Alabama Cam's 98 Tacoma

What's up everybody! Ive been lurking the Forums for what feels like my whole life, but I guess after owning this truck for about 18 years its time for me to start documenting the "build".

lets get the basics out of the way first.

specs: as of 3/6/25
1998 Tacoma
Engine:
2.7L 3RZ-FE
K&N intake
EGR delete

Drivetrain:
5 speed manual
4.88 Yukon gears
Detroit truetrac ( works… sometimes)

suspension :
Bilstein 5100’s front & rear
OME coils
AAL
homemade rear shackles

Steering:
333 fab billet rack clamp
Energy suspension poly rack bushings

electrical:
full LED light swap inside and out ( minus headlights)
Auxbeam 8 gang switch panel
Scan gauge II
Roadshock side shooter pods ( ditch lights)
acme projectors in clear headlight housings
morimoto HID's 4000k

trail gear front and rear bumpers
Method 703’s in gloss titanium 17x8.5 0 offset
255/80/17 Toyo R/T trail

goals for this truck:

Im Just looking to build a fun, go wherever , do whatever truck. Run to the grocery store, run across the mountains , blast through the desert ( thats 2000 miles away from me ). No super strict direction, just a truck me and my family can enjoy.

To do list :

• retrofit source head lights [done]
• new steering rack with 333 clamp and new bushings [done]
• new off road lights all around.
• Method 305 NV in bronze [method 703's ordered [done]
• new 33x10.5's ended up going with 255/80/17's [done]
• LT front end
• LT rear with Tundra axle.
• kings all around

^^ this list will get added to / taken away / changed up im sure.


I was fortunate enough for my parents to purchase me this truck about a month before I turned 16. We brought it home on May 11th 2006, and I was STOKED! They purchased it from a local toyota master tech who special ordered it from the dealership he worked at ( I think it was Hoover Toyota in Alabama)
The day I got her home, Man... what a clean truck :

I drove it for a year or so pretty much exactly how it was. Worked my ass of at motorcycle shop to buy a set of 33x12.5 Mud Dawg's and the dopest wheels at the time... the Dick Cepek DC-1's. added the cheapest 3 inch lift I could get my hands on and BAM! couldnt nobody tell me nothin!

I bought another car and then a Tundra in the years following. It turned into a hunting / work truck for the longest time.

then I got board and built a turbo kit for it



That was rad... until it wasnt.



FYI 18psi is too much... held 16lbs fine for 7-8k miles.

bought a low milage 3RZ and its been rocking on ever since.


the truck has sat for a couple years, but im back on the Tacoma bandwagon!!

Ill be posting pics / updates as I go. There are some basic maintance things i need to take care of then we will jump into the fun stuff!

current pic.

 

Got one of the maintenance items checked off the list. I can’t tell you the last time this truck had working windshield washers . I removed the factory tank when I installed the trail gear front bumper.

 

A little updating.

 

Welcome.
That’s a nice and clean looking truck.

 

It’s not bad, definitely hoping to spruce it up a little in the coming months.

 

Like the truck dude, nice and clean... Just curious, when you had the turbo kit on the 3RZ cranked to 18psi what were you using for fueling, stock computer?

 

I was using the UDR MAF / Timing Calibrator and much larger injectors ( I wish I could remember what cc they were), I was Tuning with the UDR software. It made really good power out with that set up. It was a learning curve thats for sure.

 

had to go back to 2014 to find this picture .

 

I've never liked that split second controller software. I was just curious because 18psi even with an ideal tune is pushing it on a 3RZ that hasn't had a bit of bottom end work. Kinda looks like yours gave up at the rod bolts. Just finishing a 2RZ build right now for my buddy's truck that I just finished wiring up for a full standalone Haltech Elite 750 last night, think we are calling it maxxed at 15psi though until it gets forged rods at least, we did the head work, MLS gasket, and ARP head studs though while it was out for a refresh.

 

NICE!!! It was far from ideal... I was 23-24 and just wanted to go fast .

I did rebuild that engine as I was putting the turbo stuff together. It had all ARP bolts but stock crank / rods. I would absolutely do it different 10 years later.

 

Removed the factory drop in bed liner as well as my junked out toolbox, coated the bed rails with harbor freight bed liner, iron armor, that’s probably the best rattlecan bed liner I’ve ever used. 5 dollars a can, you can’t beat it.

installed the 8 switch auxbeam switch panel and wired in some road shock rock lights in the bed. Super stoked how it’s going.

 

.

 

I am planning on building some better brackets for the aux beam box, I feel like this thing will get rattled to death with it mounted like this.

 

Really wish I would had taken some more before pictures… but I didn’t. This fender flare has been broken for 4-5 years thanks to a truck tire laying on I20. It’s been laying in my shop since then. Decided to make an attempt at fixing it. It was in 3 pieces when I started and it’s going pretty good!!

I had to get creative and sacrifice the factory front mud flaps for the missing pieces

also, the little metal pieces I embedded in the plastic were RC body clips.

 

Paint is drying now, I’ll post some finished pictures when I get it installed.

 

It turned out pretty good! The humidity kinda screwed up my paint yesterday. I knew better than to spray it when I did.

I need to find the rubber trim that going in between the bed and the flare. When I pull it off to install the trim I’ll give it a scuff and re spray.

Overall I’m happy with it.

 

Boredom got the best of me today.

I’ve had these ditch light brackets for awhile so I decided to throw them on. Ran to Harbor Freight and picked up their 3 in side shooter pods . I’ve been watching a ton of reviews and everyone seems to really like the road shock lights.

built a simple little harness to keep the install clean ( all soldered, no butt connectors here )

We will see how bright they are when it gets dark.

 

Pretty solid for 86 bucks. Let’s see how long they last.

 

Good deal on the lights. I did the aux beam lights a couple years ago on my ‘08. The are great out in the middle of nowhere at night.

 

I have some auxbeam cubes on the front bumper and as reverse lights. They are pretty good for the price. The 2 on front are starting to get some condensation in them. As much as I would love to drop 2 house payments on Baja designs LP7’s… that’s just not in the cards. I’m really considering buying 4 of the 6 inch road shocks for the front. Tons of positive reviews on them.