baja beetle's Wrecked 2000 Tacoma rebuild thread
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baja beetle's Wrecked 2000 Tacoma rebuild thread
I picked up this 2000 Tacoma for $2000 with plans on swapping its engine into my 93 pickup but I ended up figuring out that I might as well fix this up since it could be a pretty nice truck too. Its a 2000 Tacoma extended cab trd sr5 3.4 V6 5 speed manual Rear electric locker 6 inch fabtech lift with 35's. It didn't come with wheels and tires since the guy wanted another $1000 for his brand new tires and wheels and I wasn't about to pay that much for them for a parts truck so a couple pictures show my 31's from my 93 pickup installed on it so that i could tow it home. He had hit a tree texting while driving.
Front end damage
Passenger side
Drivers side damage with the 35's I bought and my tow truck
Front end damage
Passenger side
Drivers side damage with the 35's I bought and my tow truck
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I towed it into the frame shop on Friday night so they are going to take a look at it late Monday or Tuesday and get me an actual cost of straightening it out. The Passenger front tire is pushed back a couple inches. I'm planning on converting the front end to the 2001 to 2004 style since its already needing to replace just about all of that. I have a big parts search ahead of me that's for sure.
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Well after waiting 2 weeks the frame shop finally gets it up on there rack only to tell me that they can't fix it. So there went $85 for nothing there. I towed it to 2 other shops today it looks like I can replace the front of the frame with a straight used frame that I would have to find and they would sleeve it and weld it. Either that or I could do a complete frame swap. I wish the first shop would have just told me that before putting the frame on the rack to measure it out and charge me.
So now I have to decide what to do. I could replace the whole frame if I can find a used one that's not damaged. That just seams like its a ton of work swapping everything over. I could buy a used front section of the frame and have it welded on. With those first two I will run into problems with the dumb fabtech 6 inch bracket lift because of the cut front crossmember and weather or not anything in the lift is bent. I would rather have a long travel anyways but how hard will it be to find parts and convert from a bracket lift to a long travel? Or my original plan was to part it out and keep the engine and ecu for a 3.4 swap into my 93 Toyota Pickup. Hmm any advice?
So now I have to decide what to do. I could replace the whole frame if I can find a used one that's not damaged. That just seams like its a ton of work swapping everything over. I could buy a used front section of the frame and have it welded on. With those first two I will run into problems with the dumb fabtech 6 inch bracket lift because of the cut front crossmember and weather or not anything in the lift is bent. I would rather have a long travel anyways but how hard will it be to find parts and convert from a bracket lift to a long travel? Or my original plan was to part it out and keep the engine and ecu for a 3.4 swap into my 93 Toyota Pickup. Hmm any advice?
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Right now I'm planning on buying a 93 4runner for cheap to swap the engine and rear locking axle into but I have to sell my audi a4 quattro that I don't drive anymore first. I have way too many cars and while I have a huge driveway its just becoming too much of a car lot with shuffling cars around. I need to keep one truck running as i work as a Carpenter so I can't have my pickup down while I'm figuring out the wiring for the swap to actually work.
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Yeah the frame swap just sounds like a ton of work. And then when I'm done with that I would have to start back where I was to do the body work and all. That's why I'm planning on picking up this 4runner with a straight body to throw the 3.4 into. I like the older body style better anyways. That whole rounded body line on the front of the tacoma's fenders just ruins them for me.
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