I have a 89' 22R-E 4runner with atx. 230ish KM and runs great.

Problems:
Needs brake job all around.
Needs new exhaust. Oxygen sensor hole is so rusted the sensor is just hanging basically, ive rigged something to block the hole and hold the sensor for now. The tail pipe rusted off.
Bad rust on all fenders, rear hatch (rearglass it practically falling through the bottom of the rusted out hatch), frame around drivers door window is rusted through in one spot.

The good:
The engine runs great and wants to go forever, interior is nice, everything else works, atx is perfect.

Should I put money into exhaust, brakes, body work? Is the body saveable?
Can I get away with a rigged up exhaust, never open the rear hatch, but change the brakes and do a patch job body work so that it lasts another year or two?

damn... I love this truck..... I dont want it to die

As you can see in the pictures I started removing the rust from the left side and just primed it for now. The other side is still all bubbled and rusty underneath from a previous (failed) body job by my father.

http://flickr.com/photos/85823831@N00/

BTW, I live in montreal. I wish I could find a donor car with nice body but thats pretty nonexistant around here and plus I don't have anything to weld with or know how to weld and I know that the rear fenders are welded on. I was thinking of taking off as much rust as I can, coating whats left in POR-15, filling the fenders with MONO FOAM, shaping it with a jigsaw blade, and then either fibreglassing and puttying or body puttying right over the foam (<-will not work I think) then just spray painting the mess with some black paint.

Thoughts, prayers, comments?

My uncle was the original owner and my father bought it a few years ago with just the typical start of fender rust typical on these 4runners, you know, the little pinholes above the fenders... well this is whats it at now. The mechanical aspects have been well taken care of.

 

looks really rough i would let it go

 

I don't think that is that bad - and it depends - how much "heart" do you have to take something like this on? The axle doesn't have as much rust as I thought I'd see - just strictly surface rust, can be treated, or painted over, or whatever. The frame is the big issue - if your frame is in ok shape and just has surface rust, and you got a good engine, then you have an extremely good foundation to work from in my opinion. Just depends again on how much you want to do.

 

I can't find their website, I will let you know when I do, but, you could check out Wolfe Steel, they are in northern VT and they sell replacement sheetmetal side panels.
What I would do first is make sure that the frame is solid enough to be worth saving the truck, that should be the deciding factor. You could patch and replace and trim the side panels if you have a welder.

 

If I were you I'd drive here:
Contact Information
Telephone
250-493-9473
FAX
250-493-9474

Address
Precision 4X4 Center
#109-1280 Commercial Way
Penticton B.C. Canada
V2A 3H5 Electronic mail
General Information: info@toyotafiberglass.com
Customer Support: support@toyotafiberglass.com
Sales: sales@toyotafiberglass.com
Corey CJ@toyotafiberglass.com

Once there, I'd tell them to replace the entire body with fiberglass pieces. After the body work was finished I'd drive it home and have it painted. But that is just what I would do if I were you and you had the money. LOL.

 

Why dont you just turn it into a trail rig?

 

Winter beater?

Rob

 

You can try these guys.....

http://www.toyotafiberglass.com/products.htm

 

I do want to use it as a winter beater. Is it hard to change the pads and shoes?

 

pads are relatively easy to change. I'd look over the frame. If its decent keep it, and go buy a grinder

 

you should give it to me, I'll treat the rust and clean it all up...and even let you visit it. lol.
REally though... if the frame is solid, I would definitely hold on to it!!

 

If I were to sell it in this shape, what should I expect to get? Not much I assume.

I'd sell it to you cheap if you were closer Rocko, because I know it would have a good home!

 

you can pick up jobber front fenders for around 100$ each, look around for a wrecking yard close by and see if they have any doors, the rear hatch is another story. if you can find one in decent shape just replace it, keep the innards from your existing truck. never know when they might come in handy.

you can get rear half fenders in metal or glass, if you cant do the work, try a tech school. they always need subjects to work on. the brakes are relatively straightforward, do one side at a time so you have something to compare to.

as mentinoned above, if the frame is in good shape, its worth the time and effort. you might be able to get close to 1g for a working 4x system. infortunately, those bodies rust out and you are left with the choices of fix or dump.

lee

 

tube buggy

I would take it just because i need an engine, part it out.

 

Unless you have not much money, fabrication skills, and a LOT of time - you're better off letting it go - or better yet, finding a southern runner with mechanical issues...

 

That would be cool but I think the law here is that you have to have a fender that covers your tire and I dont think it would be street legal.

 

the law here says you have to cover the tires with the fender too, but my 32's kinda stick out a bit

 

If the frame is good, I would keep it. You can put glass on the rear fenders, and on the front for not that much, and the rear hatch, if you can find one in a junkyard would be good. Toyotafiberglass.com makes the outer skin of a rear hatch, you could get your fenders and your 1/4s too!! You do need to get the brakes fixed though...do that first, then you can do the glass.....

BTW, shoes rarely need to be replaced, most of the time they just need to be adjusted

Is this truck your DD??

 

If the frame is good keep it (adding my vote)
Get some light weight aluminum sheet metal , some gloves, some cutters and cut fun shapes out, and pop rivet over the bad spots. Paint the aluminum if you want and call it good for a couple of years.

 

SAVE IT!!
My '88 looked worse than that and I've got 219,000 miles and it runs flawless. I am just finishing up the body. I did brakes all around with lines. Replaced my tailgate with one I found on e-bay. I replaced my whole exhaust. POR-15 and a welder is exactly what I used to fix it and then I painted bedliner on over the whole lower truck like a chip guard and it worked as a great rust repair camo. I love that truck even more than my ‘90 with less miles and a V6.

Jake