2013 Doublecab Worktruck

[hornytoad]

I know so original with the naming...

So I am shopping for a new 2013 double cab Tacoma V6 4x4. I am looking for a TRD off-road with a manual transmission.

List of things to do when I drag the truck home,

Airbox mod with AFE dry air filter
Iridium Spark plugs
Bilstien 5100 shocks all around
Timbren bump stops on all four corners
Hose clamp all the emissions gear hoses
Redline drive-train fluids/ Mobil 1 engine oil after 500 mile break in with factory fluids
Rubber floor mats
Seat covers
245 75 R16 BF Goodwrench Comp TA's on the factory alloys.
Re located the trailer plug mount

Order a snugtop Snug Pro commercial topper with toolboxes and roof rack. I am also ordering a Bedslide 1000pro model to allow me to access the bed now that it is turning into a giant toolbox.

I'm going to try and keep weight down low, keep the COG a low as possible and not raise the truck unless I have to. If load carrying becomes a problem then custom springs and airbags will come into play.

Bud built aluminum skid plates and yes another CES 42 gallon fuel tank are in the works. But will happen later this summer due to work/cash/time issues.

 

[Plannerman]

Hornytoad, why a manual? Was the 2012 a manual, as well?


Sent via fat thumb

 

[Laxaholic]

I was curious about that as well. I love a manual trans, but they have always been in cars/wagons. Just seems like it would get old in a truck, correct me if it isn't so. Do the trucks feel more powerful to you with the manual trans? I am hunting a used 2nd gen Tacoma and would love some of your insight. Also, what's the deal with Iridium spark plugs?

Can't wait to see what you buy!

 

[hornytoad]

Plannerman - personal preference. I tried the auto in the 2012 work truck and never really trusted it. I had the manual in my previous employer's 2010 access cab taco and the stock tires rode a little weird for me. I think using a TRD shift kit, better fluids and 245 width tires it will ride a little better. Plus my wife and I love driving stickshifts.

IF I can get them as part of a dealer package I will pick up the TRD exhaust, short shift kit and brake pads and tires with the truck purchase price.

Part of the bring home and immediately do list is slotted rotors and stainless steel brake lines.

And plug in the Scan gauge 2 I recovered from the first truck.

And pull the VVTi block filters when I change the factory oil to Mobil 1 at 500 miles. They are in the block under the exhaust/ alternator, the engine does not like having them in place due to the restriction in oil flow to the VVTi actuators. It's a "feel" thing but the engine does rev quicker afterwards.

Since I have done most of the work once I hope to have the time for some DIY photos to go with "projects".

AND a dedicated Ram mount for a laptop, I will probably fashion an aluminum mount for a dedicated power inverter into the bracket so it doesn't clutter up the cabin.

This going to take a few weekends of time to get caught up....

 

[Ramjet]

Are the block filter on all of the VVT-i engines. I have an 08 FJ and was just wondering if I should take mine off. Thanks.

 

[hornytoad]

Manuals always allow you to put the power where you need it, at sea level these trucks have gobs of power and the automatic was squealing tires all over Seattle when I was visiting friends in January. However I live a 5.5k feet and work play between 3.5k and 12k feet. Plus I have never trusted any manufacture who tells me not to maintain a vehicle part. "Sealed" automatic transmissions became popular with several automakers in the last decade and most of these automatic transmission only last 75-125k miles before something start breaking in them. If you get an auto change the fluid often (every 30k miles or two years) and use a WS compatible synthetic.

The sparkplugs - Its a part of an experiment I ran to see if I could get my brand new truck to stop sounding like a diesel and to stop pinging under acceleration. The combination of the airbox mod and the sparkplugs kept my truck from sounding like a diesel and from pinging under acceleration with regular gas (which up here is 85 octane). If you have to run premium gas in a regular gas truck it kind of defeats the point...might as well spring for the supercharger right?

I was curious about that as well. I love a manual trans, but they have always been in cars/wagons. Just seems like it would get old in a truck, correct me if it isn't so. Do the trucks feel more powerful to you with the manual trans? I am hunting a used 2nd gen Tacoma and would love some of your insight. Also, what's the deal with Iridium spark plugs?

Can't wait to see what you buy!

 

[hornytoad]

ramjet - Sorry but I don't know about the newer Landcruisers. When I do mine I will post pictures, the screen covers should be somewhere similar in your rig.

My decision to pull the filters was loosely based on a couple of ideas. A lot of motorcycle have extra screens in the frames and such to pick up misc partials that the filters miss, however when filters are in hard to reach areas they become liabilities when they clog up and the reduced oil pressure/flow starts eating engine parts.

For instance Subaru have been battling oil starvation problems in their turbo cars for a few years now. Several aftermarket manufactures have been pointing to Subaru oil screens that clog upstream of the turbos, causing overheating and turbo destruction.

For me pulling the screens early and relying on often (3-5k mile) synthetic oil changes with a Toyota oil filter is a safer and easier option. Plus it's one less thing in the way between the oil pump and the VVTi actuator which can't be a bad thing.

 

[Laxaholic]

What kind of fuel mileage would a manual v6 see? Have been interested in a gen 2 4 cylinder, trying to compare before a purchase

 

[Plannerman]

Well, be careful with the manual. I am a big fan of manuals, but the MT is not as reliable as the AT. I had a manual in my '09 and ended up Lemon Lawing the truck because of clutch issues (crappy plastic pedal design) in which the pedal was binding and squeaking. A friend of mine is going through something similar except his issue was not limited to the clutch; he also had the throwout bearing fail after 25k miles.

The AT is not exciting, but it is solid.

 

[hornytoad]

Laxaholic - When I had a 2010 Taco V6, 4x4, extra cab, stick shift I got 17mpg everywhere. That mpg is at 5.5k feet with 10% Ethanol fuel and stock TRD tires, suspension with 300lbs of stuff tucked into a RIDGID tool box bolted to the bed.

Plannerman - I'll keep an eye on the clutch and throwout bearing. It's personal preference, I grew up with manual transmissions and the 2012 taco was the only auto that I ever bought new. I have owned a couple of BMW's that were automatics with the sport mode and tiptronic shifting and even those felt "soft".

 

[hornytoad]

Off the beaten pathfor a min...

(Note this is my personal internal rantings, feel free to skip this and get to the good parts where I start buying stuff again)

So I have grand ideas for a truck and a couple of insurance company checks burning a hole in my pocket..... Time to buy stuff right!??

Almost.

Having had my first truck car accident accident with the 2012 work truck I have thought about safety and how another accident will affect my wife and future family (dogs/cats/kids/nieces and nephews).

A. we have gobs of insurance yes it's expensive and a PITA to work with but it's something to fall back on.

B. Newer safety equipment new cars and trucks are big and heavy and I was a huge proponent of going back to the good old days of the 1980's Toyota HiLuxs. Until I realized first hand how crash ratings work.

C. If the crash had happened to my wife in her car would she have survived?

D. Would that have been a survivable get off on a motorcycle? ( I have a 2007 suzuki DR650 that I use in town)

Given these ideas I'm planning on the following.

Insurance - did we have enough? I'm planning on a couple of hour talk with my agents to make sure that this process goes easier next time. A few dollars now might save my wife the headache of having to fight the insurance companies the next time this happens I and I happen to be in the hospital hurt. Check the statistics most drivers have been in a few fender benders but something like 35,000 Americans dies in car wrecks every year. When I am busy in the Permian Basin I am driving 20+ hours /1,700 miles a week. I will most likely get into another wreck again, better to be prepared for the worst.

New truck - The crumple zone in the front partially collapsed, that and the collapsible steering column and the airbags made this a walk away accident. If it had been my 1986 FJ60 I would still be in the hospital, if I was lucky. The second gen Tacomas are beefy and kind of large looking but they are solid and have the necessary safety gear (curtain air bags are a great invention!) So a 2013 Taco is on the shopping list with the realization that the stock brakes and shocks are getting ripped off the first day it comes home.

My wife's Honda civic - She has the normal airbags and the side impact bags but not curtain airbags. Most of my insurance settlement is going to get her a new Honda Fit Sport. We like little cars and after the accident I do not believe the "bigger car is safer" hype. The other car in my wreck was a 2003 Nissan Sentra and that driver walked away too. Plus she has never had a new car and she misses her old Acura. Wish I had the $$$ for a second one so I could have a car when my truck is down south on a job site, plus I would have an excuse to do some more SCCA autocrossing again. hehehhehe

Motorcycle get off- One of my first thought after the wreck was "hey that wasn't so bad" and if I had been on my bike and been in a suit, I probably would have lived. However in a fit of overheating stupidity last summer I sold my used Aerostich motorcycle suit and started riding with just an Aerostich jacket instead. I'm going to order myself a new suit. They are hot but they do keep all the pieces in one place and protect your joints and skin from being broken or slid across the highway. Plus this is my primary vehicle when I fly back and forth on my weekends so a little saftey here will go a long way.

Sorry about the musings. I woke up early this morning worrying about clients and my summer work schedule (where I earn 75% of my income for the year in three hectic months). Things are falling into place, my auto insurance claim has helped train me for dealing with my injury claim. I'm beat up and hopefully did not break anything but have some soft tissue damage in my left shoulder that's really painful. Just trying to juggle my thoughts, heal and do some planning for the future. Hopefully my doctors will release me to get back to work in the next couple of weeks.

Sorry about the rant the next posting will be about my order from Wheeler's off road and will be much more interesting....

Hornytoad

 

[1 Bored Clerk]

Folks love to gripe about new technology (airbags, abs, stability control, etc). While tech development can be painful (performance) and the cost/weight gains associated do suck, I'll take my new tech any day over old iron.

As far as the transmission. The auto in my FJ Cruiser was great, the auto in my 2013 Tacoma TRD is also great. But they both have some oddities...they are the same oddities so they must be 'normal'. We really wanted to like the manual transmission but it was the worst shifting manual transmission I've ever driven. Plus, it's pairing with the engine programming made smooth shifting nearly impossible. Not fun. You know what you're doing, I'm sure, but I would drive as many manual transmission trucks as you can...maybe you'll find one that is actually fun to drive?

Good luck with the next tacoma! I enjoyed reading about your mods, experiences, trials and tribulations with the last one.

 

[sctracker]

Hey Hornytoad. I'm just reading through your thread and me and you are in a similar situation! Although the car that I wrecked was an 88 4Runner. Hit an abandoned car on the freeway at full speed, went airborne and rolled many many times. This accident happened in November of 2012. I wanted to post on it so you have a couple of things to learn from my experience and all the other readers that haven't dealt with insurance like this can hopefully learn something.

A. At the time of the accident I only had basic coverage and uninsured motorist. I had just picked up the uninsured motorist insurance a month before the accident while renewing my insurance. Well it turned out the responsible party was uninsured! It was only a couple more dollars a month extra. From this day forward I will always be keeping full coverage on top of taking advice from your other thread and insuring all my work tools and aftermarket upgrades additionally.

B. The 88 4Runner had no airbags or safety equipment other than seatbelts and the factory roll bar. My girlfriend and dog were in the car and we all lived with most of our health in tact. That soft tissue damage is a real pain though. The trucks crumple zones even on a car that old did their job but remember they are more there for keeping the people you hit alive more than anything else. One of the only reasons that my 4Runner held up as well as it did was when I did my 3.4 swap I put in some solid motor mounts. They are the only thing that held the frame together through the accident. Without those mounts I'm sure I would have been wearing a motor in my lap and a supercharger in my head. The other thing that did real well to save us was the 2 inch lift and 34" tires. Making us taller than most other cars saved our lives by allowing us to go over the car and make a gradual (although dramatic and sparking) slid on our roof/side instead of coming to a bone shattering stop at the time of impact.

C. My girlfriends car is a 2008 honda fit. I still don't know that we would have survived our accident if we were in her car. Just do to the few things the truck had that saved our lives. On the other hand it certainly would fair much better than an old civic. I love the fit. Its a great car and wait till you fold the rear seats down. Try to find one with a manual transmission for sure. My girlfriends fit is a first gen, on the first gens the sport package was just a body kit and a spoiler for around $3000 extra. If its the same deal on the second gens I don't know that they are worth it, especially because a spoiler on a front wheel drive car is pretty useless.

As far as the personal injury goes. If you can hold off to settle I would. Most of our worst injuries didn't come to the surface until 5 months after the accident.

Good luck.

 

[hornytoad]

sctracker - wow! that sound even more spectacular than my incident. Injuries 5 months after? OUTCH than sounds painful. I hope you and your GF are going to be OK. The fit sport has a different wheels/tire package on the second gen, plus some of the interior options are only available wit the sport. (kinda like the base model taco VS the SR5)

1 Bored Clerk - The standard that I test drove the weekend after my accident was way more enjoyable that the auto. Acceleration around town and merging onto the highway was easier and more forceful. FYI the 2012 taco really liked Redline D6 ATF, very smooth shifting.

I think Toyota stock fluids/sparkplugs/emissions gear really holds these truck back. Unfortunately I was just getting all the little kinks worked out when the crash happened. Sigh time to start over.....

 

[hornytoad]

Time for the fun stuff!

OK so my Wheeler's off-road gear will be here sometime this week.

Bilstien 5100s - Inexpensive, beefer than the stock shocks, stable and a known quantity. I expect any shock to last me a year maybe two at most.

Timbren bump stops front and rear - the 2012 would bottom out on the highway or driving around in town. Hopefully the added progressive springs will keep the stock suspension from collapsing as quickly.

Stainless steel brake lines- I like a nice hard brake pedal.

Slotted rotors - I REALLY like to stop.

Autozone has the sparkplugs and my local 4 wheel supply has the pair of AFE dry air filters that I want. (this way one filter is always clean and ready to install.