totaled the 3rd gen

[D Farms]

If someone is planning on buying a "Done Right Built Truck" chances are a salvage title is not going to be their main concern. One thing to always remember to do things for yourself and not some random person else in the future. Besides, once you put a lift, clearance for 35s and some nice bumpers, salvage title or not, you'll have too much into it to ever sell it.

I hate it when people build up their trucks just to sell them, people put all this time into their rigs then when the wind blows they decide to sell it. if you really need money take a loan out, or find something else to sell, you will never get the time back that you invested, and thats more of a waste than the interest on that loan.

 

[Diver Deuce]

They totaled your truck for that? That's like $3000 in damage tops, my old 2000 had about the same damage after an accident.

Come to the dark side and buy a 5th gen...

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

I love my 3rd gen too much to buy a 5th, I will just stick with my trail wheels lol. In other news there will be an 04 tacoma front clip swap happening real soon and this will be my official build thread! Thank you everybody for all the insight!

 

[jaimesleo]

I love my 3rd gen too

 

[yota-runner]

Fix it, with all the parts you should be able to do it in a day. Source the parts from junk yards to save money.

Hell, if you can make an insurance claim you may even be able to upgrade the front bumper with the money.

 

[KingSuper]

That sucks dude. Good excuse for a beefy new bumper though :thumb:

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

Decided to go ahead and do a taco front end swap. Going with some duraflex fenders with a 4 inch bulge I believe, going to build me front and rear bumpers the rear with a tire swingout, and ordered a taco hood with scoop. Replacing my core support, ac condensor, radiator, air cleaner assembly, headlights, grille and some other small stuff all from a 2004 tacoma. Will update when more gets done. As of now everything is off except for the core support but that gets done tonight. Thank you everyone for the input and ideas!

 

[Unner]

Don't think I've ever seen a first gen taco hood with a scoop. I'm excited to see what this is gonna look like when your're done. Good luck!

 

[MuddyButt]

Thanks guys for all the input! It's a 98 with just over 193,000 on the 3.4. The deer is dead by the way. Franky_dabbs if I do ever get rid of these trail wheels I will let you know! I'm just kind of torn for over a year now I've been drooling over all these build threads now the ball is in my court and I'm leaning towards fixing it maybe putting a ss lift on it and building me some bumpers! On the other hand the title will be salvaged cause they are giving me what the car is worth. So if I ever sell it I know that will be a big deal to some. This is my one and only driver and I am a high school senior currently working full time. So I think I need to be cost efficient on this, but I also want 35's haha.

think about it this way. You build it with the money, i would buy or make a plate bumper, you drive it til it dies. then you part it out. Or you drive it for a while longer than sell it to a member on here for lets say $4200, a reasonable price for a built but salvaged title 4runner, (depending on what you do to it). Could be more could be less.

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

Don't think I've ever seen a first gen taco hood with a scoop. I'm excited to see what this is gonna look like when your're done. Good luck!

I can't wait either. Its a hennamen fibreglass hood meant for an 04 tacoma. I need to take some measurements but I'm hoping I can fit at least a 6 inch light bar in it. As it really serves no purpose for me at the moment.

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

Core support off!

 

[OkiSurf1996]

I can't believe they totaled your truck for that. I had a 2001 Taco that was totaled due to $6K in hail damage about 5 days before I moved to Japan, had a buyer all lined up and everything. Stupid Texas weather.

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

I can't believe they totaled your truck for that. I had a 2001 Taco that was totaled due to $6K in hail damage about 5 days before I moved to Japan, had a buyer all lined up and everything. Stupid Texas weather.

Yeah it is pretty ridiculous in the fact that they did total it, but hey I don't mind some build money! This build is brought to you by the good folks over at gieco!

 

[paddlenbike]

I love my 3rd gen too much to buy a 5th,

That sounds familiar. Looks like it will be a straight-forward rebuild; good luck.

 

[HiLife]

Glad you decided to keep the truck and fix it yourself OP. Shop labor rates are not cheap. Hard to believe the deer did 4K amount of damage.
If I was in your situation I would slowly repair the truck using parts from junkyards and members with spare parts on here.
[MENTION=105773]busmup808[/MENTION] has a Taco front on his rig and it looks cool.

 

[ranbar02]

Glad to see that you are keeping it. Have fun with the build.

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

Lights came in yesterday. Today fenders and core support showed up. Here's a little teaser pic being held on by tape lol :becky:

 

[HiLife]

What would you have done differently before hitting the animal?
Maybe us members can learn how to avoid colliding with deers.
I hear stories of those accidents happening here and there.

 

[Unner]

What would you have done differently before hitting the animal?
Maybe us members can learn how to avoid colliding with deers.
I hear stories of those accidents happening here and there.

Not really a whole lot you can do there if they run out in front. My advice is don't speed and keep a sharp lookout in areas prone to animals. The only thing I've ever heard as advice is that if you know you are going to hit a deer and it is inevitable you should accelerate at the last second to bring the nose of the car up instead of down so the deer doesn't come through the windshield hopefully. I think that applies to smaller lower cars though, not our 4Runners.

 

[offroad_ENThusiast]

What would you have done differently before hitting the animal?
Maybe us members can learn how to avoid colliding with deers.
I hear stories of those accidents happening here and there.

Seen as how I do live in a pretty rural area with plenty of deer I tend to do the speed limit at night and drive with my brights on as soon as there are no other motorists in sight. Prior to the crash I had my eyes peeled and brights on as always. This time there was just one bank of cedar trees as I was passing them he jumped out from those trees and at that point there was no avoiding it I didn't even have time to brake until we collided. My only words are: it happens quick and most of the time it is uncontrollable. Drive safe out there man!