99 Mystic 3RZ and Adventures Build

So, it begins! This truck has been in some part of the family for a very long time. Fell into my hands a few years back and it's been a great grocery getter. Plans are to make it a BETTER grocery getter!... over rougher terrain!

1999 4x4, 5-speed, 2.7L 4-cyl SR5 Extra cab in "Mystic Purple".

Manual hubs manual transmission, manual windows, manual locks, no ABS. I love the simplicity of this truck.

Door card shows B02A, which, thanks to the excellent link here on TW (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/oem-gear-ratio-chart.365138/) *should* mean the following:

B = 8" ring gear
02 = 3.58 ratio, wow that's high..... err low, err you know what I mean.
A = 2 pinion, open.​

The Mystic has the W59 trans, which I quite like. Ratios per the Wikipedia W59 link (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_W_transmission#W59) show the following ratios by gear:

First Gear: 3.954:1
Second Gear: 2.141:1
Third Gear: 1.384:1
Fourth Gear: 1.00:1
Fifth Gear: 0.81:1​

This truck has always driven like it's just geared SO high, which makes sense given the final 3.58:1 ratio. I am thinking 33"s and probably a 4.88 gear change in the future.

Here's the a year ago more or less like it was for like 18 years:



Plans - sort of firm on the first phase, we will see where we go in the future!
Phase I:

• UCA of some flavor
• Coilovers - (Bilstein 6112 - I like these and have experience with these - shooting for ~2.5" lift)
• Rear shocks - (Bilstein 5165 series - again, reasonably priced and I have experience with them and like them)
• Leafs - (Standard issue OME Dakar leaf pack - hoping for ~2.5" lift)
• BPV relocate, longer brake lines, supporting mods like that
• U bolt flip, with relocated shock mounts on axle tube
• Sliders (hoping to find someone local)
• Front bumper (Trail Gear - found a local one for a steal)
• Rear bumper (Trail Gear rear)
• Replacement skid (22rethan here on TW (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-1st-gen-stainless-steel-skid-plates-nepa.369111/))
• May need to chop end of exhaust, potentially relocate?
• Tires: undecided; leaning towards 33"ish KM2
• Don't know if I need to chop much to fit 33"s after lifting 2.5"ish, but prepared as needed.

Phase II:

• Winch (undecided on details)
• Gears? (4.88?)
• Dual cases?
• Mid-ship skid that acts as a cross member support for second transfer case?

Phase way-in-the-future:

• Long travel??? Win lottery first?

 

Getting ahead of myself I started tearing down the front bumper planning for an ARB bumper. My plans would change on that....

Couple of shots showing teardown. The front wasn't too bad. Relatively clean and happily this is a Colorado
truck, so very little in the way of rust:

 

Scored a TrailGear bumper from CL for cheap. Stoked on that!


The bumper was never used and the truck it was intended for was sold,
so the price was great! I've always liked the tube bumper style for the
first gen trucks, so off we go!

 

A little trimming and grinding, and she fits!



I like the fitment of this bumper. Some funky info out there on how it mounts, but apparently it depends
on the split years within the first gen. Some years have a cross member to remove, some it is bolt-off.

This is a 1999 so it required cutting off the little cross member to which the stock skid mounts. The
TG bumper has an option for fitting stock skid (at stock skid mounting location).

 

Then it snowed. CO weather at its finest. It'll melt in no time and I'll be back at it:

 

Tearing down the rear bumper and checking all things back there:


Pulled the bumper, hitch, and gnarly old flat four connector wiring. Interesting that
the hitch is like half the age of the truck and the paint took a beating:

 

Checking frame and body for rust.

Body not bad, fasteners look much worse than they are:


Exhaust hangers, as usual, have turned to crap:

 

Finalizing fitment for the front bumper.

Overall:


Hardware included with the TG bumper looks good.


OE hardware that was mounting bumper and tow hook getting an upgrade. Mid way through:

 

Picked up a skid from TW's own 22REthan (LINK HERE). Really impressed with the skid. Mounts very well with
the TG bumper, as it should because they both utilize stock mounting positions:


I will likely PC the bumper, but of course the stainless skid will stay as is.

 

Interior needs some delousing, but aside from dog hair and some stains that
predate me, really not too bad.

Is this weatherstripping OE? Or is this something else?

 

That's stock, nice truck BTW. Love the mystic purple

 

I wasn't sure that the 3.58 gears were really accurate because that's just a crazy low ratio.... So I jacked it up:


Marked the flange off the driveshaft:


Marked the tire:


I spun the shaft and counted revolutions.... took me a minute to realize I needed to spin the tire 2x
to check because it's an open diff. After I sorted that out, I counted just over three and a half
rotations on the driveshaft to turn the tire twice.... so bang on the 3.58:1 ratio.

No wonder this thing isn't a rocket! Well... that and the 3RZ

 

Perfect, thanks! One of those colors that grows on you!

 

Looks nice, the purple is interesting, I’m just gonna say it now so you know, you can’t use mid travel TC UCA’s with the TC LT kit.

I really liked my TG front bumper when I had it.

 

That is excellent info on the TC UCA! Literally just about to order UCAs. Might be doing SPC based on that.

 

SPC really are the best bang for the buck for MT

 

JBA’s are also another to look at.

 

Rad, some good options, thanks.

 

Waiting on UPS to deliver a ton of parts. Going to get real!

 

Had UPS deliver some goodies!