Mabett just picked up a Tacoma to start building parts & accessories — would love your input

[Will721]

An easy product that could be 3d printed, is air damn delete plates. Many, if not most, of the 4th gens come with an absolutely hideous chin spoiler that would make Jay Leno squeamish:

Obviously, just about everyone takes them off. It's quick and painless but it does leave some loose fabric that most just stuff into the bumper because without thr air dam, there is no way to reattach the fender liner at the very edge. Which looks bad, but also apparently has caused whistling noises. A small piece of abs that allows the fabric to be kept in place and stop the wind noise would be a cheap and easy product.

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[Will721]

Three in a row? Sure why not.

Tacoma owners tend to be outdoorsy types. That's why we get the big aftermarket support like the Broncos and Jeeps. With many owners having hobbies like camping, overlanding, kayaking, mountain biking, ect, it's safe to say they are often off the beaten path. My point? What else is off the beaten path? Lions, tigers, and bears oh my! With the small cabs and center console space being a premium, creates a need for proper mounting off powder actuated hole punches.

Quick and easy access is of course preferred. Luckily Toyota included with every Tacoma two quick and easy spots that are pretty much useless for most anything but acting as a mobile junk drawer. A 3d scan and you could easily print an insert. I circled them in red:

 

[Mabett]

I second the gas tank idea. Most have given up on the idea because it's an enormous design and production undertaking, but Mabett would be the go to brand if it was made (especially with a light duty skid plate). My trailhunter gets 15-18mpg most days (even though I drive it nice) and with a 18gallon tank Im always at the gas station.. maybe some day Toyota will get me the gas mileage they claimed

I’ve seen a lot of similar feedback. A larger tank would definitely make a big difference, but you’re right — it’s a pretty massive undertaking from both a design and production point. With the updated underbody layout on the 4th gen, packaging space is tighter and a lot more complex than it used to be. That makes development timelines and costs harder to control.

Still, it’s something we’re keeping an eye on as we continue researching what’s feasible. Appreciate you bringing it up — real-world use cases like this are super helpful.

 

[Mabett]

There's a lot of bad switches in the accessory switch market. I imported my custom aux switches from Australia just to have something that wasn't blue or red led. They still look off. And they feel mushy too.. maybe there's a market for replaceable switch caps for the aux switches? Instead of using a full aftermarket switch just replace the cap with the logo you want from a collection of 15+ options

Mushy feel and mismatched backlighting are exactly the kind of details that get overlooked. Noted.

 

[Mabett]

Another idea, but I'm not sure of the market, is an aftermarket grille. I don't know how popular it would be, it's just something I really want. Most guys want the Pro/Trailhunter grille and light bar for that extra agressive look. I want the opposite.

See Toyota, like most manufacturers like their branding. Every front end has to have a logo or say Toyota on it. They are also obsessed with having bars on their grilles. Here are the ones they have for the 4th gen:

I would like something different. I want a grille that is brand free and just that honey comb shape that makes up the bottom half of the last two grilles. Oem quality and style without logos/lettering but no bar through the middle to block air flow, and disrupt the design. Similar to what this 3rd Gen has but without the logo:

Clean take. The no-logo honeycomb grille was a popular move on the 3rd gen, and it's surprising nobody's brought a solid OEM-quality version to the 4G yet. Definitely a niche, but one worth watching. Thanks for laying it out.

 

[Mabett]

An easy product that could be 3d printed, is air damn delete plates. Many, if not most, of the 4th gens come with an absolutely hideous chin spoiler that would make Jay Leno squeamish:

Obviously, just about everyone takes them off. It's quick and painless but it does leave some loose fabric that most just stuff into the bumper because without thr air dam, there is no way to reattach the fender liner at the very edge. Which looks bad, but also apparently has caused whistling noises. A small piece of abs that allows the fabric to be kept in place and stop the wind noise would be a cheap and easy product.

This one is definitely worth pursuing. Obvious demand. Passed it to our R&D team.

 

[Mabett]

Three in a row? Sure why not.

Tacoma owners tend to be outdoorsy types. That's why we get the big aftermarket support like the Broncos and Jeeps. With many owners having hobbies like camping, overlanding, kayaking, mountain biking, ect, it's safe to say they are often off the beaten path. My point? What else is off the beaten path? Lions, tigers, and bears oh my! With the small cabs and center console space being a premium, creates a need for proper mounting off powder actuated hole punches.

Quick and easy access is of course preferred. Luckily Toyota included with every Tacoma two quick and easy spots that are pretty much useless for most anything but acting as a mobile junk drawer. A 3d scan and you could easily print an insert. I circled them in red:

We're actually already prototyping several interior storage solutions—including drop-in inserts for those exact areas. A full update is coming in a new thread soon. Appreciate the push.

 

[Adam]

People are all about the seat delete because the rear seat is so small. But what about a lower profile rear seat replacement? My passengers (and especially the ones in car seats) would gladly trade some of the voluminous cushioning for some more leg room. I think 2-3 inches at least could be gained with a thinner seat. Would need to retain anchor points and fold up/down ability. Is there a good reason I haven’t thought of for why that doesn’t exist?

 

[Mabett]

People are all about the seat delete because the rear seat is so small. But what about a lower profile rear seat replacement? My passengers (and especially the ones in car seats) would gladly trade some of the voluminous cushioning for some more leg room. I think 2-3 inches at least could be gained with a thinner seat. Would need to retain anchor points and fold up/down ability. Is there a good reason I haven’t thought of for why that doesn’t exist?

I totally get where you're coming from. The 4G rear legroom is definitely "cozy." The main reason this doesn't exist commercially is likely the comfort vs. safety trade-off.

Losing 2-3 inches of foam means your passengers would basically be sitting on a metal frame with some fabric over it. For kids in car seats, it might work since the car seat has its own padding, but for adults, it would be a "spine-shaker."

Have you considered a custom upholstery shop? They might be able to shave down the existing foam and re-cover it, but you'd have to be careful not to mess with the integrated folding mechanisms.

 

[Will721]

Had another idea I figured I'd float out into the world. Customizable GUI for the cluster. It would be nice to be able to change the background of the cluster from the generic blue and more options for guages like classic styling vs the tablet in the dash feel. Basically, more customization visually to better match user preference, build themes and body colors.

For example, Haltech yellow would really look tits for those of us with bronze oxide:

 

[Mabett]

Had another idea I figured I'd float out into the world. Customizable GUI for the cluster. It would be nice to be able to change the background of the cluster from the generic blue and more options for guages like classic styling vs the tablet in the dash feel. Basically, more customization visually to better match user preference, build themes and body colors.

For example, Haltech yellow would really look tits for those of us with bronze oxide:

It seems that more visual options are a pressing need. I've already communicated the suggestion you made.

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