Florida Tacoma build

[BogusBlake]

Whoa, dude! Now that's a project! It'll look sweet if you can keep all the seams looking clean.

*tuning in for more*

 

[Nullifier]

:bowdown: wow...

Do you plan on doing all of the work yourself?

for the most part yes. I will cut my cab up and fit the new section on. Plus do all the pre paint work. Then I will take it in to have it painted. I will recuit a few friends that are more knowledgable about some of the fine points of this type of swap, but since I have built several ground up hot rods and done a fair amount of my own work on those, I am not expecting to many head aches. It is part of the reason I decided to section in a new half cab rather then do a full cab swap. I felt that it was less of an evil to section the body then undo all the dash and wiring and steering and on and on.

 

[p1michaud]

Cab swap.

will get started on the swap after I get back home from the Galapagos so it will be April before I get out the tools for this one.

I have read at least one thread on TTORA where the guy swapped an extended cab over to a double cab. Pretty cool read and lots of work. Will you be keeping your existing frame? What are you going to do about your bed?
Can't wait to see this project unfold!
Cheers,
P

 

[Nullifier]

I am keeping the same frame. The stock bed is obviously going away. I am going to replace it wil an aluminum flatbed. I will incorperate fold down removable sides and tailgate. I plan on making the side panels strong enough to use as sand and bridging ladders.

 

[Scott Brady]

What about a double cab bed?

Check out the UTE bed too.

 

[Nullifier]

What about a double cab bed?

Check out the UTE bed too.

I thought about that but my feeling is that there is just to much real estate with a factory bed. To much paint and crap to worry about. I think an all aluminum side panel will be easier to maintain and less to worry about on the trail. I looked at the ute bed but they are so much wider then the cab. I was planning on building a bed equal in width to my cab. THis way there is less to drag along the tight walls of tellico when I'm up there.

 

[4Rescue]

I thought about that but my feeling is that there is just to much real estate with a factory bed. To much paint and crap to worry about. I think an all aluminum side panel will be easier to maintain and less to worry about on the trail. I looked at the ute bed but they are so much wider then the cab. I was planning on building a bed equal in width to my cab. THis way there is less to drag along the tight walls of tellico when I'm up there.

Bro, I'm with you, the ute beds stick out ALOT!!! I racked more than a few and if you can build things witch you obviously can, you could just build a ute bed, they're pretty much a simple straight forward flatbed with a few pin hinges for removability and some swinging latches to hold it all together...

 

[Nullifier]

Bro, I'm with you, the ute beds stick out ALOT!!! I racked more than a few and if you can build things witch you obviously can, you could just build a ute bed, they're pretty much a simple straight forward flatbed with a few pin hinges for removability and some swinging latches to hold it all together...

yea that was my htought exactly. I have detailed pics of the ute even undernieth so I will use some of that as a model but I want it to "fit" my truck. I have already had several people tell me aluminum is dumb cause it won't hold up but I do not want the rig to wiegh a million pounds in the back. I will build the bed empolying some smart design to ensure both light wieght and high strength. Besides rock crawling is not a major part of my rigs diet. It does go crawling now and then but that is not the #1 or even #3 thing for my truck.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Man that is a ambitious step! Look forward to seeing that done.

Have you seen the Project Quasimodo thread at Pirate4x4 ? Some great ideas in it along the lines of what you are doing for the bed. They also have a flat bed picture thread. The link to it is in the FAQ post stickied to the top. They are doing some work on the forum right now and its down so I couldn't get you the direct links.

 

[Nullifier]

If you buy it it will come. the x cab will be here this coming weekend! Mike is bringing it back this week. he will be picking it up in Ohio for me Thursday. :jump:

The next pic will be of it in my garage :rockon:

 

[Nullifier]

Well no pic but it made it home to my garage yesterday. THe cuts a re super clean. After sizing it up I do not belive it will be as difficult as I thought. just tediou sna nd time consuming. I still think that this is a better plan of attack the removing the whole cab and swaping a full xcab in.
Now I need to track down a driverside quarter window and some of the interior trim pieces for the xcab section.

 

[Nullifier]

Ok some updates finally. Weell after all that xcabwork we have decided to not do it. The main reason is because of the fct that the xcab will force me into atleast a 3" boby lift and I do not feel comfortable doing that for longterm durability issues. Not to mention reworking the armour so for now a reg cab it stays.

However the UPS 18 wheeler delivered something to me today any ideas what it could be? It was built in Oz andthe shipped wieght was 380lbs!!! Item itself is about 250#s

 

[gearbox]

Safari rack?

 

[Nullifier]

ok a little better peak inside the box

 

[Willman]

Flatbed?????