Stock 2007 Toyota Tacoma Turns Class 7100 Baja Winner

Oregon’s Todd Walter took a stock 2007 Toyota Tacoma and transformed it into a champion Class 7100 desert Baja truck.

In a state where desert racers aren’t on the list of popular cars to drive, Todd Walter took a bone stock Toyota Tacoma and turned it into the desert champion it is today. Coming from a love of carpentry, fabricating and mechanics that have been fostered since childhood, Walter made his adolescent dream a reality with this fully customized Tacoma Baja truck. When Walter wasn’t delivering packages during the day for UPS, he was working long nights and weekends for his own Oregonian business, Adrenaline Motorsports Racing (AMR). With very important resources made available to him through his business, Walter whipped up his bread winning Tacoma in the span of a year and a half.

Aside from the trusty 1GR V6 and the blue paint job that came with the truck off the lot (and some aftermarket parts), everything on and in the truck was made with Walter’s own two hands. The frame, the front suspension design, the rear end, and the interior are all products of Walter’s amazing imagination, skill, and persistence. Derived from Jake Headlee‘s interview with Walter for Offroad Xtreme, here’s our take on the incredible build, and the story that comes with it.

First, the Tacoma origin story

“I’ve always enjoyed the adrenaline rush of going fast and jumping anything with wheels,” Walter explains to Offroad Xtreme. “Did the wheeling thing for years in my Toyota pick-up.  It was fun but too slow-paced.  I rode and raced dirt bikes for many years but wrecking on a bike is harder the older you get so I decided it would be nice to have a cage around me while racing. I’ve dreamed of racing trucks since about 1996 when I attended my first desert race, the Parker 400.  I remember seeing Ivan Stewart go by and was immediately hooked on building a Toyota someday.”

So, a pre-established love for dirt oriented motorsports, going fast, and a love for desert trucks made the perfect recipe. After spotting a 2007 Toyota Tacoma with the IGR V6 and six speed transmission with 125k miles in Sacramento, CA,  Walter was quick about getting a trailer and picking it up. Not long after, he set to removing the bits he didn’t need and began making the parts he did.

He kept the engine, since desert races call for the motors in trucks to be stock. Interestingly enough, Walter didn’t add too many bits to the engine, either. He made a custom air intake for the engine, and that’s about it. Next order of business was to replace the transmission. Instead of the six speed, Walter fitted the truck with a GM TH400 manual reverse patter automatic. Not surprisingly, the transmission wouldn’t directly bolt up to the engine — so Walter crafted his own adapter to mate the two. In regards to the torque converter that was now needed, that was custom made through TCS Performance Products.

Walter’s Incredible Suspension Build (And Other Handcrafted Goodies)

In Headlee’s interview, the most interesting part of the suspension conversation was Walter’s foundational mission for the front suspension. Walter said that for his truck, he prioritized clearance and not sheer height. As a byproduct, the truck is lifted by four inches. So, how did Walter design the front suspension? Well, through the fairly complicated use of computer-aided 3D draft software and animation software.

Through the 3D program, Walter would design a 3D model of suspension components he designed. Then, with the animation software, he’d run it through virtual tests to observe his design’s competence (or, lack thereof). Through this process, he was able to pinpoint his perfect set up. The upper and lower control arms and the knuckles within are all Walter’s work. Naturally, Walter went with King Off-Road 2.5 Coilovers, 3.0 3-tube Bypasses and 2.0 by 2-inch hydraulic bump stops. To keep the Tacoma and its custom set up

“The front suspension turned out really sweet,” mused Walter. “The truck drives very nice and handles awesome.”

Walter used Deaver Suspension leaf springs for the rear, which utilizes a Camburg Rear Spring Hanger Kit. For the cherry on top, Walter completed the rear setup with a pair of King Shocks 3.5 5-tube Bypass Shocks.

Welcome to Fabrication Station

Not ready to slow down, Walter also hand made cage with two inch thick steel tubing. He was also careful to fabricate a way to remove the custom driveshaft should it get damaged during a race. In the interior, the dash and comfortable seats were removed to make way for some upgrades. For the seats, he added two Sparco racing seats with five point harnesses. The dash, which is a modified Fiberwerx set, was cut to split into three pieces to make maintenance simple.

Additionally, the skid plates in the front were born from Walter’s talent, along with front and rear steel bumpers. The bumpers were made with a friend who’s equally talented. It’s nice to have friends who also happen to be genius fabricators.

Now, For Walter’s Winning Streak

With such an incredible build, it’s not bizarre when you read that he’s got more than a handful of victories under his belt. Starting in 2016,  Walter came in first place at the Pahrump Nugget 250. Then, he earned a second place finish at the Best in the Desert (BITD) Bluewater Desert Challenge. Two years later, he finished first in the Vegas to Reno race. This year, he earned the first place slot once again. Unsurprisingly, his talent landed him top honors in this year’s Mint 400. Not too long ago, he earned the championship title for this year’s 7100 Class BITD Mini Truck Challenge.

With the incredible time and work that Walter’s put into his truck, we’re not the least bit surprised that it does so well. Is Walter satified with his build? Absolutely. His favorite part was how well the front suspension turned out. Least favorite was the wiring set up. Though, despite how good it looks and how well it does, Walter doesn’t think the build will be 100% finished.

“I don’t think it will ever be finished,” says Walter. “There are always new ideas with changes and new technology to make it better and faster.”

Here at YotaTech, we’re at the edge of our seats following this build. With what Walter was able to do in a year and a half with the help of his friends, we can only imagine what this truck will look like after another year and a half.

Photos by: OffRoad Xtreme