Shauncho's "Who knows where this is going?" Build

As the title states, I don't even know where this is going. it could die, it could become a monster...only time will tell. All I do know is that I'm addicted to my Tacoma and this feels like the appropriate place to talk about it and the mods I'm planning ad nauseam. I'm kinda looking for ideas from other people. I'm not really sure what I want him to look like although i kind have some ideas thanks to this site. I do some construction work and other things that require me to use the bed of the truck so he still needs to remain fairly functional however I want to be able to do some moderate wheelin'.

Here's how he looks now with the new grill.
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NAME:​

• Martholomew "Get your damn hands off her" McFly. AKA: Marty, Marticus Maximus, Martin, Martín, etc...
  
  VEHICLE SPECS:
• 2013 Tacoma DCLB
• 4.0L V6 Automatic
• TRD Sport PreRunner
  
  SUSPENSION:
• Bilstein 5100's w/stock sport coils and 1/4" spacer on driver side.
• Sway bar delete (Link to Post)
  
  WHEELS/TIRES:
• TRD Sport 17" - 265/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac (Link to Post)
  
  EXTERIOR:
• Tinted windows
• OEM skid plate painted black
• Tailgate theft protection (Link to Post)
• Painted Wheels and Badges (Link to Post) Current look
• Blacked out badges (Link to Post) Old look
• BHLM (Link to Post: Part 1 | Part 2)
  
  Interior
• Ultragauge
• Flyzeye 3VP-RS LED strip for center console
• LED dome and map lights
  
  LIGHTING:
• Anytime fog mod - Read my thread about why not to use a quick splice for this mod: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/li...time-foglight-mod-13-headlights-all-time.html
  
  Electrical:
• TacomaPros.com mounting plate from member Yotamac. (Link to Post)
• Raptor 180A circuit breaker
• BlueSea fuse panel.
  
  FUTURE:
• Redline Hood struts
• New Wheels
• Rear leaf springs
• Front/rear bumper...Don't know what I want yet but considering Pelfreybilt.
• HID Retros
  
  Power sliding window assembly:
  $59 Dorman 741-687 Front Passenger Side Power Window Regulator and Motor Assembly Compatible with Select Lincoln Models
  Dorman 741-687 Ford Lincoln Town Car Front Passenger Side Window Regulator with Motor
  
  
  

So here he is. This first pic is kinda crappy, it was from the second day I had him. Damn, he's a sexy bitch!
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Love the color! I wish I had gotten a darker color sometimes. Are you going to black it all out or chrome? Also what kind of off-roading? That will determine your set up.

 

Thanks man. Yeah i love the color too. I almost went with white but at the last minute decided on black. I was thinking about blacking everything out since Ive never been a huge fan of chrome. As for the type of off-roading, mostly just trail stuff. No crazy rock hill climbs or anything where ill need a friend with a winch. Just want to be able to go where there/s no roads and then some.

 

I think...you've got a sexy truck there. i would definitely look into lifting it a little bit, throw some new shoes on, debadge it, tint the windows, BHLM, stuff like that. oh, and you can have the satisfaction of knowing that this 1st gen owner is rediculously jealous of your truck. i look forward to seeing it grow.

 

No you need to buy my TRD Sport new in box gray Clazzio leather seat covers first. Then lift the bitch

 

So, the first mods I've done are the cheap tailgate theft-protection using hose clamps and the anytime foglight mod. I know they've been well documented in the past by other more appropriate users but, since this build thread is about MY journey, I'll still get some pics and document my mods for anyone who finds my experiences with performing these mods useful.

TAILGATE THEFT PROTECTION - This one was SUPER cheap and easy; only took me about 2 minutes to complete. I think the best part about this mod is the improved sleep I get now that I'm making it just a little harder for people to just walk away with my tailgate. One thing I didn't do, which I'll probably go back and change, is to add a strip of bicycle innertube rubber to prevent any chance of the hose clamp scratching the paint around the hinge point. I actually performed this mod over this past weekend while I was just hanging around my campsite. The general store at the lake just happened to have the right size hose clamps so I said screw it.

One thing I question, I have the newer tailgate with the backup camera so I'm wondering if that's even one that thieves commonly steal? I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on this. It seems as though the added difficulty in having to unplug the tailgate from the backup camera wiring harness would also be a deterrent to potential thieves. Who knows, who cares. as long as my tailgate is present and accounted for every time I come back to my truck, I'm happy.

ANYTIME FOGS - This one is just as easy, just requires some more tools. I chose to go the quick splice route just because, well, honestly, I love this truck so much I don't know if I'll ever let it go so I'll have no need to undo this. Also, I figured I'd rather put a slight nick in the wire insulation that can easily be covered with electrical wire as opposed to potentially breaking off the tab on the relay and having to buy a new one. I didn't quite have the right connector to attach my wire to the power source (light green wire). What I used was one of the flat spade connectors that I cut down the sides of the tab in order to fit in with the power source connector however the tab became rather flimsy after cutting it so may need to get a different connector. I don't recommend for other people to do this. just go out and get the right part. But otherwise, this mod in general works like a dream and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. Now I can have foglights on all the time, hooray!
UPDATE: My fogs can go on anytime but my headlights are now on ALL the time. Anyone have a fix for this?

Also, feel free to submit any ideas you have for my truck. I'd love to hear what other people would do with a truck like mine. Who knows, your suggestion could be my next mod.

Also, forgot to mention, i've got the factory skidplate on order and am picking that up tomorrow. Any tips on painting that would be much appreciated. I was thinking about a few layers of black followed up with a clearcoat to give it a matching shine. Anyone have any paint recommendations. Do i need a high heat paint or does it not get hot enough for that? Also what type of clear should i put on top, if any? Should i even put a clear on top. Sound off people, let me know what you think.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm definitely doing the BHLM, tinting, new shoes and slight lift. Instead of completely debadging it, I was thinking of painting a few choice badges red and maybe some re-positioning of them. Trying to figure out other places I can tastefully incorporate the red accent color. Just want it to be in a few tasty places just to kinda make it stand out a little.

Speaking of 1st-gens, my step-dad has a '96 4 banger Taco manual trans that's pretty much mine if I want it...and now I'm thinking I want it. It's a bone stock access cab that needs TONS of work but could be fun to revive. After I get to a happy point on this one, I'll probably start a build of that guy.

I was actually pricing out custom black leather seats with red stitching...kinda have a particular look in mind. Thanks for the offer though!

 

I think blacking it out will look sweet! Start with the Toyota emblem in front to give you a push
Not sure how much research you've done on lifts but I've found Toytec to be an awesome site once you're ready to order.

 

That's funny you mention that. Just last night I was sitting there cruising TW and saw a bunch of people with blacked out Toyota emblems on the stock grill and it looks bitchin'. So I said f@#$ it, I'm going to get some plasti-dip this weekend and go spray crazy with the emblem and my OEM skid. I might even paint my wheels black too until I can get new wheels. But yeah, I figured that would be just the push I needed in order to get this project off the ground. Can't wait to post some pics.

As for lifts, I have given it a LOT of thought but I'm not sure what's too much for me. I don't really want a MONSTER truck, but a little extra clearance would help me drive more confidently on trails. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Most guys on here like the Bilstein 5100's
A 3" lift is pretty safe and will allow 33's with no rub depending in what wheel you decide on.
I went with 295/75s because I like the look better but I don't go off-road much at all. I did have to get front spacers but that's because of my wheels.

 

Rattle can it. If your going to be doing any off-roading the thing this going to scratch 100%, paint it with something cheep so it not expensive to touch it up

 

Yeah, I was just looking at the Toytec site and was looking at that full 3" lift kit with the 1500's and the price is right so I"ll probably end up going with that. seems to be a pretty popular option here on TW...I'd imagine there's a good reason for that besides just price so I figure I'm safe with that kit. And yeah, I'm definitely going with bigger tires for sure. I want that wider, more aggressive stance. can't stand how much of a mall queen my stock tires make me look like right now!

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll prolly just plasti-dip it for now and see how long that lasts. If it ends up scratching off as easily as normal spray paint, then I'll peel it all off and start again with standard spray paint.

 

For Prerunners, I always say the best route is spindles. You maintain a factory like ride, you get plenty of lift (3.5"-4.0" depending on spindle), and they look great on; gives the truck little bit wider stance. Bilsteins are great and super affordable, but you need to preload the heck out of your coils to get a decent lift out of them (2.5" max). This typically produces a harsh ride.

Just my opinion

 

...and I appreciate hearing your opinion very much! I've haven't looked into spindles yet mostly just because I wasn't sure exactly what they are used for. Just for lift only without affecting ride quality? How will that affect my somewhat limited off-roading? I like the idea of this mostly because I hate the idea of swaping out the TRD suspension when it's barely been used. I guess I could always just sell it to someone.

 

Definitely do some research on spindles, it will be worth your while since you have a Prerunner. I see so many guys go with bilsteins as their first choice and max them out to get 2.5” of lift, which doesn’t give you much space for bigger tires. They end up hating the ride quality with the coils preloaded and so later add OME or Eibach coils into the mix to keep height and slightly improve ride. Soon after they eventually realize they need a set of UCAs because they’re going through tires (no more caster) due to the lift.

So they basically end up spending around $200 for bilies, $170 for coils, and another $400 for LR UCAs (cheapest UCAs out there) equaling around $800. They do this when really all they needed to begin with was a set of spindles, which allows you to keep everything thing else (Coils, Shocks, UCAs) stock. Later on down the road if you decide you want more out of your truck, get some extended travel COs and UCAs and call her DONE! You want even more than this, sell your mid travel set-up to the dude who went the bilstein and coil route and get yourself a TC LT kit.

Just throwing this out there

Bottom line is do your research before you buy so you know exactly what you are getting. To me there’s nothing worse then a lifted truck that you can’t offroad in because the suspension is so stiff you feel like you are going to break something. The truck actually performs great as is so why ruin the ride quality to get lift when you can get plenty of lift and maintain the current ride quality using spindles. It’s a no brainer for me!

 

Totally loving everything you're saying. I definitely do my research before I buy anything big...so much so to the point where half the time I end up not buying anything at all! But I agree, so far the TRD sport has exceeded all of my expectations as far as ride quality and versatility so why should I mess with that too much while nothings broken or in need of replacing.

So basically, you're saying just get spindles for the height I want and then get some bigger wheels/tires and I'm good to go? How about AAL's? are those used strictly for height or is it also to improve rear weight handling?

I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this as well just to get a different perspective.

 

Hate AALs and blocks, AALs stiffens things up a bit and blocks are just a bad idea, at least anything over 1" block is. The best option is an AP leaf pack which works well with the height of the spindles and actually improves the ride. Of course you will need to shell out some $$$ for the packs, extended brake lines and suitable shocks, but the end result is worth it. Stock shocks won't work due to the height, so these would unfortunitely need to be replaced.

 

its quite simple... you bought a prerunner...you live in so cal... your going longtravel

 

Ahhh, interesting. Thanks for the info!

haha, yeah. I'm not sure whether I'll even have a need for LT since I'm still kinda new to the whole off-roading thing. Also, I don't have any friends with trucks who off-road so I got no one to spot me or pull me out if I get in trouble. speaking of which, I've been wanting to talk to someone from Thousand Oaks about where there is to go around here for some quick trails. Do we really have to truck all the way out to Gorman or Mojave? Anything in the SM Mountains or off Potrero or anything?

 

You brought up a very interesting point. I was sold on the Bilstein 5100 series as well but reading your comment here really made me think twice. It does make perfect sense!. Thank you!!. My only question is, if we change to bigger tires, will we still have a need for spacers if we go this route?.