Toyota Tacoma: Under the Hood/Performance

Things started falling into place and I continued adding onto the Tacoma build. I began to add on accessories that would help improve the way my truck sounded and help its efficiency in performance. A lot of the time I spent on Craigslist.com in the classified auto parts section. Here, I'm able to find great deals on certain parts. Not all of the items in the used auto parts classifieds are always the best thing if they are overused or junk parts, but I sometimes get lucky enough to find some great components that are barely used at all.

This first picture is of a K&N cold air intake kit. What this kit claims to do is improve gas milage and add a small gain in vehicle horsepower. Whether or not these claims are valid is debatable. However, I feel as though I experienced a slight improvement in miles per gallon as well as a better throttle response when accelerating. Throttle response is the vehicles reaction time in comparison to when you put your foot down on the gas pedal to accelerate. I believe that the new cold air intake kit is less restrictive than the original manufacturer's intake system. Having a less restrictive system means more airflow to the engine and the truck can breathe better, so to speak. The cooler and more breathable airflow allows the engine to perform at its peak. Performance aside, this kit provides a great sound over the previous quiet intake system. It sounds like the perfect pitched hum that compliments the sounds of the engine along with the custom muffler which brings me to the next subject.

The second picture shows my Flowmaster muffler. It is the Super 40 model and sounds awesome overall. It gives my truck a throaty, deep growling sound. With this muffler I can drive around the city or off road sounding like a beast! Performance wise, the manufacturer claims that it provides more torque and air flow while maximizing horsepower. I decided to get it mainly for the sound. It makes my truck loud enough to be noticed, but not too loud to give off an obnoxious vibe. The resonance of this muffler is perfect and makes an impression without disturbing others in the vicinity. The K&N cold air intake in combination with the Flowmaster muffler provides the best sound possible for a mid-size pickup truck.

The last image appears to be a car battery, but I will add that it is not an ordinary one. This truck battery is what starts it all! What makes it special is that it is what is known as a "deep cycle" battery. Not like your average starting battery, this one provides ample amounts of energy for long periods of time. It powers the truck and all of the accessories that I have installed into it. Traditional car batteries provide quick, short bursts of energy to crank over an engine. This battery is dual-purpose and is not only able to start the engine, but it can be constantly used for hours even when the engine is not running. With a higher reserve capacity, a better than average sound system can feed off of it's power for more than 2 hours at a time! The auxiliary lights and interior accessories (sound system, etc.) that feed off of it will be discussed in a later post. Stay tuned!