red98
I'm Awesome
ALL PICS IN THIS ALBUM BECAUSE I'M TOO DUMB TO GET THEM TO DISPLAY ON THE THREAD. https://www.gmt400.com/media/albums/red98s-build-thread-album.1399/
I have a strong feeling this is going to be one of the most ghetto/childish/hated build threads on here, feel free to rip into it, or whatever, what's done is done, and it's probably only going to get worse. Continue at your own risk of cringing. This is my first truck, and has been and will continue to be a learning experience for me.
Preview attachment image6.png
Here's what she looked like before I got my hands on her, someone has just done a drive-by and blasted out the window on what was at the time my Dad's truck, as well as the window on my first car, a 2005 Scion xA.
I bought the truck from my Dad for $600, at the time it was stuck in "limp mode" and only had 1st and 2nd gear, and didn't want to rev up at all. I took it to my shade-tree who fixed it in less than 5 minutes once he got a scan tool on it, said the timing was out by 30 degrees or more, he fiddled with the distributor for a minute, checked it again, and it was at -1 degree out, the truck suddenly had 3rd and 4th gear and would pin the Tach no problem, it was a miracle. I still have no clue what he actually did, and when I describe it, it doesn't seem to make a lotta sense, unless my dist was "stabbed" in wrong, and he just re-stabbed it into the right position. He wasn't even gonna charge me but being a decent customer I told him I was gonna pay for at least half an hour for his time ($49). So $649 total for a pretty much perfectly functional truck.
Preview attachment image4.jpeg
First outing in the woods, took her down some snowy logging roads, all I had done to it at this point was put in a window, and got the distributor fixed, and swapped the rear bench for a pristine one from a wrecking yard (original had a can of insulation spray foam explode on it on a hot summer day decades ago), set me back $75.
Here's where everyone is gonna start to hate me, I got some light pods as a gift and chopped the upper grille to bolt those into the grille, I got a large reflector style light bar on clearance and bolted it to the front bumper, and I got 2 floodlights that are wired to my reverse lights, and bolted those to the top of my rear bumper.
I work at a dealership with a pretty busy bodyshop, and I'm the guy who does all the bodyshop ordering, so when I see a truck come thru and its getting accessories replaced, I always check out the old one to see if its useable, because insurance will replace anything that even gets a scuff on it, so we throw out 99% good stuff all the time. I scavenged my bullbar off of an '08 Avalanche, and my boards are from a 2016ish Tacoma.
Obviously the accessories off different trucks don't just bolt on, so I had to get creative. I found like 12 old hitch receivers in the bodyshop scrap pile, took them home (with permission), and chopped them up with my Dad's old plasma cutter (first time welding, and plasma cutting all in one day, pretty exciting) and then used the various tubes and square lengths of steel to fab up some brackets for my bullbar and my running boards.
Pictured below is my 2nd or 3rd practice weld ever, according to my Dad I'm a bit of a natural. I probably spent 10 hours that day between the welder and the plasma cutter though, so I had some experience by the time I was done.
Preview attachment image3.jpeg
The boards are held on by 2 3"x3"ish plates welded straight to the frame, then there are 3-4" long steel tubes with like 1/2" side wall welded onto those plates, which have a bevel cut (done with the plasma cutter) into the outward facing end, which the round of the running board fits into, which are then all welded up. Extremely ghetto, I know, but they look good and haven't fallen off yet. The bull bar is held on by long brackets that I slid into the front frame rails, where the tow hooks used to be, then welded em in place onto the frame, then bolted the bull bar to my fabricated brackets.
Preview attachment image1.jpeg
Pic of the garage where all the "magic" happened. I was throwing slag and sparks onto my dad's buddie's El Camino roller project all day, he was not happy about that LOL.
Preview attachment image0.jpeg
Last pic for now, got my 33x12.5x18 Patagonia Milestar M/T's installed, total price installed was under $600, got a killer deal on Amazon. No other notable mods, just oil changes, fuel filter, and I had a run in with my ICM like everyone else has, and smoked my starter while diagnosing, so it got a starter, wiring, ICM, cap, and rotor. I have been doing everything that comes up myself, seems like a good way to learn.
Still on the list:
Front Steering/Suspension needs to be done in its entirety
Lift Kit
Bigger Tires
Delete rear cats
BB Tune
Thanks for readin!
Comments, questions and concerns welcome.
PS: I've never formatted anything before on a Forum so I hope this post looks decent LOL
I have a strong feeling this is going to be one of the most ghetto/childish/hated build threads on here, feel free to rip into it, or whatever, what's done is done, and it's probably only going to get worse. Continue at your own risk of cringing. This is my first truck, and has been and will continue to be a learning experience for me.
Preview attachment image6.png
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Here's what she looked like before I got my hands on her, someone has just done a drive-by and blasted out the window on what was at the time my Dad's truck, as well as the window on my first car, a 2005 Scion xA.
I bought the truck from my Dad for $600, at the time it was stuck in "limp mode" and only had 1st and 2nd gear, and didn't want to rev up at all. I took it to my shade-tree who fixed it in less than 5 minutes once he got a scan tool on it, said the timing was out by 30 degrees or more, he fiddled with the distributor for a minute, checked it again, and it was at -1 degree out, the truck suddenly had 3rd and 4th gear and would pin the Tach no problem, it was a miracle. I still have no clue what he actually did, and when I describe it, it doesn't seem to make a lotta sense, unless my dist was "stabbed" in wrong, and he just re-stabbed it into the right position. He wasn't even gonna charge me but being a decent customer I told him I was gonna pay for at least half an hour for his time ($49). So $649 total for a pretty much perfectly functional truck.
Preview attachment image4.jpeg
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images attach
First outing in the woods, took her down some snowy logging roads, all I had done to it at this point was put in a window, and got the distributor fixed, and swapped the rear bench for a pristine one from a wrecking yard (original had a can of insulation spray foam explode on it on a hot summer day decades ago), set me back $75.
Here's where everyone is gonna start to hate me, I got some light pods as a gift and chopped the upper grille to bolt those into the grille, I got a large reflector style light bar on clearance and bolted it to the front bumper, and I got 2 floodlights that are wired to my reverse lights, and bolted those to the top of my rear bumper.
I work at a dealership with a pretty busy bodyshop, and I'm the guy who does all the bodyshop ordering, so when I see a truck come thru and its getting accessories replaced, I always check out the old one to see if its useable, because insurance will replace anything that even gets a scuff on it, so we throw out 99% good stuff all the time. I scavenged my bullbar off of an '08 Avalanche, and my boards are from a 2016ish Tacoma.
Obviously the accessories off different trucks don't just bolt on, so I had to get creative. I found like 12 old hitch receivers in the bodyshop scrap pile, took them home (with permission), and chopped them up with my Dad's old plasma cutter (first time welding, and plasma cutting all in one day, pretty exciting) and then used the various tubes and square lengths of steel to fab up some brackets for my bullbar and my running boards.
Pictured below is my 2nd or 3rd practice weld ever, according to my Dad I'm a bit of a natural. I probably spent 10 hours that day between the welder and the plasma cutter though, so I had some experience by the time I was done.
Preview attachment image3.jpeg
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images attach
The boards are held on by 2 3"x3"ish plates welded straight to the frame, then there are 3-4" long steel tubes with like 1/2" side wall welded onto those plates, which have a bevel cut (done with the plasma cutter) into the outward facing end, which the round of the running board fits into, which are then all welded up. Extremely ghetto, I know, but they look good and haven't fallen off yet. The bull bar is held on by long brackets that I slid into the front frame rails, where the tow hooks used to be, then welded em in place onto the frame, then bolted the bull bar to my fabricated brackets.
Preview attachment image1.jpeg
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images attach
Pic of the garage where all the "magic" happened. I was throwing slag and sparks onto my dad's buddie's El Camino roller project all day, he was not happy about that LOL.
Preview attachment image0.jpeg
You must be registered for see images
You must be registered for see images attach
Last pic for now, got my 33x12.5x18 Patagonia Milestar M/T's installed, total price installed was under $600, got a killer deal on Amazon. No other notable mods, just oil changes, fuel filter, and I had a run in with my ICM like everyone else has, and smoked my starter while diagnosing, so it got a starter, wiring, ICM, cap, and rotor. I have been doing everything that comes up myself, seems like a good way to learn.
Still on the list:
Front Steering/Suspension needs to be done in its entirety
Lift Kit
Bigger Tires
Delete rear cats
BB Tune
Thanks for readin!
Comments, questions and concerns welcome.
PS: I've never formatted anything before on a Forum so I hope this post looks decent LOL
Last edited:
