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Great back story, welcome to the 80's, and welcome to CA! Yes, unfortunately there are theives out there who want your LC, so kill switches (especially in the bay area) aren't a bad idea. I myself haven't done any yet, but I'm relying on dogs that bark if a flea sneezes, and one of those brake pedal anti theft devices called an Autolock. Knowing theft rates and sought after vehicles, I saw one work firsthand with an ex girlfriend Acura integra. It was pushed down the street, ignition all busted up, parts stolen, but the car wasn't taken. I plan on a killswitch or two as well, haven't gotten to it yet. Maintenance issues first, including the PHH, and do a thorough check of all the rubber hoses while you're under the hood. Easy way to check the radiator hoses is visually, bulging, small cracks around the ends, and likely they'll still have the stick clamps on them. Another way to check those is give them a good squeeze with th radiator cap off. (Make sure the coolant isn't right at the top, or have a couple rags/catch pan under it) Give them a good squeeze in a few spots, especially near the bends, if they're really soft then they could be ready to burst. Also, if you feel cracking when you squeeze, then they're shot, brittle inside means they're trashed. You're checking all the fluids so that's a great start. Along with the PHH, some folks don't ever need the rear heater so they bypass it, to eliminate a potential problem. If you go to your local dealer, or check the owners manual (if you have one) it should have a maintenance schedule in the back to which is a good start to keeping up on it. As far as tools, you'll hear it all from pris to cons on this tool and that. My .02¢, a good starter kit with ratchets, sockets and wrenches from an automotive store or home improvement store will be a great start. Some decent screwdrivers, pliers, and a few similar items are best to spend a few extra bucks on to get better tools. Always shop for tools at the larger stores on holidays, sale sale sale! Some people cringe at Harbor Freight Tools, and yes, some of their stuff is junk, but on the other side of that, for beginners, some of it is great. I have a small totebag, like a traveling personal supply bag in with the jack with a set of bare essentials to try and get me home. Take some time and go look around before you buy and don't hesitate to ask more questions on here as well. Another mention, replacing belts and hoses before they completely fail gives you spares to limp home on a hen you're out in the boonies!
I'd say the vast majority of everyone on here, bang for the buck, are harbor freight with the pawl. As for pin type, haven't used those type in a long time. Maybe make your own if you can?
I took "Big Red" out for a Sunday drive. This was shot on Route 130 headed up Mount Hamilton towards Lick Observatory. Decided to check it out after searching "scenic drives" in "San Jose" on Yelp. Most people said there was hardly anyone encountered on the roads, which is a perfect road for me. Reviewers also said the road was narrow and twisty, but I wasn't worried about it, having had my fair share.
I wanted a really good scenic spot for a shot of Big Red. So off I went. It was my first taste of taking the Cruiser through twisties. Relentless twisties, climbs and 180-degree hairpin turns.
First impressions:
I read beforehand that the 1FZE isn't the most powerful, and yes, I can now attest to it, but I did engage turbo-boost (ECT button) and turned O/D off the entire way up. With a little pedal management it wasn't so bad, the roads were too narrow and winding to go fast anyway.
What really killed me on the drive were the endless, narrow, cliff-hanger twisties. The LC felt super cumbersome to maneuver and I found myself quite jealous of the lightweight, sleek motorbikes going by. Especially my fav the BMW GS :X
But I got quite a nice shot if I do say so myself.. or maybe everyone is just biased/enamored by their own LC!
I have the ilco key as well, only one I have that the PO furnished with the truck, an I'm going to do the same. It feels flimsy while in operation, and if it snapped I'd probably lose it(my cool). I plan on getting one soon, I'll post my findings. I have a buddy in Sacramento at Maita Toyota, gives me a smokin' deal on parts, and can order anything with a part number that's available worldwide.I went to the Capital Toyota in San Jose to get a VIN-cut key. PO only had one and I figured might as well get one "master key" to copy from because I wanted at least 2 more keys.
They guy at the parts counter tells me it's $25 to request the key code from Toyota. I didn't expect this but I figured... I only need to do this once. Then he tells me it's another $16 for the blank key. I hadn't done any research on Mud prior to this, so I wasn't expecting this either. I said, "Really? $16 for a blank?" He asked why I needed a new key, was the current one rounded off? I said no, I just have one and I need another before I lock my dumbass out. He says, then you just need a cheap key, and disappears into the back to make me a key. It's done about five minutes later, and he gave it to me for free. Awesome, dude.
So some immediate differences from the OEM key to the cheapo Ilco key, right when I get to the car. The plastic handle is much thinner, and it feels like a rough plastic, whereas the OEM key feels more substantial in the hand and a rubberized, smooth feel to it. I forgot to take a side photo but you can compare the shadows of the two keys to get the difference.
The metal part itself is also much thinner. Overall the key has a flimsy feel. Every time I turn it in the door lock it feels very soft, almost like aluminum, and feels like it's twisting. The first few times I really thought it did but after being my daily key for a while, it's still straight. I think it's just the tactile feedback of the thin key.
Another big difference is the length of the key. In using the Ilco key I noticed that every time I've shut off the car and pulled the key out, when I open the door it beeps as though I still have the key in the ignition. In the beginning I would put the key back in and give it a wiggle and pull it back out, and usually that would stop it. Nowadays I've realized that it just stops beeping after about 10 seconds.
Not sure if it's just the length, or a combination of length and thickness, that makes it beep like that, but every time, it's stopped so I'm just going to live with it and keep my good key safe for now. Can't complain about a cheap key that works, just a comparison if you end up considering paying for one.
I'm hoping to score a deal somewhere, someday, on blanks closer to $10 I can stomach.
And after I tore down my front axle when putting my lift in, (important to keep in mind, I have done the part time conversion, so the front axle only turns when in 4wd, with the freshly installed hubs locked in) knowing I was installing the part time kit, I adjusted the knuckle stoppers a bit farther than spec, as to help with this problem. It has worked flawlessly while on the road as the axles aren't turning, and I ALWAYS make sure not to turn to full lock when 4wheeling. It is almost identical to the stock 4runner radius I have been used to for a long time, and my LC is lifted on 37's. I haven't seen the mpg increase with the kit as hoped for, but I have stock gearing and those big tires, so I'll watch it like a hawk after the r&p install this winter. @nextuniverse , what's your plans with your rig down the road?
