Originally Posted by T.A.Kirk

One of the joys of buying a used vehicle is trying to puzzle through what the previous owner may or may not have done to it during their ownership. Little things like swapping out the headlights for HID, installing the Tundra brake upgrade, stuff like that.

What makes it really difficult and aggravating for a new owner is to find that a mod was done, and then have to puzzle through what the PO did, where they got the parts, and what specifically was installed. Good luck figuring out the supplier for a lot of this stuff, especially if the manuals and so forth were not retained.

And, yeah... It would be pretty much par for the course if a half-ass PO wouldn't bother with making any notes about mods in the first damn place, but if there were an industry-wide standard, then we could at least make a beginning at the issue.

I'd suggest maybe a log-book style affair, kept with and maybe attached to the owner's manual, something that a mechanic or 4X4 shop would make their modification notes to, and have everybody in the industry standardize on the size of the things to make that workable.

Like as not, I get that there are a bunch of people out there who just ain't going to bother, but it'd be nice if there were at least a framework to work within, to make it easier. It'd also be a damn good selling point, were you to have such a thing to point at when going to sell the rig--"Hey, looky here... I logged all the work and modifications, and here are the supporting documents all properly included in the vehicle log...".

King Canute, and all that... I get it. But, geez... Wouldn't it be nice if people actually did something like this? And, if we had an industry-wide standard operating procedure?

Originally Posted by 128keaton

Okay this thread has inspired me to make a word document modeled off the TSB Documents. Would be cool if you maintained your own private repository of documented changes to your car, that way if you pass on your vehicle, you have a fat stack of documentation for the new owner.

http://stuff.128keaton.com/toyota-te...-template.docx

Here is an example I typed up for a horn swap I did:
TMD Document Example by keaton.burleson, on Flickr

Originally Posted by 4Runner fun

I didn't mean to sound like I was arguing , but those three statements sound like a database of sorts, also you mentioned a standardization of upgrades, If owners are doing things and logging them privately how would enthusiasts or shop owners know this data unless you publish it publicly.

Originally Posted by T.A.Kirk

That's more like it... We need a template, and maybe some way of marking the vehicle itself to alert people working on them.

One of the issues with things like doing the Tundra Brake Upgrade is that if you or, say, your significant other, ever has to let the dealer or someone else work on the vehicle, whoever is actually turning the wrenches on it is going to be going "WTF...?!?!?! This ain't right...".

Don't have a way of alerting people to this sort of thing, and you may well wind up with someone "doing you a favor...", and returning your truck to stock. "Oh, my gawd, baby... I took your truck in to the dealer, and they said you had the wrong brakes on there!! You could have died!!".

Documentation could be a lifesaver, in such situations. Or, at least, a relationship-saver...

Originally Posted by 128keaton

Yeah! Exactly. I've had a couple "tire experts" point out a couple 'non-stock' things and I've had to explain to them what the hell was up.

RE: TBU. One could easily type up one a piece for the 199 and the 231 parts and mark a couple of notices on the page with the right brake pad replacements and whatnot. Everyone could easily print a copy and keep in inside their glovebox to place on the driver's seat when going in for related service.

Originally Posted by T.A.Kirk

That's why I am raising the issue... What we need is something that's a little less obtrusive than painting "MODIFIED FROM STOCK" on the body of the truck in 18" letters on all four sides, and well-known enough to have people know to look for when they find something that's not what they're expecting from bone-stock.

I like the idea of maybe painting a stencil of the truck on all four sides on the underside of the hood, and then putting a paint dot/number on each mod's location, and then the person doing the work on the vehicle knows to eyeball the glovebox for the owner's manual binder where they're going to find all the records of the modifications.

Originally Posted by Spktyr

There is already a standard (and legally defined!) set of areas to document modifications to a vehicle - it's just that outside of manufacturers nobody bothers to use them and certainly few non-professional people bother to read them.

The two locations that have been defined as places to notify service personnel that a vehicle has been modified from original configuration are:
1. A decal placed in plain view on the underside of the hood.
2. A decal placed in plain view on the radiator cross-support.

This is where manufacturers and occasionally service techs are legally obligated to note significant changes to a vehicle. R-134a conversions are supposed to be noted with decals placed in these areas, for example. There are companies making underhood decals for engine swaps in older American cars for notification and in the case of California, legal reasons:


Unfortunately, few people think to follow this standard and fewer still even bother to read them. Instead they do stupid crap like this with their underhood areas:


Anyway, once I get my Tundra Brake Upgrade finished (almost there!) I intend to get an official-looking decal or plaque printed up for the radiator cross-support indicating the brake system swap. I have also considered stenciling some sort of notification on the frame on each side to the effect of "WARNING: BRAKE UPGRADE INSTALLED - 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA 231MM 13WL" or similar in contrasting text colors that you can't miss if you take the wheel off.

Originally Posted by theesotericone

It won't be a reality because not many are going to take the time to do it even if there is a framework in place IMO.

Originally Posted by 128keaton

Okay this thread has inspired me to make a word document modeled off the TSB Documents. Would be cool if you maintained your own private repository of documented changes to your car, that way if you pass on your vehicle, you have a fat stack of documentation for the new owner.

http://stuff.128keaton.com/toyota-te...-template.docx

Here is an example I typed up for a horn swap I did:
TMD Document Example by keaton.burleson, on Flickr