Builds Mr Wilson’s 89 4Runner

[joseywales]

Softopper has landed. The quality is fantastic. It wasn’t cheap, but I don’t feel like I over paid given how well built it is. I went back and forth between gray and tan and I’m happy with the gray. Definitely happy that I went with the tinted windows. I’ll get on building my front bumper at some point, but I have an Airstream to finish to keep the wifey happy that may slow the project a bit. I do think I need bigger tires soon though. I’ll keep my eyes open for some 285/75-17s.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

Looks good Josey. Don't park it in East Van.

 

[gnob]

Looks great.
Props to vendor for killing it.

 

[joseywales]

Looks great.
Props to vendor for killing it.

Yeah, I’m really impressed with Softopper. Bob was awesome to deal with, and as said before, the quality is really really good. I’d recommend them 100%!

I towed it down I-5 from the Canuck border to 1/2 hour south of Portland at 70 mph in a downpour. Totally dry inside and driving at speed it’s a really quiet top.

 

[joseywales]

Fields of hooch...

 

[joseywales]

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve updated. I’ve been busy with work as usual, but I managed to bang out a rear spare/Jerry carrier and a front bumper. It’s not perfection, but for the cost of an ARB, I’m happy with what I fabbed. I built in a receiver hitch to mount a winch or more importantly a plow for the possibility of snow.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

What!! It never snows in Roca Blanca.

 

[joseywales]

What!! It never snows in Roca Blanca.

Ain’t that the truth! Although I came home to 11” in the driveway last year, and my tractor wouldn’t start. That led to hillbilly tactics.

I always like to be prepared! When I prepare for things, they often don’t happen.

 

[joseywales]

So I hate to say things like this, but I’m pretty happy with where this thing is at now. The only thing I may address is that the lights I used in the front bumper take the same small bulbs as the marker lights (thought I was being clever) and I guess they don’t draw enough to keep the turn signals from running double fast. Kind of irritating, so I may just cut bigger holes and use the factory front signal lights. I was trying to avoid that as I want to keep the stock front bumper complete, but I’m sure Rockauto has some cheap replacement ones.

At some point a 3.4 swap will probably happen, but not until the mighty 3.0 s***s itself. I’m lucky to have a step-nephew (is that a thing?) who has done a few of those swaps, and is willing to help when the time comes. He lives 10 mins away too, which is nice.

 

[liveoak]

should be able to add appropriate load resistors to slow turn signal blink

 

[joseywales]

I figured I could do that, but I’ve never used them before. Where/how do you figure out what is appropriate size? They just get wired in between hot and ground?

 

[gnob]

led Flasher or oe flasher mod works too.

 

[joseywales]

I ordered some resistors. $8 is an investment I can hack.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

I need to drop down and do a QC on that rear bumper. No more photos? Looks very clean and solid.

 

[joseywales]

Thanks John. It’s just a receiver extension with tire and Jerry carry. I didn’t do a full bumper yet. I was just looking for a place to hang fuel on the outside, and figured the spare could go there too. I can just add this frame to a swing out at some point though. I may do a “Tire Gate” type thing, but not really sure yet. The only crappy thing about the carrier I built is I can’t open the tail gate with it there, but I don’t really open it very often, so it’s ok at this point.

 

[joseywales]

Thanks @liveoak. Resistors are installed and turn signals are back at the proper speed. The ones I put in the bumper are actually viable now too. I thought they were not bright enough to be safe, but it was the double speed flash that wasn’t letting them put out all of their lumens. I just did the quick splice installto test them, but now will do a proper hear shrink install since I know they work. I also need to finish up wiring the Hellas, but I’m taking off on a hunting trip this week so it will have to wait.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

Nice. Where are you going and what are you after? I was supposed to go this weekend, but the monsoon cancelled us.

 

[joseywales]

Nice. Where are you going and what are you after? I was supposed to go this weekend, but the monsoon cancelled us.

Had the best duck day ever on Thursday, but damn it was wet!

Heading towards Rock Creek and then North up Christian Valley looking for whitetail and mulies. That’s mid week, then up above Osoyoos on the weekend taking a friend and her son out looking for chukar and possibly turkey, even though I haven’t seen turkey at that spot for a couple of seasons now.

If you duck hunt, we should plan an after work deal down at Boundary Bay?

 

[joseywales]

With December lurking, and potential for some snow, I’ve started gathering parts for fabricating a snow plow. We don’t usually see much here, but get a few dumps now and then, including an 11” pile of white poop last year. My little tractor wouldn’t move it, so I’m going to go “serious hillbilly” this year.

So far, I have a $115 winch from Amazon that’s made for a SxS, but is 4500 lbs single line with synthetic rope, and a 8’ piece of 18” water pipe donated by the guys making all the noise in my street. I have it 90% engineered in my mind and the rest will come in to play as I weld up the frame. So far I’ve cut the “blade”. It will get a steel flatbar cutting edge and support frame behind.

The whole thing will drop into the receiver hitch in the front bumper and the winch will be receiver mounted as well, so I will put another receiver in the plow frame to mount the winch to, so the winch can be stored out of the weather and used to pull trees etc in the 360 days of the year it’s not snowing here. With a snatch block, the winch is good for 9,000 so it can pull a dead vehicle onto my car trailer or might even be able to help me get unstuck too, but that might be optimistic.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

With December lurking, and potential for some snow, I’ve started gathering parts for fabricating a snow plow. We don’t usually see much here, but get a few dumps now and then, including an 11” pile of white poop last year. My little tractor wouldn’t move it, so I’m going to go “serious hillbilly” this year.

So far, I have a $115 winch from Amazon that’s made for a SxS, but is 4500 lbs single line with synthetic rope, and a 8’ piece of 18” water pipe donated by the guys making all the noise in my street. I have it 90% engineered in my mind and the rest will come in to play as I weld up the frame. So far I’ve cut the “blade”. It will get a steel flatbar cutting edge and support frame behind.

The whole thing will drop into the receiver hitch in the front bumper and the winch will be receiver mounted as well, so I will put another receiver in the plow frame to mount the winch to, so the winch can be stored out of the weather and used to pull trees etc in the 360 days of the year it’s not snowing here. With a snatch block, the winch is good for 9,000 so it can pull a dead vehicle onto my car trailer or might even be able to help me get unstuck too, but that might be optimistic.

Hah, that's extra ghetto. I like it. Curious to see how it works out.

What were those rear springs you've got in there? I'm lazy. *EDIT** I found it in the very first post... So thats a 2" lift front and rear? I really want some rear OME springs to fix my saggy rear, but I don't want to lift the front. I was hoping you had a stock front because I like the way yours sits. poop.