The Professional Hand Model Reinvestment ‘Build’: A Chronological Story.

Autozoned for the Percy/Taylor Cable Gasket and Bigurrrl for the DIY Sheet for the Collector Gaskets. Tried going ‘direct’ through each Company but they either redirect to Dealers or their website sucks and won’t let you buy even with a cart.

Anyways, was going to be about $110 ‘direct’ but got the shtuff below for about $66. Need to pick up at Autozoned tomorrow.

 

16 Toy Bolt/Studs and 22 Locking Nuts order through Stealer Programme ($110). Woooooo!!!

 

Fantastic write up and very helpful photos/info! Loved reading through all of this.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

I was researching on either a Gen 1 or Gen2 Tundra purchase, and my searches landed me here. And after reading @Professional Hand Model post, I had to create an account and throw in a big thank you as well! I feel as if I got my hands dirty without having owned one yet. Very good insight, with pricing on parts. Now the search to go out and find one with a good frame...

 

Installed the Upper Corner Tweeters today. FuzedIt’d them behind the OEM Grill. So nice to hear crisp mids and highs again. The old OEM Tweeters were toast. I took them out and you couldn’t tell any difference in sound. My system sounds so good now even with the OEM Stereo Head (installed 4 JBL Concert Speakers last year). These Tweeters were the missing piece.

Picked up Percy Gaskets at Autozoned. Check out those layers. Look at my Arm Protectors! They are very protective. Called Percy and confirmed sides preference. Basically, they said it doesn’t matter but the way I’ve labeled it is ok.

 

Where did you order all your speakers from please?

 

Crutchfield

 

Reached into my Hand Bag and grabbed my Dremel. Works great! Ported the intakes for smoovvv flows. Had a little slippy doo on the one port but she’ll be alright. Things are coming together nicely. Cut the New Gaskets out of the Remflex DIY Kit.

 

Spent about 8 hours installing the Pass Side Header. Used every Hand Move in the Arsenal. Started her up and no leaks! This Job is no joke. Every level intensifies into the next one. Never lets up until you finish putting the Splash Guards back on.

 

This rebuild has influenced me. Years to come this will be what I'm gonna do to my rig. Keep it up man, killer progress

 

Thanks Ted! Its been fun so far which is keeping me sane.

 

Awesome!!! I was wondering when you were going to start this project. You have me thinking about installing some on mine

 

I started with the dream killer driver side. Glad you got the hand moves to make it happen. I bet you learned a new finger pose or two during the install

 

The opening round had me up on the ropes right away. Suffered a contusion on my Upper Left Hand removing the Cat. Hand got sqwarshed between the sway bar and pipe. Worked through it. Glad for my Arm Protectors!

Hoping tomorrow goes better, but we’ll see.

 

I’m hoping on some extra Torque from these per reviewers. My OEM Removed Pass Side today was in great shape. No cracks in the Manifold Ports. All of them looked thick and solid. No signs of leaking. Gasket even looked reusable.

I’ll report back you know it!

 

Let us know how the Dream Killer as @FrenchToasty put it goes. Good Luck!

 

What's a splash guard? I think mine pretty much fell off with little help from me. Looks really good though. Glad you didn't have any leaks on the first side. I'll need to keep the arm protectors in mind. Since I'm not lifting much anymore I might actually be able to have something besides butter on my arms and still get into the tight spots.
Go for round 2!

 

Drivers Side Success! Two two days on this side because of the tightness and bracketry. No leaks or CEL.

Wheels have a little Chirp on them now with the extra Torque/Hp from the new design. Stoked. Also, Rotated the wheels since it was time and the truck was on 4 Jacks.

 

Cut out the Driver Side Manifold to access the Under Bolts wedged between the Engine Mount Area. Easier said than done, but better than Engine Mount Removal which requires jacking the engine and more Hand Jujitsu Moves than a Hand Model can stand.

 

Couple pics of the Exhaust Work I did when doing the JBA Shorty Headers. I removed each Cat Pipe and cleaned up the Flanges on both ends. Installed New Gaskets, as well. You can see where the Flange was getting thin/worn on the high side where water would dive into.

Used Permatex HighTemp FIPG Gasket (not pictured) to fill that during install and seal from future penetration. Good shtuff! Shprayed everything with Black BBQ Ceramic Rustoleum.

Did I mention I received Yard of the Month for May?

 

Every 3 Years the Truck comes up for review on selling or keeping. 2018 was a pivotal year to keep her for another 3 years based on two mechanics saying I was crazy for thinking of selling at 150k miles. I knew there was front end work to be done prior to joining here so there was some reinvestment to be done knowingly. At the time, our trucks were selling for $4-8k (both AC and Ridgeline Versions). Not knowing future World Events at the time, its been a smart decision barring any major/unforeseen new work.

Since committing, she has about $8k (Total Parts and Labor) put into her thus far over these last 3 years (half that with New Tires and Front End Rebuild by 4WPlace). The other half is various stuff some needed and some not (performed DIY). I’m guessing personally there is about 150-200 man hours invested in time for the ‘little stuff’ shops won’t do or charge a fortune to do so. Some stuff performed was major like TB and The Shorty Header (aka ‘Dream Killer’).

Here is a list compiled of all the shtuff done (some shtuff not on build page). Almost all of the shtuff is in the Early Pages of ’What have you done’ until I started a build page but didn’t capture all that in it.

All in all she will be kept indefinitely at this point based on Goofy New Truck Prices/Market/Taxes, Time Invested thus far, and Sentimental Value of the Truck Shake Down over three years including the 17 years since she was bought new in 2002. It never crossed my mind she’d still be good as/better than new 20 years down the road. Here is to Legendary Toyota 1st Gen Tundras.

 

Ordered these the other night just because they were $7 a pair. Took about 20 minutes.
I made it easy by removing the Latch Half from the window for the post removal. Added some lube for the install slippage.