84RNR

I tried searching and didn't find any info on this topic. Sorry ahead of time if I missed any previous posts. I have an 84 4runner with a bit of rust over the rear fenders and fuel door area. My frame and interior are in very good shape. I've found a 89 4runner with a "bad" motor and "bad" transmission and was wondering how hard it is to just swap the entire body. The 89 was a v6 3.0. I of course have a 22r manual trans. What's involved/required as far as dash, electronics and whatever else goes. Lastly, would I just be better off selling/parting mine out and fixing the motor and trans in the 89. I love my setup but the body needs some help. THanks so much and I love this site.

44Runner

Hey man. IMO a body swap is kinda a PITA. How bad is the body on yours? I mean you can get new front fenders and a hood and a tailgate for pretty cheap when it comes down to it. That just leaves everything else. Most likely you have a little bit of rust over the rear fenders (or a lot, who knows). But unless it is TOTALLY messed I would always look at fixing what you have.

If your body is trash it is without a doubt an option. You would probably want your dash and most of your stuff swapped over.

What is your level of fabrication skill?

The option *I* would most likely look at in your situation is a bit different. I would buy the newer truck and swap your engine/tranny/tcase into it and then do a SAS on the new truck using your front axle. I prefer the newer frames because I feel they are a bit stronger. You also get the newer wider rear. Its a win/win in my book and I think I could do the drive train swap and solid axle swap much quicker with what I feel is a better end result.

Just some ideas to think about....

84RNR

Rear tailgate is perfect. Front fenders and hood need relpacing, but the biggest is the rust over the rear wheels. Rust has eaten all the way through. THe holes arent' huge, but I have no fabrication skills.
I was thinking it may be a pita too. My possible donor vehilce is not complete now either. Got an email saying the rear axle and top are spoken for. Thanks for the input. Maybe I should borrow a welder and just start trying. I guess I can't make it any worse. THanks for the response and ideas.

44Runner

Its without a doubt a huge PITA....BUT....I mean if the shape the truck is in is bugging you a lot it might be worth it to you. Just don't expect it to be something you can knock right out because it is going to be quite time consuming.

Another option would be to do some research on how to fix that rust yourself. Might be a good time to try your hand at some fabrication on something that will have no ill effects if done incorrectly. When I ever finish my buggy I already have my next project which is a 89 4Runner. It has some rust as well. Nothing is cooler then bringing a beat up old 1st gen runner back to life.

hurley842002

In my opinion I would attempt to fix what you have, like 44runner said you can find fenders hood and what not for cheap, I got both front fenders and a hood for $45 total off of craigslist and they were in near flawless condition. I had the local salvage yard cut me a rear fender from a 1st gen and i'm going to be fixing my rust that way. Once I begin i'll take pics and post on the thread I have on my buildup. Here is the link https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...begins-138322/

84RNR

Thanks for the posts. I'm leaning towards trying to fix what I have. I guess if I really screw it up I can always do a body swap later, right. Again appreciate the info and encouragement. Whatever I do, I'll post some pics when I get going.

44Runner

BTW, if your rears are totally messed this is without a doubt the easiest way to go about the repairs.

Keep in mind if it is just the typical edge rust all the way around the fender some people will just trim their fenders up. The rear fenders on 1st gen runners are lower then the front anyways so it doesn't look weird at all to trim them a tad bigger.

Just some more stuff to ponder

Noltz

I was in a very similar situation with my '91... rust has eaten every panel on the truck, save the fenders and hood which have been replaced already. By the time I looked at new door panels, rockers, rear quarters, and a tailgate the $$ figure was getting mighty high. In the end, I decided to buy a truck in better shape and chop up my old one. IMO, a body swap just for the sake of rust isn't worth it.

Now, if you're doing a build... of course swapping body's is acceptable

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Your current truck looks like a nice truck, with character.
It is kind of a spendy way to go, but you would not have to deal with body rust every again.
But Slacker (aka: Corey) runs toyotafiberglass.com makes some very tough replacement parts for 4Runners. The sledgeHammer Test Video is pretty impressive to me..

A body swap would be a pain in the butt, but it would also be a very worthwhile learning experience in my opinion. I used to do Bug Body swaps before I discovered Toyotas. After 8 of them, I go pretty good at is with the motor swaps and rewirings...Of course an aircooled bug is a pretty simple one