i need ideas.....

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lemming

lemming

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
May 29, 2007
Threads
21
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44
Location
UW-Stout!
I just purchased an '87 4Runner. I did get it from the rust belt, because i live in it. It has rust in the usual spots,(wheel wells, tailgate, along bottom of body) which I really want to take care of. I was thinking of doing some body work to get rid of it(grind, weld, grind), and then cover with Line-X, in a decent fashion that won't look too tacky. So far, this seems to be my only choice, or shop for body panels, and get them painted. Does anybody have a good suggestion, along with other suggestions(tires, lift, winches, etc.) that would keep the ethos of being a DD? I lack creativity, unless sparked by other's intrests, so post anything and everything.
Sorry I can't post pics, but I am really working on it. Thanx.
 
I'm in a similar situation, going to go check out a '87 runner today and, with any luck, it'll be in my driveway tonight. So far my plans are modest: first I plan to get it running well, which shouldn't be too much trouble. Owner says it needs a new clutch throwout bearing and the wheels need balancing. Once I get all the little mechanical and electrical gremlins taken care of (which I'm hoping will only be a weekend or two of work), the next step will be the appearance: getting rid of the rust, cleaning out the bondo, giving it some fresh paint, that kind of stuff. That will probably take a little bit longer, but I'm hoping to have it done before winter gets here.

Hopefully by the time I'm done with all of that, I'll have enough saved up to start with a couple of modifications. I was hoping to start with a solid axle swap, and replacing the rear axle with one from a later model v6 runner/pick-up. It's my understanding the rear axles from the v6 models and the earlier 22tre's were a little more stout than the ones that came with the regular 22re. Still trying to keep with the stock Toyota pick-up/runner mechanicals so maintenance doesn't become a nightmare. While I'm dinking with suspension I'll probably be throwing in some taller springs and getting some lower gears at the same time. I also saw a runner for sale on here not long ago that had a custom rear bumper with a tire carrier that looks like it might be a more sensible place for storing a full-size spare than the usual undercarriage mounting rig.

And if I've still got money leftover after all of that, I've sort of been toying with the idea of trying to find a 3L diesel engine. I've heard that's what they were putting in the foreign market 3rd gen 4runners, but haven't really looked into what all I'd have to do to get ahold of one or what sort of issues I'd run into to get it running.

I hate listing mods like this because usually something will come up and I'll not have money to do them. With my budget, I'd probably not have the funds saved up for the big things like the axle swap until this time next year. I(n the mean time, I'll just be picking up the parts here and there as the funds become available. At any rate, I've already bought the new shifter knob, so it won't be a complete loss. :D

I don't know if this will give you some ideas or not. My plan is to run this truck mostly as my daily driver, but I wanted the extra seats in back so when we go camping, I can take more than one of the kids with me. Definitely I'll be taking care of the rust issues before winter gets here; I've got a buddy that bought my previous truck, a '90 x-cab pick-up. Both trucks are black, and both have rust issues, so we'll probably end up doing them both at the same time to save a little cash and use each other's scrap material.
 
So I had luck and got my own '87 4runner yesterday. I'll have to clean some stuff out of the garage before I can pull it in and get to work. It's what I guess is a typical $1500 4runner with usual "creative" wiring and mechanical bits to keep it running. It made the four hour drive home and none of the temperature gauges went above half way, so it's in relatively decent running condition. Once I find out from the auto registration people what all I have to do to get it registered here (they recently stopped requiring e-check, but haven't bought a new vehicle since they stopped doing this, so not sure what I might need in the way of a safety inspection), I'll be pulling it into the garage and taking off whatever I can (doors, hood, tailgate, top, etc.) so I can get at the wiring and start sanding those pieces to get a good look at the rust situation.

I probably won't be doing any sort of build-up thread, since I'm keeping this truck as a daily driver and don't plan to do much flashy with it, maybe a little bit of a lift and enough power to get me and the kids back to some of the campsites we can't get to in the minivan. I'll be taking pictures and tracking my progress as I go, and might setup a page or two on a separate host once all the rehab work is done and I start looking into modifications. The progress will probably be slow, as I only have weekends, so don't expect anything in the near future. If anything, I'd just like to keep cruiser88 updated on the truck he sold me and let him know it's in good hands.
 
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This was my DD for 3 years. Did 80 on the highway no problem and got 20 mpg to boot!!
 
mith said:
So I had luck and got my own '87 4runner yesterday. I'll have to clean some stuff out of the garage before I can pull it in and get to work. It's what I guess is a typical $1500 4runner with usual "creative" wiring and mechanical bits to keep it running. It made the four hour drive home and none of the temperature gauges went above half way, so it's in relatively decent running condition. Once I find out from the auto registration people what all I have to do to get it registered here (they recently stopped requiring e-check, but haven't bought a new vehicle since they stopped doing this, so not sure what I might need in the way of a safety inspection), I'll be pulling it into the garage and taking off whatever I can (doors, hood, tailgate, top, etc.) so I can get at the wiring and start sanding those pieces to get a good look at the rust situation.

I probably won't be doing any sort of build-up thread, since I'm keeping this truck as a daily driver and don't plan to do much flashy with it, maybe a little bit of a lift and enough power to get me and the kids back to some of the campsites we can't get to in the minivan. I'll be taking pictures and tracking my progress as I go, and might setup a page or two on a separate host once all the rehab work is done and I start looking into modifications. The progress will probably be slow, as I only have weekends, so don't expect anything in the near future. If anything, I'd just like to keep cruiser88 updated on the truck he sold me and let him know it's in good hands.
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:grinpimp:Thank you :)believe me the creative was alot worse when i brought it home:flipoff2::frown:My wife was a little emotional yesterday, due to being knocked up:lol::frown:and losing her runner. But she has a smile on her face with a new mazda:grinpimp::cheers:i am always here if ya need anything yell
 
This was my DD for about 4 years, then I dovetailed the front and chopped it up and I still drive it all the time. I could get it up to about 105 on the freeway a few times. I drive it 70 miles to the trail and back after wheeling all day going about 75ish the whole way
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Truthfully, I would probably never build a rig again. Too expensive to build when you can get a pre-built one much cheaper. I'm not saying that simply because I'm selling one, but because I've built and sold many, and there is no ROI for building rigs. So unless you know exactly what you want, and it's not the standard SAS, dual cases, etc, I would consider leaving this one stock and buying something for wheeling...

As for repairing rust, don't bother - call Cory@ www.toyotafiberglass.com and make sure the rust never returns. Before you invest anything, however, make sure the frame is SOLID. Yank the gas tank and verify that the frame is good.
 
Yeah, now that I've actually got ahold of the vehicle and had a chance to look it over, I'm modifying my plans a little from the original. I'll be getting all the mechanical and electrical stuff working well, cleaning up the rust, and ordering at least fiberglass quarter panels, since that's where the worst of the body rust is. I plan to eventually switch the fenders and hood to fiberglass, too, as money allows. There's a little bit of frame rust, but not anything I'm too worried about; I'll get some of the rust converter stuff to keep it from spreading, and maybe paint over the unrusted bits of the frame with some rust preventative. Once I've got a truck that I can drive daily without having to tinker with, I'll probably do a couple inches of lift, enough to fit in some 35s.
 
I've build many rigs and went one way. and about a week later switched everything up or maybe a few months after I finish it up I'll end up changing things. I've tried buying a rig already built but didn't like the way it worked so I tinkered with it and build it to my lilkings. It's just part of the sport. I know buying a rig that is already done is always going to be cheaper but at the same time building rigs should be a part of it. I currently picked up a chassis and am going to build it and throw more money in it that buying one but it'll be made to my likings and not bought. just my 2 cents
 
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