Tacoma Stalking, er...uh, Spotting, with Charlie™ (2nd Gen Edition)!

This is a 2006 RC 5-lug 5-speed that I saw in the spectator parking lot at a car show last weekend; I drive an RC 5-lug myself, though mine is an automatic...



Anyway, it is my opinion that of all 2005-newer Tacomas, the RC 5-speed (2WD or 4WD) is the variant that remains truest to the roots of the original 1995 and older Toyota pickups! What does everyone else think?


October 17th, 2021:

Levittown, Pennsylvania

 

Id love to do mine the same way it is now but a reg cab

 

Also, what's up with that grille? It looks like the owner either painted the stock grille or got a color-matched one from a TRD Sport; I know now that the 2nd Gen RC 5-lug was never available with the SR5 trim (4x4s and Prerunners only)...

 

My goal with mine, as stated in my build thread, was to do a "built the way Toyota should have built it" truck; Mine has all the features of an RC 6-lug SR5 (plus a few more!), but it's obviously a 5-lug. These features include...

• Backup camera
• Cruise control
• Fog lights
• Intermittent wipers

 

Anyway, the reason I know the year of this one is because I ran the license plate through Carfax; As stated above, it is a 2006 model and as of August 2020 it had just over 98K miles. I am guessing that it has well over 100K now, but my truck that's four model years newer has almost 140K so I'd say that this one probably has like 110K at this point; It also has a double-DIN touch-screen radio with a backup camera!

One thing I also did not notice until now is that the rear bumper of this truck is painted black like the rest of the truck (but the front bumper is still the composite black plastic that all base model Tacos got); I'm guessing that at some point, one of the two owners that this truck has had pulled a grille and bumper off of a TRD Sport and installed them on this truck, or painted them to match...?

 

A/C was an extra-cost option on the RC until 2011, though I've only ever seen one 2nd Gen Taco that did not have air-conditioning; It was a Barcelona Red 2005-2008 2WD model, and I spotted it in a parking lot near the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine nearly a decade ago. I have seen plenty of non-A/C 1995-2000 Tacos, and a couple 2001-2004 models, but that remains the only 2nd Gen I've seen without A/C; I am assuming that this black 2006 model does have A/C, because it does get pretty damn hot here in Southeast Pennsylvania during the summer and if we have another summer like the one we justh ad in 2021, A/C will be pretty much obligatory...

You will notice that this truck has sliding rear window, which was one of only three extra-cost options on the 5-lug RC (the other two were A/C and an automatic transmission)...

 

Can't tell if this one was involved in an accident or it's just under construction...


October 19th, 2021:

Warrington, Pennsylvania

 

With the Ivan Stewart look, of course...

 

I’m tempted to get the goat armor magnets in those colors for my truck

 

Do you think that look would work for my silver truck? I've got a buddy who did it to his 2005 RC 5-lug 5-speed using PlastiDip...

 

When I think of Toyota pickup trucks I only think 4x4, but that's me. Probably the 22RE 5-speed 4WD is at or near the top of that list for quintessential Toyota pickups.

 

@Oreo Cat

Here it is (first quoted post)!

 

4WD is definitely the one thing I would do differently if I got a new truck, but my dad literally just gave me my current 5-lugger no strings attached, so I'm not complaining!

 

I had never really considered plastic dip, but now I might go that route first before spending a ton of money on those magnets
And I haven’t seen a silver one with the stripes before but I don’t see why not.

 

Whatever they wrap vehicles with, that's what I'd use!

 

Ahh yeah that's sweeter than paying for a 4x4 haha!

 

2008 DCSB TRD Off-Road


October 24th, 2021:

Wilmington, Delaware

 

2012 RC 4x4


November 6th, 2021:

Pipersville, Pennsylvania

 

2013 DCSB TRD Sport


November 6th, 2021:

Pipersville, Pennsylvania

 

2009 AC 4x4


November 7th, 2021:

Riegelsville, Pennsylvania