My New To Me 86 SAS Backyard Restoration (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 2, 2017
Threads
10
Messages
60
Location
Norfolk, Va
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.
1189230-a08214c15363ffd37f291e8d512defc3.jpg


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


 
Drove it all weekend to shake it down and was able to comfortably do 70mph on the interstate, drives like a tractor around town because its locked, but I'm just burning gas for fun, not commuting. Overall I am super pleased with the state of this 31 year old rust bucket.

On the list for spring wheeling trips
1. Ubolt flip
2. Crossmember / skid
3. They used the factory IRS spring pockets on the front for the shock mount, and that limits the crap out of travel, so I've got 12" shocks and towers on order.
4. Rock lights, because I saw fast and furious when I was in 9th grade, so I'm obligate

Futher out needs
1. Full Cage
2. Spare tire carrier
3. Half doors
 
nice looking truck man, dealing with rust like that myself. its more a pain in the neck than anything else but its looking good!
 

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