Toyota T100 Build Thread

[tibadoe]

Now that's some snow! No problem for the Tundra tho What kind of cap you looking for!

 

[Lon Ross]

View attachment 5620 I bought a 93 t100

I like your snowmobile! As to the cap, I think Toyota was shooting for a standard size bed, but I am new to my T100 too. you might go to your local truck supplier and ask them about fitment, and some also sell used caps at fair prices. Craig's list is a good source down here, might check it for a local one near you, good luck with your truck, and welcome

 

[Lon Ross]

Good looking T-100 Lon. T-100's never had a wide popularity, as a result you don't see many as nice as yours.
Glad to see this post acknowledges a gearhead can have other manufactured vehicles in their stable.
I buy, trade, collect, and build lots of different vehicles, bikes, boats, cars, trucks, or comercial heavy equipment/farm equipment.
My purpose is to finance the purchase and restoration/build of those I want to keep. I'll buy any brand foreign or domestic, as long as it interests me. At this point probably my most prized toy is a 1939 Chris Craft 23' Resorter convertible wood hulled speed boat my son in law and I have restored over the last 6 years.
From replanking the hull to rebuilding the Packard straight 8 engine and on to interior we've done all the work by ourselves in my garage. We found her in a farmer's field 65 miles from the nearest lake sitting on the ground and half rotted but with all her parts there. After a few final touches she'll see her first time on the water in the next few weeks, far as I can tell other than rain she hasn't felt water since 1966.
Having an appreciation for diverse vehicles and styles of vehicles is what the hobby is about, I'll probably never own a Honda civic with a coffee can exhaust, but I can appreciate that in the owners eyes its his expression of art.

I have read where the big three had the government charging a twenty five percent tax on all full size import trucks back then. That meant anyone could by a full size Chevy or Ford for less then the unknown Toyota T100. Also, most truck buyers back then were looking for V8's, and you couldn't get one in the T100. While doing my looking for a truck, I saw many Toyota 4cyl trucks with 300k + on the original motor and still going strong, most US trucks I saw with kind of miles claimed "rebuilt motor" I think Toyota was just a little ahead of the time, the later Tundra and Tacoma's kind of show that in there sales volume IMO. Even with 4 and 6cyl sales

 

[Lon Ross]

View attachment 5614 View attachment 5615 View attachment 5611 View attachment 5612 View attachment 5613 View attachment 5614 View attachment 5611 View attachment 5612 View attachment 5613 View attachment 5614 My Torino was a little ruff. I didn't have much money in those days. I was still in high school. I worked as a mechanic at a Linclon Mercury - Suburu draler for 1/2 a day when I was in my senior year. I bought the welding mech from a co worker for $500, after I redid it, I sold it for $2000 about 2 years later.

That wielder looked new when you got done with it and nice profit too! To correct my Car and driver QTM times on the stock GTO, the stock 64 did turn 12.8sec. in the quarter with the "Bobcat" tune of the day, but it had slicks, not the stock redline F70-14, still respectable times for a car right from the dealer. I have see our Torino's bringing six figures restored, and I hate to see what I lost selling my GTO's Camaro's and the rest before their time. I have told my friends if they see me sell something, car's. stocks or what ever, they should go find and buy as much of it as they can, cuz it is going to go through the roof soon in price LOL

 

[kennythewelder]

The co worker I bought the welder from (at the time), begged me to but it for about 3 months to buy the welder. I finally told him to bring it over, but it had to fire up and I had to weld a few rods with it. He shows up with it looking like crap. I said fire it up. He turned the switch, and it fired rite up. I grabbed my hood and 3 or 4 rods, and a piece of scrap. I hooked the ground up and put a rod into the whip. Flipped my hood down and struck an arc, and WOW did it ever weld good. I welded about 1/2 a rod, picked up my hood, and looked at him, and reached into my pocket then gave him cash money. I said lets unload it. I keep it for about 2 years or so, but I was welding on an offshore oil rig 14 days at a time, so I did not really want to come home for my 2 weeks and weld some more. Also when I wanted to weld something at home, the battery need to be charged, and the fuel need to be run out of the carb when I was done, so it would not gum up ECT. When I sold it, I bought a new Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC shop welder. I have a TIG torch for my Thunderbolt, The only thing I can not weld with it is TIG aluminum. Today, I can weld anything I want to at work. After 32 years of working offshore, (25 of this welding out there,) and even having throat cancer in 2012, I needed to retire from the offshore life, In Jan of 2015 when My oil rig stopped working and I got laid off, I got a job in town. I got laid off again in March of 2016, then got this job in Aug. 2016. I like the job I have now a lot, and the chances of being laid off from here are very slim. The money is about 1/2 of what I use to make offshore, but money isn't everything.

 

[Lon Ross]

The co worker I bought the welder from (at the time), begged me to but it for about 3 months to buy the welder. I finally told him to bring it over, but it had to fire up and I had to weld a few rods with it. He shows up with it looking like crap. I said fire it up. He turned the switch, and it fired rite up. I grabbed my hood and 3 or 4 rods, and a piece of scrap. I hooked the ground up and put a rod into the whip. Flipped my hood down and struck an arc, and WOW did it ever weld good. I welded about 1/2 a rod, picked up my hood, and looked at him, and reached into my pocket then gave him cash money. I said lets unload it. I keep it for about 2 years or so, but I was welding on an offshore oil rig 14 days at a time, so I did not really want to come home for my 2 weeks and weld some more. Also when I wanted to weld something at home, the battery need to be charged, and the fuel need to be run out of the carb when I was done, so it would not gum up ECT. When I sold it, I bought a new Miller Thunderbolt AC-DC shop welder. I have a TIG torch for my Thunderbolt, The only thing I can not weld with it is TIG aluminum. Today, I can weld anything I want to at work. After 32 years of working offshore, (25 of this welding out there,) and even having throat cancer in 2012, I needed to retire from the offshore life, In Jan of 2015 when My oil rig stopped working and I got laid off, I got a job in town. I got laid off again in March of 2016, then got this job in Aug. 2016. I like the job I have now a lot, and the chances of being laid off from here are very slim. The money is about 1/2 of what I use to make offshore, but money isn't everything.

+1 on that, find a job you love and you will never have to WORK another day in your life! I my six figure days, if I was awake, I was working or traveling to get to do more work ( I covered three states). I loved my customers, hated the a-holes who ran the Co. Every Monday conference call, they would threaten "everyone's" job, then say get to work! They would tell us we are being measured in twenty seven different "Best practices" and no one should feel their job is safe. This after we had the best year ever and made millions in profit for the Co. I would much more like to live on half and not hate my life LOL

 

[Lon Ross]

OK, just to keep things going, I plan to do a picture step by step of my build when done, and that should be soon as I plan to put tags and insurance on her soon. unfortunately, Florida punishes out of state cars coming to Florida for tags. 1st, you have to take your car / truck to the DOT office so they can check the vin on the title against the vin on the truck. this is nice as you cant drive it on expired out of state tags and you cant put your current Florida tags on it to get it there? Next, after they check that, they charge an impact fee of two hundred and fifty dollars, + a seventy five dollar new title fee, then a 6 percent sales tax fee. On my old truck it all adds up to five hundred dollars + to get it on the road!! To make up for it though, there is no state income tax or city where I live, so that saves me about ten thousand dollars from what I paid in Raleigh NC when I was working, and they charged four hundred dollars every year to just renew you current tags!!! So all together, not a bad deal for most.

Now on to what I have done so far to my T100. I know I have spent more then I should or needed to, but I like the truck and plan on keeping it till they shovel the dirt on my corps, and at my age, that may not be long, so I will leave a nice truck for someone. LOL

Cheap stuff I have done:
I buffed out the twenty one year old paint and it looks almost new , New floor mats and leather steering wheel cover, painted the motor and cleaned under the hood, painted the wheels and painted the white letters on the tires, bought pinstripes and TRD stickers and badges on Ebay. All this was more work then money.

On to the stuff I bought to get her up to par. I replaced the radiator 65 bucks, cap with temp gauge 7 bucks, water pump 27 bucks, radiator hoses 25 bucks, Monroe Gas Magnum shocks 140 bucks, Chrome bumpers front and rear 290 bucks both, (Yet to be installed), Wade hood scoops 50 bucks, new grill 30 bucks, seat cover 45 bucks and interior LED bulb and LED headlights 20 bucks (I installed the head lights, but took them out as they were so bright I was afraid I would blind oncoming cars and get a ticket too).

And last but not least, I spent 300 bucks on a valve shim kit and micrometer with the adjusting tools needed to do the job, just to find out, all the valves were still in spec. I will sell it on Ebay and should get most of my money back as it works for Toyota and Lexis and is very hard to find , but I was glad to see the motor had such little ware and that the timing chain was still tight and no need to replace it either!

So all in all, with the title expense and all the stuff I have done, I have a 4 thousand dollar 1996 T100 that KBB says it only worth 29 hundred dollars!! I really don't care, I didn't buy it to make money, I bought it to make an old fart happy driving his truck while he is still breathing LOL. Cars and trucks are almost never a good investment unless you count the smiles of the guy driving them.

 

[kennythewelder]

A 21 year old truck, in another 9 years, it will be a classic, then the value will go up. I get offers on my 97 Silverado all the time. I turn them down. In 10 years it will be worth a lot more.

 

[Lon Ross]

That's true, don't know if I will still be around then, me and the truck are both becoming antique's LOL. It is funny, I get many complements on it and it is just sitting in the driveway so far. I guess because it is kind of rare as they didn't make that many, and at twenty+ years old, some of the ones they did make aren't still on the road (although I bet a bunch are still running after having this one, it's a well made truck IMO) When all my friends built Chevy's or Fords when I was young, I built a Pontiac, I just like to be different

 

[kennythewelder]

My Brother had a T-100 V-6. He traided it in on a Tundra. When he did, the dealer used and still uses it as a parts truck. I think they have about 4 of them. They said it wasn't worth much, but they are grate trucks, and are more valuable to them as a parts runner.

 

[kennythewelder]

I guess that just goes to show, how undervalued they are. One day that will turn around. The more rear something is, the more it is worth. The T-100 will get that way in the future, IMO

 

[kennythewelder]

As for being around in ten years,( I think we are about the same age, I'm 58) well you never know what the future holds. I survived throat cancer in 2012-2013, but we lost our 34 year old son in 2015, so you just never now.

 

[Lon Ross]

As for being around in ten years,( I think we are about the same age, I'm 58) well you never know what the future holds. I survived throat cancer in 2012-2013, but we lost our 34 year old son in 2015, so you just never now.

Truly sorry to hear that. I am the same age as you. I currently take care of my 81 year old mother who has had bypass, a stroke and a broken hip and my younger brother who has had quadruple bypass, died twice, has a fibulator and pacemaker and 30 percent heart valve function and cant work, and my niece who lost her arm to a blood clot and can only work part time, and my nephew who is special and cant work at all. They all live with and count on me and I split my tibia down the middle and haven't been able to work for months. I still thank God I am alive and enjoy every day He gives me.

 

[kennythewelder]

Man you have a lot in your plate. A good strong heart runs in our family, but so does cancer, and strokes. I went by to see my 93, almost 94 year old Mom today, at the nursing home. She has had several small mini strokes, but is doing good for the most part. She is week, but gets around good in a wheel chair. She still has use of all of her limbs, but speaks a little slurred. As for my son, Loosing a child is the hardest thing a parent can ever go through, but I know he is in a much better place. Thank you for your condolences.

 

[Lon Ross]

Man you have a lot in your plate. A good strong heart runs in our family, but so does cancer, and strokes. I went by to see my 93, almost 94 year old Mom today, at the nursing home. She has had several small mini strokes, but is doing good for the most part. She is week, but gets around good in a wheel chair. She still has use of all of her limbs, but speaks a little slurred. As for my son, Loosing a child is the hardest thing a parent can ever go through, but I know he is in a much better place. Thank you for your condolences.

I can't understand the kind of pain that must be. No one wants to out live a child. My best friend died the week of his forties birth day and his dad (a good friend of mine too) was beside himself with grief, I can understand only in part as I have no children. We are only here till God has perfected us, so the best go home first sometimes I guess. God speed to your son.

 

[kennythewelder]

We are only here till God has perfected us, so the best go home first sometimes I guess.

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

 

[Lon Ross]

Man you have a lot in your plate. A good strong heart runs in our family, but so does cancer, and strokes. QUOTE]

It may sound corny and not PC, but you and yours are in my prayers. (personally I don't care about being politically correct, I am not in politics and say what I feel) I am 58 also, my BP runs in the 120 over 195 more often then I like, even on meds, so that's why I say may not see the old T100 become an antique.

My dad has lung and prostate cancer and some of his brothers died from cancer too, but they were older. My sister came down last week from Ohio for my brothers birthday (as it might be his last). She had a stroke while she was here and is now in the hospital, she goes in and out, sometimes recognizes us and talks OK. One more reason mine could be right around the corner. I like to believe I am still ticking because of the needs of others and feel privileged to serve them as long as I can.

I am guessing I should be doing this PM, but still learning the forum stuff, and not much posting going on here, so what the heck.

And besides, we are talking Toyota trucks too. Back when I had plenty of money coming in I would buy a new sports of luxury car every year or so, the funny thing is, I think I am having more fun fixing up this old pickup more then I enjoyed some of those LOL

This week I am installing a real leather steering wheel wrap (8 bucks on Ebay) that you have to stich on. I sat out there last night with the door opened for about an hour being mosquito bait and I only got about a third done, but it will be nice when done.

Next, the PO had a bug guard on the hood that I removed due to crakes and the paint under it is shot due to leaves that were built up under it. I ordered some spray on 3M clear chip guard and plan to fix the bad spots with paint then coat with the chip guard. I am hoping it will just look like they do when you have the film put on and cant tell from a distance, then looks OK up close too. After that I will install the hood scoops, put on the rest of the emblems I bought, give the Florida governor all my money for tags and start enjoying this old truck.

One strange thing is when I drove it home, it shook bad at 60+ mph. The tires had just been balanced and look near new (Goodyear Tracker 2's) When I checked the pressure they sprayed out a little water with the air as I lowered the pressure to the recommended pressure??? Don't know if that is the problem or how to fix it?? The shocks were OE with 100k miles on them, I replaced them with nice Monroe truck Gas magnums, so that should help too. Having all this stuff to do keep me busy and my mind off life, all good.

 

[kennythewelder]

Thank you man, I return the favor, and you will be in my prayers also, it sounds like you could use all the help that you can get. IMO, Political correctness has almost ruined this country. January will be 5 years, that I am cancer free. Be size being 255 LBS, I am pretty healthy. I just have a big scar on the left side of my neck, with some tissue missing, but I can live with that. My voice is good, I have no issues eating LOL .

 

[kennythewelder]

To start a PM, simply click on the persons avatar, and then click on start a conversation, then fire away

 

[Lon Ross]

Here is a recent picture of my T100. I have the hood scoop on, all the stripes done, wheels and tires done. I am not sure if I like the side view mirror decal? I have leather wrapped the steering wheel with black leather and red stitching (it took about two hours to cross stich it LOL). Next I will install the chrome front and rear bumpers I bought and refinish the front air dame gloss black. I have temp tags on it now, plan to get the reg tags this week, 600 bucks for out state title here in Florida

Ouch