Budget Tundra Resurrection

As part of my ongoing poor financial decisions I decided to purchase two 2002 Tundras. I also own a 2006 Double Cab which I have another thread for. I'm not sure how many people have gone from double cab->access cab but a change of scenery is appealing to me and I really like the front bumper design on the 2000-2002.

Both trucks have serious issues, one is clean title the other salvage. I intend to combine the best parts of both and create one solid truck.

Truck #1:



Truck #2 aka Biohazard
Bought it sight unseen because self control is hard. Carfax had a surprising amount of service history, but two accidents. Auction did not say if it ran or drove, but I know this engine is solid so I gambled. I know the transmission on these is weaker than the later years due to some planetary gear, and I figured if it was dying then that was okay too.



I just took delivery of the 'biohazard' truck today. My first discovery is that the reason it was marked biohazard wasn't random or a drop of blood. I'm told this is just weed? Dabs to be specific but I haven't looked too deep yet.


The previous owner also installed this awesome breathalyzer mod which prevented the truck from cranking. My suspicions got heightened once I saw 'STARTER RELAY' in the back seat.


So basically the truck wouldn't crank at all despite good voltage. I don't really know ignition wiring but I pulled the lower dash trim and saw what was obviously two wires that were disconnected to prevent it from starting. I did peep at the timing belt just to be safe it wasn't that and it looked intact.


Reconnected the wires (only a temporary solution as shown) and it fired up first try.


The engine was dirty from sitting but really good for a 2002 at least to my eyes and at least to something that is from the desert. Original hoses look solid minus a couple. Valve cover gaskets are leaking like they're being paid to. Saw a lot of white smoke from the exhaust that I'm calling condensation for my own sanity but we'll see what happens.

I was originally looking to do motor mounts but barely saw any movement while revving it. I have a bad ear so maybe someone on this forum can tell me if there's a serious issue with the engine based off the sound.



Anyway I took it for a spin and ripped around in her for a bit, found a lot of issues of course, then immediately got it stuck because it's 2WD and it's muddy here right now. More coming later.

 

Whitish smoke = coolant
Bluish smoke = oil

Looking forward to what you do with them.

Ticking in top end does sound kinda loud, but it may be the volume.

 

Hope you're budget is not to tight. Just kidding, sounds like a project I could get wrapped around. Good luck and keep us updated

 

was wondering the same thing (about the tick), I've only been working on cars for a year so I don't have the best ear for stuff like that. The oil didn't look TOO dark but I don't know when the last oil change was. After getting it unstuck I plan on throwing in some valvoline restore & protect and seeing how it sounds after that.

 

Darkness of oil is never an indication of its condition and ability to lube and protect. That's an old myth. Just sayin'.

 

@jbr98 @ about the 20sec mark there is a whistling sucking sound, like a vacuum leak.
I would check all your vac lines, and if those were ok I would get some carb clean and spray around the intake manifold... If the engine raises RPMs that's where the leak is.
Also check the accordion section of your intake snorkel, (between the air filter box and the throttle body) for splits.
I hear the injectors clicking near the end... that's normal. But I do hear another random snapping sound, like a short/spark.
You could look for that in the dark. Just my 2 cents here. OH, and here is a meme for you

 

Your #1 truck looks similar to mine when I started with it (peeling green with rusty white roof). Good luck with the resurrection!

 

I love this!

Access cab was the sweet spot for a working man's work truck. It's been all downhill ever since.

 

One other thing I just thought of, that has worked wonders for me when trying to locate the source of a sound...
There are cheaper ones but this had the probe, and the cone which was nice.

$27 Lisle 52750 Stethoscope Kit, Dual Purpose Set to Detect Both Mechanical and Air Induced Sounds

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-52750-...efix=mechanics+stethascop,aps,146&sr=8-5&th=1

 

Hit quite the snag with my green 4WD truck which *was* to be the interior donor to the black truck. When I bought the truck the driver's door didn't open but the passenger's did, from both the inside and outside. So that was alright, I didn't plan on fixing it up was moreso my parts truck so I didn't think much of it. A few days later the passenger's interior door handle stopped opening the door, but I could still open it from the outside long as the window rolled down so I thought it was alright as I wouldn't be driving it much longer. Only, today I got in the green truck and the passenger exterior handle felt strange to open but I also didn't think much of that either. Hopped in to go pull my other truck out of the mud, then arrived and went to open the passenger door like I always do in order to hop out of the truck. Nope... that wasn't going to open either. So naturally I hopped out the window and started pulling, every which way. Pushing on the door as I pull. Pulling on the door as I pull. Pulling quick. Pulling slow. It wouldn't budge. I got access to the door handle's cable connected to the actuator. Finally, I could get it open. No, that wouldn't work either. So at this point I say fuck the door card and go to town getting it open, which eventually happened, but now I'm out the two interior door panels. Off to the junkyard another day, shouldn't be too terribly hard to find two in gray.

Ultimately I'm not exactly sure what the issue is but seems related to the latch assembly vs the actuator part. It seems the previous owner of the black truck had the same problem with his front door hence significant damage to the latch and a missing door panel & handle. I'd like to get it fixed immediately though. I've had good results on previous vehicles via the seller 'Actuatorplus' who remans OEM parts, but it is a bit steep at $190+shipping each for this vehicle. Can't put a price on being able to open a door, though. Unless someone knows a cheaper alternative that's equally as good?





Anyway... pulled the truck out and got the oil all changed. Was pretty dark but was the right viscosity. Drain plug was magnetic so I don't think it's the original one and on top of that it didn't really thread in completely smoothly to the oil pan. Don't have a video but the engine sounded just about the same with about 7qt of restore and protect in it. Exhaust is continuing to emit thin, dissipating smoke unfortunately.



On to the body. It is my desire to have a vehicle where the panels line up and I am spoiled for choices at the moment but I'm not sure what should go where. If the paint doesn't match that's okay it's only temporary, painting the whole vehicle is in the cards later.







Passenger door looks good from the outside and mostly lines up when closed as you would expect. Pretty gnarly marks around the door latch though from someone probably jimmying in. Note the pierced metal to the lower left of the latch. Despite this, I think I will keep this door instead of using the passenger door from the green truck. The paint is cracked pretty badly on the green truck's passenger door which is fine but there is some rust buildup in the corner from bare metal being exposed. Everything is in the right place on the interior side of the green truck though and the black truck is stripped. Window doesn't roll up/down currently.




Driver's door is all good and dandy so I won't address that. But on to the fenders. So OEM replacements are like 170ish? Rockauto ones are like 70. The fenders on the green truck are mostly lined up so I may just donate them over. Hood is pretty misaligned, not sure to what degree that's the fenders being off or the hood itself.

 

Interior delete has begun. The smell really is oppressive. Seems to be a combination of smoking + long term neglect. I'm not even going to bother to try and save anything from the interior, the other truck's interior has way more miles on it but the only drawback is it's dusty and has some scratches here and there. That's nothing compared to this. Even with the respirator on I was getting nauseous after a while. Only found weed but you never know what's been smoked in there. PO's criminal records + CPS reports were in the vehicle as well. I didn't make this thread to pass any moral judgement, it's about a truck restoration. But damn. I'm young and not a parent, so I don't know what it's like... still. People ought to do right by their children.




Some fire of some kind. Back side of the rear seats were torched and a lot of fabric had been melted through.

From this picture you can see how the carpet looked when it came from the factory vs as I found it.


Going to have to look up a few videos on how to get the dash fully out and see what needs to happen about the steering wheel but I'd like to get it down to the bare metal and start from there. Never done a headliner either so this will be interesting. More to come.

 

Damn, those boys liked to party. I had a car stolen by tweakers that was recovered in a similar shape, but they'd also taken a paint marker to the dash and steering wheel. If the carpet doesn't have any holes or burn marks in it, you can pull it out and take a pressure washer to it see how it cleans up. Is that water damage on the headliner where it's dropping down?

 

I think the interior COULD be saved but honestly I just sent it straight to the dumpster. That may seem wasteful but I just want nothing to do with it. The gray interior in the green truck is much cleaner and will make an excellent donor! As far as the sagging headliner... I don't think it was water damage but I'm not sure. I pulled it and didn't see any spots, the photo may have just showed shadows. Either way I'll be installing a new one.

The interior is now fully out. Glad I did it because there was grime, dirt, and cigarette ash back here that I would have never got out otherwise. It'll never be spotless like it came from the factory but I'll try.


Now that I've got the gauge cluster out... should I do the LED mod? Curious about people's opinions on here. Oh and I heard people recommend greasing those penis-shaped plastic pins on the upper dash. Any specific grease I should use?

I was finally able to access the RS3000 system too. Breaking the 24 year bond between the middle plug and the system was extremely hard. Now that I've got the FCC ID I can shop around for a remote and hopefully get remote door lock/unlock in the future on the factory system.


Up next: clean down to the bare metal, then install sound deadening & extra fabric under existing carpet, and finally start to transport the gray interior in.

 

The LEDs will be brighter than the OEM bulbs, depends on how bright you like your dash. I replaced most of mine with new conventional bulbs because I like the cab pretty dark while driving at night. My map and dome lights on the other hand are as bright as I can get them.

Don't blame you on the interior, if you don't need it it's not worth the hassle of trying to get the stains out. If possible I'd wash off that harness and everything else inside the dash that's covered in who knows what.

 

Calling it "cigarette ash" may be hopelessly optimistic

Ps - be sure to check the backs of the fuseboxes while they're easily accessed, to make sure there's no signs of green inside the socket. Unplug a few of the connectors, randomly, to look for any signs of mint green staining.

 

x2 for this interior light set up. But I think you will find most people prefer the LEDs. Matter of personal preference.

What a project! Really impressed with what you are doing. Would be fun to be a helping hand.

 

When the time comes, and you think about wanting a keyfob for unlocking the doors, it sure looks like you have the SR3200/ edit RS3200 security system, grey box wrapped in grey foam. Keep it's location in mind... I think if programming is difficult there is a reset button on the actual unit you press. That sucker is TUCKED up in there deep. Nice work, I think you will be glad you did that.

 

I was going to say, if 2000-2002 (maybe 2003?), it's RS3000, and the programming is convoluted but very do-able. If 2004-2006 (possibly 2003), RS3200 would be the system, and programming is easy, but I'm not aware of a button to press.

 

Nice work on removing that interior. Glad to hear you were wearing PPE. Nice cars get totaled by insurance companies due to fentanyl or meth residue after being stolen by tweakers. Who knows what went on in that truck.

I swapped white LEDs into the dash five years ago. They're nice and bright and can be turned down with the dimmer. What I don't like about them is that one LED behind the speedo brightens up that side of the gauges just a bit more than others and I notice that. Also, a couple of the LEDs started flickering. I've gone in a few times and cleaned contacts and swapped bulbs to fix the flickering but it comes back after awhile.

I also like a bright dome light and have put these in two of my cars. Nice and bright:

$20 Obeaming RV LED Ceiling Dome Light 4.5" 12V Dimmable Puck Light for Motorhome Camper Trailer Fifth Wheel Truck Coach Interior Lighting, Surface Mount CRI 90+ (1 Pack 3000K)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093G75RMY?th=1

 

Any change I can pay shipping on the map light assembly, or is it trashed?

 

2003 has the RS3200.

 

Absolutely! It's yours if you want it. Just a heads up the clicky light parts are a little wonky. I think they could be fixed though. The buttons themselves on the inside actuate just fine, the issue appears to be related to the metal plate seating. Here's a video that demonstrates the functions of the map light. The connector on the back is in tact, too, I didn't cut it or anything. Anyhow if it's something you want hit me up on PMs and I'll figure out shipping.


If anyone else needs little interior pieces let me know. It's the tan interior on a 2002 Limited. The seats and carpet are already in the dump but I have the rest in the bed of the truck.

Regarding the security system, I actually did upload a picture in my other post when I was talking about it! It appears to have gotten eaten by the forum. It is in fact the RS3000. Researching the FCC ID and the 3000 in general, I saw people on this very forum saying the "BAB237131-022" remote WILL pair with the "BAB237000-129" system which is what I have (pic related). on Ebay there is one seller advertising remotes specifically for this FCC ID, but I'm going to see if the Amazon BAB237131-022 remote will work first. Worst case I refund it.

I'm kind of torn on what to do. At the very least I need to do something for the 'D' gear which currently does not illuminate. I think I'm going to try LEDs and if I don't like 'em I'm right back to halogens. It looks easy to swap them around on the non-solder boards.




In terms of the project, the update is that there is no update. Wednesday morning Safelite's finest will be installing a new rear window for me and I'd like to keep the interior as bare as possible for them so that way it's easier to do the work for the technician. And hopefully I get a good leak-proof seal, fingers crossed. Have had good luck with my local Safelite.

I DO feel a slight pang of regret because the other truck has an OEM rear windshield and I did want to outsource this project as little as possible... but after talking to a buddy who worked at a glass shop he advised me this is probably something I shouldn't DIY at this point as I could seriously hurt myself down the road with an improper install.

 

Do you have the small box/cubby from the center console? Circled in picture. My 2006 is pictured. My 2004 did not have the buttons. It was one uninterrupted box/cubby. That’s what I am looking for, the box without the buttons. The entire box pops in and out independent from the rest of the console. Easily swapped. Much appreciated!

 

Check this thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-key-fob-programming.106676/

Not only the video and info in the 1st post, but also see the thread I linked in the last reply (at the time of my reply here it was last). It gives all the info you could possibly want in programming for RS3000.

 

I appreciate it very much. I should have asked interior color first. I'm gonna have to pass as mine is gray. Thank you, though.

 

Sorry, that feature is absent from either of the 2002 Tundras I have. In these model years it's just a panel + 2 12v outlets.

Noted, thank you. I've had a few vehicles without remote door locks and I felt like I was in the stone age. No offense to the old timers on here as someone born in the late 90s .

Previous owner tried their hardest to get that tan into a gray for you with all their smoking, haha. But no worries. I'm also hunting some gray interior pieces (L&R front door panels). There is often part outs for first gen tundras in my area on marketplace so I just need to be patient.

 

Yeah, so it had been a while since I looked for it on my truck (didn't find it ), and it was unclear just what mounting location of like 3 it was in. But I remembered something about a reset button, for the RS3000 at least.
https://www.parksoffroad.com/tacoma...m#:~:text=To program (add,within 5 seconds***

https://www.keylessentryremotefob.com/blog/2015/04/toyota-rs3000-key-fob-remote.html

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336348648900

 

Had a busy week but we still made some progress. For starters I got a new rear windshield put in. It was thoroughly gummed up with silicone from previous owner, leading to some challenges for the installer.

Before:

After:

As you can see they silicone'd pretty much ... everything. I guess there was a leak. See rear light, roof rail runs, etc... Doesn't seem to be leaking right now though.

Other than that, put in 2 new door lock actuators but came to discover neither of the manual lock cylinders in the door are a key match for the ignition key... weird.

Got the black RS3000 remote in and entered the pairing sequence succesfully, and it 'beeped' to indicate pairing was good, but I can't get it to lock/unlock doors. Trying the grey remote next with an identical FCC ID to the one on my RS3000. I was going to do that at first, but people said the black one which is off by a few digits does work, just not in my case.

Did the LED mod for the gauge cluster as well, excited to try it out. Just need to get the polarity of everything correct.



And put in a new evap core. Was concerned the last one may be contaminated, don't know if it was but it was definitely gross. Maybe, probably, possibly could've cleaned it but I got a new one to be safe given the presence of drugs in the vehicle.



Trouble is I'm not convinced by that seal going through the firewall. I can't get it to sit right... worried it's going to leak. I may put some gasket maker on it unless someone has a better suggestion.


Other than that the ozone generator got rid of the lingering musty smell and now it just smells like ... truck. Perfect. Goal for next week is to complete the interior, as in ripping it all from the other truck and cleaning the hell out of it and getting everything just right.

Also sold my other Tundra this week.


Bittersweet but the market is crazy on them in socal at the moment. Got a 4wd price for mine even though it was DIY 4WD and that was fully disclosed as well. Kind of taking a gamble on this being my new go-to truck in the works but I'm planning on doing a full restoration. Stay tuned!