If you had 10,000$ to build an "all purpose" Tacoma, how would you do it?

I would REALLY like to see how everyone would build an "All Purpose Tacoma" if given ONLY 10,O0O Clams!

I am currently budgeting to "build" my 02' dbl cab 4x4 v6 with this purpose in mind, so I need some good ideas

The guidelines;
1. You have A 1st gen Tacoma with 150,000 plus miles. Regularly maintained and in good working order.
2. You have a strict $10,000 budget. Maybe it fell off the back of a truck, or maybe the IRS gave it to you as a reward for being honest. Who knows!
3. Ideally this "all purpose Tacoma" will also be able to stand the test of time.


The goal here is to build a daily driver that can comfortably go on long road trips while also being able to haul a moderate load, pull a decent size boat, and Chew up off road trails on command.

IMO the most important goal is dependability. If the truck has 150,000, it should be able to go another 150,000 miles with nothing more than regular maintenance.

What upgrades would you choose to achieve that goal and why?

Lets kick around some cool ideas and see what we come up with!!

 

Sell it and take the 10k and buy a 99-04 lightning

 

Use the 10k as collateral to secure a larger loan ? Dreams cost more than that...

 

Maybe "Dream" is a strong word.

 

I'd scour the earth to find the 95.5 I stupidly sold to some kid about 8 years ago and buy it back. Man I miss that truck

 

Hope it wasn't crushed by Toyota!

 

Doubtful. No real rust out here but I'd say there's a good chance the kid beat the hell out of it and rolled it lol

 

It makes me depressed when I see or hear about my old vehicles, they are always beat.

 

New Tires, small lift, sliders, maybe skids, camper shell or some kind of roof top tent shelter set up thing, fridge, on board air and use the rest to drive to Baja, Alaska or where ever.

That's my plan...I think it'll be around $10K.

 

I think I'd look for a '04 4x4 AC, strip it down and SAS a nice '84 front end complete with brakes. It's a V-6, so super charge it, no find one to buy already super charged so lockers front and rear and 4:88's and 40's. No doors, hit the mud.
Then tow it with my 2nd gen.... Sorry, had to.

 

Solid axle swap
Steel bumper with winch
Supercharger
Half doors
Take the extra $500-$1000 and put it on a gas card!

 

Hope this give you a clue the cleaness sas all around by far.

 

Let's just do my truck: 2001 Dbl Cab, 108,000 with a topper that already has Yakima bars and a basket.
Old Man Emu full suspension kit, ARB bumper and winch, new tires (maybe some new ProComp wheels), KC lights and Defiant light bar, Tepui RTT, supercharger, and a skid plate.

 

For those of you that answered the question, thanks.
For everyone else, ........

 

Truck: 1995-1997 Xtra Cab V6 with 5 speed manual.
5" lift with SAS and 37" tires
Supercharger
Snorkel
ARB bumpers front and rear
Warn Winch
Hella fog lights

Any money leftover would be going towards a trip down to Moab and then to the Rubicon.

 

Su-per-char-ger

 

my "dream" truck is just a "made new again" pavement princess daily driver

im easy, just give me an 04 Tacoma 2wd prerunner automatic then put in a brand new crate motor and full repaint and anything "slightly" worn on interior replaced then all new front end and body mounts all around. and a 2" front and rear lowering kit since I find the step up to get in just a tad too tall so my feet bump the sill plate getting in when im tired.

in short get me as close to a brand new 0 miles 04 Tacoma as possible and im in heaven

I probably don't count as a real post here since im happy with it stock and im assuming this question was with truck mods in mind

 

I feel like SAS would be $10k on its own? How much do those typically run? I know I've seen some kits for 5-7k. But everything always costs more than you budget for.

 

Can you do any of the work yourself? If you can you'll save a bunch of labor costs and your money will go much farther.

If it were me and you wanted a good all-rounder here's the list I would do, and in this order.
*Full OME suspension. 882 coils, Nitrocharger shocks, Dakar rear leafs with D6XL extra leaf.
*UCA's. I like the Light Racing ones for the sealed ball joint = less maintenance.
*Tires. 285's or 33's depending on rim size.
*Sliders. Lots of options but IMO the Trail Gear ones are the best bang for the buck.
*Front bumper. So many options and looks are a personal preference, but get one that is as light as possible but still has good protection and can hold a winch and has good recovery points.
*IFS and Belly Skid plates
*Rear locker if your truck doesn't already have one.
*Rear bumper. Same deal as the front, as light as possible with good protection and good recovery points.
*If you still have money left over, consider getting lower diff gears. I'd recommend 4.88's.

I think you could do all of that for $10K, especially if you can do a lot of the install work. I think it would make for a killer all-rounder. It would have improved suspension that will handle trails, rocks and desert with good performance but not be so crazy that it won't drive nice on the road. Ample protection for all environments and self recovery with a winch. I'd leave the motor and drivetrain alone (with the exception of the gears) to keep it reliable. Messing with the motor etc can affect reliability and just isn't worth it for minimal gains. Don't bother with a supercharger or a SAS. Will impact reliability and can also diminish the "all-around" aspect.