Stamped TOYOTA tailgate

Look on ExPo for a user named "containerized" (I think that's his user name). He did what you're talking about, along with a bunch of other mods including shortening the bed, grafting Land Cruiser lights onto the front, etc. His thread may have been referenced/linked here before as I think the truck may have been at SEMA one year.

I've seen one other example of someone doing it but I can't recall where off the top of my head. Both looked good though.

 

That retromod Tacoma that Containerized showed on the Expedition Portal forum in 2012 was amazing. Not to everyone's taste in all areas, but the old-school tailgate mod was met with universal approval.

It's on page 1 of the the thread linked here. But in the intervening decade the photo links have gotten bad -- they still seem to work, sorta, but a lot of detail has been lost. It'll still give an idea of what's possible and what @Bajatacoma is referring to.
https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/containerized-retromod-global-tacoma.77748/

I'm surprised none of the die-cut vinyl folks offer a replica of that old style tailgate lettering. Our family had that on our 1972 HiLux and our 1980 Pickup, and I'd seriously think about it on my Gen 2 Tacoma. (hint, hint, @CBoy808...)

Here's my dad with that pickup's tailgate in July 1982 during a visit to one of his sisters and her husband.

 

Just noticed B.L. Vinyl does offer the old-school stamped tailgate style.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BLVinyl?page=4#items

 

Not stamped or decal, but I designed and 3D printed letters for my Taco so they’d have a nice relief to them, and then laboriously measured them to center properly and used 3M double sided tape for attachment.

 

I don’t see how the cut and weld process would be any different from the first gen guys who cut out scoops and welded them into their cut-out hoods (they look great by the way). If you’re confident with your ability and the labor aspects I say do it to it

Talk to this guy!
1997tacomav6

this is copied and pasted from 1997tacomav6 in another welding thread.
Pm me if you want any help with this, it’s not a hard job if you can weld and do a little body work.
It is a unique add on because it’s not a plug and play job so you don’t see too many of these mods, yes they do make a fiberglass hood with hood
pins too to hold it in place.
Yes mine is functional
There are 3 ways to do this option,
1) cut the 4Runner scoop into the Tacoma hood for a function scoop
2) tack weld the 4Runner scoop to the top of the Tacoma hood without cutting
the Tacoma hood for non functional.
3) buy a fiberglass hood, I think it has to use hood pins and probably not anywhere as strong as the OEM hood

 

That would be TW member christian06 I ordered one for a Gen 2, and found a set of Wilmar Products tamper resistant Torx sockets for $8.99 (up to T55 head) sold by auto parts and farm supply stores. When it warms up, I'll install it along with Diaz Fabrication's THRB (Trailer Harness Relocation Bracket) and All Pro Offroad's bed stiffeners. There could be another project in there, too...