Vehicle Description
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.
