We ended up purchasing a clean 2001 SR5 X-tra Cab Prerunner with the 3.4 liter V6 and auto tranny. With aftermarket parts we'll be converting it to accept a transfer case and we'll put a driven axle under the front end.
Our build will consist of some trick aftermarket components, other brand OEM and salvage yard parts, and a variety of homebrew fabricated solutions.
To start the project, we sourced an internal rollcage kit to provide us with in-cab safety. Once we had that protection covered, we turned to Mastercraft Seats for their latest seat offering. Mastercraft is renowned for their racing suspension seats and you'll find their products on a lot of tracks and race courses. From the past, we knew we liked their quality and comfort level. Their Baja RS seat is a reclining seat built much the same way as their popular race line and will allow us to recline in the cab or flip the seats forward for access to the back of the extended cab.
We started this project from scratch. That is to say we began with a near stock truck and we've started on our way to some substantial upgrades and capability improvements. Stay tuned as we build up Project Venture Toy in a number of following issues of 4WD & SU.
 Here's the piece that let's...  Here's the piece that let's us take a Tacoma Prerunner and mate its 2WD version auto tranny to a transfer case. Inchworm Rock Walkin' Gear has designed this billet goodie to replace the 2WD tailhousing and output driveshaft yoke and make the tail look like the rear of a GM TH350 tranny. Along with a splined coupler, this opens the door to a variety of transfer case possibilities. We'll show you more on this adapter kit and what we plan to bolt up behind it in the next project installment. |  To give you a peek forward,...  To give you a peek forward, we'll be torching off the entire front suspension and rebuilding to fit a solid axle up front. In anticipation of things to come, we sourced an oil pan conversion from Sky Manufacturing. The stock oil pan is a front sump type to clear the IFS componentry. For our axle conversion, a rear sump is needed. Sky has assembled the genuine Toyota parts sourced from the 2WD T100 truck and offers them in kit form at a reasonable cost. The oil pickup and dipstick components are included. |  We started the project by...  We started the project by stripping off a lot of the stock parts. We'll need room to fit some larger tires so the fender flares needed to go and we'll be trimming some sheetmetal later. Both bumpers were pulled as they will be replaced as well. |
 Further stripping took place...  Further stripping took place in the interior of the truck as we prepared for safety upgrades in the form of an interior cage and the swap to a set of aftermarket suspension seats. We'll be cutting into the floor a bit to sprout a couple shifter levers when we add a transfer case. |  We purchased an internal cage...  We purchased an internal cage kit from Offroad Solutions in Arvada, Colorado. They sell a preassembled (2-pieces) version and this unassembled kit built from beefy 1 3/4" x .120" wall DOM tubing. The cages are available for '95-'04 Tacoma X-tra cab models and the kit we got can be shipped to your location via UPS. |  Tubing goodness showed up...  Tubing goodness showed up at our door about a week or so later. UPS delivered the cage kit in two bundles and a box holding the smaller tubes and mounting hardware. Total weight of the three packages was about 100 lbs. The tubing was all shrink-wrapped together and the cut and notched ends were protected with cardboard caps. |