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10 year project X, This Has been Along Time Coming!

akakrill

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This is gonna be a long post and in a few parts, but honestly looking back at all this, I think many of you are going to relate to being a true enthusiast of these trucks, the mods, and the culture of us tinkerers. It's scary how much time and money was spent, it wont make sense to any outsiders looking in. Why would you buy a 2wd truck, why would you lower it, why would you buy more in parts that the truck was even worth? I think its only people like us, people on XRU who just get it. I want to thank you guys and girls for being part of this community and sharing ideas and styles, and for starting company's that with enough money I can satisfy my deeply embedded desires to mod absolutely everything I own and go fast.

I wanted to do this now because, well I'm about to mod again, I have nothing to do on this black Friday, I sure as hell ain't going into town with all the mobs, and at Xfest east this year, someone mentioned being the original owner to me and was surprised in a sense, indicating there may not be many left. But I cant imagine growing out of this, see below and you'll see what I mean.
 
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akakrill

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My Tacoma problem began in 1999. I bought my first truck that I paid for all by myself. A used 1997 Reg Cab Tacoma 4x4 with 62k miles for 10K.
Toy0003.JPG Toy0002.JPG

Within 2 years, I added wheels, 33" tires, 3" fabtech lift, K&N intake, jet chip, downey header, Flowmaster 40 series exhaust, 5.29 gears, and a powertrax no slip locker.
Krill Coves04.JPG Krill Coves05.JPG Krill Coves03.JPG
You guessed it, couldn't leave it alone.
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Increased to fabtech 6" and 35" tires

I kept this truck until 2006 and sold it right before that big Toyota buy back, sold it for 5K on Uncle Henry's classifieds missed out on the big payoff by 2 months.
 

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akakrill

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I bought a brand new 2006 4x4 Tacoma to replace the 97. I had it a short time and got a grill, and a cap, and ordered the very first supercharger system for the 2006 Tacoma. The Underdog Racing Development MK1. I sat on that supercharger install for 6 months, then in my research and quest for parts on Custom Tacos and Tacomaworld, I found a cool little place called XRU. I saw the Xrunner for the first time and immediately need to have that! Originally I had planned on converting the 2006 4x4 into an xrunner with 4wd. Then I read about the weight and the x bracing, and saw that hunting down body kits was going to suck.

Also during 2007 I joined the army and left for training. Not having any commitments, I vowed to move south after basic and AIT training. I said well if I have the supercharger already I mine as well have it on the proper platform. My impulses managed to justify trading the 2006 4x4 for a special ordered 2007 BSP Xrunner. Living in northern NH, the sales manager made me put a bunch of money down, the dealership couldn't believe what I was doing, and didn't want to get stuck trying to sell it if I flaked out. I waited nearly 3 months for it to be mine.
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akakrill

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I actually was not the first driver of my brand new Xrunner. My best friend Jared drove me 45 minutes up to Berlin City in Gorham, NH. He got to take the first rip back down to Conway.
It was that night, the dealer let me keep both vehicles for a day so I could swap the stereo, speakers and grille. It was finally here!
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A month went by and my garage date had arrived, screw that warranty, the MK1 was in.
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I monitored all that new power with a complete autometer nexus gauge kit, of course at this point I was chasing after all the mods of the URD xrunner.
Gauge.jpg

Definitely a fun improvement over stock, mostly in higher rpm. Little did I know what the next 10 years in development would bring.
 

akakrill

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I think it was after I got back form my military OCS training I saw that Gadget made another kit. I was really excited and a little pissed, how was I going to upgrade. How about a low interest cadet loan for newly commisioned officers to buy furniture and shit, that'll work. ;-)

I pulled off the MK1 and sold in for 3K.

I ordered that MKII kit with the Rotrex C38-71 and all the piping and parts to jump to the maximum stage. Yet again in progress and still chasing the URD Xrunner configuration.
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Had won a few XRU calendar entries along the way..
X OCT TM background.jpg X-Storm.jpg
 
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akakrill

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Then nice to find out the MK3 released initially with the same C38-71 supercharger. URD also sold a transition kit for MKII to MK3 intake piping, so obviously I had to swap it out.. By the way I still have those MKII pipes if anyone looking for them. This configuration was the APR X-1, APR 640cc 7th Injector, Thorley Headers, URD Y-pipe, URD 3 inch cat back with gen 1 unmarked polished muffler, really loud at this point.. Also decided coming off deployment that I deserved some new wheels and tires and seats and interior pieces. lol

P1010035.JPGP1010041.JPG2012-10-20_12-40-47_156.jpg Redline 1.jpg

More Calendar Shots
Hairpin.jpg Lookout.jpg Observatory.jpg

Then with a little more free time and XRU participation I was able to be recognized and still do appreciate it!
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akakrill

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When I got back, winter was coming. No freaken way way this Xrunner gonna see salt. So I picked up a used 2005 4x4 Tacoma.

I couldn't drive it around like a dam grandpa so..
TRDsport2.jpg

That's Better, "see ya later" rain guards, sold the cap, added old man emu 3" lift with dakar leaf pack and some limted FJ wheels.
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Over time, she also got a URD 3" cat back retired from the Xrunner, AFE intake.
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Everything was going good. Had all season covered in style.
 

akakrill

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In September 2014 I took the xrunner down to drill and stayed at Matt & Maria's, I was having a fuse issue, a 10 amp kept popping. Trying to troubleshoot it, I found it was e-fan related, I tried repairs and cleaning the motor. That piece of shit was done for. Stock cooling or nothing! When I rev'd it once in Matt's driveway a high pitch whistle blasted out from under the hood. We looked at each other WTF? Popped the hood and it was misty and sweet. I inspected around and found no signs, no CEL, I assumed it might be AC line related.

Well my friends this is where it goods good, well bad really.
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Turns out that was a whistle generated by coolant leaking through my head gasket and being compressed out between the head and block. It happen a total of two times at Matts, and not knowing what it was I drove home, almost home.
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F@!K, every armchair physicist knows the forces of water far exceed the strength of metal. I find this out the hard way. I'm never coming back from this.
 

akakrill

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In case you need more of that and want to really feel the pain with me...
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Not really sure what do, so I pulled the motor, put it on a stand and tucked the truck away for a year. It gets better ;-)
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akakrill

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I haven't thought about what to do at all it was over for the Xrunner. No budget, no warranty, no plan.

And then something happened, On my way to drill in April 2015 a miracle occurred. My 2005 doesn't have traction control and I93 was coated with slick black ice for at least a 300 meter section. I fish tailed and lost it. I slid sideways for over 200 feet without one tire squeal. I was literally on fresh ice. I had time to look where I was headed and say the full sentence, I'm gonna f@*kin roll this thing.

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I walked away with a bloody nose, and an ear to ear smile, "Buy back!". I bought that junk back and the motor was perfect! Parked it at the house and got out the tools.
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My new block has fallen from the sky.
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akakrill

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After weeks of research and locating someone trustworthy to perform a comeback build, I sent the project.
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Howard's HotRods now Darton East, accepted my build. Here's the lower assembly;
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akakrill

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And the upper;
1GR-FE Heads.jpg 1GR-FE Completed Head.jpg 1GR-FE Assembled.jpg FB_IMG_1470853622085.jpg FB_IMG_1470949551151.jpg

About a year later, from the initial discussions, wait list, and delayed part arrivals, I had it back.
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akakrill

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Then I grew the balls to put this thing back together, Big Thanks to whoever provided the link to the Tacoma assembly and torque diagrams by the way, so useful!
Every bolt, one at a time, a bit nerve racking!
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akakrill

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Fully built, fully back in action, gonna keep going, one last step up., Done for now, I will upload again after final configuration with build sheet and dyno. Thanks everyone. I had to get that out... Persistence and perseverance.

Xrunner2017.jpg
 

NHXRUNNER

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We should change the title to 50 Shades of Krill.....got me all hot and bothered.....and count me in for the dyno day... NE Crew rollin deep!
 
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