Project Tonka Truck v2.0
06-13-2011, 06:38 PM
#1
Ford n00b
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Mormonland (like Zombieland but different)
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Project Tonka Truck v2.0
Tonka is my dog (3.5 yo South African Boerboel) and my trucks are essentially his as I give him full dominion over the back of the crew cabs. In my 2007 Tundra Crew max the back seat is so cavernous that when the seats are folded own I can fit 2 full size dog beds over them creating a massive platform. One thing I don't like about it is that the platform is elevated and in the event of a sudden stop it's possible that he could be launched into the front seats or worse though at 150# it's not likely. Anyway, the flat floor of the F-150 will provide a much more secure resting place for the big guy though I will miss his ability to swat my shoulder when he's lying behind the drivers seat. Just his way of saying hello on a long trip.
I should be picking the truck up this evening or tomorrow but the rush is on to get all the mods sorted asap. As such I've been racking up some serious frequent flyer miles on United with my Visa but I'll get to that in a minute. After a grueling search for a Tux Black on Black FX4 or Lariat 157" Srcew Ecoboost with Nav turned up one truck in Colorado that my dealer couldn't work a trade for I resigned myself to a non-OEM nav truck. That still sticks in my craw a bit but it's past time to let it go. I could have worked the deal direct with the CO dealer but opted not to for several reasons. First, I'm trading 2 vehicles in on this truck and it'd be a PITA to haul them both to CO let alone the door it opens for a last minute change in trade value once they get hands on the cars. Second, the CO dealer was a massive *****. Total battle to get to a fair price that was still above the Truecar.com number. Finally, my local dealer had been a gentleman thoughout the process and had gone well out of his way to try and locate a truck for me, not to mention the exceptionally fair valuation of my trade ins. Thus I opted to give the local dealer the biz. Hopefully that loyalty serves me well long term. Guess we'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
What I ended up buying was a 2011 Lariat 4x4 Screw EcoBoost with the off road, plus and chrome pkgs. Not wanting the chrome pkg the dealer agreed to credit me for the wheels and swap out for a standard 18" Lariat wheel as well as to credit me for the running boards which i did not want. Other than no nav the truck has no sunroof which I've liked having on my Tundra but isn't a deal breaker at all. I've been driving heavily and not so heavily modded cars and trucks since 2000 and one thing I've learned is that the sooner you get em done the longer you have to enjoy them. So...I've been scouring the forums and web like a fiend.
Here's what's on the way:
295/65/18 Duratrac's...winter perfromacne was the #1 factor in this choice as I run from Utah up to BC several times each winter for work. This tire seemed to be the best blend of winter perf and aggro look with a solid tread life.
18x9 KMC XD Diesel's in the Satin finish. had really wanted the Method street wheel in diamond cut finish but after talking with them the next shipment from China was more than 2 months out and I'm just not that patient. Maybe we'll make another change down the line as I'm not in love with any other wheels really.
Bilstein 5100 front / rear adj kit.
HD heads and tails from Tasco
Weathertech digi fit mats
Still to be sorted:
Nav unit / stereo - can't quite unravel the enigma that is the current crop of head units. Seems that both Pioneer and Kenwood have opted to load up the top end units with millions of apps and gimmicks at the expense of nav function. Stupid really, but the reviews all speak of major issues with the critical functions of Nav and sat radio usability.
bed cover...put a cap on the Tundra after the 5.5 bed proved useless as anything but a glorified trunk. Couldnt get my sled in there so might as well keep it dry and secure. Now I'm looking at the various roll up and flip lids but have yet to buy into any one camp.
Exhaust...options for the 3.5 are still too slim to dive in here. Patience I suppose.
Tint...Utah has retarded tint laws so I'll probably wait until the truck is registered and then get it done across the line in NV. Hopefully I'll be out of here within 2 years before it's up for another inspection.
Thanks to all who have answered the myriad of noob questions I've posed over the last week. Hopefully I've made solid choices that will serve me well for the duration of my time in this truck. I'll def post pics as the truck morphs into it's final form over the next few weeks.
I should be picking the truck up this evening or tomorrow but the rush is on to get all the mods sorted asap. As such I've been racking up some serious frequent flyer miles on United with my Visa but I'll get to that in a minute. After a grueling search for a Tux Black on Black FX4 or Lariat 157" Srcew Ecoboost with Nav turned up one truck in Colorado that my dealer couldn't work a trade for I resigned myself to a non-OEM nav truck. That still sticks in my craw a bit but it's past time to let it go. I could have worked the deal direct with the CO dealer but opted not to for several reasons. First, I'm trading 2 vehicles in on this truck and it'd be a PITA to haul them both to CO let alone the door it opens for a last minute change in trade value once they get hands on the cars. Second, the CO dealer was a massive *****. Total battle to get to a fair price that was still above the Truecar.com number. Finally, my local dealer had been a gentleman thoughout the process and had gone well out of his way to try and locate a truck for me, not to mention the exceptionally fair valuation of my trade ins. Thus I opted to give the local dealer the biz. Hopefully that loyalty serves me well long term. Guess we'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
What I ended up buying was a 2011 Lariat 4x4 Screw EcoBoost with the off road, plus and chrome pkgs. Not wanting the chrome pkg the dealer agreed to credit me for the wheels and swap out for a standard 18" Lariat wheel as well as to credit me for the running boards which i did not want. Other than no nav the truck has no sunroof which I've liked having on my Tundra but isn't a deal breaker at all. I've been driving heavily and not so heavily modded cars and trucks since 2000 and one thing I've learned is that the sooner you get em done the longer you have to enjoy them. So...I've been scouring the forums and web like a fiend.
Here's what's on the way:
295/65/18 Duratrac's...winter perfromacne was the #1 factor in this choice as I run from Utah up to BC several times each winter for work. This tire seemed to be the best blend of winter perf and aggro look with a solid tread life.
18x9 KMC XD Diesel's in the Satin finish. had really wanted the Method street wheel in diamond cut finish but after talking with them the next shipment from China was more than 2 months out and I'm just not that patient. Maybe we'll make another change down the line as I'm not in love with any other wheels really.
Bilstein 5100 front / rear adj kit.
HD heads and tails from Tasco
Weathertech digi fit mats
Still to be sorted:
Nav unit / stereo - can't quite unravel the enigma that is the current crop of head units. Seems that both Pioneer and Kenwood have opted to load up the top end units with millions of apps and gimmicks at the expense of nav function. Stupid really, but the reviews all speak of major issues with the critical functions of Nav and sat radio usability.
bed cover...put a cap on the Tundra after the 5.5 bed proved useless as anything but a glorified trunk. Couldnt get my sled in there so might as well keep it dry and secure. Now I'm looking at the various roll up and flip lids but have yet to buy into any one camp.
Exhaust...options for the 3.5 are still too slim to dive in here. Patience I suppose.
Tint...Utah has retarded tint laws so I'll probably wait until the truck is registered and then get it done across the line in NV. Hopefully I'll be out of here within 2 years before it's up for another inspection.
Thanks to all who have answered the myriad of noob questions I've posed over the last week. Hopefully I've made solid choices that will serve me well for the duration of my time in this truck. I'll def post pics as the truck morphs into it's final form over the next few weeks.
Last edited by truth; 06-16-2011 at 01:31 AM.
06-13-2011, 08:00 PM
#3
Sorry I can't help with your questions. But your dog is very cute. One of the biggest reasons why I chose an F150 was for the fully flat load floor and one of the biggest reasons I chose a screw was so my future dogs have plenty of room
06-14-2011, 06:04 PM
#6
Senior Member
you should trade off the toyota and keep the m, haha!
06-14-2011, 06:09 PM
#7
Ford n00b
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Mormonland (like Zombieland but different)
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8 Posts
I've thought about it and in fact that's what I did when I bought the Tundra in 2007. Reality is that I just don't drive it enough anymore to warrant the cost of keeping it and there's still decent $ in it right now. I'm basically getting my new truck for free.
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06-15-2011, 12:13 AM
#10
Senior Member
Sweet truck! I will offer you the advice of checking out Aries front floor mats instead of the weathertechs, Aries is way better quality for the same price with a lifetime guarantee vs weathertech 3 year. I got the weathertech back mat because I wanted under seat coverage for when I folded them up but after building my underseat storage box I regret that decision and wish I had got the aries back mat also.