SEAMONSTER's build

Currently in college at UNC Charlotte, North Carolina. Got her at Christmas of my sophomore year of high school after months of searching for a Tacoma that wasn't worn out for a reasonable price. Found her in a food lion parking lot with a for sale sign. Happened to be an old guy that worked there. Called him up and looked and gave him an offer and here we are. Gave $11,500 for her. Then she had about 89,000 miles. Only put about 10 grand on her in a year and a half.
I had a couple stock pics but they were on my old phone and got deleted. Here is what she looked like though.



And here she is with my old wheel setup and 2" lift. (Mickey Thompson Classics)



Second Setup



Current setup after the accident


Truck Specs:

• 2004 Tacoma base 4x4 non TRD
• 2.7L 4 cyl auto
• Grey interior
• 4.56 Gears
• Lunar mist
• Current mileage - 145,000

Exterior

• Tailgate badges deleted
• Blacked out grill, emblems, rear bumper
• Bedliner fender flares
• Front mud flap delete
• Pinch weld mod
• K-Liner high pressure spray in bedliner
• Color match diff cover
• Curt custom class III hitch receiver
• Color matched Leonard shell
• Thule crossbars

Interior

• Black anodized Hurst shifter
• Custom black 4wd shifter from core-shifters.com
• Weather-Tech floor liners
• Window tint

Suspension

• Toytec/Eibach springs
• Bilstien 5100s
• Diff drop
• BPV relocater

Armor

• ARB front bumper

Wheels and Tires

• First - Mickey Thompson Classic III 16x8s with 265/75 nitto terra grapplers
• Second - Pro Comp series 52 16x10s with 285/70 nitto trail grapplers
• Current - Pro Comp 16x10 with 305/70 BFG all terrain

Lighting

• Stock headlights with Auxbeam LED bulbs
• LED fog lights in ARB bumper light cutouts
• 20” LED bar
• Turn signal relocate mod
• Used an oem Toyota fog lamp switch for fog lights

Communications

• Uniden Pro 505xl Cb mounted where the ashtray was
• Browning 48” whip antenna mounted on drivers side of the hood

Future mods

• Bigger lift/tires?
• More hp?
• Re-paint?

 

Looks good buddy

 

Thanks man.

 

Still in high school and ragged out?

 

Sweet truck! ​

 

Sweet truck. Since you seem like a smart young man with a plan, let me offer a little advice that I wish someone had told me when I was 18 or so:

Keep your cars/trucks for a long time. Buy what you want and don't buy/sell every 2 years.
Having a nice house is far more rewarding than having a nice vehicle. Buy the most house you can afford as young as you can, and make sure it's a house you'll grow into. Play your cards right and you'll be mortgage free at about 45. That's the best freedom you could dream of.
Marry once. Divorces set you back like nobody's business.

Enjoy the truck!

 

I think it's a really nice truck too. I didn't word it well and I wondered if the original was real. Pardon me for that. My suggestion is to begin now to avoid use of phrases you hear such as "ragged out." Look it up and source it, and then if that's what you meant, continue to use it. I hope you drop it.

 

Just used that for lack of better term when I was creating my page. I guess something along the lines of worn out instead.

 

And the first picture of a stock truck like mine is not my actual truck, just one off the internet because I don't have any stock ones of mine.

 

Thanks man I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with myself after high school. Sometimes I get to thinking too much and I have to take a step back and look at the big picture and where I want to be.

 

College isn't for everyone. Either right out of HS or maybe ever.

But if you aren't enthused about college for a career goal, save your money and go to work. Learn a trade or two. Find one you really enjoy and master it. It could be a trade school is part of that cycle.

Make money, spend less than you earn, avoid debt like herpes.

If you realize later on that more formal education would benefit you, do it. Even if it's just courses at a junior college that support your advancement in your trade of choice. Like business courses that prep you to be the foreman, or even to own your own business. A little formal education focused on the right area can make a business venture much more successful than learning on the fly.

Good luck!

 

Thanks man. I definitely want to go to go on to college and I want to go for a bachelors but my biggest hurdle is how I'm going to or how my parents are going to help pay for it. All of my teachers and advisors tell me I can go pretty much anywhere with my grades and test scores but I know it won't be cheap.

 

You can work and pay as you go. If your folks can help, fine. If not, suck it up and do it on your own, just don't bury yourself in student loans.

The first two years are foundational work. Pick the right classes that will transfer to the 4 year school of choice with you as a Jr and you'll save a ton of $. Even more if you can do it living at home.

A friend of my sons was in a tight family $ situation, but got accepted to Kettering University (formerly GM). They set up a work a semester/study a semester deal, farming him out to automotive facilities around the country to work. He was recruited out of school for Roush Racings engineering team, doing reverse engineering. Was recruited by Ford a few years later. Became part of the SVO team that developed the new Mustang GT. Just got back from a 6 month stint in China (with Ford) after being awarded engineer of the year in 2013.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-carney-08788728

Not everyone can do that. And that's ok. But everyone who wants a degree can do it on their own w/o taking on a lifetime of debt.

 

Yea my brother transferred after 2 years of community college that was not very expensive and he just started as a junior at UNC charlotte. I've been looking at that route too, but I still want to go straight into a 4 year university if I can

 

On another note. Just ordered a stainless exhaust tip from Summit racing. Gibson exhaust 3" chamfered. Debating on whether I want to axle dump it or not though. I do want to get rid of the factory hanger and stuff after it curves out. What do you guys think?

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/gib-500370

 

Also ordered another wiring harness and oem Toyota switch so I can wire my fog light pods separately from my lightbar, they're both on the same switch right now because my pods didn't come with any wiring and I had to splice into the other one until I got some more wiring and another switch

 

I also bought a paranoid fab switch panel a while back with plans for more lights but I think I'm going a different route. If anyone's interested I'd sell the bracket and 4 waterproof orange led carling switches for $20$ plus shipping. Here's a pic of it. Goes where the ashtray is.

 

Got my exhaust tip and new wiring harness today but Summit sent me the wrong inlet size tip and they're sending me a new one in a couple days. I plan on working on the wiring for my lights tomorrow. Also had to run and get a new battery. Old one was over 7 years old and it gave out on me today.

 

Hadn't been able to post the last couple days but I got my lights wired. Also got my tip on after Summit sent me the right size. Went with an axle dump, looks pretty good I think I'll post a few pics tomorrow. Next thing on the list I think is going to be another light bar, 42" over the windshield. Can't ever have to much light.

 

Here's a pic of my exhaust. Might get some output shots of my lights later.