Workin at the car wash, yeah 😎
I just wish I could rinse the soap off before it froze. This was our saltyest vehicle right now thanks to that trip out to the eastern part of the state. It even left a bunch of salt in the driveway.

 

I was going to post a photo of these on the 4runner but I think it will be a while before I can put them on.

 

They look great! But uhoh, are you staring down the road to restoration?

 

I found em on e bay and the price was good. I had been looking for something badge wise, it didn't have to be 4runner exactly just fit then these popped up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-4runner-...-127632-2357-0

Oh I started down the restoration road back when I started painting sections. I figured I would start at the top make my way to the back of the truck and perpetually work on restorations. So I'll just keep fixing things as I go. Ha ha.
I want to get them wheel well arches and finally fix the body work on the back of the truck. Everything is more difficult to do now than it was prior to the pandemic though so who knows how much of it I'll really get to. Finding the paint, hardener and reducer has been difficult since painting the roof. Then there's how long can we go with it off the road at a time? It's a valuable vehicle for transportation still. It came in handy when the old tried and true wrECHO was down, first time since 2006!

 

Wow, I think I paid $75 for mine and I think those look better. I’ve never seen someone selling them that cheap.

 

well we'll see how well they hold up. I tried to repaint the originals but they were too cracked.

in other news today I took another trip out to the eastern part of the state. That road leading out was no joke this time. I got stuck at the bottom in two wheel drive on my way in. I didn't want lock in the hubs because it's down hill but I tried to turn and they got around 15 inches of snow out there..






The photo doesn't do justice, this is one of the steep hills on the way out there and it's big one to climb up on the way home.

 

Brrrrrrr!
Looks cold. I lock the hubs if I see a snowflake fall. I know it's a little hard on fuel mileage, but I'd rather be ready to slap it into 4WD when I need it, than to have to climb out of the nice, warm truck to lock the hubs in. Maybe I'd wait and do it at the turn off onto "The Road", but I'd sure have them locked well before I need them.

Just me, though. You do you
Looks like the ice fishing is still great there, though. That's a nice pike, yes?

Show how much fresh-water fishing I've done. I worked on a deep sea fishing charter down in Panama in 75. We caught Mahi-Mahi (dolphin, not the mammal) for our meals, and trolled for sailfish. Caught a bunch, too! The fight was the fun. We'd get photos with the Polaroid, then cut them loose. I think we saved one smaller one, and sold it to a restaurant when we got back. GOOD eating!

The best night I had was when we pulled into a small bay, 200' deep, for the night once. While the "adults" drank and partied in general, I was watching the various sea-life in the clear water of the bay. That night, the plankton was glowing blue-green when disturbed. I watched the fish swimming in sheaths of cold fire. Beautifull. Then, a pod of dolphins (the mammals) came swimming into the bay, and started playing in the cold fire. Jumping, diving, everything. It was incredible. I couldn't help it, I dove in and played with them. They were amazingly friendly, and would swim with me, let me pet them, etc. I decided to try and hit the bottom. No, I didn't know how deep it was, then, but I was great free-diver, and thought I could make it. I dove down, and down, and down...figured out it was too deep, and started back up. About 3/4 of the way, I realized I was in deep trouble, so to speak. I wasn't going to make the surface alive. Suddenly, a smooth body, covered in blue fire arrived, and lifted me on it's back very quickly to the surface. That dolphin saved my life that night!
I climbed onto the boat, and the dolphins played a while longer, then on some signal, they all suddenly turned, and swam out to sea, still playing the whole way. Incredible night. A lot warmer than where you're fishing too

Sorry. I ramble off down memory lane sometimes...
Pat☺

 

Awesome story, Pat!
Yeah, second on the hubs. IF pavement is dry, as long as 4WD is not engaged I think locked hubs are OK. There might be recommended speed limit, but in this situation we'd probably be driving slow anyway.

BTW, a few years ago someone either here or on T4R posted youtube video of news reporter on snowy road side and a first-gen 4runner slid behind her. No damage/injury resulted. Would be cool to find that video again.

 

Pat, that sounds like a blast swimming with dolphins! It was actually the Pikes smaller cousin the Chain Pickerel that I caught a bunch of there. They do taste good but lots of bones.

I was rolling the dice on locking the hubs the boat launch is off of a state road that happens to be dirt and it does get plowed because people live on that State Road. The issue is the wind Saturday blew all the snow up into the parking lot so the actual launch itself has no snow. Other than that all the roads driving out there are clear so no need to lock the hubs on roads that are mostly 45 mph.

 

I came up with another way to hook up a spray nozzle to inject Fluid Film in the frame using the spray nozzle I got from Eastwood. it was a lot less of a mess this time. I took apart a Schrader valve turned it around and installed it with the threaded side into the spray nozzle that I drilled to fit the valve and attached the hose to that.

I took advantage of the nice weather today ( above freezing temperatures) and I decided to polish the wheels a bit. they were starting to look faded.

 

a little roadside repair on the 4runner this morning. since it's warm and rained this morning I told the wife today would be a good day for her to drive it to work. hopefully the puddles will help rinse any salt left over after washing it again the other day. she called me up on the way to work and said one of the windshield wipers just fell off. I just replaced them and they really aren't as good as the ones I picked up at Ocean State Job Lot. I should have switched the clamps that hold them on when I put new wipers on, I have new ones. I had one of the old wipers for a backup but the wiper just stayed on the cowl. I still need to fix the passenger side because one screw just wouldn't come out. probably gonna have to drill and tap.

 

Huh!
Never had that happen to date. Not saying it can't/won't, just hasn't.

I'd blame the duck. He's obviously up to something! Move him to the other side, and I wager you'll get the same result. Never trust a duck!

Be careful! Have fun doing it, too
Pat☺

 

Yeah, I never had it happen before either! I mean 60 mile round trip using the wipers to clear the salt off and then the next day at the car wash when the passenger side froze solid and I had to bang it on the windshield to get the ice off......... maybe it's the duck, he's a Hitcher picked up in a parking lot or maybe the driver was flying around a corner too fast and it got pulled off with the G force. Naa it's a 22re not that fast! Ever notice it's always a problem with the driver's side? That was the side that fell apart first before I replaced them. The passenger side wiper still has some life in it. Is it because most of the time there is a driver looking through it with out passengers? Does that wiper get more use because of that? Well it's at least a problem about 50 percent of the time anyway 🤷

Oh yeah the other side is fixed now too. Just like I thought I had to drill and tap it. I tried to weld something to the screw and get it out that way but them screws are way too small for that trick.

 

Time to replace the old broken shifter bezel. After some paint.

 

We're not the only old yota out today! I spotted this Land Cruiser when getting on rt95 in Waterford CT. He was in the passing lane when I got on so I had to get moving to catch up. Not an easy task with traffic and full leaf spring suspension. The total opposite of a sports car. 😆

 

A few more photos from today's ride to and from Mystic CT. After last night's little ice storm I had to work to get in the 4runner this morning. I've coated the door rubber with lube but it was bad today. 20 MPH winds and a high of 25.



This is from Nature's Art Village in Montville CT.


my attempt at getting a photo of the vintage ores I picked up for my vintage Sears aluminum boat. The wind knocked them over just as the camera feature finally worked on my crappy phone.


How about the beautiful Connecticut River as it flows through the city of Hartford? It looks like this bridge was made by Toyota!

 

The Carr wash.

who would have thought I could wash and wax the 4Runner in February?

 

I don't know why I washed an waxed it.

took a little trip out through Union CT from Mansfield CT via slick muddy roads. Yesterday it was like spring and today we got snow.




and we had to stop by and have a look around this place. I actually know this guy from the VW scene.

 

Still, lookin great. A dirty 4Runner is a happy 4Runner. A super clean, just washed/waxed 4Runner is worried it's going to become a mall crawler. Scares them no end, poor things. Taking one that's super clean out and running a muddy trail or two reassures it that you still care for it no end.
You gotta think like your 4Runner, that's all

Still looks good. No harm done at all.
Pat☺

 

I recognize that old Scout from his videos.