2005 Double Cab 4x4 Daily Driver (warning: pic heavy, little OT)

IG: @best_gen_tundra

SUMMARY (in case you're interested in the journey, it's below)

From here to here to here:



First, a little back story...in the 2000s, I was single (well, unmarried) and working as a paramedic in the mountains of Northern Arizona (Prescott, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon area). I felt like I was really living the good life. I bought a house, had some roommates helping me pay the mortgage, and was easily able to fund my car and motorcycle habit. Back then, I was racing desert bikes and spent a lot of time in AZ, UT, CO, NM, and Baja moto or moto/truck camping. This was pre-'overlanding,' though I lived right down the street from Scott Brady and all the ExPo guys that have since really taken off. My Tundra at the time was a 2006 DC 4x4 Limited with every option. I had 5100s on the front, a Defiant light bar with 3 Hella 4000s on the front, and a Softtopper, mattress, lights, stove, etc for camping. My work schedule always allowed for at least 4 days off in a row every week, plus really generous additional days off, so I spent a lot of time heading out of town. I'd throw the bikes in the back, unload them at the destination, and set up the softopper and sleeping set up. It was heaven. I'll try to find a few pics from some vehicles. (I'll add more as I get on the old desktop where most of them are)

















Tundra content coming, I promise

 

After seeing the wood grain thread I'm excited to see how this thread blossoms. I know you can do some good work!

Following this thread.

 

A few more adventure pics, because I'm feeling nostalgic. And nostalgia is the motivation for this truck. These will be the last off topic pics tho (well, maybe), because I'm having a hard time seeing through the tears. Not really, but I sure do miss this time of my life!

Bought a Disco I at auction in college in '98 that ended up on 35s with a 4.6 crate swap. Spent way too much money on that thing. But it was my first real "overlander"

Hole in the Rock trail, 2001:



Moab, 2000:



Great Sand Dunes:



Rode my dirt bike with a buddy along the Continental Divide from AZ to Alberta then back to Mexico and finally home to AZ. Around 5500 miles mostly offroad in 22 days camping off the bikes:





Got to 46 of the continental 48, plus Canada and lots of time in Mexico. My girlfriend (now wife) spent a summer commercial salmon fishing in Alaska in 2009 and almost got to ride up to see her, but work got in the way. At that point, I was an officer at EMS and had to watch over the agency at times even when off-duty. Even still, went to Moab at least 5 or 6 times every year:



Resting after the race. Alphinsina's, Gonzaga Bay after the Baja 1000 in 2006:





Yellowstone on motorcycle at sunrise, 2004:



More Baja, in San Felipe:





First military shakedown, 2004. Scared the sh!t out of me at the time, but they were happy after we gave them a bottle of Maker's Mark. BTW, this is about 75 miles from cell service or paved roads in a time before Spot trackers and reliable Sat phones:



My backyard in AZ, some of the best twisties in the world, not to mention millions of miles of dirt roads and trails:



Taos, NM:



North of Phx, gorgeous in the spring:



Zion, in the Tundra:



Geologist's Cabin, Death Valley:



Tundra somewhere on the Navajo Rez. Only sunsets in the world that rival being offshore on a boat.



Got an awesome girlfriend who was into the same stuff and eventually became my wife. 9 years married and she's still awesome.



San Fransisco peaks, NAZ:



Big Sur:



More Moab:



Had the electonic LSD option which did well with a little two-footing:





Added a few Hella 4000s on a Defiant light bar:



But then in 2011, I quit my job as a paramedic and supervisor, rented our house out, and hit the road in July. We got married a month later in Martha's Vineyard, MA and then settled in Boston where I began grad school at Tufts. Sold the Tundra in favor of a 3rd gen 4Runner, which was alot more budget and city friendly.



I NEVER COULD GET THAT 1ST GEN TUNDRA OUT OF MY HEAD. Happily married, with a great kiddo and living life in FL on the water for a few years now. Spending as much time on the water as I used to on bikes and camping trips. I fly out west once or twice a year and rent a jeep in moab or Ouray and life is different than before, but good. Fast forward to 2020, I'm working as a hospitalist treating Covid patients (which is fine now but exceedingly scary and busy from late Feb to about June) and driving a 3rd gen Tundra. On one of my days off, exhausted on the couch, I decided to carpe the diem or YOLO or whatever the kids say these days, and started looking for a clean 1st gen double cab...

 

As I searched for a clean 1st gen, I realized the phantom grey was my favorite color but was open to anything. Had to be 4wd and well-maintained. Limited would be a plus, but not a dealbreaker. Clean, rust-free FGTs are somewhat scarce, as most of you know, so when a guy contacted me through FB with pics of a clean and well-maintained phantom grey SR5, I hopped on a plane to Nashville the next day.

It was everything he said it was so we made a deal and I began the 1000 mile drive home in my new 1st gen. 2 owner 2005 SR5 4x4 XSP with factory LSD. 170k miles with a color matched topper and some other upgrades.



Totally rust free. Tight as a drum. Only had a few small imperfections and the seller was really upfront with me. Sent me a ton of photos so I knew what I was getting into.

Bug deflector damage:


And driveway accident on the passenger rear flare. At first, I thought I’d repair it, but now I think I’ll keep it. It reminds me not to fret so much about this 15 year old truck. Actually it is sort of relieving that it isn’t perfect. In hindsight, that’s something that stressed me about about my flawless third gen. Hell even my wife’s GX460 stresses me out because it’s perfect and I don’t even drive it. So the flare stays as is.



Door scratch:

 

The second owner got it from his buddy at work who bought it brand new in July 2005, 2 days after my 25th birthday. They're both civil engineers, and it showed in their care for this truck. Brendan, the 2nd owner, spent a good chunk of change on some upgrades, which I gladly inherited. They were just the type of mods I would have done, picking up where I left off with my original FGT.

Bilstein 6112s upfront:



Rear 5160s with an Icon AAL:



New end links for the swaybar (SMX-122270T):



A true dual exhaust that sounds incredible, and 4 new wheels (Mickey Thompson classic crawlers with rings) and tires:

 

I was pretty happy with the exterior, so I haven't changed much yet.

Anytime foglight mod with LED bulbs:





Full LED exterior swap:



TRD stickers, because if I'm reliving my past, why not go all the way



Looking good at night at work:



My 2 1/2 year old likes it:



A full Yota V8 family:

 

@912 did you drive up to TN to buy it? I have that same specialty license plate. She looks great. I love that color.

 

I live in SWFL so I grabbed a one-way flight to Nashville. Seller was a few minutes outside the city. Got a temp tag from the county office and then got a Florida tag a few weeks later. The Gadsden plate is cool. My FL tag is pretty cool too. Has shark on it and donates a few bucks annually to a fund to conserve our oceans.

Looks like this:

 

That is awesome bike trip!!

 

OMG, I was getting misty eyed when immersed in your story with that sunset photo of your first FGT.

 

Thanks man, it was epic! That continental divide trip actually ended up getting me pretty hooked on Advrider.com because some complete strangers we met on there set us up with a place to stay when we had to do some repairs. I think it was 2003 back when it really felt like a small club and a lot of people knew each other in person. Now it’s like 1 million members or something. Being involved with them from the early days actually got me set up with the factory KTM and Honda race teams in Baja so I got to ride and race with some legends. I also got to meet the owner of the site several times and a couple of the early round-the-world celebrities that had published books of their travels, it was pretty cool! In the following years, I then hosted adventure riders from all over the world including Russia and South America and India at my house. Really cool community!

 

ME TOO lolol

 

Damn! That’s awesome!! So jealous!

 

Great thread Brian!! I love threads with stories behind them and yours is awesome. Keep it going.

Beautiful truck and beautiful family too!

 

Thanks! Where in AZ do you live?

 

Hell... Er, I mean, Tucson.

 

Where did you get the LED taillights? How are you liking them?

 

Love them, got them

JDM ASTAR Super Bright PX Chips 7440 7441 7443 7444 Red Brake LED Bulb

HERE

 

Thanks! My last project was a 1st gen taco resurrection. Was a little over the top for a daily but it was super fun in the mud down here. Sold it to a guy who works on Bar Rescue and he told me we’d probably see it on the show. Haven’t watched it tho.



before and after:

 

Finished up the last few exterior things I have planned for the short term tonight. Topper is off and in storage. Full LED swap and 55w HID retrofits from @SouthPaw

Replaced the fogs with LEDs from Amazon

$38 ZonCar 9006 LED Bulbs 15000 Lumens 400% Brightness Super Bright HB4 6500K Cool White Quick Installation Pack of 2

ZonCar 9006 / HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs, Low Beam/Fog Light Halogen Replacement, 2 Pcs/Kit, 12 CSP Chips, 6500K Xenon White Extremely Bright Light 12V



Changed the reverse bulbs to LED

$18 JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright 2000 Lumens 360-Degree Shine 921 912 90-EX Chipsets LED Bulbs For Backup Reverse Lights, Xenon White

JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright 2000 Lumens 360-Degree Shine 921 912 90-EX Chipsets LED Bulbs For Backup Reverse Lights, Xenon White

Red LED tail bulbs

JDM ASTAR Super Bright PX Chips 7440 7441 7443 7444 Red Brake LED Bulb

JDM ASTAR Super Bright PX Chips 7440 7441 7443 7444 Red Brake LED Bulb



Rear blinkers

$23 JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright PX Chips 7440 7441 7443 7444 Amber Yellow Turn Signal LED Bulbs

JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright PX Chips 7440 7441 7443 7444 Amber Yellow Turn Signal LED Bulbs

Front blinkers

$23 JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright PX Chips 3057 3156 3157 4057 4157 Amber Yellow Turn Signal LED Bulbs

JDM ASTAR Extremely Bright PX Chips 3057 3156 3157 4057 4157 Amber Yellow Turn Signal LED Bulbs



Flasher resistance-independent relay for LEDs

$12 iJDMTOY 8-Pin LM449 81980-50030 066500-4650 Electronic LED Flasher Assy Relay Fix Compatible with Lexus Scion or Toyota LED Turn Signal Light Bulbs

iJDMTOY 8-Pin LM449 81980-50030 066500-4650 Electronic LED Flasher Assy Relay Fix Compatible With Lexus Scion or Toyota LED Turn Signal Light Bulbs

Front camera

$17 Backup Camera Flush Mount, Metal Housing 170°Wide View Angle Rear/Side/Front View Camera for Car, Clear Night Vision IP69 Waterproof Reverse Camera for Vehicle SUV RV Pickup, 18.5mm, 12V/24V, Black

Reverse Backup Camera,RAAYOO L002 170 Degree Wide View Angle 2-in-1 Universal Car Front/Side/Rear View Camera,2 Installation Options,Removable Guildlines,mirror non-mirror image,12V only



Rear camera

$40 NATIKA Backup/Front View Camera,IP69K Waterproof Great Night Vision HD and Super Wide Angle Metal OEM Style Reverse Rear View Backup Camera for Cars Pickup Trucks SUVs RVs Vans (Black)

NATIKA Backup/Front View Camera,IP69K Waterproof Great Night Vision HD and Super Wide Angle Metal OEM Style Reverse Rear View Backup Camera for Cars Pickup Trucks SUVs RVs Vans (Black)



Basic stealth retros from @SouthPaw are awesome. All the performance and none of the JDM/tuner look. No offense to others, just not my thing. They're projecting an H1 DDM 55w 4300k HID kit https://ddmtuning.com/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

LED 168 parking lamps

$18 JDM ASTAR 10pcs High Performance Super Bright 360-Degree Shine 194 168 175 2825 T10 PX Chipsets White LED Bulbs. (US Patent number US-D814666-S)

JDM ASTAR 10pcs Super Bright 194 168 175 2825 T10 PX Chipsets White LED Bulbs

















All these lights are so bright, I cant capture it in a photo. It looks so much more modern, not to mention the visibility is amazing. Really happy with the outcome. Still need to get a more level surface to aim my retros (driveway is inclined). They're also NOT blue/green like the pic. They were still warming up, but the actual output is perfect 4300k.

 

Amazing photos! I’m envious of the amount of adventure you’ve been on! Nice work

 

Couldn’t sleep this morning and the temps were finally down to the low 70s so I decided to get up and start wiring my stealthbox and amp. About halfway done at the moment. Can’t wait to hear it and tune it!



Trimmed one half of the HVAC duct under the drivers seat to mount the amp the way it splits into 2 ducts made it easy to do.

 

WOW, the JL stealth box with a 250/1 amp sounds amazing, even with 15 year old stock door speakers! I’ve never had a sub so close to me in a vehicle before. Being almost under the seat, it shakes my butt, which hopefully my wife will enjoy All back together and EQs and crossovers set :thumbs up:

 

What LED bulbs are being used for the DRL?

 

@912 so that's a sub you put inside your center console? I've never seen such a thing. How does the bass escape? It doesn't sound muffled?

 

technically, i disconnected by DRL so they're non-functional. I did the anytime foglight mod, so the LED fogs act kinda like DRL if i want them too. For the parking lights inside the corner of the headlight housings, i used these:

$18 JDM ASTAR 10pcs High Performance Super Bright 360-Degree Shine 194 168 175 2825 T10 PX Chipsets White LED Bulbs. (US Patent number US-D814666-S)

JDM ASTAR 10pcs Super Bright 194 168 175 2825 T10 PX Chipsets White LED Bulbs

 

yeah, its a down firing JL 10". the box is sealed and it sounds amazing. bass frequencies are so low they go right through barriers and dont need line of sight to your ears like higher frequencies (eg tweeters). Doesn't sound muffled at all. The sound on this thing is amazing. if you boost it, it really bumps and shakes, but at lower levels, it just rounds it out and makes it sound super full and rich. better than the high end stereo in my wife's GX460 by a mile.

Box comes preloaded with a good quality sub: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13694129/JL-Audio-Stealthbox.html

I have it powered by a moderate sized amp, nothing crazy and still WAY too much power than I need: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698360/JL-Audio-JD250-1.html

 

Ahhh, that's what I was referring to, the lights inside the corner of the headlight housing! Thx!

 

wow, custom made for the FGT!

 

That's incredible. I had no idea this existed.