Dave Bennett
Adventurist
I'm waiting to see the finished product before I form my final opinion on this one. I see potential for coolness.
Containerized: Retromod Global Tacoma
- Thread starter Containerized
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TangoBlue
American Adventurist
Agreed... I'll wait until it's done, but I'm thinking the cool factor has been attained and the overall results will be spectacular.
However, respectfully, I can't help but scratch my balding noggin' on the utility factor; for example, bobbing the bed in an overlanding vehicle intended for sustained travel and self-sufficiency? Purposefully gutting load carrying capacity for what reason... departure angle? Adding tie-downs, track rails, Roto-Pax in a diminutive-sized bed are for naught unless you rejoice in austerity and misery. Goodness - where will the Campaign furniture be stored? It's just me and I'm pretty much packed to the gunnels on my full-sized Tacoma bed - and your build hacked-off some serious cube capacity (insert tsk-tsk-tsk here). But, I'll be patient for the epiphany you are about to reveal...
The real mystery to me though... I'd really hate to see if that one-off, custom ($ to the third power, beau coup labor) front end or tail gate get "dented" by one of the very responsible, highly trained drivers known to populate the continent. After that level of effort and treasure expended it would be hard for me to throw it to the high probability of damage and destruction. That's one of the "real" questions inquiring minds want to know...
However, respectfully, I can't help but scratch my balding noggin' on the utility factor; for example, bobbing the bed in an overlanding vehicle intended for sustained travel and self-sufficiency? Purposefully gutting load carrying capacity for what reason... departure angle? Adding tie-downs, track rails, Roto-Pax in a diminutive-sized bed are for naught unless you rejoice in austerity and misery. Goodness - where will the Campaign furniture be stored? It's just me and I'm pretty much packed to the gunnels on my full-sized Tacoma bed - and your build hacked-off some serious cube capacity (insert tsk-tsk-tsk here). But, I'll be patient for the epiphany you are about to reveal...
The real mystery to me though... I'd really hate to see if that one-off, custom ($ to the third power, beau coup labor) front end or tail gate get "dented" by one of the very responsible, highly trained drivers known to populate the continent. After that level of effort and treasure expended it would be hard for me to throw it to the high probability of damage and destruction. That's one of the "real" questions inquiring minds want to know...
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
LMFAO!!!
TangoBlue
American Adventurist
Oh - meoowww!
Containerized
Adventurer
I'd definitely be the first to admit this truck is partly - perhaps mostly - a stylistic experiment. But I'm pleased with the progress in the past few weeks. After hundreds of man-hours invested, I think it's getting closer to what I wanted... a retro embodiment of classic Toyota stuff thrown into a single truck. Not for everyone's taste... but if it were, Toyota would have produced it by now.
If I wanted a self-sufficient vehicle for long-range (weeks?) overlanding, I'd make very different choices. I'd buy a 70 Series, or even a 70 Series pickup - either would be better-suited. But, for what I plan to use the vehicle for, which is shorter trips (3 to 4 days between hard structure hotels), even a stock Tacoma or Hilux would be fine. Really, anything with sufficient ground clearance, 4WD, and the ability to carry a few duffle bags and a tent would be fine. But we all love toys and features and "stuff"... and this is a combination of a lot of the "stuff" that I currently like.
One of the difficulties of this thing is combining everything so it looks as "factory" as possible, an investment I didn't make in the FJC project... this "factory" quality requires a lot of extra time and money invested, but it's worth it (to me). I spent months and months, including sending someone to England for a few weeks, to get all the right trim bits and leather samples to restore my old Aston's interior a few years ago and it was a ton of work, but it was also a quest to make the thing look perfect, like it left the factory yesterday. Here, the goal isn't to get this truck back to "original" but the opposite: make something totally new seem like it was that way from the beginning. Purists will hate it, but I'm enjoying the process. And that's really what this project is all about.
Currently on a private game reserve here in the Republic (South Africa) and it's a gorgeous, sunny day. Not too cool, beautiful colors on the ground. And it'd be enjoyable to drive through in any vehicle... but I look forward to taking the new truck back and forth to the Continent a few times.
Note: As for concerns about the bed bobbing and so on, one thing is that I don't know that I'll do many more single-vehicle trips. If you're traveling with one or two other vehicles, the payload of this vehicle becomes less of an issue. But I don't know that this vehicle will be unable to pull its own weight... in fact, I suspect it will be just fine for three, four, or even five-day pushes across sub-Saharan Africa or other areas of similar demands and climate. After a few recent trips (Sudan, Somaliland, western China), it just doesn't seem worth the risks inherent in a single-vehicle trip when the cost of shipping two or three vehicles rather than one is not, in the greater scheme of planning, a huge amount of money. And I feel I'm getting to a point where taking more risk for its own sake is not longer "fun"... so, you'll likely see this vehicle traveling with one or two Toyota friends, including maybe its cousin, the Hilux (our company has half a dozen additional Hiluxes on order for this year, so there should be plenty to go around).
If I wanted a self-sufficient vehicle for long-range (weeks?) overlanding, I'd make very different choices. I'd buy a 70 Series, or even a 70 Series pickup - either would be better-suited. But, for what I plan to use the vehicle for, which is shorter trips (3 to 4 days between hard structure hotels), even a stock Tacoma or Hilux would be fine. Really, anything with sufficient ground clearance, 4WD, and the ability to carry a few duffle bags and a tent would be fine. But we all love toys and features and "stuff"... and this is a combination of a lot of the "stuff" that I currently like.
One of the difficulties of this thing is combining everything so it looks as "factory" as possible, an investment I didn't make in the FJC project... this "factory" quality requires a lot of extra time and money invested, but it's worth it (to me). I spent months and months, including sending someone to England for a few weeks, to get all the right trim bits and leather samples to restore my old Aston's interior a few years ago and it was a ton of work, but it was also a quest to make the thing look perfect, like it left the factory yesterday. Here, the goal isn't to get this truck back to "original" but the opposite: make something totally new seem like it was that way from the beginning. Purists will hate it, but I'm enjoying the process. And that's really what this project is all about.
Currently on a private game reserve here in the Republic (South Africa) and it's a gorgeous, sunny day. Not too cool, beautiful colors on the ground. And it'd be enjoyable to drive through in any vehicle... but I look forward to taking the new truck back and forth to the Continent a few times.
Note: As for concerns about the bed bobbing and so on, one thing is that I don't know that I'll do many more single-vehicle trips. If you're traveling with one or two other vehicles, the payload of this vehicle becomes less of an issue. But I don't know that this vehicle will be unable to pull its own weight... in fact, I suspect it will be just fine for three, four, or even five-day pushes across sub-Saharan Africa or other areas of similar demands and climate. After a few recent trips (Sudan, Somaliland, western China), it just doesn't seem worth the risks inherent in a single-vehicle trip when the cost of shipping two or three vehicles rather than one is not, in the greater scheme of planning, a huge amount of money. And I feel I'm getting to a point where taking more risk for its own sake is not longer "fun"... so, you'll likely see this vehicle traveling with one or two Toyota friends, including maybe its cousin, the Hilux (our company has half a dozen additional Hiluxes on order for this year, so there should be plenty to go around).
Containerized
Adventurer
And, yes, we're working on ways to repurpose the spare location. Updates to follow...
TangoBlue
American Adventurist
Like I said, it's a spectacular build and I appreciate the stylistic changes you've incorporated... I just don't want to see/hope it doesn't get destroyed - it's so unique it needs to be cherished. Thanks and I get your explanation - it makes sense when working as a team - you've clearly thought things out for your application.
I'll be following execution of your vision closely as it's been exciting to see it take shape. Good luck!
Clutch
<---Pass
I realize that this particular truck has been posted but I thought of you today when I stumbled upon this pic again
Now that is a Retro-Mod front end! Totally spot on! :ylsmoke:
I could live without the tube bumpers though, maybe if they used a larger diameter tubing...maybe. Or left them off altogether.
I agree with Cam. He's actually using his vehicles in Africa.... and has enough experience and a large enough pocket book to know what he wants. Why criticize what he's building if that's what he wants?
His FJC met his needs for a previous "deployment" to Africa. I'm thinking the Taco will work better anyways, and I look forward to seeing similar pictures:
For the most part, he built the FJC with bolt on parts. I commend him for making this truck his. Why not?
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...Way-Ticket-Colorado-to-South-Sudan?highlight=
Clutch
<---Pass
I agree with Cam as well, it is a purpose built mo-chine....he did say the front it mostly for looks, and not function though.
Still think it is being built for gawker status, since a sliced and diced Tacoma is gonna be a pretty rare bird on the red earth continent.
It's already been stated that Tacomas are rare to begin with.
At least he's not cruising the streets of Mombasa with this:
:sombrero:
At least he's not cruising the streets of Mombasa with this:
:sombrero:
Containerized
Adventurer
spd33 - Again, I wish Toyota had taken the retro pickup concept further. Other than the SFA and graphics, it just looks like a new Taco to me. There's a sleeper appeal to having a brand new, reliable, exactly-as-you-want-it thing that most people - whether a pedestrian or a checkpoint policeman - will write off as an old truck... 