Budget Tundra Resurrection

That other white FGT looks/looked minty fresh, wow.
I mean.... uh, so you sell it and take on 2 more projects?
"The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination"

 

Well the two projects is more like one project. Maybe I need to revise the title of this thread. One truck is basically for parts only. Only because it's salvage mostly... and a lot higher miles. But yeah, I really like the platform, I just don't really need the double cab in my current situation, and I always wanted to do a restoration/build something from the ground up and I think this is a good opportunity to do that. The funds from selling the white truck will fuel this project and then some.

 

Go for it. I sold a 2022 Ridgeline to fund the restoration of my 2004 Tundra. Currently, I'm $3000 or so underwater. I am much happier, though. I got my 8 foot bed back! And I love rowing through the gears.

 

I've got a garage full of projects, it's nice when they're finished, but building them is also a big part of the enjoyment.

 

Yep. My previous truck was so dialed in that I could find almost nothing fun to do on it (besides drive it). Working hard at something and seeing progress is really rewarding in it's own right.

Anyhow got that sound deadening mat installed today. At first I was trying to be so meticulous with it, cutting it so it would fit, then after a while I gave up and started using full sheets for everything and just accepted some overlap. Don't know if that's the right or wrong way to do it but it's done! Went kind of bananas on the roof, who knows what that will translate to for any kind of decibel reduction. I've never had it in a vehicle so I'm curious to see what it will be like. From what I've seen online it's mixed between some people saying it actually reduces decibels of road noise and others saying it merely shifts it to a lower tone. I'll find out soon enough. Normally wouldn't do something like this but since I wanna build it from the ground up I thought it'd be fun to do here. Didn't do the doors yet because honestly it looks like a huge pain. We'll see if I do, I probably should.



Now it's ready for an interior! Started pulling out of the other truck and did my best to clean up the front two seats. A few stains in the seats are stubborn, notably on the bench seat. It's not super noticeable in person but you can certainly see it on camera. Wouldn't come out so I guess that'll be part of the truck's story.

Picture is after cleaning. They aren't mint but not too bad for 250k miles.


Had a nice drink waiting for me at the end of it all too

Hoping to get the rest of the interior in tomorrow but want it really dry before moving anything in.

 

It’s already a quiet ride by truck standards. I imagine the extra layer of sound proofing will make it nice. Curious to hear the feedback. Will you go with stock muffler?

 

Yeah I've been thinking about that, I had the MBRP catback on my last truck and I liked it! It wasn't annoying, just kind of a beefy V8 sound while accelerating, didn't have any issues with drone. On the other hand the stock muffler is free... so there's that. And I'm kind of going the route of 'quieting' the interior, so you would think a quiet exhaust would follow... but I don't know.

What do you run on your truck?

 

The long and short is, what you’ve done is waaaaaay overkill and a waste of money/product. Effectiveness tapers off drastically at 40-50% panel coverage. People. Mistakenly believe you need to cover every square inch, and it’s flatly not true. We did it on our competition cars if they were going to SPL, but regular cars got ~50% coverage, with most of the focus being large, flat panels with no stamped structure, because those need the added weight of the sound deadener to negate movement and thus noise.

 

PS - you *are* rolling that on firmly with a roller, correct? It’s necessary. I see a lot of little bubbles there, which normally go away or flattten significantly when you roll the butyl mat onto the panel.

 

Do have a roller and used it throughout, but probably not to it's fullest potential. And yeah I hear you. I figured since I never experienced it before and my interior is out, then why not? The material cost was very low relative to the money in the project so it didn't hurt me to do. I'm okay if it does nothing/is negligible, c'est la vie.

I had a LS430 for a while which had excellent sound deadening and I don't think that was achieved through material like this (but someone correct me if I'm wrong) as from what I personally saw removing a few interior panels was that they were a) super thick b) HEAVY and c) LOADED up with thick carpet. I'm sure all those and much more contribute to that unique driving experience in the LS430. Now I know the Tundra will never ever drive like that car but this was just for shits and giggles mostly.

 

Yeah, I would do similar in a heartbeat if I had mine apart.

What they’re doing in the LS430 is a combo of things. Beefy seals, MLV, butyl deadener sheets like that mat you used, liner/padding, and carpet with beefier stamped metal.

 

I run stock. I like to hear everything going on in that engine. But I’m getting older and boring. I do appreciate a well done beefy sound, I just don’t want it all the time. Personal preference.

The last Tundra I bought, first thing I did was timing belt. Second thing was take it to a muffler shop and said “I want it quieter.” The guy looked at me twice and said “you want it quieter?!” It was a funny play on the story of a guy who goes to the doctor for “enhancements” and says he wants it smaller

 

Nice work. I've heard the biggest gains come from the roof application. Never applied the stuff myself.
Probably the DNA from several people in that "tea" Drink up!