Would it help if I told you he does have the voice of spongebob?

 

I don't wanna know the truth. I want to live in my pretend world.

 

SMH... i had to Vox him just so he could hear the smooth sexiness of my voice...

anyways, jerry, i would suggest a bench vice at the least... when i changed the ones on my runner my bench vice broke and i had to beat the damn things out with a hammer and chisel... took 3 hours...

go down to harbor freight if you have one... me and my dad went in halves on a 10 ton press... i think it was $120 IIRC... super useful... and as soon as the shop is ready to move into itll get bolted to the floor...

 

***checking VOX***

Logan has a new press.........hmmmmmmm

 

new u-joint installed... PITA...

 

well on page 16 of your build looks good so far!!

 

pretty sweet build up man

 

i know i havent updated this thing in forever, but honestly, i havent really done anything in forever other than a trip to pismo for the jamboree. had a baby. she is almost 6 months old, and other than working nights, i spend all my time with her. unfortunately, the tacoma only fits 2, so it makes for a horrible family vehicle.

as of right now, im stripping off some parts and putting her up for sale. i love this truck, but i NEED something that can fit 2 people, a baby, and 2 dogs in for trips.

so, parts that will be stripped include my winch and shackles, the highlift and mounts, the CB equipment, my lights, my Diehard platinum, and a few other assorted odds and ends. I will be selling it with the ARB, the toolbox, and my MT/Rs on the purple wheels.

i wont lie, the truck does have some things that still need to be fixed and shes not in the BEST shape, but what ive done to her, i think she will sell just fine.

Run down of things going with the truck.

ARB Bumper
Towing package
MC 1200# clutch
Rebuilt motor with ~50K on it. (no balance shafts)
new master and slave cylinder for clutch
New Coil
2" Body lift
32x11.5 MT/Rs on stock tri-spoke rims
Husky tool box
Magnaflow Turbo muffler
replacement lock cylinder set (all locks) (not installed)
new upper and lower BJs and outer TREs (not installed)
new (used) sliding rear window (factory tint)
extra sealed beam headlight or 2
factory front bumper
factory front sway bar
theres probably more, but i cant think of it all right now.

Run down of things that need to be fixed

crack at collector in the downpipe
small crack in muffler
cat to downpipe flanges should be converted back to stock toyota (currently has '06 malibu flanges on it)
(still passed CA smog in 2011 with all the above issues)
body mount hardware needs replacing
drivers fender *should* be replaced (never bothered me)
valve cover and oil pan have a slight leak to them. they are greasy not gonna lie (and i dont wash the engine bay)
leaks a quart of oil every 6K miles or so because of oil pan. had never leaked onto our concrete pad until it sat for 3 months. as long as its driving, it doesnt drip, the oil just cakes.
turn signals dont work (never have since i bought it. doesnt bother me; i rely on large gaps in traffic and a stiff middle finger)
high beams dont work (stopped working a few months after i bought it. probably a short. never really used them anyways)


asking $5500 for her. she blue books at $5000 in FAIR condition with 280K miles, but the engine only has 50K and trans only 100K and thats not including all the extra parts i have for it. (keep in mind, she gets 20mpg average with mostly highway driving at 70-ish mph.) Also have documented every fill up since 11/2011, MPG charts, etc. so, $5500 is more than a reasonable price and i wont go lower.

if anyone is interested, please PM me. looking to sell as soon as possible.

 

sooooo... 4runner?

 

Bummer man, but I definitely see how the single cab isn't cutting it with the family. You've definitely got some good use out of that truck though.

Are you guys still gonna be hitting the trail in the 4runner, and the occasional pismo trip?

 

runner isnt even running yet. waiting on taxes to assist. this whole being a parent thing kinda slapped me into reality and all the money i had saved dried up more quickly than i had planned for.
in the interim i had to buy an old POS Honda civic sedan to get me by. it looks ugly as hell, but it gets ~40mpgs and has 4 doors. Angel has been driving that as her daily. when her runner is finished, the Honda will be sold. or crushed. depends on how many more issues it gives me.

i do have something in mind id like to buy, but im going to hold my tongue until the Tacoma gets sold. dont wanna jinx anything.

 

Well, there are thousands of parents out there who aren't responsible with their money, and collect compensation from the state to pay for ridiculous vehicle mods. So at least you are responsible and know where to put the funds!

Keep us posted what ends up happening, and good luck selling the truck and getting something new.

 

buy a camper shell and make a walk-through cab outta your taco and install a rear seat! not sure what the legalities are of doing this kind of conversion for street use, but it's what i'm planning when we get handed down the in-law's single cab taco in a few years.

good luck selling the truck if you do though.

 

ok, soooooooooo, i know im indecisive. my dad helped talk me out of selling the taco. too many knowns with this rig and too many unknowns with a new one. and, as much as i dont want to, as soon as the turbo runner is drivable, the honda civic will be my DD.

*sigh*

in other news, i actually worked on it for once. got the turn signals working. that relay is a PITA to find. gotta pull the in cab fuse panel out and turn it around. turns out that the truck didnt have a flasher relay in it and hasnt for a LONG time. ??? horn still dont work and thats got me pissed off. checked everything and its all hooked up correctly and no shorts as far as i can see. while the dash was out i also pulled the craptastic loctronics antitheft system that is installed, but no key for it and the truck still goes. once again, ???. so much fail in the wiring on this rig.

small things on the to do list:

1. get tail light lense gaskets because mine have exited stage left and im getting water in the housings when it rains. also gonna find a high reflection silver or chrome looking aerosol paint to paint the inner side of the housings for better visibility. did it on the reverse lights on my old runner and it really helped a lot. $25ish

2. buy a blue sea fuse block and install it so i can get my lights and my 10" LED light bar wired in. they've been sitting unused for far too long. $50ish

3. deep clean the interior, exterior, and engine bay. the truck sat for 3 months after the last pismo trip and my wife left a bottle of bubble mix(the kind for small kids......dont ask) that leaked. i tried to get it all up, but i think it might have gotten under the rubber floor mats because im starting to smell mold. SMH. $free except for time

list of big things to do:

1. buy the King top plates and get them installed. ive kind of foorgotten just how much stuff i have for the front end. i found a complete poly control arm bushing set and i found the extra set of control arms that i have. also have the steering rack bushing kit and rear spring bushings all poly. new hardware too. $200 for the top plates and wrench shipped plus $150 for alignment.

2. 305/70R16 Wrangler Duratracs and 5.29 gears. i like the MTRs, but i feel horrible for wasting such a fantastic tire on pavement pounding duties. the duratracs seem a little more reasonable for what i do. and the 5.29s are a no bariner. the rear dif shouldnt be an issue as i have a friend who has done regears before. the front, however, will need to be professionally done. i am resigned to that fact. and im not going to lock it because i DO drive it on the street, no sense eating tires for no reason. open difs havent let me down yet. $2000

3. 5 gallon air tank and ARB compressor to fill it. have a buddy who is going to give me a 5 gallon air tank for free, so of course im going to get an ARB compressor to fill it. i will mount the compressor in the engine bay and run a switch to the cab. or maybe even find a way to utilize the stock AC button on the dash. i plan on removing that since i dont use it. tank=free ARB = $200

4. Tundra brake upgrade with powerslot rotors and hawk pads. might just go with the LCE big brake kit instead. depends on the pricing. $300

5. LCE header. Need to get rid of this crap stock system. $400

6. Camper shell. gonna get rid of the tool box and put a shell on with a rack setup. one of my biggest gripes about this rig is that i cant take my dog anywhere when theres bad weather. i feel so bad because i love taking him places. also, im known for forgetting my tent while camping. literally, just the canvas, not the hardware. SMH. so, this would provide a temporary relief in case that happens. $500

7. Electric fan because i HATE replacing stupid fan clutches. ive had issues in the past with them and id rather just eliminate the problem completely while freeing up some horsepower. $300

8. Cold air intake/throttle body spacer/big bore throttle body. pretty self explanitory i guess. $500




some mods will come sooner than others. of course, with this build, y'all know thats like saying the polar ice caps WILL melt...........eventually.

 

Check out Spal fans, sealed motors, quality and reasonably priced. Been running one on my car for a while and i see them on big budget protrucks regularly as well.

 

Holyyyyyy..... MOD/REPAIRS FESTIVAL!

Love it! And pops is right, man, other people's f'ups cam be countless. ... You know what you have, work it out holmes!

Man, that life raising new life, ...awesome , but crazy busy, I remember! Haha. How's everyone's health?

 

you missed out on a nice 4runner and trip to see the PNW guys..... just saying.

 

Wait.....what?

 

will do, thanks for the tip!

it IS crazy, thats for sure. everyones health is keepin up.

i know. just doesnt feel like the time, ya know? i do appreciate what josh offered to me, and i had talked to him a while ago about it.

i should be up late summer to see y'all. lord knows i need a vacation.

go back and re-read, dummy.

 

well, sold the Tacoma today.

Shortly after the above post, I got into an argument with my wife and decided to be mean to the truck. I spun the tires halfway through 4th gear with the motor bouncing off the rev limiter the whole time...while it was cold. stupid of me. it ended up sucking the thermostat so hard that it bent it. truck started overheating. replaced 2 thermostats in it before the HG finally popped. it sat for a week while I gathered parts. I replaced the HG over the course of a weekend. pain in the ass. don't ever bump the starter to get the truck to TDC when the fuel rail is pouring fuel onto the starter. WHOOSH. that ish goes up in flames QUICK. luckily I had a Snapple that I poured on it while my dad grabbed the fire extinguisher. put the fire out with minimal damage. a few crispy connectors.

after the HG got replaced 2 of the injectors started leaking. replaced them and then the next 2 started leaking. well, come to find out I wasn't using the correct type of lubricant to seat the injectors to the fuel rail. I was told by a machinist that gasoline would be fine to lubricate them. it is not. after I did that the other 2 started leaking. by this point I was just tired of it. tired of replacing parts and tired of removing the damn upper intake manifold. so it sat. for over a year.

last sunday I replaced the o rings again and charged the dead Diehard Platinum battery. she cranked and cranked and cranked and finally sputtered to life. no leaks and purring like a kitten. a kitten on old gas, but a kitten nonetheless. stripped off my winch and lights and cleared out the tool box.

Yesterday, put all the spare parts in her, put the factory grill back on and cleaned her up the best I could. took 2 baths to get her into decent shape again. at 5PM a friend of mine came and bought her. his wife used to own an 01 single cab and she wanted another. I think shes going to good hands. they want to DD her and use her to drive fast on dirt roads, and im ok with that.

so, I guess this closes out my chapter of ownership in her life. ill post any updates if they do anything to her.