You pick up the magazine because a really trick rig catches your gaze. Your eyeballs scan across the pages - across the high-zoot motor, the custom chrome-moly chassis, the long-travel suspension, and the glass-like expanses of artistic body hues. Wow, you think. I want one!
But in a moment you come back to Earth realizing that owning a truck valued at the price of some small houses is just not in your budget. But that doesn't mean you can't have a fun piece of the action and a cool-looking truck to boot. This Toyota Tacoma was built for fun, a little flash, and with a budget in mind.
Juan Qiroz is a big fan of the desert race scene, and he races or attends events whenever he can. He wanted a truck that could comfortably serve as a daily driver, mild prerunner, and desert spectator vehicle while accompanied by his wife and two daughters. What you see here is an '05 4WD Tacoma that started its showroom life as a TRD Off-Road model several years back.
Juan scored his project base in the form of a bone-stock truck with only 19,000 miles showing on the odometer. He'd been wanting to do a build such as this for a while and began looking for the donor on which to transplant his ideas. His chance came at a local auto auction where this Tacoma, that was likely stolen and then vandalized, went on the auction list. After placing the winning bid, Juan trailered the truck home. The fact that it was wrecked was a plus toward procuring a cheaper starting point. The crumpled areas weren't an issue, as they were body parts that would be replaced anyway.
Mechanically, the drivetrain of the truck was in as good of shape as one would expect for a low-mileage Toyota. The one part that was damaged was a rear axleshaft. A trip to the local Toyota dealer soon had a new replacement in hand. All four corners got the fiberglass treatment via Glassworks Unlimited, and a new Toyota sport hood with scoop landed up front to enhance the overall stance of the body lines.
Juan performed all the upgrades on the truck himself except the gear installs and the body painting. Ken Francisco in Chandler, Arizona, swapped in gearing to a lower 4.10 ratio to help with turning the planned 315/70R17 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on Walker Evans Racing beadlocks.
Under the front clip, Sway-A-Way coilovers help with the damping duties and give the nose a 2- to 3-inch lift.
At this point, Juan has about $16,000 into the Tacoma, and that includes the cost of the truck. Parts shopping included watching some Internet classified and swap sites for some of the build pieces he needed. For about half the cost of a new truck and with a good bit of his own handiwork, Juan has a rig that looks good and drives great. The truck handles rough terrain well, even with the mild suspension changes. We took it blasting around some rutted dirt roads and sandy washes, and the V-6 motor scoots it around nicely, turning the 35-inch tires with ease.
Juan's not quite done yet as he's still adding to the truck. The to-do list includes the addition of a bed-mounted spare carrier and upgraded leaf springs and shocks for the rear. In its current state it's still plenty of fun and a capable ride.
So the next time you're looking to own a cool truck for your off-road pursuits, consider the advantage of a little DIY sweat equity to reach that goal. Juan has taken a beaten vehicle and turned it into a pleasurable daily driver, weekend prerunner, and desert chase truck.
 Juan provided us this photo...  Juan provided us this photo showing the truck during its transformation from a salvaged Tacoma with significant body damage. Fortunately, the cab was fully intact and in good condition. Both damaged bumpers and all four fenders were stripped off to start the project. |  Glassworks Unlimited front...  Glassworks Unlimited front fenders and bedsides offer 4-plus-inch flare and 3-inch rise to clear room for bigger tires and full upward suspension travel. The fiberglass components replaced the stock sheetmetal and were all painted to match the factory Speedway Blue color. |  Juan has another Toyota for...  Juan has another Toyota for more serious desert pursuits. His Class 7 '01 Tacoma runs under the Q-Racing name, hence the support decals on the hood and cab. The Toyota sport scooped steel hood was added and painted as well. |
 Up front, rebuildable Sway-A-Way...  Up front, rebuildable Sway-A-Way 2.0 coilovers keep the suspension in check and raise the nose of the truck a few inches. The ride is firmer than stock but supple enough to soak up small bumps well and still yield a nice street ride. |  For now the rear suspension...  For now the rear suspension remains stock. The factory leaf packs and Bilstein shocks do a fair job until the whoops get bigger. Rebuildable shocks and high-performance springs are on the to-do list as a future upgrade. Gearing has been changed to 4.10 by sourcing a salvaged Tacoma gearset, and further traction comes from the factory electric locker. |  Walker Evans Racing beadlocks...  Walker Evans Racing beadlocks with blue-anodized rings keep the tire beads in place and add to the overall look of the Tacoma. The performance wheels are shod with 315/70R17 BFG All-Terrains that provide a smooth highway ride and play well in the desert. Juan had to do some serious rework at the firewall and body mounts to clear the 35-inch tires when the suspension is fully stuffed. |
 The engine is stock to maintain...  The engine is stock to maintain excellent reliability, save for a simple air-intake mod to improve breathing. An Optima RedTop ensures there's no liquid acid to leak when the truck is bounced about. The 4.0L V-6 motor provides plenty of power and is backed with the factory five-speed auto tranny. |  The cab sports a fine mix...  The cab sports a fine mix of factory convenience with performance upgrades. Stereo, cruise, tilt, and power accessories make long trips comfortable, while the race seats and 2-meter Yaesu tell you this truck was built with an eye toward desert fun and safety. The carpet was replaced with 1/8-inch neoprene rubber, so spilled drinks, ice cream (kids, remember?), and dirt are not a problem. |  Juan fabricated new seat mounts...  Juan fabricated new seat mounts inside and topped them with a quartet of RaceCraft Suspension race seats. There are two seats up front for the adults and two seats in back for his daughters to ride along. The tubing rack that supports the back seats also has provisions for strapping a cooler between the seats. Factory three-point seatbelts are retained and work with the race seats. |
 The engine gets a bit more...  The engine gets a bit more energy with the addition of a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust. |  Juan fabricated the front...  Juan fabricated the front tube bumper and topped it with a pair of Hella Rallye 4000 lights. Below that is an aluminum skidplate to keep debris out of the radiator and front suspension components. | |