Double 4Runner Builds for Luckiest Kids Ever!

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Double 4Runner Builds for Luckiest Kids Ever!

YotaTech member’s two kids will each receive a 1985 Toyota 4Runner that was masterfully rebuilt & documented in our forum!

A good number of us hit our formidable teenage years faced with the dreaded reality of getting a job and saving up for our first vehicle. A lucky few were gifted wheels from our parents. But those wheels were most likely boring hand-me-downs or crusty old jalopies quite the opposite of our dream rides. And then there are the select few lucky kids whose parents build/buy them something truly awesome — like a custom built Toyota 4Runner!

Such is the case with parent of the year candidate and YotaTech member v8turbo. But in this case, the OP is doing it twice, for both sons! Both of these very fortunate kids are receiving a 1985 Toyota 4Runner, each one masterfully rebuilt and documented right here in this thread.

“Two 1985 4Runners. Building them for my 7 and 9 year-old boys. Should be done by the time they are able to drive.”

Right off the bat, it becomes very clear that both of these builds are heading in the right direction.

“Some parts along the way so far. 22RE Performance Stage 3. And yes, Marlin knows me.”

If you weren’t jealous at first, this is enough to make you want to PM the OP and ask them to file some adoption paperwork. As nice as the first 4Runner was coming along, the second one wasn’t being ignored, either.

And of course, we aren’t the only ones who wanted to join the family at this point.

“Adopt me?” says jakey poo“A lot of high quality components going into these builds, you’ve got some lucky boys!”

By now, parts were rolling in and progress was swift.

“Some parts and build pics. Gauge cluster before rebuild. Clock from Yoda Jim’s junkyard and it works! Upgraded master cylinder and new long travel front driveshaft.”

At this point, the jealousy was raging, understandably.

“Those are some nice 4Runners and some lucky boys,” said coryc85.

“You adopting?” asked thefishguy77.

And if that wasn’t enough to make you envious, the OP drops an even bigger bombshell on us. He’s not building just two 4Runners, but three!

“Actually I have three of them. Going to order the new Cummins 2.8 for the third truck. That’s gonna be mine.”

But you can’t argue with his logic for these builds. It might seem a little over the top for a couple of teenagers, but each 4Runner is a long-term proposition.

“To answer the DMs as to why and how much, I figure all in I’ll be about 20K each. But they will have a badass ’85 straight-axle fuel-injected 5 speed. No one born past 1995 can drive a 5-speed, so theft is not a problem. And by 2025 when the first one can drive, they will be so well built and not like anything the other kids roll with. 

With an all-new drivetrain and updated electronics, these will be so fun and last forever. Besides, in 2025 and 2027, how much is a new car gonna be? The car discussions at that time with the kiddos will have been solved for years and paid for. Plus, I like to build trucks. At least that’s the logic I used to convince myself.

Plus, all my kids get a 4-cylinder 5-speed for their first car. Keeps all hands and feet busy. You cant just get in, shift to drive and pin it while texting.”

We certainly can’t argue with that. And you can bet we’ll be following along as these two awesome 4Runner builds come to life. You can do the same by heading over here to the build thread!

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Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.


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