As we round out another year with our TTORA family, I thought it might be a fun topic to compare where you were in life when you first joined TTORA and where you are now ... So here goes! Bonus points for pictures!
Then:
Labor Day 2008, followed a group around Tellico ... Oct 2008, first southeast TTORA takeover in Tellico, showed up with my owned a month stock 89 4runner. 22 and just out of school - working a cheese job and just going with the flow of life!
tellico 08
SETO 4
april 09
Now:
December 2014, a lot has transpired in the past years! I still have the 4runner which has under gone a slow transition, but currently driving my soccer mom sequoia, which is awesome. Colin (GOT COPE?) and I got married a little over two years ago in Harlan, and now I'm mama to 7month old Corbin, the most adorable future wheeler on earth
I'll post some pics.
Then:
All started around 2009 ish. First ttora member I met was Rolison... How appropriate. Went to windrock with him and Knoxville guys quite a bit. I was wheeling the 88 at that time.
Emily and I were right around 20 and still dating. We were both in school in Chattanooga. I also had hair on my head then.
Fast forward to now: Quite a bit different.
Emily and I have been married 2.5 years, live in Cleveland, both have jobs we enjoy (engineer and respiratory therapist), and just welcomed our first son, Rowan into the world on November 28th.
As far as wheeling goes, not in the 88 anymore. Upgraded to a 97 and like it a whole lot more. Mostly the same mods as the 88 though. Still wheeling windrock mostly and around the Chattanooga area.
My first trip was back in 06. Bear talked me into driving my stock tacoma from Michigan to Arkansas for national takeover....this was the first time i met Colin.
My first SETO was a year or two later in Tellico. This was the year we got horrible directions from map quest and as a result 99TanTaco, Nev2Dep, and myself end up dragging (quit literally) a 2 wheel drive extended cab long box f250 towing a 18' trailer over trail 1 (back before it was smooth at all) at 2 am.....we finally made it to Crawfords only to be greated by a drunk 5keepers (at least some things never change lol)
In all i have been to 6 seto's....2 in tellico, 1 in tracy city, 2 in windrock, 1 in Harlan
Today i roll in this
The only Toyota parts are the cab and frame.....and as soon as i can afford a buggy chasis those are history...i still hang out here because i have made some great friends and always have fun. I don't see myself leaving this hobby anytime soon. I love it, my girlfriend loves it and it's always a good time
First Seto. Sliders, homemade skid plate, 33s, spacers, custom cut front bumper.
Now long travel, 37s, double locked 4.88s, twin sticks, bed cage, numerous frame and body mods. Battery relocated etc.
And now I have to many things going on at once. Thanks Karl you started this...
Oh what a fun post. Sadly since pics have gone digital I've lost a bunch over time. I picked up my taco in dec. 01, got into wheeling ttora in 02.
This is the oldest pic I have:
back route to slickrock
super clean around 05
I got serious into building the truck once out of school and practically at the time when gas hit the $4 and parks starting closing.
Got married, had a baby in 13, sold the truck for a baby fund and that was tough. I had tinkered with just about everything on that truck. Super itchy about being out of the hobby I picked up:
Slow and steady, a build into a totally different style of wheeling, hope to make an expo style rig.
Bought my truck in 2004 completely stock with real pizza cutter 235/75/15's open open with 3.58 gears and started wheeling the crap out of it. Haven't looked back since, spent a little bit here and there to replace, upgrade parts along the way. Met a bunch of cool Toyota owners I love to meet up with now and then when they decide to get out and wheeeeeeelllllllll!!!! was this little green truck that shouldn't have been able to do anything. And now it's a little green truck with 35's locked front and rear with a very little lift and somehow keeps not being able to do much of anything to impress anybody. Sorry for the long post but I am an idiot on the computer and can't post pics but have been told I'm a pretty good driver so maybe that makes up for something. I really think the truck just has a mind of her own she goes when she wants to and still amazes the crap out of me everytime I wheel her. Really the looks of my truck haven't changed a lot over the years other than the bumps and bruises along the way. Can't wait to see you all soon. When are we all going wheeling?
Kind of a random first post, but I'm not a big forum guy. Mostly because of fishing and strangers showing up and knowing me 40 miles down a deserted beach.
Last year I met a yota guy down here in Matagorda, TX from Tennessee. We met on the beach, fishing, and I had a question for him about...
Hey Guys -
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, obviously life has gotten busy for most of us!
So, lets talk about Southeast Takeover 11.
To say that our attendance has declined over the last years is putting it lightly. Not only are less and less trucks making the trip every year...
TTORA forum is the best Toyota off-road club around. We are nation wide with chapters in most states. Come in and discuss Tacoma, 4Runner, Highlander, & TRD models.
