80sFast not a car build

So after much debate on what car to buy (944, 300zx tt, MRS, FC RX-7, ...the list goes on) I finally did the most "me thing" possible and got this:

2007 Tundra 4x4 shorty with a 5.7 and TRD package. Everything else about it is super basic; manual windows and locks, no cruise, etc. Basically my kinda truck. Long term goal is to turn it into an overland rig for my son and me. The build is going to be slow but we will be heading out on adventures along the way and I plan on chronicling both the build and adventures here. 

I know there's a lot of forums out there with more of an overlanding focus, but as far as automotive forums go its hard to beat GRMS as a source of knowledge or comradery. This build is also going to start off as restoration/catch up on maintenance sorta deal, so I will be needing advice from just you kind of folks.  Hopefully everyone welcomes the build and story as it unfolds. 

Took care of a few things today on the truck. First on the list was going through and doing a deeeeeeep clean. When I called about the truck they insisted it was a non-smoker vehicle but after a 13 hour drive from Michigan to North Carolina I found out they weren't being completely honest on that front. The truck didn't stink horribly but it was for for sure smoked in. So I went and got together some cleaning supplies to get after it.

Also snagged one of these to see if it will help at all

There wasn't that big of a difference on most the of the interior but the headliner cleaned up nicely (I think that's what smelled the worse ). Overall it was already a really clean truck but looks almost new now. 

Next on the list was to put the gear I already had in the truck so I got it sorted out and put in. Rain gear, hat and gloves, first aid kit, flash light with extra battery and charger adapter, and my little hiking/fishing pack with the pictured supplies. 

Threw the first aid in the glove box but stored the flashlight, charger, and clothes in the under-seat compartment in the middle section. 

Then wrapped my hiking/fishing pack around the flip up center counsel.

Last on the list today was putting in the co-captains chair.

That thing is begging for some 80s style TRD stripes.

I could get behind something along these lines 

Not sure I knew that a tundra "shorty" existed. Around here they all have 4 doors. Awesome looking truck!

In reply to Robbie :

Yeah, they aren't very common but I sure do like mine. The short wheelbase was nice when I hit a few two tracks yesterday. Me, my wife, and son fit in the cab just fine and had plenty of storage space behind the seats. I am pretty sure I can fit a fridge back there.

No cruise would be a no go from me, but this is pretty much the type of truck I would want. I would want cruise and AC and an aftermarket stereo with bluetooth. 

In reply to Bill Mesker :

Cruise is pretty high on my list of factory mods. The drive back from NC to MI wasn't as bas as I thought it would be without it, the truck kept it speed really well. I had a 60 series cruiser with no cruise that I drove out to California and you had to work to maintain speed in that. I do need to look into bluetooth though, not sure if I can just hook up some sort of receiver for my factory unit. I just want to run and iPad on a RAM mount for GPS and entertainment.  

Today I just took off the dealer plate and side steps then threw on my clevis receiver hitch. Heading to Chicago for the weekend so wont be getting much done on the truck, but next inline is trying to remove the old tint on the back and door windows and a debadge.

In the pictures it doesn't make that much of a difference but in person I think it looks way better. 

In reply to 80sFast :

If your stereo has an Aux jack, which I think it should, you can add Bluetooth extremely easy by way of a cheap bluetooth receiver that would plug straight into it. You can find them on eBay. As far as adding cruise, that should be fairly easy as well. Either the ECM or the PCM (not entirely sure which,) would just need a flash to get it enabled. Having cruise is a necessity for me. I drove a Ford E-350 U-Haul truck without it once... once I got back into my car, you can bet your ass I used it the whole way home.

In reply to Bill Mesker :

I was actually looking at those and think it would be perfect for a short term solution. Long term I am kind of leaning towards a USB in put so I can charger and have tunes/gps. Maybe do one input and a couple extra for charging in the stock blank areas...I think there are three blanks now plus a AUX input I could swap out. 

Something along these lines:

https://parts.toyotaofgrandrapids.com/oem-parts/toyota-auxiliary-jack-861900c020?origin=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhdmDjbCW6AIVEvDACh1fCQVCEAQYAyABEgKeRPD_BwE

As far as a reflash, you think that's something a dealer could do?

My neighbor has a shorty in thunder cloud. 
 

are you going to get rid of those chrome wheels ?

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

They are hubcaps.....but I would sell them. Thinking of just having the steelies powder coated black. 

Called off the trip this weekend to Chicago so going to debadge the truck and try my hand at cleaning up the headlights (driver side is pretty bad) instead. Any pro-tips on doing these two things? Also looking into new headlight bulbs, I would like something better than stock but don't want those bright blue looking things. Any suggestions for plug-n-play units? Are LEDs the way to go?

Didn't think a child seat and airbag were a good combination.

In reply to 80sFast :

Don't see why they wouldn't be able to. And as far as a USB input for both tunes and charging capabilities, I think you would need the touchscreen unit to even be able to use that functionality. And even then I'm not completely sure it would have that in the first place. You would probably need to go aftermarket at that point. Not really well versed in Toyotas so I could be talking out of my rear. 

In reply to maj75 :

I just make him wear a helmet (the bag auto turns off when a child seat is in the passenger seat).

So I went ahead and debadged the truck today. Used a heat gun and some glass cleaner to remove the excess glue. Started on the tailgate and it turned out really good.

But then disaster struck when I went to do the side badge. The painted started to come off with the side badge :-(....so not sure where to go form here...thinking maybe to talk to a body shop about removing the badges and fixing the pain? Any advice? Everything was coming off under the badge so I just pushed it back against the body while it was still warmed up. Seems to be holding okay but definitely a short term solutions that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. 

Next on the list is removing the old tint then addressing my headlights. Going to order two new housings and upgrade the builds. One headlight its discolored and they aren't as bright as I would like, especially with all the deer around here. 

I chuckled about the smoke free comments because it made me wonder... 

Is it possible that in NC (the land of tobacco farms) that "smoke free" means similar to what "rust free" means in Michigan (the land of salt trucks) 

Cool truck. Nice find. I dig the idea of TRD stripes

As for the window tint, I can see where the side window darkness might not be legal in your state but the rear window darkness is legal. Actually, on a truck, no rear window is even legal. I would keep the rear tint unless you just have to have the real red neck experience of a real red neck. 

Personally, I added sideboards to my F250 to make entry easier. I'm not sure that removing them make usage of the truck easier. 

In reply to John Welsh :

The window tint is very light/faded so its not helping a whole lot, its bubbly, and the rear window used to have a sticker on it so the tint in that area is a different color than the rest. As far a side steps, long term I want to replace them with rocksliders for protection and I have no problem getting in and out of the truck. 

In reply to 80sFast :

Coolio. Yeah, get rid of the tint if crappy.

What part of the mitten are you in? Still some residual snow in your pics so your probably at least half way up. 

What is the body of water in pic #1?  It almost looks like Lake Charlevoix given the visible depth changes in the water color. 

In reply to John Welsh :

I'm up by Frankfort, the picture was taken at Crystal Lake. You from the mitten yourself?

Born and raised in Toledo (the most southern suburb of Detroit.) 

I worked based out of Southfield for a number of years and cover a lot of territory south of I-96 down to the border over those years. 

My Grandparents were born on the shores of Lake Charlevoix (Grandfather East Jordan,  Grandmother Boyne City.)  They left through their adult years but retired back up there (and have since both passed.)  As kids, that's what we did in the summers; three weeks in Boyne.  I still try to get there every year (or so.) 

I've lived in Sandusky, OH now for nearly 10 years. If I drive to the end of my road, I can see the roller coasters in the sky from over the field and across the bay. 

You are in a beautiful area!