1986 4Runner Refresh (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter GeoRoss
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- #63
Things are going pretty good so far. It looks great as far as I am concerned and better than spending over $400 for 30 year old door cards.
I do need to work on the door lock knob bezel. I picked some up at a junkyard from a 2nd Gen 4Runner and they fit. I need to trim more and glue them down. I haven't done that yet because I need to paint them. I have a lot of interior trim to paint so it may be awhile. I also need to buy a new inner window seal. I have the original from the donor, but I'm going to try to go new. I also need a new vapor barrier, but that is easy. I don't want to add that before I paint and sound deaden. I need to replace the vent window latch as mine is a bit loose and is noisy on the highway. I also need new door gaskets and outer window seals.
Things I would do different. I have binding of the vent window gasket when I close it. Easy to fix, but aggravating. I could just redo that metal section and be more careful where I add padding. I am hoping a little silicon will do the trick. The same problem with the door lock bezel. This could have been avoided if I had considered the padding. Using the liquid contact cement to glue the lower section of the vinyl has me a bit pissed. You don't notice it except in the right light. I of course notice it all the time. I think the PS side will go much more quickly. I have the fiberboard cut and so it is only glueing at this point.
I do need to work on the door lock knob bezel. I picked some up at a junkyard from a 2nd Gen 4Runner and they fit. I need to trim more and glue them down. I haven't done that yet because I need to paint them. I have a lot of interior trim to paint so it may be awhile. I also need to buy a new inner window seal. I have the original from the donor, but I'm going to try to go new. I also need a new vapor barrier, but that is easy. I don't want to add that before I paint and sound deaden. I need to replace the vent window latch as mine is a bit loose and is noisy on the highway. I also need new door gaskets and outer window seals.
Things I would do different. I have binding of the vent window gasket when I close it. Easy to fix, but aggravating. I could just redo that metal section and be more careful where I add padding. I am hoping a little silicon will do the trick. The same problem with the door lock bezel. This could have been avoided if I had considered the padding. Using the liquid contact cement to glue the lower section of the vinyl has me a bit pissed. You don't notice it except in the right light. I of course notice it all the time. I think the PS side will go much more quickly. I have the fiberboard cut and so it is only glueing at this point.
Test your cold start injector. It caused me problems below 60 degrees when mine went out.
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- #65
steffan
SILVER Star
most impressive with the door card! you've got a lot more patience than i do to pull that off - came out great
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- #67
Thanks, I like spending time on things like this.
- Thread starter
- #68
I started practicing recovering a dash. I have a donor dash from an 87/88. The same one I got the donor door cards. It was pretty beat so I thought a good candidate for practice.
A heat gun made removing the old brittle vinyl super easy.
A heat gun made removing the old brittle vinyl super easy.
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- #71
I debated for awhile on this next step. There are all sorts of flexible fillers out there. The bonus is they are easy to sand. The cons are that they are expensive and seem to be mostly used when you keep the old vinyl on. I went the cheap route and decided to try expanding foam.
I would spray a bit on a piece of card board and throughly mix it until most of the expanding gases were done. Then before it became too tacky I would apply it to the damaged areas.
I would use a razor to cut most of the foam away. Add more foam if there were any large voids and then use a file to shape the foam. The expanding foam I used is just a hair more firm than the old foam.
I would spray a bit on a piece of card board and throughly mix it until most of the expanding gases were done. Then before it became too tacky I would apply it to the damaged areas.
I would use a razor to cut most of the foam away. Add more foam if there were any large voids and then use a file to shape the foam. The expanding foam I used is just a hair more firm than the old foam.
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- #72
I just brushed on liquid contact cement and slowly and in patches glued the vinyl on. I started by glueing a two inch strip along the center of the long axis. I then worked to glue the vinyl down along the long axis. First I glued in the windshield direction and then to the floorboard direction. I then did the short edges. I am not very happy with the PS edge, but I don't think anyone will see my mistakes. I wish I had done more work shaping the major crack in the middle of the dashboard. I think I got rushed and sloppy. This is where that flexible fill that can be sanded would help. I really thought the vinyl would show minor defects. I was wrong. If I use this dash I'll figure out some sort of "camouflage" like a cell phone mount. I just need something that won't obstruct the altimeter I am going to install.
I need to order some vinyl/plastic paint for all the interior trim. Get the courage to tackle removing the PS vent so I can install it. I do have enough vinyl to cover one more dash. I may recover the dash that is in there or find another one. If I do get that PS vent out without breaking it I will find away to make it easier to remove in the future. I think there is a way.
Carpet is next. I have a bunch of swatches so I'll get that and the sound deadener ordered up soon. I have a map lights to install, glove box light to install. I've been searching locally for an SR5 console, but no luck. I hope I have enough vinyl to recover the lid of anything I do come across. I'll address the rear panels as I move back. They are intact, so maybe just some paint to freshen them up.
I need to order some vinyl/plastic paint for all the interior trim. Get the courage to tackle removing the PS vent so I can install it. I do have enough vinyl to cover one more dash. I may recover the dash that is in there or find another one. If I do get that PS vent out without breaking it I will find away to make it easier to remove in the future. I think there is a way.
Carpet is next. I have a bunch of swatches so I'll get that and the sound deadener ordered up soon. I have a map lights to install, glove box light to install. I've been searching locally for an SR5 console, but no luck. I hope I have enough vinyl to recover the lid of anything I do come across. I'll address the rear panels as I move back. They are intact, so maybe just some paint to freshen them up.
steffan
SILVER Star
That’s fantastic! I never would have thought to take on something like that - looking good!
Since you're practicing with the dash, why not try a heat gun with the vinyl? I first saw them used almost 40 years ago at a job I had with an electronics outfit. With care and skill, heat can do a lot with vinyl and hard plastic. It can also take old, faded graphics off as well 
Last weekend I got to looking at 3M wrap material for dash covering and possibly other vinyl repair. I've been wondering how well that might work, with or without a heat gun?
Last weekend I got to looking at 3M wrap material for dash covering and possibly other vinyl repair. I've been wondering how well that might work, with or without a heat gun?
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- Thread starter
- #75
Since you're practicing with the dash, why not try a heat gun with the vinyl? I first saw them used almost 40 years ago at a job I had with an electronics outfit. With care and skill, heat can do a lot with vinyl and hard plastic. It can also take old, faded graphics off as well
Last weekend I got to looking at 3M wrap material for dash covering and possibly other vinyl repair. I've been wondering how well that might work, with or without a heat gun?
The heat gun definitely made quick work of the old vinyl. It pulled off really easily. I did play with it trying to stretch the new vinyl in places. While it can help I found it just as easy to stretch it by hand.
Those door panels turned out nice.
I hard wired my windows and need to make new ones to delet the holes form the old power window switches. Gave me some good ideas
I hard wired my windows and need to make new ones to delet the holes form the old power window switches. Gave me some good ideas
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- #77
Those door panels turned out nice.
I hard wired my windows and need to make new ones to delet the holes form the old power window switches. Gave me some good ideas
Thanks!
It wasn’t too hard. Watch some videos to see some techniques. Do some tests with your glue and vinyl for bleeding through. Do you have vent windows? If so don’t put any padding where the vent window gasket rides.
Those are my biggest mistakes. It is just really tedious. Kept me out of trouble for a few days and the doors look better.
Cool. Once I get the R134 swap done, that finishes up the mechanical stuff I want to get done and I can close out the interior stuff I want to get done.
That’s for the info on the vent windows
That’s for the info on the vent windows
Where are you on your rear springs? i just got an 86 with a saggy but and flat springs. i already have brand new shocks that are stock height and i dont want much lift if any over stock. are you running stock length shocks with your modified pack?
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- #80
Well, I really wanted to try and keep this 4Runner at stock height. Going from memory, I just couldn't find any recommendations from sources that I trusted. I got fed up and that is why I went with OME medium lift. I eventually removed the bottom over load. I have no clue what the overall lift is, but I currently have a pronounced stinkbug. I installed the springs about two years ago and removed the overload about a year later. The ride is much less harsh, but didn't lower the rear dramatically. I carried about 500llbs of cinder blocks for about a month, articulated the rear suspension many times but the springs haven't settled that much. I'm looking at this as a good thing. The shocks I put in are KYB Monomax, 0-2" of lift. They have helped a lot. I will eventually lift the front about an inch to ease the rake. I haven't decided if I'll do that with the torsion bar or make some custom ball joint spacers. I'm waiting until I have the time/need to work on the front end suspension.
