Got rid of the B&M shifter then modified the console to hold the new Sidewinder



The cable is massive compared to the old one, the brackets and shift lever are superior to the ones that came with the old shifter. I really love good stuff. It's the difference between everyday and professional grade.

 

Clean work man, great project.

 

What he said!

 

Thanks x2!

Shifter finally installed and rigged.

 

Decided to address 25 years of trail rash accumulated in an effort to round out the project. Those guys on TV make it look so easy...

 

Dear God, please post an update. This thing is killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ha, Ha...Thanks for asking, here's the deal. I've needed more seating capacity for a few years now and, I've come up with the solution without starting from scratch.
I scored a 1st gen 4Runner, bone stock '89 V6 5 speed in a very salvageable condition at a good price. My plan is to graph the 4R body to the PU chassis, retaining the tilt clip. In order to accomplish this, one of two things must happen. Stretch the 4R wheelbase, or shorten the PU frame. I considered both options.

4Runner as it sits today


A little photo chop to see what a stretch might look like

The shortened frame will be a lot easier to do and the different body mount brackets won't be a big deal either. I do kinda like the longer wheelbase for wheeling though.

 

im not all that fond of the stretched wheel base tbh. but its your truck! im super interested in what comes out of it as a final product!! frankly though, not a lot of people except we Toyota nuts would be able to tell the difference!

 

Yeah, I've had good luck with the longer WB, but I've also been high centered badly(descending Blanca Peak on Jaws 1...) where a shorter WB would have gone up and over. So it's all coming down to practicality, shortening the frame wins out.

This will be fun!

 

All right, decision made. Gonna finish the truck, reassemble it and drive the hell out of it! Save the 4Runner project for next year.




I've forgotten how much work goes into a nice finish(I hope it turns out that way) and to those who do it on a daily basis,

 

nice work man. i gotta say, when i saw that stretched 4runner i was so excited. I just got back from moab with mine and I was talking the whole trip about wanting to stretch mine...probably only like 4" though. i'm just tired of watching my friends 4 door taco climb everything with ease while I hop around and squeek tires. wheel base is your best friend on climbs

 

Finally have the paint down. It's not perfect, but acceptable. Can't wait to roll it outside into the sunlight to see how it really looks.

Going back together

 

Truck is finally back in one piece, up and running. Still have a few loose ends to address but they are minor.

 

Beautiful!

 

That is...just...wow. Amazing work!

 

Awesome build, very cleanly executed! Your attention to all the small details is inspiring!

 

I had a quick question on your tilt front end. Does it have some kind of latch that keeps it locked in the down position, or does the weight of the front clip just keep it in place? Sorry if you already addressed this and I missed it!

 

You didn't miss it, Ed. I did. Blew right past it.
The bumper requires a positive pull against the up stops and to do that, I used a couple heavy duty draw latches that I stumbled onto




and on the left side




I thought these latches would be enough to secure everything but as it turns out, they don't. While the bumper is rock solid, the hood bounced and rattled at every bump, necessitating additional pull down latches inside the wheel wells.

First, a doubler to stiffen things up

then locating and mounting the latch

and the test fit


These latches looked a lot bigger in the ad, but do pull down nicely. I'm also adding rubber padding at contact points, hoping to quiet things down.

 

Oh and, thanks to all for the compliments!

 

Nice work on the tilt front end latches! I soon will be redesigning/building a new core for my 4runner out of necessity to create some additional space for my new aluminum radiator, 14" electric fan, and shroud. I never thought about doing a tilt front end until I came across your build thread, awesome job! I'm just not sure if I'm ready or able to take on such an undertaking, you made it look easy! Again nice work!