Just picked up a 1996 LX450 to replace my Tacoma (and our '92 80 "Pamela Landy") we sold last fall. Wanted to start a build thread before I get too far and have too many photos to upload.
Current build:
Drivetrain
2019 GM L86 6.2L
2019 GM 10L80
Torfab Gen V mounts and adapter kit
3.11 T-case regear
Suspension and Tires
Dobinsons Flexi coils front, VT 2.5 rear
Dobinsons Yellow shocks
Timbren Bumps
Delta 3L arms
315/75/r16 Falken Wildpeak AT3w
Armor
ARB front bumper w/ ComeUp 12.5
Camping
GFC RTT
80/20 drawer and dog crate system
Dometic fridge
270 degree awning
CarPlay unit for music and OnX maps
Corbeau seats
Upcoming
Rear swingout bumper
37-38in tires
Bypass shocks
Sliders
Camp lighting
Harrup lockers
Stainless snorkel
Repaint?
Here's a photo of just before the engine swap, Feb. 2026:
Here is a crappy photo of how she sat when I picked her up:
Pros: almost no rust. One or two tiny bits of surface rust (about a quarter sized) on the axles. Relatively clean interior (not that it matters much). 246k on the odometer, and was always locally owned. It's now three owner. Also, she was cheap!
Cons: front seats are garbage, worm gears on the sliders are shot. Probably will yank them and replace them with something comfy and manually adjustable. Big 'ole valve cover gasket leak. Tons of gunk buildup on the knuckles (don't look like they've been greased or serviced). Takeoff shudder that only happens at low speeds with high torque. 11 year old, dry-rotted tires.
The plan with this truck is to make it capable and comfortable for camping, moderate wheeling and lots of fire-road driving. Ideally we'll keep weight down too.
Here's our last rig:
We loved the Tacoma with the GFC for camping, but it had some limitations (payload, lack of front locker, and too small for the giant dogs) that this build should solve.
Current build:
Drivetrain
2019 GM L86 6.2L
2019 GM 10L80
Torfab Gen V mounts and adapter kit
3.11 T-case regear
Suspension and Tires
Dobinsons Flexi coils front, VT 2.5 rear
Dobinsons Yellow shocks
Timbren Bumps
Delta 3L arms
315/75/r16 Falken Wildpeak AT3w
Armor
ARB front bumper w/ ComeUp 12.5
Camping
GFC RTT
80/20 drawer and dog crate system
Dometic fridge
270 degree awning
CarPlay unit for music and OnX maps
Corbeau seats
Upcoming
Rear swingout bumper
37-38in tires
Bypass shocks
Sliders
Camp lighting
Harrup lockers
Stainless snorkel
Repaint?
Here's a photo of just before the engine swap, Feb. 2026:
Here is a crappy photo of how she sat when I picked her up:
Pros: almost no rust. One or two tiny bits of surface rust (about a quarter sized) on the axles. Relatively clean interior (not that it matters much). 246k on the odometer, and was always locally owned. It's now three owner. Also, she was cheap!
Cons: front seats are garbage, worm gears on the sliders are shot. Probably will yank them and replace them with something comfy and manually adjustable. Big 'ole valve cover gasket leak. Tons of gunk buildup on the knuckles (don't look like they've been greased or serviced). Takeoff shudder that only happens at low speeds with high torque. 11 year old, dry-rotted tires.
The plan with this truck is to make it capable and comfortable for camping, moderate wheeling and lots of fire-road driving. Ideally we'll keep weight down too.
Here's our last rig:
We loved the Tacoma with the GFC for camping, but it had some limitations (payload, lack of front locker, and too small for the giant dogs) that this build should solve.
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