TacoChaser-sneak peek

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
We've just started working on a project vehicle we are calling, for lack of anything better, the TacoChaser. Our buddy Matt has a wicked '02 Taco with a solid front end conversion running on 37s. He was planning on building a tube frame Ute bed when a spark was ignited by a few tape measures...yep, you guessed it, a Chaser body is exactly as wide (at the fenders) and as long as the standard Taco bed. More steel & sparks later you are looking at the rough first fitting of the mating frame.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will lower the mating frame to the stock body mounts 3". New shock mounts have been incorporated into the mating frame to accomodate the longer shocks. We are fabbing side steps that can be used as steps or in this case, support for the fuel & water can mounts. The fenders will be dropped about 6" to meet the bottom of the steps. The Chaser body will be fitted with a tailgate, a lid on gas struts, roof rack with a 5" deep basket that will have mounts for a hi-lift, axe & shovel. The rear of the rig will be fitted with LED lights (not the ones you normally see on a Chaser) and a back up flood light. Additional mods in the planning are a water tank underneath the frame and a slide out tray at the tail gate opening.
We're having a lot of fun with this!
 
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p1michaud

Expedition Leader
Tres Cool!

Cool!
Thas is going to be a very interesting fab project. Will it have fuel and water can holders on both sides? It's nice to see innovative builds.

Cheers :beer:,
P
 

kcowyo

ExPo Original
I thought this was a thread about Pacifico. :friday:

These looks like a really fun and unique project. Great idea over a ute tray and big points for originality. I'll be watching this thread for updates. Too, too cool.

:clapsmile
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
Thanks folks. Yes it will have cans on both sides. We'll have to measure the Pacifico carrying capacity....one bottle at a time :xxrotflma
 

articulate

Expedition Leader
kcowyo said:
I thought this was a thread about Pacifico. :friday:
:) With all due respect to the project, I could think of a sicker joke about a TacoChaser and I'm surprised you - of all people - went the PG-rated route.

I could see an AEV Brute or RoadArmor Summit SUT with this kind of a back end, too.
:costumed-smiley-007
 
Yeah, I was thinking of that movie Kill Bill myself. Moving right along...

That's a great looking setup. Any concern about leaving the H2O and fuel cans potentially exposed to debris from the tires? Particularly the fuel can, with the opening toward the tire. Will they be completely masked by the fender?

Is the chaser frame narrow enough to keep the tires from rubbing on the sides at full twist?

Looking forward to seeing the results.

-Sean
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
The fuel & water cans are within the width of the wheel wells and protected. The mating chassis is the same width as the Taco chassis so we do not forsee any rubbing problems. It was surprisingly easy to make this adaptation because the dimensions between the Taco & the Chaser are so similar.

After we complete this project, we plan to look into doing the same to other mini truck platforms including the Taco double cab. A Brute would be cool too....hmmm, got the gears going again.
 

CLynn85

Explorer
Very cool. I was considering an M101 canadian trailer body for a jeep ute once upon a time, but this is waaaaay cooler.
 
elcoyote said:
The fuel & water cans are within the width of the wheel wells and protected. The mating chassis is the same width as the Taco chassis so we do not forsee any rubbing problems. It was surprisingly easy to make this adaptation because the dimensions between the Taco & the Chaser are so similar.

After we complete this project, we plan to look into doing the same to other mini truck platforms including the Taco double cab. A Brute would be cool too....hmmm, got the gears going again.
a brute would be really freaking cool :D.

i'm getting confused at the "chassis" part...you mean the chaser and taco frame are the same width, or the chaser body is the same width as the taco frame? i mentioned it because my stock width rear axle and 35x12.5s rub the side of the stock wheel well when it's twisted up, and he's running a significantly larger tire. granted i have a tundra but i suspect the dimensions are similar.

whichever, it's gonna be good :D.
 

elcoyote

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0004
To clarify, there is a frame that fits on the Taco bed body mounts. It is 40" wide whereas the Taco frame is approx 43" wide. Matt has not had any rubbing issues that I know of, even with the factory bed. I think this may be due in part to his wheel offset and spring over conversion. I'll have to check but I think he has a set of spacers on his current rear end to match the Jeep Grand Wagoneer front axle mod.
I am not familiar with how the Tundra is set up. Is yours spring over or under? This may have something to do with the rubbing, so might wheel offset.
At any rate, we plan to have the Taco Chaser in the booth at the upcoming ISE show in PHX on March 9-11. If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to drop by, meet Matt and bring a tape measure.
 
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blupaddler

Conspirator
Very nice.


The possibilities with this are very exciting. Being able to put the Chaser or even the Horizon on most/any pickup would be very cool.

:bowdown:


:safari-rig:
 

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