Automotive Foutain of Youth

[Combat Chuck]

Kind of a cryptic title, but I was reading a thread in the 100 section about what would kill a cruiser, and it got me thinking about how many of us mini owners are on their second or more engine, transmission, or transfer case, and if any of these parts failing would be a deterrant to keeping your truck.

I bought my truck with her second engine, and it will not be her last.
In March, I replaced my t-case after a catastrophic failure, and in May, I replaced my transmission after a major failure.

As far as I see it, this truck is worth every penny it would take to throw as many engines, transmissions, transfer cases, and clutches at it to keep it alive.
(Though, the way I'm going, The Mule may get her third T-case while her second is still around, if you know what I mean.)

What about the rest of us?
Where does your truck(s) stand on how many transplants it's had, and how many it may get?
where do you draw line for "hopeless" or does that state even exist?

 

[bryan89]

when i picked up my 4runner (sight unseen except for photo and email exchange) from colorado and had it shipped here, the transmission sounded like a garbage disposal with a fork stuck in it.
And it was on its second engine. (a replacement stock toyota, unrebuilt with just lesser miles on it)

After i rebuilt the transmission with all new bearings, syncros, seals, etc... i thought i was good. so its on its second transmission.

then i noticed the ocassional puff of smoke from the engine and a awkwardly long dry start time (took several seconds for oil light on dash to go out on startup)

after petering around and inspecting rod bearings and pulling the head for a peak, i thought a rebuild would be in order.

So i rebuilt the 22re that was in it. So i guess you could say it was its third engine, but only its second block, if that makes sense??

transfer case and rear end are all original as far as i can tell.


but will i keep rebuilding it? i dont forsee having to do anything in the near future cause i rebuilt everything completely with new parts, but when the time comes, if the body has not rotted off the frame by then, i would definitely put another drive train in it. probably wouldnt go 22re, most likely 3rz swap. but still a revival of sorts if you know what i mean..

i guess the reason we do this over and over again, in my opinion, is because everything on these trucks is easily replaceable (in terms of difficulty of wrenching) and relatively cheap to do, when considering the options. so as long as there is something to rebuild and swap into i think i would keep doing it.
i just love this truck. there isnt anything comparable to it on the market that i could replace it with ya know?

even if you did decide to crush it and start over, find me a "current" relatively small to mid size 4wd truck with vent windows, a tailgate with electric roll down window, removable top, and decent gas mileage that is pretty bullet proof and capable from the factory?

you would be hard pressed i think. maybe you could satisfy one or two of those criteria with say a early tacoma, but i dont know of anything that has a removable top anymore?
maybe a bronco but is that any better really? besides its huge!!

 

[NorCalBorn]

Sam and Brian, I'm confused here. Do I count my stuff as repairs, swaps, or upgrades because there's this dysfunctional part of me that still wants to also do a 3.4 or Z-swap before I finally bury it. The logic being I keep the 5 speed and steering box and it'll still be cheaper than the 5th gen Runner or Imprezza purchase.


Advisory: Cent frim an equally dysfunctional iPhone day's Ben taught slang and e-sPeak.

 

[NorCalBorn]

*The topic's not cryptic in the least. If you want to bathe in some tropical forest pond with your rig while being fed fruits by scantily clad Peruvian hotties, more power to you I say!

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Think of it this way, if you took $300 a month (average car payment on a newish Toyota 4x4) and put it into an old Runner or Mini, after a few years you'd run out of things to replace, and have to start painting it just to spend the money...

The only real reason to retire a Toy is massive frame damage or maybe if half the truck was parted out or something...

Green Bastard was pulled out of the woods after sitting for 4 or 5 years, and it's been the best thing I ever drug home! It will take a lot to retire that truck!

 

[Combat Chuck]

Sam and Brian, I'm confused here. Do I count my stuff as repairs, swaps, or upgrades because there's this dysfunctional part of me that still wants to also do a 3.4 or Z-swap before I finally bury it. The logic being I keep the 5 speed and steering box and it'll still be cheaper than the 5th gen Runner or Imprezza purchase.


Advisory: Cent frim an equally dysfunctional iPhone day's Ben taught slang and e-sPeak.

Any repair major enough to scare away the weak-hearted is as good as it gets in my book.
A new clutch was enough to drive my folks into their newer Fords (a HUGE upgrade, too, from a 2.8 liter S10!)

So, Shane, much of what you did would be one or more extensions on Wimpy's life.
Jerrod, TGB's resurrection was enough for ten rigs!

 

[Combat Chuck]

*The topic's not cryptic in the least. If you want to bathe in some tropical forest pond with your rig while being fed fruits by scantily clad Peruvian hotties, more power to you I say!

Quick!
The the map room!

 

[80hilux]

I would retire my wife before my truck...!

Frame damage, a huge fire, or if i pulled it out of a lake or something would be the Only reasons i would retire a rig.. but i would just buy another one. I personaly dont mind fixing things. Nothing last forever..

 

[80t0ylc]

.......Green Bastard was pulled out of the woods after sitting for 4 or 5 years, and it's been the best thing I ever drug home! It will take a lot to retire that truck! ..........

Jerod, you told me at the bottom of the hill (in CTW) that what helped you attempt that challenge, was that you didn't care at all about your rig. So......which is it?

Remember this:

And it ended successfully like this:

With some moments like this:

BTW, for the benefit of those that were not there, the winch line was only for safety. He made it up with no assistance. Our "Toys" are worth more than just transportation. They're even good for entertainment for us and spectators, occasionally. God grant that our successes out number our failures!!!

 

[KLF]

Still on my original engine (~250K miles), although I did finally treat it to a full bottom end rebuild, first time.

Swapped out the original trans only to upgrade to an R151F "turbo" tranny, with 4.7's in the t-case. Sold the old trans to a guy in Vermont, it was still working fine.

Axles are not original. The only thing left of the factory brakes is the hard lines. Nothing of the original fugly red interior will get re-installed, it's all getting converted to gray.

Besides rust, the only thing that will get me out of my truck is either it gets swiped, or T-boned enough to bend the frame. But, I won't be doing another frame-off again. This is too much work, I miss my truck, and I'm doing too much stuff that I don't enjoy (bodywork).

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Jerod, you told me at the bottom of the hill (in CTW) that what helped you attempt that challenge, was that you didn't care at all about your rig. So......which is it?

Hehe, it's the best thing because I don't care about it! I guess I'd be bummed if it caught on fire, or was totaled in some accident that wasn't fun, but if I break it, I'm gonna fix it, if I dent it, I don't care, and if I break some glass, then I guess I'll try to make it water-tight again... (CTW is always wet....) It's the liberation of not caring that makes it the best!

Thanks for the photos too!

 

[80t0ylc]

Hehe, it's the best thing because I don't care about it! I guess I'd be bummed if it caught on fire, or was totaled in some accident that wasn't fun, but if I break it, I'm gonna fix it, if I dent it, I don't care, and if I break some glass, then I guess I'll try to make it water-tight again... (CTW is always wet....) It's the liberation of not caring that makes it the best! ...

I agree 100%. I think, deep down, that's why I enjoy my Mini. It's 30 yrs old, and I think also my expectations aren't as high as they are for my 80 series. But, that's apples & oranges. As far as CC's thread and question's in the his 1st post; I'll fix my Yotas till I can't fix them anymore. Whether it be lack of health, money, ability or availability.

 

[NorCalBorn]

I would retire my wife before my truck...!

Careful old man, I may make that bit into sigline material for posterity.

So, Shane, much of what you did would be one or more extensions on Wimpy's life.
Jerrod, TGB's resurrection was enough for ten rigs!

If we were to get technical here, I'd say catching the headgaskets before it became an issue. After having seen the 2wd Auto make things get too hot yet another time, and with the wife pushing for me to stop getting us stuck in snow/mud/insert-stupid-whatever-wheeling-move-here and Jeff offering a deal the 4wd-5speed swap was icing on the cake since he knew I was going there and eventually to a 3.4 (put on hold b/c Lil'One is an expensive addition as it is ).

**Side note, I personally want to openly give props to Jerod here.

He was the first one of all of us here to not only go with an "upgrade",







..but also he was the first to "Go Green".

Hehe, it's the best thing because I don't care about it! I guess I'd be bummed if it caught on fire, or was totaled in some accident that wasn't fun, but if I break it, I'm gonna fix it, if I dent it, I don't care, and if I break some glass, then I guess I'll try to make it water-tight again... (CTW is always wet....) It's the liberation of not caring that makes it the best!

Thanks for the photos too!

Tell me you kept the Caird around just in case? *When did they chop the trees, w/i the last 5 years or what?

 

[N2frodn]

6 years in storage, accident damage on the cab and drivers door, rust holes on the bed, paint shot, dead motor and a tattered interior were not enough for me to write my 86 off.

Blew it apart to a bare frame and started giving it a new life as a V8 powered, long travel desert truck.
Unless it burns down or is stolen and never recovered, it will live on.

 

[dngspot]

I have had my truck since it was new 1983. It is never going to leave me. It is on its second engine and transmission. The axles have been built recently, as it is now going through a complete morph.

 

[H8PVMNT]

My SASed '94 truck, which I bought new, now becoming a 3RZ '89 4Runner is on about it's 5th incarnation. I'm sure it will go on and on for years to come. These things are a collection of parts. They can be rearranged and rebuilt indefinately.

My only original parts are the rear axle housing, the steering box and the frame, which is highly modified...

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

The Caird is gone now.... After getting GB, it was just too nice for me to destroy...

 

[jynx]

My SASed '94 truck, which I bought new, now becoming a 3RZ '89 4Runner is on about it's 5th incarnation. I'm sure it will go on and on for years to come. These things are a collection of parts. They can be rearranged and rebuilt indefinately.

My only original parts are the rear axle housing, the steering box and the frame, which is highly modified...

Kind of like a Mr. Potato Head, just pull off one part and pop on another.

I bought an 88 with a hole in the block just to have something to tinker with if that tells you how deep the "Toyota Red" runs in my veins. It has a v6 with a slush box, but I have an R150 and a 4cyl t-case for when the time comes, also have a 83 axle with a high pinion 3rd for it, so bottom line, I guess as long as the frame is mostly straight, I can work out the rest.

 

[NorCalBorn]