My misc restoration ramblings/questions thread

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Huh. Ya I texted the pic to my son, he has an '87 4Runner, he also confirmed there's just a rubber plug in the hole. WTF... where did I put that damned plug?

Thanks for the help. :beer: :beer:
 
wow.....immaculate.
better than new, guaranteed.

Im glad to see these mini trucks / 4runners starting to get some of the "restoration" love that the fj40 has been hording for so long now.

wish i had the time, space, or money for what you are undertaking.

it will be beautiful...keep up the great work.
 
Thanks.

Engine and all components are just about done, running out of parts to install in the engine bay. Should be turning the key in the next few days, I hope. My goal is to have the engine running, some sort of functioning brakes, and the cab weather tight, before it gets too cold to work any more. Dashboard is pretty sparse, just wiring and the main stuff needed to get it running and driveable.

I just finished painting inside the cowl space, where the wiper linkages live. Turns out Rustoleum Regal Red is almost a dead match for factory paint code 3D7.
 
Today I learned how much I hate these things.

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Stupid little strap thingys that hold wiring in place. Really a PITA to try to get apart, but you can't reinstall them back in the hole unless you do.

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It worked awesome when I first got the truck 12 years ago, but then it developed a leak at the compressor. I had all the R12 pulled out, rebuilt the compressor, spent a bunch of time and money getting it converted over, and it leaked again. I hardly ever used it, truthfully, so I yanked it all out.
 
Gotcha. I converted mine then converted it back to R12 works a lot mo betta ... anyway, continue on... I approve this thread. :D
 
I found some of that material for fender liners on the weekend. It was called "pond liner" at Art Knapps, which is a garden supply store in Canada. Looks very close to the original stuff by Toyota. Manufacturer is apparently Goodyear or Firestone, according to the guy at the garden shop. It's raining hard so I have not started fitting it yet.
 
I've been to 2 different landscaping places, and they didn't have any of the stuff. I found some on-line at Lowes, but when I was at the store, they told me they put all that stuff away for the season.

One of the professors in the Horticulture department up the hall from me is installing a pond in a few weeks as a class project, he said he'd get me some. He showed me what they use, it doesn't look that similar, just sheets of thick rubber, very flexible. The skirts I have from my truck at more of a stiff vinyl. I may have to use it anyway, until I can find something better.

There's an interior shop about an hour from me, they do great work, I'm gonna have them make me a new headliner since that's the only interior part I don't have. I'm hoping they'll have something.
 
The parts I'm referring to are definitely more flexible, separating the engine bay from the wheel well. I have an old one from a California truck. Material seems almost identical. I tend to shred mine when I need access to the engine through the wheel wells, usually in the middle of nowhere. My plan is to cut and install it in October, before the snow flies.
 
Hydraulics (brakes and clutch) are all hooked up, flushed, bled. I ditched the LSPV, in favor of a Wilwood manual valve:

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A buddy came over to give me a hand on Sunday, he's actually the guy I bought the truck from 12 years ago. He bought it in '94 when he worked as a tech at a dealership in Colorado, and he's still good friends with the original owner. We got a lot accomplished:

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Best I can do with the lousy camera in this phone. I'll get some better shots with a real camera when I get it out of the garage.

New windshield and trim got installed on Friday. Actually, that's the old trim, but I paid the guy to put it on for me. Those stupid clips are a real pain, fortunately he was able to get a new kit of clips. The nice lady told me that it would only take "about 45 minutes" to do the install, but he was there for almost 2.5 hours. Really nice guy, he's been doing windshields for 30 years, so he was very familiar with these things. He did a great job. Then he stuck around and gave me a hand popping in the side and rear windows.

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