2003 Tundra AC, Finally posting a thread!

[Climbermac]

So after years of building my rig (and other rigs) and playing on Expo and MUD I've decided that 1st Gen Tundra's have gained enough of a following that my build might be of interest to some of you out there. It's still very much in progress, as they all usually are, but I think she's really come into her own in the last few years. I've been finding I get more and more comments at gas stations, not quite like when I drive my FJ40, but it's nice all the same. I grabbed a handful of pics from over the years to see a bit of the progression but I honestly couldn't find many really nice shots, I've never been much of one to take pictures of the truck, usually just the places the truck get me. I'm glad to take pics of mods I've made or the like if there is interest, there is a lot to the truck that isn't in these pics. First I guess I'll give the rundown of the truck as it stands.

2003 Toyota Tundra, Access Cab, 4x4 V8, purchased 5 plus years ago bone stock with about 70K on the clock.
Engine: 4.7 2UZFE (close to 130K now) with Gibson headers, Iridiums, Optima platinum, ARB compressor
Front Suspension: Camburg UCA's, 5100's and OME 885 coils, Downey HD swaybar end links, dropped front diff
Rear Suspension: Wheelers 3 leaf pack (plus overload leaf), Firestone RideRite airbags, Daystar airbag cradles, Bilstein shocks, TruTrac
Wheels/Tires: Pro Comp Xtreme 7069 Alloys 16x8 with 285/75/16 Duratrac's
Armour: ARB Sahara Bar, SkidRow plates, Stubbs Sliders, Custom tire carrier (built on Reunel Bumper)
Recovery: M10000 winch w/amsteel, Maxtrax
Storage: Custom rear platform (version 2), MSA drop fridge slide (Indel B 50L), Rhino rack Pioneer platform rack
Gear: CVT Mt Shasta RTT, ARB awning w/3 wall set, CB and HAM, Leer cap, RAM mount for tablet (GPS), Lots of LED's, Lightforce Blitz spotties, Crawlorado hood blackout, lots of other stuff bolted on here and there.

Pics:

Brand new (to me)

New Cap, Thule goodies and an ARB (thanks to some idiot tearing off my front bumper and an ARB proving cheaper than an OEM replacement!!!!!)

Tacoma wheels (not a good choice in hindsight)

Went thru several cheap spotties up front before getting Lightforces (should have just bit the bullet up front)

Camped like this for several years (when we were just two)

Pearl Pass, CO

With a baby now in tow I swapped the front 60/40 bench for buckets to accommodate a carseat in back, rebuilt the rear platform and moved the fridge to the bed (drop slide) and added a RTT

I've noticed a number of rear tire carrier/bumper builds on 1st gens lately and I did find a good shot of my junk. I still haven't come up with a good way to carry mt bikes yet but I have some ideas brewing...

Plans: I am having Alcan build me a set of new rear springs as the OEM leafs, even with the AAL's just aren't cutting it, I've trashed a few sets of airbags (mostly due to rubbing) but with no help the springs suck. I am getting a new cap (looking at Jason) to help with the load of the RTT. I'd like to gear up a notch or two and drop an ARB in the front, but that will likely be next winter. I also do have some aspiration to add a second t-case but that is a longer term plan (my family may outgrow the rig before I get to it!)

Thanks for looking at my truck! I know it was a long post of pics. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers!

 

[Doc Foster]

Nice looking rig.

 

[bkg]

How do you like the headers?

 

[rickashay]

Wow wicked Tundra! I'm pumped with how many are turning up these days! Now we just need more vendors to start supporting this platform more... OME or All-Pro leafs would be SO nice.

Nice rear bumper, definitely would like to see more photos of it!

 

[Climbermac]

The headers basically fell into my lap while making a few parts trades for my Fj40 so I didn't shop for them. I've had them on for at least 3 years now and have had zero issues. I've reworked the full exhaust system behind them and overall love the power and the sound. I've read about the long tubes being made and would likely go that route were I stock; but there isn't anything wrong with my setup.

 

[Climbermac]

Agreed, aftermarket support is VERY thin for these trucks. I'm pretty pumped for my Alcan's. I run their springs on the 40 and they are stellar, but OME would be slick.

 

[FJR Colorado]

Nice truck. Same color as mine but I have a DC.

I do not recall seeing that ARB bumper heretofore... Where did you get it?

 

[toyotech]

Clean tundra. Any more shots of the rear bumper.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Climbermac]

@FJR Colorado, The ARB is just the Sahara Bar, the only bumper they make for this model truck. I would love to have retrofitted a 100 series deluxe bullbar instead but I'm pretty happy with the Sahara, though I am due to give it a new coat of paint (likely black), the powdercoat has faded a great deal.

@toyotech, I'll see if I can take a few in the next day or so. I pulled some design ideas from other tire carriers I've seen/used/built in the past. I was pretty heavily influenced by the work of CBI. The Reunel bumper was a must start for me, I do a lot of towing and they make a VERY stout bumper (and very heavy). I had a hinge left over from building another carrier, 1 1/2" shaft on oil impregnated bearings in DOM sleeves. I built in a pair of Rigid backup lights on a combo switch (manual or with Reverse) as well as a 4 and 7 pin trailer plug set all into the channel with the hitch so nothing sits below the bottom edge. I also added a length of 2" receiver tube on the tire mounting plate to use an ARB hi-lift jack mount I sourced. Otherwise it is pretty simple. If I had it to build over again I might build a dual swing but the single are was the simplest option with the tailgate.

Thanks for the complements. My wife noted that I did install a snorkel and ran it for about six month before ditching it (I don't think I even have a picture) it was an Ironman 100 series unit that I shaped and re-shaped but it never fit quite right. The biggest issue was the upper mounting bracket. Since our trucks don't have an exposed A pillar (like a 100 series) I made an aluminum block that the snorkel could bolt to and tried every epoxy under the sun to get a solid bond to the windshield. It NEVER worked and in the end I broke a windshield and called it quits.

 

[seanpistol]

It's a Tundra party in this forum :beer:

 

[Derek24]

Love it! Best trucks ever...

 

[TwoTrack]

Very nice truck, any pictures of the bed storage configuration?

 

[character zero]

This is great - I love the 1st gen builds. Please post more pics soon.

I've got an NSR-4 from north shore racks for my Tundra...works well for what it is, but not sure you'd want to go for something like that.

 

[Climbermac]

OK, I went outside to snap a few pics of the rear bumper and platform. Unfortunately it is 10 degrees out and all I have is a cell phone so please forgive the images, these are the serviceable ones. I even pulled my truck into the entrance of the bay at work and it didn't help at all.

@character zero, I've looked at the NSR-4 and like some aspects of it but I doubt I could swing my tire carrier open with it tilted down.... I have thought the best route would be to build something I can bolt onto the arm and then it swings with the rest. The issue then is that I am running even more weight on the swing out, it already feels heavy with two full cans, the spare, Hi-lift and a Trasharoo (typically full of trash or firewood depending on when in the trip it is). I really love the design in the iSi carriers out of OZ but I don't know if those would drop low enough either, let alone that getting one here in the states might be obscenely expensive!

Pics as requested:

The drawers are pretty basic, two full length drawers with a few dividers built in. They roll on 60" full extension slides and when I get a chance I have some cross bar latches I want to build into new drawer fronts to replace the end cover I am presently using to close everything up. The voids on the sides are great for a few flyrod tubes.

Thanks again for the compliments!

 

[utroda]

Boxes look nice and clean. Hope to build myself some this year.