality.

 

I can only guess that the Hitachi's perform better with the lighter weight 4 cylinder vs the 6 that i have. After a 3-4 hour road trip they lost alot of damping ability.

 

This could very well be the case.. my V6 first gen SR with stock suspension was pretty squishy and bouncy .. I remember feeling like it was a safety issue at times. That's why I wound up getting something stiffer pretty quick.

 

This isn't technically a mod since I sized up my tires when my truck was basically new and I included that purchase price in my build. My first set of 265/75/16 116T Wildpeaks were just about done after 55k trouble free miles, so technically this is a maintenance item and not a mod..... If I decided to size up to 285s then that would be a mod that would probably require additional modifications in order to get them to fit without rubbing.

Anyhow... I paid a little under $500 for these tires. I went with a set of GT Radial Adventuro ATX P265/75R16 114T.

I'll be posting review updates throughout the life of them .. I'm not expecting anything outstanding out of these... hopefully they hold up well and hold the road. If you want to read about these tires go here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/posts/29247612

 

You'll be fine. My son has a stock SR with -12mm offset 265/75/16 no rubbing

I'm currently running a less aggressive 265/75/16 tire and have no rubbing either.

 

This thread and your build are awesome! Super helpful and very well documented. I have the same truck only in MGM (and I didn’t get quite the deal that you got). I was thinking about doing 75% of these mods and now I feel way better about doing them. Only thing I’m still worried about is the wheels. I’m either going to go SCS F5 or FN Wheels Fivestars in 16x8 0 offset. I’m just worried about weight and larger 265/75/16 tires and trying to get up the mountain highways in AZ

 

Tag for reference.
great basic ground zero thread.

 

I bought my truck right at the beginning of the pandemic... Stuff in Philly was shutting down and nobody was sure what was happening... I wound up getting a good deal on a truck I really didn't want because I didn't want a black truck. 5 years later I'm happy I got black. Funny how that worked out.

I'm glad it's helpful for folks just looking to go the OEM+ route. I wanted to stay mainly stock on most things. I really haven't done any modifications or "upgrades" for a while now. I have been itching to add bed stiffeners, DS18 speakers, and Meso puddle pods/switch, but haven't. I'm at 80k miles and any money I've spent lately has been on upkeep and maintenance. Fluids, filters, and general replacement items aren't cheap.

I too was concerned about the weight of wheels and tires mainly to try and keep my 24mpg... This 4 cyl was a real dog compared to my gen 1 v6.... slow and sluggish. If your in a 4cyl on mountain terrain my condolences... it's certainly a turd and the only saving grace is ECT PWR. I've had my truck on mountain highway and roads... going uphill can be annoying at highway speed in the 4cyl. I live in NJ near Philadelphia and it's mainly flat around here. My main objective when purchasing the F5 wheels(I too looked as the FN 5 star as they are very similar) was weight. Those 2 wheels in particular are like 18.3 lbs each so they are super light especially for the money. You won't find a lighter rim for that price anywhere. If your not doing gnarly off-road or not towing you really don't need e load tires. For instance of you get a set of Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires in E load they will weigh in at 54 lbs each ... Get the Same exact tire in SL and they are 43 lbs each. So do your homework when sizing up. 5 lbs of rotational weight per corner adds up.

I spent a lot of time figuring out what tires to get based on my needs and since my truck is a daily driver that sees light off road use (mainly on beaches) I decided to get the lighter SL tires... They have much better highway mannerisms, save a little gas, and aren't quite as harsh/loud. I don't tow regularly and I don't need 10 ply sidewalls... Save weight and save money.

Have fun with your truck. This forum is a very good resource for owner and enthusiasts alike.