Dirtboy's Build

[Dirtboy2009]

Hey everybody. A little about me.

I live in Copperas Cove, Texas. I moved here from Great Falls Montana after I retired from 22 years in the Air Force. (I hate being cold). I've been married to my beautiful wife for 28 years. I'm originally from Ligonier Pennsylvania.

You may think my build is amateur because they are small, inexpensive, but I'm not building a monster truck. I did them because it makes the truck mine.

This the day I bought the truck. Plain Jane SR5.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

My first upgrade were the side steps. Tyger steps from Amazon. Great price and super nice rails.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

I had to add some window stickage.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

stickers. Niece made this nice addition for me.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Next came new wheels. I chose black Vision Turbine.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Then I got bold and added these cheesey carbon fiber really stripes.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

I saw on another site how easy it was to remove the front spoiler, so bye-bye.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Then I blacked out the chrome stick-ons.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

I had to ditch the stock grill and add some Tacoma lights.

 

[Bird dog]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Welcome aboard.

Thanks. I have a few more photos to upoad to complete the build.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Got some tailgate inlay letters and seat covers.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

This was supposed to be a two-part model. I got some amber & white LED strip lights. The amber were suppose to be for the turn signals, but I never got them working properly so I ditched that idea. The white lights are connected to the dome light and serve as some nice puddle lights.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

The next addition is a nice set of Faulkin Wild Peaks

 

[CapeTaco]

Hey Dirtboy its CapeTaco I'm in !

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Aaaaand, the most recent mod is to cover those ugly chrome bumper caps with some black plastidip.

Hey Dirtboy its CapeTaco I'm in !

Welcome to the family CT!!!

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Today was the most intrusive and frustrating upgrade.

I installed this USB port.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

I knew I had to tear the dash apart, but I didn't know how far. I'll try and explain it for anyone who may be interested.

Start by pulling the upper trim panel, (yellow circle below) the one around the radio. It just pops off.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

You may want to loosen the radio bolts, but there is no need to remove the radio.

Then you need to pull the upper right flange of the panel below the steering wheel. It's the part in this photo with the louvers. Here too there is no need to remove this panel, just give this upper flange a tug and it will un clip. This is necessary because the panel below the radio hooks in behind this flange (red circle in photo below.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Now you can remove the climate control panel. Just tive it a tug and it will unclip. Disconnect the plugs on the back so the panel can be taken out of the way (red circle in first photo).

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Now you need to pull the panel above the glove box. So you can pull the left side of the glove box.

Start by removing the screw on the left corner of this panel. There is another screw that you can't see yet so don't go ripping this panel off yet!

now pull the right side dash panel (1 below). I used my plastic pry tools to unclip this one.

Then pull the panel under that (2 below)

Now you can remove the second screw holding the panel above the glove box on and take it out of the way.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

The next problem is the glove box is holding the right side of the panel holding the 12v plug. So, open the glove box and remove the two screws securing the top of the glove box and give it a tug just enough to to get some room to tug and unclip the top portion of the lower panel. Just enough to get to the back of the outlet.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

To remove the 12v outlet, there are 2 clips holding the metal sleeve in place. I used a small screw driver to push the clips in while pushing from the back.

Then use that small screw driver to push the clips holding the cap ring in place.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

My replacement outlet was just a smidgen too big so I had to use my Drexel to make the hole about an eight of an inch bigger.

Then I connected the outlet with a pair of jumper wires I made. Note here, put the lock ring on and connect the wires. I didn't connect the wires and dropped the ring. For this stupid move I got to remove my Center console to get the lock ring back. Not fun.

Now temp connect the climate control panel so you can turn the key and test your outlet. If you connect it backwards it won't work. You don't want to findbthis out after you put everything back together. Another note, my outlet has a Power button (see photo below). You have to turn it on after the outlet gets power.

Once you get the outlet working, reverse the process th put everything back together.

 

[Dirtboy2009]

If you make this upgrade, take your time and don't force these panels. The clips release pretty easily.

The way the lower panel hooks in behind the glove box was the most frustrating.

Hope this helps. Enjoy.

 

[B-Man]

Great write-up Scott!

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Great write-up Scott!

Thanks Brian! It was a royal pain in the keaster.

 

[bonifacio]

My replacement outlet was just a smidgen too big so I had to use my Drexel to make the hole about an eight of an inch bigger.

Then I connected the outlet with a pair of jumper wires I made. Note here, put the lock ring on and connect the wires. I didn't connect the wires and dropped the ring. For this stupid move I got to remove my Center console to get the lock ring back. Not fun.

Now temp connect the climate control panel so you can turn the key and test your outlet. If you connect it backwards it won't work. You don't want to findbthis out after you put everything back together. Another note, my outlet has a Power button (see photo below). You have to turn it on after the outlet gets power.

Once you get the outlet working, reverse the process th put everything back together.

That power button is pretty nifty. Have a link to it?

 

[Dirtboy2009]

Link it is..

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F37WPDN/?tag=tacoma3g-20

That power button is pretty nifty. Have a link to it?

 

[Dirtboy2009]

The only downside to the power button is remembering to turn it on. I've plugged my phone in 3 times already and forgot to turn it on.