Chrishf12 85 4runner Build Thread
 

Brought home this 85 4runner in February of 2014 with Transmission issues. Whining in 5th gear and a loud clunk from the transfer case. Here here it is fresh off the trailer. Don't mind my other 1st gen. :welder:

176k miles
Standard DLX model
Unknown lift with 33x12.50 tires

I plan to bring this thing back to DD status as a Summertime beach cruiser. Eventually my plan is to beef up the suspension and build a capable camping rig out of it.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psxergqhip.jpg

Had tons of fun replacing the transmission/tcase by myself without a transmission jack. Sourced a used W56 and Tcase off Craigslist.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pss0thngcl.jpg

After getting the transmission in I relocated from my parents to my own shop. Less tools but at least a dry work environment.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psektlo4rd.jpg

First things first, had to get the rear window working so the top can be removed. Turned out to be the rear wiper causing the issue. Temporary fix was to unplug the wiper in the drivers panel to get it working again.

The original brown carpet has turned to green. Entire interior was ripped out just after this picture. I haven't seen too many 1st gens with carpet covered rear panels. Was this factory or aftermarket? Also the carpet was glued to the floor pan. This was new to me. Has anyone else experienced this?

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pskp9wzbas.jpg

Removed the interior and found a few fun spots under the carpet.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psp6pwntck.jpg

It is not all rust, most of the brown is leftover glue from the carpet. The rust is in the normal spot around the body seam in driver floorboard. Also the rear rollbar mounts had ate through. Plan is to remove the sound deadener in the floor and Monster line from front to rear. Have new front carpet already waiting to be installed.

So the carpet being glued down created a nightmare. Carpet plugs left stuck to the floorpan everywhere. That wasn't going to work for me so out came the wire wheel. I never noticed my 3rd gen in the picture below until now. It has since moved on to new ownership.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1rj6pkto.jpg

Well I let that sit too long and had to redo the floor pan a second time due to surface rust. Decided to primer it until I was ready for bedliner. At this point I also had the body off the frame ~4" cleaning the frame and underside of the tub. Installed all new hardware and body mounts.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psfsomwjkn.jpg

Some obligatory pictures of the underbelly pre-POR15. Exhaust was scrapped as it was pretty much swiss cheese.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pshkfqst02.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0tfjj0tc.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1u46htmt.jpg


POR15 Progress

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pseym32bud.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3qupemmg.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2xkpo19g.jpg

New fuel pump for good measure. Gas tank POR15'ed undercoated and remounted.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pst1tlv7n6.jpg

Nice Runner you have here! Looks like a solid truck.

I have a write up in my build thread on a floor pan repair in the same spot you have rust. Let me know if you need any more pics or info.

Nice looking runner you have. I have never seen carpet on the rear panels. Since the rear was glued down, I suspect they carpet the panels. Looking forward to seeing your build.

Thanks Guys!

Gizzler, I will have to check it out.

Found some decent fenders. They got POR15 and undercoat treatment before install.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psyoyylwn5.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0ut0jev0.jpg

At this point I had to get the 4runner back ready to move over to my parents to do some welding and patch work.

I had been trying to figure out why my E-Brake was not working. I finally found that the Bell crank on both rear drums were seized. Took a lot of beating but I finally got them apart to replace the cast aluminum bell crank. The oxidation expanded and cracked the cast aluminum in the process.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psizt6ioog.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psrah3bh9d.jpg

Fixed the leaking exhaust donut gaskets from the manifold down pipe.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pswt5o9g2b.jpg

Pile 'o' parts. Replaced rear brakes and brake lines to the rear.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pszhn4yvwb.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2ssucuuy.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1pbnuhzz.jpg

All cleaned up. Sorry I didn't get a picture of the new shoes installed.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psolzti5p0.jpg

Gizler, did you remove the sound deadener material from the floor pan of your runner?

Ready for some rust repair.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pswbz2jkwr.jpg

I removed it enough to where I could weld on the floor without catching anything on fire!! Its such a pain in the butt to remove.


I did this exact same thing last may on my runner. My drivers side was so hung up that I could barely get the thing to move under power.

Its always a good feeling when everything is fresh and new in the rear drums.

That is the truth! Brakes are a necessity no need to skimp on them.

I am debating removing all of the sound deadener before I bed line the pan or just apply the bed liner over it.

Beginning of rust repair. Please ignore the horrible welds, welder was not feeding the wire correctly. I really wanted to go for new fiberglass bedsides but could not justify them at the time. So I patched up the rusty areas best I could. If it ever comes back to bite me then there will be some bedsides on order.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pslnkdvzjt.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psrxibo4xe.jpg

Driver side rear patching.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psa0ymo5zl.jpg

Passenger side had some previous patch work done to it. Final pic with mud.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psrbnyumhi.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psh5jtj9dv.jpg

Sometime during the rust repair process I made the journey over to the local exhaust shop and had new pipe put in from the downpipe back. Just went with a generic steel tube muffler to give a little tone over stock. I'm used to listening to V8's with loud exhaust, so the 4 and 6 cylinder's with loud exhaust just do not sound right to me.

This is an almost current picture after paint prep. It has been sprayed since then back to factory white. More pics to come.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pso5im0ay4.jpg

If you want to put bedliner on the floor pans, I would definitely try to remove all of the material. I left the stuff on my passenger side floor pan, and the Raptor liner I put over it started peeling a few years later. Unless.......you really prep it. You could try to sand it and use some wax and grease remover. Maybe make the liner adhere to it better.

Nice job on the Rust repair. I had to do the same on mine. Well my fender wells were cut, so I tubbed them out. I still need to go back and finish making them look better, since I was in a time crunch when I made the repair.

Very nice man. Moving right along!

As of Sunday the paint is finally on. I think it turned out great and it was my first ever paint job. Ran into cracked bondo in the tailgate that we were unaware of. So that will have to be sanded and resprayed. Now I can move ahead with suspension and interior.

Next steps:
-Topcoat the frame and other areas to hide the overspray.
-Paint Grill and headlight surrounds and install.
-Sand and repaint tailgate and top.
-Sand and paint the wheels. Kinda digging the old wagon wheels.
-Insulate the body panels with peel-n-seal.
-Monstaliner the rear floor pan.
-Insulate and install new carpet in the passenger area.
-Still waiting on my Codura fabric to reupholster the seats.

Paint Booth Pic

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pscjhz6dfp.jpg

Rolling it out.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...psnt4h3zv6.jpg

Back to my dad's shop to cure for a few days.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2rkhewvl.jpg

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/...pspvemchv0.jpg

Nice job killing the rust! I love 4runners.

Came out looking great man!! Cant wait to see more of this thing.