2012 Tundra Build - The Occupational Hazard

About ten months ago, I purchased a 2012 regular cab, short bed Tundra. I had owned a 2014 crew cab Frontier for about six months. I spent 12 years employed full time as a medic, but am currently taking a break from that and working as a car salesman with moderate success. I refer to the Tundra as an Occupational Hazard since I wasn't looking for a new truck but bought it semi-impulsively when it came through my store. My monthly payment went up only slightly, I got a better rate on the loan and a lot more truck. The previous owner had installed most of the accessories you currently see on the truck, which is why it was such a good deal. Most of the modifications I was going to do to my previous truck were already done to this one. The truck is 4WD and has the 5.7L engine. My only real complaint about this truck is the lack of a rear LSD or locker, but I may remedy that in the future. Modifications are as follows.

Current Modifications:

Done by prior owner:
Window Tint
TRD Rock Warrior wheels
Rigid LED floods in Grill
N-Fab step bars
Sprayed in bedliner
Toolbox
Ready-Lift Leveling Kit

Added by me:
Weather Tech Mats
Some emblems blacked out, others removed
Grill and center caps blacked out
RAM cell phone mount
Refinished step bars with spray can bedliner and clear coat
TRD Bilstein shocks
Falken Wildpeak AT3W Tires

Future Modifications:
Cap with built-in toolbox, either fiberglass or preferably aluminum
Side facing LED floods
Offroad bumper?
Auburn Limited Slip rear diff?
Raptor Liner bumpers and step bars
Color matched Rock Warrior grill

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the day I bought it:
20150923_170539.jpg

with the step bars removed for refinishing:
IMG_0688 (2).jpg

I'm pretty satisfied with the light from the Rigid LEDs. I did tidy up the wiring a little bit one evening:
20151008_190357.jpg
 
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Most of the stuff I've done was either almost free (paint) or regular maintenance (brakes, gear oil, etc.). This truck was a good deal for me because it already had most of the mods I was going to do initially. So, while I'm paying a bit more monthly, I'm spending a lot less getting it to where I want it to be as far as mods.
 
Anyone want to comment on whether I should black out the rest of chrome (bumpers, maybe wheel trim rings) or leave it as is? I'm leaning toward leaving it as it sits but I'm not convinced either way. I don't like chrome, so I plasti-dipped the grill and rear bumper on the Frontier, but other than emblems, I'm not dealing with plasti-dip again. Any de-chroming I do will be permanent (paint) like the grill surround on the Tundra.

If I do invest in an offroad bumper for the front, I'll spend the extra 200 bucks and purchase a black painted bumper for the rear.
 

AaronK

Explorer
It's so short! I imagine you can actually turn around on a trail in less than 10 points 😀

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Good looking Tundra, one of my favorite colors.

Mine too. Looks good, doesn't show dirt or scratches much.

I have a soft spot for reg cab short box trucks. Looks great.

Thanks.

It's so short! I imagine you can actually turn around on a trail in less than 10 points

I'm pretty sure it's shorter than the Frontier was, even with the ridiculously short box on that. As a guy that spent ten years driving an ambulance around a city of 200,000, I can turn around just about anywhere, but the truck is super manageable.

I LOVE the rcsb Tundras! Leave the chrome, its fine. Add larger tires.

Thanks for the vote on the chrome. It will probably stay for now. As for the tires, it'll be due for new sneakers in about 10k miles or less. I don't want to go too big and make the gas mileage worse than it already is. This is my daily driver. I will investigate going a little bigger next time, though.
 
Quick project for the evening. I pulled the rear bumper off, sanded the rust off the backside then primed and undercoated it. Should keep it from rusting through. Always nice when an hour's work and ten bucks can hopefully save you hundreds in the future.
 

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