hjkmotor

so i have been throwing around ideas for a few weeks on what to do next to my 4runner. i really want to do something unique, appearence changing, and most of all cheap (college student). well i kinda miss having a pick-up and i really love the look when ppl cut the tops of the back of their 2nd gen runners. so i kinda wanna do that. i haven't seen anyone do this yet to a first gen.

i want it to look like its supposed to be like that, working rear window, working rear wiper, regular tail gate, bedliner, and the top still comes off, you know the works. will a p/u tailgate fit on a runner?

as you might have seen i recently painted my truck so i really dont wanna have to repaint it but i figure since most of the chopping will be on the top i will only have to repaint that.

anyway id like ur yays or nays or any other opinions. i will definitly do a full write up when or if i do it as well.

AZkid

do it, im very inerested and would love to see this done, and im pretty positive a pick up gate will work on a runner

woodendude

Don't do it!!!! Don't chop a decent 1st gen.Don't know about where you're from but decent 1st gens. are rare in my part of the world, if you want a pick up, get a pick up!

alfio

exactly what i was thinking - too many people on this forum (and even more on pirate) bring out the sawzall and the grinder too quickly. coming from the air cooled VW community i can tell you these vehicles are not around forever. if we start chopping the relative few that survive into 20 or 25 year period after the rust, the accidents, etc. we'll exhaust them even faster.

sell the 4runner (or keep it) but get a pickup if that suits your needs better

alfio

AZkid

he's not chopping the runner, from what i can tell, he's just chopping the top.

hjkmotor

well first gens r pretty common around here. and id hate to admit but mine isn't quite as nice as it appears.

the thing is unless im totally sure i can make it super clean looking im not gonna do it. trust me im a prefectionist and if it doesn't look good when im done i will hate myself .

and i would go get a p/u but i put too much work into this truck already. but iv already accepted that when this truck finally dies its gonna be a chopped up, doorless trail rig anyway.

also the way im thinking of doing it, it wont be too hard to return to stock form because of the removable top.

hjkmotor

and its not so much that i want a pick-up cuz i love that i can take 5 ppl with me, i just think it would be so much easier to have that back half open to throw my bike in when im done riding instead of getting in the truck rolling down the rear window getting out putting my bike in then getting in the truck to leave.

AZkid

i know i got some pictures in my wicked collection, ill see if i can find them.

AZkid

like this?



heres one with a chop top, i dont have any side pictures of it, but i think it'd be sick if you pulled, the chopped top, rear window all working done clean, give it a shot

woodendude

So then it seems like you're syaing you want to:
- remove the back seat
- move the tailgate up , window and all and seal it up like the back of a pick up cab
- put a pick up tail gate on the back, so you can put stuff in and out easier

The window does go down on that truck you have and can be left down, and the top does come off and can be left off and the back seat I'm pretty sure can be removed and left out with out to much trouble.... and a soft quickly removable top with sides can be bought....

Just bugging you now,,, I do kind of like your idea but I still don't like the idea of a 1st gen getting chopped before it's time.

woodendude

That second pick is great looking rig, love that idea.

AZkid

im following this thread cause i want to see this done,
the way i'd do it

is chop the top,
so the rear seats are still there
window directly behind the rear seats,
roll up toneau over area behing the top
pickuptailgate

hjkmotor

yeah i like those. i love the look of it. i know ppl chop the tops shorter all the time but i really think it would be cool to bring the window with it and totally close the cab off to the cargo area.

hjkmotor

yes the way im thinking is:

chop top, keep sliding windows, ditch solid rear windows
rebuild housing for rear window right behind rear seat, i dont really wanna bring the tail gate forward and weld it in but build a new assembly
pick-up tailgate
replace plactic interior panels with metal panels
move all the wires for the rear window, rear wiper, and rear window washer fluid assembly forward
and anything else required i cant think of yet.

AZkid

i think it'd be really convient if you could do a flip up glass window in the rear like most camper toppers

hjkmotor

do u mean after the top is chopped or how it is now? cuz i really wouldn't wanna decrease the security of my truck either way

DupermanDave

I'm sort of thinking of doing the same thing with a pickup. Got a standard cab and I have some bucket seats to go in the back. I'm putting those in once I get a shell chopped up to look the way the 4runners look in those picks.

Anyway, reason I'm letting you know is because I would also feel bad about chopping up a good first gen. I would trade for a pickup and then work on the project. It pains me to see people doing stuff like this to classic vehicles (like VW bugs, deloreans, etc...)

AZkid

they ahve locks you silly goose, and if someone really wants in your truck, theres always a way.

hjkmotor

i know what you mean. i hate to see classics chopped up as well but im not the only person whose done it and its not too extensive to the piont where it couldn't be returned to stock.

i def wouldn't do it if my 4runner was mint but when i got it the sides were rusted through to the inside so it really doesn't pain me to do something like this.

with all due respect, its not like im turning a delorean into a convertible, its just an '88 4runner.

im not trying to argue at all, im more or less trying to convince myself that i do wanna do this

88Cleve4runner

a lot of people buy a second top that is beat up, and chop it all to crap and give their runner an "open to the elements" look while still having a top on. but sense you're wanting to fully enclose it, i have not seen that done. i plan on having 2 tops myself, just because. but i think it would be cool and unique if you could pull that off and make it clean! good luck!