For Sale: 2001 Toyota Tacoma in Lavergne, Tennessee

If you walk into a showroom, Toyota will sell you a 4x4 pickup that kind of looks the part of an off-roader, decals and all. But if you're serious about playing in the dirt, you need something better suited to the task, something like this 2001 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with all the important upgrades.

Featured on the TV show "Xtreme Off Road," this Tacoma was treated to a full makeover designed to create a truck that can go just about anywhere and do it in comfort. Obviously the bodywork is stock and toyota's build quality speaks for itself; after 18 years of off-road fun, this one still looks pretty good. Oversized fender flares accommodate equally oversized tires and oversized wheel travel, not to mention adding a butch look. Up front there's a custom off-road bumper with a 9000-pound winch tucked inside, plus a custom grille. A variety of decals add some color against the silver bodywork and the bed is topped by a folding Bestop cover that's practical as well as giving the truck a purposeful look. The tailgate has a few bumps that are to be expected on a truck that gets to see real action, but for the most part the quad cab pickup is in fantastic shape, suggesting that someone has taken very good care of it. Inside the bed, you'll find a drop-in bedliner and a full-sized spare, just what you need when AAA is completely out of the question.

The tan interior is pure Toyota, so it's comfortable and laid out properly for daily use. Heavy-duty Carhartt seat covers are easy to clean so they don't mind going with you into the dirt and with the quad cab body, there's room for three of your friends. Everything works, because, obviously, it's a Toyota, and with white-faced gauges there's a bit of a sporty attitude, too. Options include A/C, power window and locks, a tilt steering column, and cruise control so it'll never feel like a hardship to use it as a real-world vehicle. It also features an AM/FM/CD stereo that sounds decent. Given the truck's impressive abilities, the interior is remarkably docile.

Mechanically, this truck has the right equipment for serious off-road work. The 3.4 liter V6 is plenty torquey to climb through the rough stuff, augmented by 4.88 gears in the custom Dana 44 front axle fed by a Tom Woods front driveshaft, plus the stock Toyota rear axle, which is plenty stout. The original 4-speed automatic transmission shifts cleanly and speaking of clean, look at the engine bay, which doesn't look like it has spent much time off-road. The suspension has a 10-inch lift from an All-Pro suspension that also features Bilstein coil-over shocks, PAK springs, and a Summit suspension leveling kit with custom leaf springs. Wilwood disc brakes increase stopping power in a significant way, especially with those big KMC XD wheels and 37x12.50-17 Continental off-road radials.

You probably couldn't come close to building this truck yourself for the asking price. Add in the TV history, the Toyota reliability, and the relatively subtle but functional look, and you get a truck that's fun and practical for not a lot of cash. This truck was previously issued a rebuilt title from a previous accident, it has passed all Tennessee requirements for being on the road.