Right after the new year I jump on an 86 SAS 4runner I found locally. Has 35 MTR's with 50% tread, 5.29, locked (lincoln locked rear, detroit front), 136K original miles and was able to get it for $2500 bucks... where could I go wrong right? So without fully consulting my better half, this rust bucket appeared on "her" lawn.
Started by going over everything mechanically, which involved a valve adjustment. She sounds like a sewing machine now. Ran the CEL and it came back "code 12". Found the knock sensor was unplugged, popped that bad boy back on, and the light is no more. Thought it was weird driving and idling that it never got to temp, did some research and figured out it had an 180 degree thermostat from an 85 in it, swapped and now the temp is perfect. Plugs, wires, filter, and oil and its good to go.
Now on to putting some lipstick on this pig....
Typical rust from what I've researched
and the rear "bed" area had pin holes all over it and the tops of the wheel wells on the rear had some holes.
So I started by cutting all the rust out of the rear fenders
The I went absolutely crazy with POR-15 and a grinding wheel. That stuff is NAAAASSTY, but people swear by it. Knowing this isn't going to be a show car, I filled all the rust holes with fiberglass. There wasn't anything structural and no hole bigger than the one I showed on the floor board.
On to paint, I turned my shed into a paint booth with some plastic and box fans. Bought a harborfreight $10 paint gun, borrowed a big compressor from my pops and bought an acrylic enamel kit from PAINTFORCARS.COM. Started by removing panels and doing them daily rotating them in and out and on and off the truck. Decided to bed line the bottom sections of the panels to make them scratch resistant on the trail and to mask the uneven areas where I sanded and treated the rust.
Then waited for a nice warm day to do the parts I couldn't remove
Now onto the interior... I WAS ROUGH!
Rusted out floor on both sides
Missing rear panels
So I filled the rust holes and bed lined the entire inside of the floor.
I have a little experience with upholstery and what better chance to give it a shot on a cheap truck. So I rewrapped the panels with grill cover waterproof canvas material
Before
After
And I bought a gauge cutout form factor marine radio and made this panel for it
Built rear panels out of thin ply wood and bed lined over the wood and put in cheap marine speakers off amazon
I removed the entire dash and painted it two tone, the tan is bed liner and the black is spray acrylic enamel from a can. Some cheap seat covers from amazon (not that good at upholstery) and the inside is done
Trail gear rock sliders and rear bumper, and Harbor Freight 9000# winch and shes ready for summer
Started by going over everything mechanically, which involved a valve adjustment. She sounds like a sewing machine now. Ran the CEL and it came back "code 12". Found the knock sensor was unplugged, popped that bad boy back on, and the light is no more. Thought it was weird driving and idling that it never got to temp, did some research and figured out it had an 180 degree thermostat from an 85 in it, swapped and now the temp is perfect. Plugs, wires, filter, and oil and its good to go.
Now on to putting some lipstick on this pig....
Typical rust from what I've researched
and the rear "bed" area had pin holes all over it and the tops of the wheel wells on the rear had some holes.
So I started by cutting all the rust out of the rear fenders
The I went absolutely crazy with POR-15 and a grinding wheel. That stuff is NAAAASSTY, but people swear by it. Knowing this isn't going to be a show car, I filled all the rust holes with fiberglass. There wasn't anything structural and no hole bigger than the one I showed on the floor board.
On to paint, I turned my shed into a paint booth with some plastic and box fans. Bought a harborfreight $10 paint gun, borrowed a big compressor from my pops and bought an acrylic enamel kit from PAINTFORCARS.COM. Started by removing panels and doing them daily rotating them in and out and on and off the truck. Decided to bed line the bottom sections of the panels to make them scratch resistant on the trail and to mask the uneven areas where I sanded and treated the rust.
Then waited for a nice warm day to do the parts I couldn't remove
Now onto the interior... I WAS ROUGH!
Rusted out floor on both sides
Missing rear panels
So I filled the rust holes and bed lined the entire inside of the floor.
I have a little experience with upholstery and what better chance to give it a shot on a cheap truck. So I rewrapped the panels with grill cover waterproof canvas material
Before
After
And I bought a gauge cutout form factor marine radio and made this panel for it
Built rear panels out of thin ply wood and bed lined over the wood and put in cheap marine speakers off amazon
I removed the entire dash and painted it two tone, the tan is bed liner and the black is spray acrylic enamel from a can. Some cheap seat covers from amazon (not that good at upholstery) and the inside is done
Trail gear rock sliders and rear bumper, and Harbor Freight 9000# winch and shes ready for summer