The Junkyard 100

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cruiserinsanity

SILVER Star
Joined
Jun 19, 2021
Threads
45
Messages
707
Location
Alabama
Several months ago @Godwin and I made a visit to a local junkyard after I found two 1977 2wd Toyota pickups from marketplace. I had been looking for a disc brake truck for a guy for a while to convert his from front drums to factory discs. When we arrived at the junkyard we saw this '99 100 sitting on its rotors at the entrance.

I paid the man for the two mini trucks, and we asked about the 100. He had it for several years and had intended to drive it but it kept randomly not starting. This is rural Alabama, 350 SBC country, and any sort of potential electrical issue is a death sentence. He and my dad agreed on a very cheap price and made arrangements to come back the following Saturday to retrieve it and the second minitruck.
IMG_5706.webp

My dad intended to just part it out or sell it, but we ended up deciding I would fix it and turn it into a driver/ light tow duty truck. I buy and partout minitrucks and 4Runners when I find them and up to this point I have either used my FJ60 or one of my dad's 80s for that stuff. This will fill the role a bit better.

It is a '99, has a factory rear locker, with 318k miles on it, it's from Georgia, then came to Alabama at some point. No rust just dents and neglect.

I cleaned up the battery terminals, drained most of the old gas out of it, poured in some fresh gas and it fired up.
The cats were cut off at the junkyard but @BamaPaul hooked me up with some, and the driveshaft got bent when it was loaded with a forklift. I found some cheap almost new KO2s on marketplace for ridiculously cheap and slapped them on today to drive it around the field.
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It runs like crap, I think it's only running on four or six cylinders and has died on me a couple of times. I only put a few gallons of gas in it so I'll start there and see what happens.
The plan is catch up on all the deferred maintenance, lift it in the back with some Iron Man springs we have and crank the torsion bars in the front, and try to find a cheap ARB or IronMan bumper. I need to rebuild the front end; Upper Ball Joints are sketchy and the steering rack has play in it. I'm going to Rockauto as much as possible without sacrificing quality of parts. Aisin waterpump/ timing belt kit, Koyorad radiator, chunk in a cranksensor just because, and the valvecovers are pouring oil.

 
This is what I call a great coincidence, stumbling on something unexpected and just say "let's do this", this is a a project for sure but I think you guys are in the right direction. Subscribed! :cheers:
 
After I had the 100 running it had a sporadic idle where it would bounce between 500 and 1000 RPM, and after idling for about five minutes it would die if I revved it.

Under the advise of a several people I replaced the MAF with a Japanese Hitachi unit from Rockauto and corrected some horrid wiring from a PO. The MAF it had was completely unmarked.
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After I replaced the MAF it idles steady and I’m able to drive it without it dying.

On track to bring it back to life
 
You're a dying breed. I grew up with this breed as a father. I love it. Keep on rocking in the free world.

My first and second cars were old Triumphs that were sitting in junk yards. TR6 and GT6. I drove those POS's to high school using only "the back roads" bc they were a long way from street legal.
 
After I had the 100 running it had a sporadic idle where it would bounce between 500 and 1000 RPM, and after idling for about five minutes it would die if I revved it.

Under the advise of a several people I replaced the MAF with a Japanese Hitachi unit from Rockauto and corrected some horrid wiring from a PO. The MAF it had was completely unmarked.View attachment 4229974View attachment 4229975
After I replaced the MAF it idles steady and I’m able to drive it without it dying.

On track to bring it back to life
I can't get enough of this:
just cut, strip, and twist the wires. Add some electrical tape, call it good. LOL, man, not sure what part of Alabama you're from but it looks very similar to rural south Louisiana from that.
 
I can't get enough of this:
just cut, strip, and twist the wires. Add some electrical tape, call it good. LOL, man, not sure what part of Alabama you're from but it looks very similar to rural south Louisiana from that.
They didn’t even add electrical tape, just stripped back the wires and half way twisted them together.
IMG_6670.webp

I have it repaired with one connector instead of two now.
This is central eastern Alabama, between Montgomery and Auburn, it’s hard for folks to understand more than a one-wire temp sensor out here.
 
They didn’t even add electrical tape, just stripped back the wires and half way twisted them together. View attachment 4229978
I have it repaired with one connector instead of two now.
This is central eastern Alabama, between Montgomery and Auburn, it’s hard for folks to understand more than a one-wire temp sensor out here.
"Might work, might catch on fire one day, let it eat"
 
After I had the 100 running it had a sporadic idle where it would bounce between 500 and 1000 RPM, and after idling for about five minutes it would die if I revved it.

Under the advise of a several people I replaced the MAF with a Japanese Hitachi unit from Rockauto and corrected some horrid wiring from a PO. The MAF it had was completely unmarked.View attachment 4229974View attachment 4229975
After I replaced the MAF it idles steady and I’m able to drive it without it dying.

On track to bring it back to life

Don't forget it still needs an air filter
 
Don't forget it still needs an air filter
That could be somewhat important lol.

@cruiserinsanity Good on you for saving it! I'm no stranger to bring cruisers back from the dead, The OCD in me wants to see a pressure washer pulled out lol but I'll be following this one for sure
 
Nice save on the 100. MAF and PO wiring are good ones to knock out first. What's left on the list? On a truck with no history I'd write down every fix as you go, so if the idle acts up again you know what's already been changed. Worth checking for vacuum leaks too if it's still hunting at all.
 
That could be somewhat important lol.

@cruiserinsanity Good on you for saving it! I'm no stranger to bring cruisers back from the dead, The OCD in me wants to see a pressure washer pulled out lol but I'll be following this one for sure
It’ll be pressure washed some point soon. Putting Cats on it will be my next step, it sounds like a pulpwood truck
 
Keep it up man, we are watching. Good call on saving the Hundy. :cheers:
 
Always love a good revival thread. We'll need to find you a proper set of headlights too.
I need to find OEM headlights and the valance beneath them that they bolt to. The valance is smashed up and crooked so the headlights will not fit properly.
 
Several months ago @Godwin and I made a visit to a local junkyard after I found two 1977 2wd Toyota pickups from marketplace. I had been looking for a disc brake truck for a guy for a while to convert his from front drums to factory discs. When we arrived at the junkyard we saw this '99 100 sitting on its rotors at the entrance.

He and my dad agreed on a very cheap price

The price was $500 + $100 for FB Marketplace wheels so we could load it on the trailer.

Didn't need or want a 100 but at that price for an entire, rust free 100 it was a no brainer.
 
The price was $500 + $100 for FB Marketplace wheels so we could load it on the trailer.

Didn't need or want a 100 but at that price for an entire, rust free 100 it was a no brainer.
The other set of wheels and almost new KO2s from marketplace was $250
Rockauto MAF, Fuel and Air Filters was $94
Cats and a driveshaft were $175

Total in the truck at this point is $1119.00, and I'm trying to sell the original marketplace wheels again. After timing belt, radiator, ball joints, brakes, valve cover gaskets, and chaging all the fluids I'll probably have $3k in it at the end.
 
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