Let's Get This 1UZ Tacoma Swap Started
Smithers wrote:Here is a clean picture of my V8 Tacoma front end. It all FINALLY came together. Now I just need to make a prerunner bumper and toss the worthless stock chrome one. It looks ok but they are so weak.
And here we are showing the front once more. Like my sweet hood rod? Making a real hood stay will put the finishing touch on this thing. I would love to have some hydraulic struts on this truck but I'll probably just make a steel rod with rubber feet. I'm not feeling like spending a couple hours making special brackets. Way too much other stuff to work on. I need to start drawing up a bumper quick.
Form Thailand Noon....UZ !!!!!
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Just a quick update here. Engine runs great - truck is rediculously fast and rollcage is top priority now. I got the wheels I've always wanted and the all terrains ride so much better then the muds - the ride is much better. I'm also am building a full floating Ford 9" rear end which will complete the rear suspension that was designed for it. The front suspension and spindles are being built and I'm hoping I'll have time to tie it all together before the end of the year. The only trick will be paying for all this stuff!




I just took my truck out to the Oceano Dunes this past Saturday and the power is just insane. I don't have a locker and I ran 2WD and I just had a big big smile on my face the whole time. My exhaust is perfect as I just rapped the pedal sweet engine music. I could just cruise over woops at 60mph and I had tons of throttle left and I had to ease on it or the wheels would just spin. Now I need to hurry up and do my roll cage and new suspension again before I go out again. I was using every last inch of travel for sure. I need to invest in some really good bump stops as well. This engine is way too much for my frame right now. Roll cage is needed bad. The sound is nuts. I need to get a good video of it.
I'm getting a LED lightbar from Laserstar here in Paso Robles California. They have the best LED lights in the business. I have held off from buying any LED lights because they were all flood type lights that didn't throw light out that far ahead of you. Now they have flood AND spot type lights so I'll be getting a long LED bar that has both incorporated into the array. They recently went to the big Sand Sports show and had the best offroad LED lights out of all their competition. Below is a picture of an 18" spot and flood combination light bar mounted to the grill of a Ford that also has the HID conversions already done to the factory headlights.

I'm getting a LED lightbar from Laserstar here in Paso Robles California. They have the best LED lights in the business. I have held off from buying any LED lights because they were all flood type lights that didn't throw light out that far ahead of you. Now they have flood AND spot type lights so I'll be getting a long LED bar that has both incorporated into the array. They recently went to the big Sand Sports show and had the best offroad LED lights out of all their competition. Below is a picture of an 18" spot and flood combination light bar mounted to the grill of a Ford that also has the HID conversions already done to the factory headlights.

1UZ Engine is back together and running great again. My DOM tubing was just delivered and the moons are aligning for my rollcage finally. And once the cage is welded up I can get to the final touches of the V8 install. I'll be building a solid tube intake and new frame mounts for the engine now that I know that I know where it's going to stay in the Tacoma chassis for good. Then I can build hard lines for the AC system and tidy up and secure the wiring harness even more. The wires are kinda hanging and loosely secured right now so when the tubing is finalized I'll be weatherizing it more and putting more loom sheathing all around the exposed wires.
Some Youtube engine sound I recorded yesterday ;] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9Noq0Wrdg

Some Youtube engine sound I recorded yesterday ;] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9Noq0Wrdg

Smithers wrote:Lots of updates but no time to post! I'm putting the engine together today and doing some more tuning this weekend. Then Tuesday it's going to a friends fab shop for a full race rollcage! woohoo!
Form Thailand Noon....UZ !!!!!
.... 
Smithers wrote:1UZ Engine is back together and running great again. My DOM tubing was just delivered and the moons are aligning for my rollcage finally. And once the cage is welded up I can get to the final touches of the V8 install. I'll be building a solid tube intake and new frame mounts for the engine now that I know that I know where it's going to stay in the Tacoma chassis for good. Then I can build hard lines for the AC system and tidy up and secure the wiring harness even more. The wires are kinda hanging and loosely secured right now so when the tubing is finalized I'll be weatherizing it more and putting more loom sheathing all around the exposed wires.
Some Youtube engine sound I recorded yesterday ;] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9Noq0Wrdg
/ ask the lucky winner.
Form Thailand Noon....UZ !!!!!
.... 
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Fyresnwyres
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:10 am
My God! What an awesome project!! I have read this and many of your other threads, GREAT job dude, you really knocked it out of the park. I have a Tacoma preruner I dream of adding a v8 to; do you know if the 1uz will mate to the stock auto trans? Your fabrication work and constant reminders to write and re measure are spot on. Nicely done!


