Hey y'all!
Figured I'd make a post to document my progress and keep a list of baseline items I need to accomplish.
I recently "upgraded" to a '97 "40th Anniversary" tripled locked w/252k miles after I had an unfortunate mishap with my '06 4Runner Sport Edition V8 4WD (rolled). "40th Edition" in quotes because I don't think it is? Paint code doesn't seem right but it has the two-tone seats/interior and mats. 🤷♂️ Anyway, it seemed like a decent price considering the market/condition...and oh yeah, this is my first 80!
The 4Runner was built pretty nicely and took me to CO, UT, and AZ - I had her for 8 years. I'll miss her dearly.
Anyway, pics of how the new girl's condition and how she sits right now:
PO did some maintenance/mods. I got the receipts for rear main seal, hubs and bearings, random hoses replaced, brand new AC compressor/lines, valve cover job, and brand new OEM EGR stuff (lol). The only leak they had was a small power steering one, so I'll be investigating that. For mods, sort variant of OME lift, some sort of ARB (or ARB style) bumper that is in REAL bad shape and bent from somehow winching like an idiot, black Procomp wheels with 35s, and an ARB roof rack. The rear carpet and third row seats are gone as they were planning do a drawer build back there as well. Pretty decent shape - a dent from a boat trailer mishap that dented and smashed the rear marker light, couple dents. Frame rails have a little bit of surface rust, rear axle has some decent surface rust (I picked it up by the Texas coast).
Things I've done so far:
Figured I'd make a post to document my progress and keep a list of baseline items I need to accomplish.
I recently "upgraded" to a '97 "40th Anniversary" tripled locked w/252k miles after I had an unfortunate mishap with my '06 4Runner Sport Edition V8 4WD (rolled). "40th Edition" in quotes because I don't think it is? Paint code doesn't seem right but it has the two-tone seats/interior and mats. 🤷♂️ Anyway, it seemed like a decent price considering the market/condition...and oh yeah, this is my first 80!
The 4Runner was built pretty nicely and took me to CO, UT, and AZ - I had her for 8 years. I'll miss her dearly.
Anyway, pics of how the new girl's condition and how she sits right now:
PO did some maintenance/mods. I got the receipts for rear main seal, hubs and bearings, random hoses replaced, brand new AC compressor/lines, valve cover job, and brand new OEM EGR stuff (lol). The only leak they had was a small power steering one, so I'll be investigating that. For mods, sort variant of OME lift, some sort of ARB (or ARB style) bumper that is in REAL bad shape and bent from somehow winching like an idiot, black Procomp wheels with 35s, and an ARB roof rack. The rear carpet and third row seats are gone as they were planning do a drawer build back there as well. Pretty decent shape - a dent from a boat trailer mishap that dented and smashed the rear marker light, couple dents. Frame rails have a little bit of surface rust, rear axle has some decent surface rust (I picked it up by the Texas coast).
Things I've done so far:
- Cleaned the dusty ass interior off a bit. Cleaned the hell out of the windows.
- Replaced a vacuum cap on the brake booster elbow (realized pretty quickly this wasn't an OEM part). There was a vacuum hiss audible at idle so I tracked it down. Brakes feel better now.
- Replaced 10A dome light fuse which fixed the dome lights, radio, clock function. Should have done this before driving her 3 hours home lol.
- Greased the all the driveshafts - one of the front shaft spider shafts was completely missing so I fixed that. I had some front driveline noise that quieted down after doing this.
- Fixed all the burnt out bulbs around the entire exterior.
- Fixed the broken cig lighter port.
- Changed the broken rear marker lamp with a brand new one.
- Changed all 3 crusty wipers for brand new NWB units.
- Changed front driver/passenger Door Belt moldings. Amazing how these little bits make her look so much less junky. The interior side mirror "garnishes" were a real PITA and I ended up breaking one (and ghetto repairing it with some plastic bonder). I'll end up outright replacing these at some point.
- Installed a new inner window weatherstrip/felt assembly on the driver's door, the original was randomly missing.
- Did HuddExpo's EGR Test Kit. Temp sensor was fun. I randomly got P0401 - it didn't come back after I cleared it, but I don't really feel like messing with this ever again.
- First big job, all the cooling/heating system stuff - the radiator and hoses are pitiful - seem to be all original. I'm gonna post a list of parts for reference below.
- Drive belts look pretty rough, will do that with the rad out "while I'm at it."
- Small steering system leak - need to track this down. I pressure washed all the gunk off the the front/side of the block from the valve cover leak they had. Also sprayed the power steering box/area to try to track it down. I'll probably start with the replacing the resi regardless.
- Do all the vacuum lines.
- Replace all fluids.
- Put an OEM air filter in.
- Neither of the 2 front seats move back and forth (everything else works) - likely need new gears/caps from Gamviti.
- Driver's door lock switch is wonky - seems like I can only lock but not unlock, but it doesn't always work to lock either. Central lock/unlock works on passenger's door but only lock works from the driver's door. Update: fixed with some Teflon spray in the keyholes.
- Both rear door locks' actuators seem be out.
- Front windows are slow, rears come down maybe 2" lol.
- Probably eventually do all the door lock actuators, window motors/regulators/window runs.
- Airbag light is on and annoying me. Edit: Tried to reset the light but it keeps coming back when turning off and setting back to the "On" position. Ran DTC and got code 31. Ordered a used Airbag Sensor Assembly (8917060010) off eBay.
- Remove and sell the roof rack - I'm not a roof rack guy. Replace or just outright remove the drip rails.
- I'm probably forgetting some stuff, but I'll add 'em as I remember.
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since it was missing the push clip retainer so I de-pinned and snapped on a new OEM connector. The MAF sensor was also missing missing the push clip retainer and was just press fit so I did that one as well - weird that the new one that came was white...but it works.
I took pictures of most of this work if anyone is interested - if not I'm too lazy right now.
