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Toyota Tacoma Third Brake Light Shave - Tacoma Shave Job

Smooth Out Your Ride
By Ernie Macias
Photography by Bobby Martins
Toyota Tacoma Remove Third Brake Light
1. First things first: Remove... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Remove Third Brake Light
1.First things first: Remove the third brake light by unscrewing it.
Toyota Tacoma Tape Off Cut Lines
2. Now that your light has... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Tape Off Cut Lines
2.Now that your light has been removed, tape off your cut lines carefully and ensure that you're not cutting too much. Also, be sure to cover your glass, since nobody likes pitted back windows.
Toyota Tacoma Cut Four Corners
3. Using a cutoff wheel with... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Cut Four Corners
3.Using a cutoff wheel with plenty of life left, make small, shallow cuts near the four corners of your taped lines. These cuts are used to make this process easier and save you time.
Toyota Tacoma Cuts
4. Your cuts need to look... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Cuts
4.Your cuts need to look something like this. This will ensure that cutting the square out will be a lot easier and cleaner.
Toyota Tacoma Air Saw Cuts
5. Use an air saw to finish... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Air Saw Cuts
5.Use an air saw to finish the cuts. Make sure to use a straight, new blade, since warped roofs make terrible conversation pieces.
Toyota Tacoma Air Saw Cutting
6. When using your air saw,... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Air Saw Cutting
6.When using your air saw, be careful not to cut too far down. There is an additional layer of steel that should not be cut. This piece is important, as it's part of the integrity of the roof.
Toyota Tacoma Remove Light
7. Now you can remove your... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Remove Light
7.Now you can remove your third brake light souvenir. This makes a great stocking stuffer, or you can play a practical joke with the insurance company and say your truck got stolen and this is all that was left.
Toyota Tacoma Work Area After Cutting
8. This is what your work... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Work Area After Cutting
8.This is what your work area should look like if all the cuts were nice and straight. Now you're ready to weld in your new piece.
Toyota Tacoma Using Break
9. Use a break to make sure... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Using Break
9.Use a break to make sure your curves in the steel are straight. It's important that your curve matches the truck so that you do as minimal bodywork as possible.
Toyota Tacoma Checking Cuts And Bend
10. Before you do anything... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Checking Cuts And Bend
10.Before you do anything else, check to make sure you cut your steel to the right size and your bend is correct.
Toyota Tacoma Checking Fit
11. As you can see here, the... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Checking Fit
11.As you can see here, the piece we made looks like it was removed from our cut. The better cut, the easier the installation will be.
Toyota Tacoma Remove Tape
12. Now remove your tape so... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Remove Tape
12.Now remove your tape so that you can grind the area to get it ready to be welded.
Toyota Tacoma Grinding
13. Grind the edges smooth,... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Grinding
13.Grind the edges smooth, as this will ensure that your welds will penetrate.
Toyota Tacoma Finished
14. Your finished product... 
   
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Toyota Tacoma Finished
14.Your finished product should look something like this. Smooth and ready for mud. Make sure you take your time during the welding, because like we stated before, if it's lumpy Chuck Norris will be pissed.
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Toyota Tacoma Research
Toyota Tacoma Read detailed reviews on the all new Toyota Tacoma and compare it with other vehicles you may be thinking of buying. The Tacoma comes with a V6 standard engine and goes for a suggested retail price of $24,595.00. It can seat 4 people comfortably. Also check out the Chevy Colorado and the Ford Ranger.
 
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