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I just ordered a trail gear tube bumper from 4wheel parts. I'm hoping it will be here by the weekend so I can put it on then.
I'm also looking at rock sliders right now. I think that 4x innovations probably has the best value on sliders. I like theirs with the kick-out in the back.
I laughed at your 'one thing leads to another' or whatever comment. At least you have recognized the disease!
My brother had a late 80's with the 4/5spd and xtra cab or whatever. It was great. Sold it to his father-in-law cheap on condition that he would offer it back to himself first. 3 months later F-in-L sold it for huge $$. Man he's still PO'd. 10 years on?
You do good work. Attention to detail (and mucho common sense - which is anything BUT common!) will be much appreciated by your patients. Good luck, and Good Life!
Since the last update I've gotten a few things done on the truck.
I mounted my rear bumper for one. I personally think it looks better without a rear bumper, but I definitely like having one for the peace of mind.
I took the time to reinforce the rear of the frame with some 3/16" plate and drill out some extra bolt holes. Personally I think the rear of the frame is a bit thin for mounting a bumper to.
Here are some pics
I've also started working on installing some sound deadening. I haven't finished yet, but I'll do a full writeup when it's through.
I'm checking in to see how your build is coming? I like look of the rear bumper installed. I had inquired awhile back about your windshield molding and you had mentioned that you had a leak, have you fixed the leak yet? You attached a link to a thread about eliminating the chrome windshield moldings and I thank you for this. I am building an 86 just like yours and was able to find and purchase a gasket glass molding from the foreign Hilux truck at www.toyheadauto.com. I purchased the one without the insert molding. I have not installed the glass yet as I'm just finishing the paint. I'll let you know how it fits. I look forward to an update on your truck. Great job!
I was wondering the same. I was forced by clients to do builds " less than " total restorations/ frame off deals that were NOT good specimens for such IMO. We refused to put my shops name on those types of autos but this build in the pics seems to have taken a higher road.
Im curious how has it worked out for him.
Not a Yota 4x4 but purchased an auto from one of our former clients. We fixed/replaced ONLY what we found wrong. ( Even though we did off frame on most things )
Basically if it worked and tested good, they wanted to cut corners/save as much as possible. I purchased it about 4 years later. We have had now for the last 10-13 years. Other than the issues I.D.ed @ the time of initial build ( almost 2 decades ago, LoL ) She is just fine and retains her value.
Can't believe it's been almost two years since I've updated this thread. In that time I've really just been living life (as a full time student) and driving the crap out of this thing. I've put about 20,000 miles on it since the last update and it hasn't given me a single issue yet (other than the quirks associated with driving a 30 year old, carbureted, lifted, single cab pickup....). But I haven't had the time to do much work on it.
It hasn't been the most practical vehicle to own as a single vehicle/daily driver. There are some days that I love driving it, but there are other days where I honestly want something different; something more comfortable, practical, etc. I've seriously considered selling it more than a couple of times just because of all these things and the fact that I rarely get to take it off-road and use it in the way it's intended to be used. But the main reason that I haven't thus far is simply because I'm a poor student, and the current market and uncertainty of what I could (or couldn't) get out of scares me at this point. I've definitely invested more in it than I could probably get out of it, and I'm ok with that. I realize the primary value in this whole venture was everything I learned through it. I always tell people that if I had known what I was getting myself into when I first bought the thing, I never would have been able to take that first step. But the experience, of rebuilding the thing from the ground up in a driveway and learning everything as I went: I wouldn't trade that for anything.
But right now I feel a little stuck with the thing. Next year I'll be a married grad student commuting to school and still pretty strapped for cash. And I'm just not sure I'll get enough out of it to justify selling it and taking the leap into some other unknown vehicle (even though that's probably what makes the most sense in the long run). We'll see what happens... If any of you have any advice or insight into the situation I'd be glad to hear it.
All that to say, and in reply to pinoythia, I 100% understand what you're saying. In my perfectionistic nature I really wish I could have done a total frame off restoration, but in the setting that I was in (as a high school and college student) this was the best I could do. I've definitely turned almost every bolt on the thing but not in enough of a methodical or detail-oriented nature to constitute a total frame-off restoration. But it's worked out for me pretty well so far, and is about what I need for my purposes. It works great and looks pretty good. If you start going through it with fine-toothed comb you'll definitely find things that aren't perfect, but I don't really need perfect in something I beat on and drive every day. So basically: not perfect, but good enough for my purposes.
Sorry for the long monologue and somewhat existential ramblings- I've been immersed in medical physiology and biochemistry for far too long and am using this as a study break...
I'll update this thread with everything I've done to the truck in the last two years once I'm done with final exams in a week. Until then I'll leave you all with a few pictures from a rare Mississippi snow we had recently:
Great update! Man does it look just as awesome if not cooler.
Keep up the hard work in school. I'm currently studying mechanical engineering and I totally know the feeling of having little time to work on your rig.
I have an 87 4runner 22re that I love. However, I understand what you mean with most days it is awesome, but at times a modern car would be a lot nicer.
Is it that it feels underpowered with the 22re? I think having more power in these trucks would make them much more comfortable daily drivers.
I would think long and hard before parting with your truck. I have no doubt that over the last couple years you've had many conversations with friends and strangers in gas stations and convenience store parking lots about old Toyotas. In how many of those conversations did people express regret for selling theirs? You'll always have life coming at you at 100 mph, you're probably never going to have as much money as you think you need (if you're like most of us) and if you sell that truck those facts won't change- you'll just wish you had kept that truck you built when you were a kid.
It doesn't have to be a daily driver forever, either. You're getting married? Well, next come kids and more responsibilities and more stress and what can you do to cope with some of that oncoming stress?
GO FOR A DRIVE IN THAT BADASS PICKUP!
Okay, my two cents. Whatever you decide to do make sure it's your decision. You don't want to make a home for any resentments down the road...
It hasn't been the most practical vehicle to own as a single vehicle/daily driver. There are some days that I love driving it, but there are other days where I honestly want something different; something more comfortable, practical, etc. I've seriously considered selling it more than a couple of times just because of all these things and the fact that I rarely get to take it off-road and use it in the way it's intended to be used. But the main reason that I haven't thus far is simply because I'm a poor student, and the current market and uncertainty of what I could (or couldn't) get out of scares me at this point. I've definitely invested more in it than I could probably get out of it, and I'm ok with that. I realize the primary value in this whole venture was everything I learned through it. I always tell people that if I had known what I was getting myself into when I first bought the thing, I never would have been able to take that first step. But the experience, of rebuilding the thing from the ground up in a driveway and learning everything as I went: I wouldn't trade that for anything.
But right now I feel a little stuck with the thing. Next year I'll be a married grad student commuting to school and still pretty strapped for cash. And I'm just not sure I'll get enough out of it to justify selling it and taking the leap into some other unknown vehicle (even though that's probably what makes the most sense in the long run). We'll see what happens... If any of you have any advice or insight into the situation I'd be glad to hear it.
My wife's car lost 90% of its value since the day she bought it, everybody has that problem, don't be scare of the money you've invested in your truck, probably you can still recover it, but if you can't as you said, it was a learning experience, be proud of it. If you can, keep driving it, at this point you know how to repair it in case of problems. This little trucks maintain their value and they'll more difficult to find in several years. If that's not possible, store it in your parents' garage, in you parents in law's garage for a while if you can.
I said this in other thread: I don't know what these little trucks have, but people fall in love with them, they're not the fastest, the most powerful, the most efficient, the most comfortable vehicle, but they're amazing, the best looking trucks, simple 30 years old technology, they go wherever you ask, it feels sooooo goooooooood to drive them.
I think you'll regret selling it, a lot of owners regret selling theirs, you can read that in this forum, other members went even further, they bought back their trucks they sold time ago: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f115...rs-ago-119933/
Tell your future wife you plan to give it to your first baby when he/she's able to drive that's what I'm going to do with my first gen 4Runners, for my kids... I need to have two kids now
I wish you the best!
02-15-2016, 04:18 PM
that's what I'm going to do with my first gen 4Runners, for my kids... I need to have two kids now 
