Yota.Jay

Finally got to the last page. It was a long but good read.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Thank Yota.Jay... Always enjoy the compliment. It is nice to see where I started from and what I ended up at. I try to put up some information that might help others out there that just isnt easily found elsewhere. I hope it shows what is possible for you and others that there is hope for their builds and it can be done without breaking the bank.

For as bad as it was, this truck has not let me down yet and I run the wheels off of it. It gets about 1300 miles a month just for work and back and not counting all the other errands I have run it on. Sometimes I wonder if it is still the same truck that had a rat living in it.

Thanks again, you made may day on that.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Just a little update on Toms truck. He has been doing a lot of detail work. He had the bed media blasted and painted, got carpet in the truck, SR5 stripes, a new back glass, center console, rear wall cargo carpet and pockets and just recently got rid of the Warn hubs and installed Aisin hubs. I will get some updated pictures and eventually create a new thread on it from start to finish. It was a very base model truck and now is an SR5 and a nice one at that. There have been some other things done that I cant recall right off. He has been finding parts in better condition and swapping them out. It runs and rides as nice as it looks.

Other things I just remembered. He swapped out the black speedometer bezel for the stitched bezel, replaced the horn button with the one I like better.

Before and after of the rear covers.


Freshly painted Aisin hubs. It had Warns in the past. I need to find out how he got his rims looking so good.


This is the steering wheel cover and speedometer bezel he installed. (Pictured from my runner but give you the idea)

Cyberhorn The Dragon

shes looking nearly new

mseale

Beautiful truck. I'm hoping to get a '88 4runner looking that good.


I have been looking to dress up the plastic trim, but there's one piece I can't figure out how to get off without risking damage to it. The quarter wheelhouse guard (the small flat plastic trim in front of the rear wheels). How do you get this off?

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Thanks cyberhorn... Tom has been doing a lot of work to it. It is a good looking truck.

Hello mseale. On the 4Runner you will need to pull the inner panels to get access to the screw that holds the bottom in. The other two are plastic clips that will possibly break on you when you try to pull them out. Truck and 4Runner rock guards look the same on the outside but are different like in the above pictures.

88 are a one year only truck due to the injectors. Nothing wrong with them just need to be aware of the injector issue but everything else is the same on them otherwise for the most part. Start a build thread on it. I always like seeing what someone else is doing. Build threads are a great way of keeping track of where you have been and where you are going with it. One day you will get it done and it always great going back thru and reading what you have done with it. Get involved with others builds and they will get involved in yours.

I have seen several trucks and as old as they are getting, they are going to have issues. Most are easily fixed on these trucks. In my links below in my signature, have 3 builds and have just about worked on each problem that there is on these. Seems like all mine were loaded with problems. If wrenching on trucks is something you enjoy, I think you will get some great satisfaction on building your own truck and then when it is nicer then most in your area, you will get some compliments on it, that is another reward. I had people in the past really seeing my trucks from one end to the other and it reminds some when they owned one in the past.

Will be looking forward to seeing you getting a nice looking runner on the road and can enjoy what you get done. It just beats driving a new car in my opinion. Welcome to Yotatech.

Below is copied from an earlier post. I found it and then had to get out the door.
Copied...
4Runner and Truck rock guards look the same but are different. Truck is in my hand. A 4Runner only has 2 tabs on the out side and some screws on the lip of the fender. A truck has 7 fasteners.


Some more differences.


Trucks have 7 locations. Screw at the bottom is another one that is showing in bottom of picture.


One broke in this one. The screws are usually difficult to get out. I normally have to squeeze the tabs to get them out. Not the first one that I have broken in the past and sure there will be more in the future. The other side came out fine.

mseale

Thanks for the info. I am considering starting a thread to track my progress and to get some advice from all of the gurus.

So far I have:
1- replaced plugs
2- replaced the power steering pump
3- all tie rod ends
4- AC dryer
5- repaired, cleaned , lubed, the rear window operator
6- replaced both window cranks

My next big task is stopping an oil leak that seems to be coming from just left center on front on the motor. At least that's where the drip is visible.

I checked and my runner was built in Oct 1987.

dirtdobberoffroad

from the looks of your builds I would say you got that paint thing down!!!! Just think you were nervous about doing it. LOL...

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Hello mseale.. A thread is a great place to keep links, information that you may stumble into, where to get parts, what all you have done and such. One day when you are done, you will enjoy to see where you started at. Each small step will get you there. Get involved in others threads. I tend to follow the threads that follow mine. When waiting on funds, there is always something that can be done that doesn't take much cost at all. Just have to look and find the smaller projects. These trucks just due to their age and previous owners have all kinds of issues. Most are easily fixed.

It does take some time to work on them and that needs to be added into it. If this is your first restore, keep it to where you can enjoy driving it and it is not just sitting. Being able to drive it will keep you from burning out on it. Once you get a few under your belt, then doing some major tear downs is quite rewarding but it takes patience.

Hello Brandon... I still have a tough time with clear coat. Sometimes it goes down like glass and other times it takes a lot of sanding to get it smooth. I will be painting another runner in the near future and am getting a friend to help me with it and hope he gives me some tips on clear. All of the other steps, I have yet to have a problem with. Not once have I run paint. I run clear coat several times but luckily it can be worked out.

My 85 I thought was straight and considered painting it black but changed my mind on it. There is a couple of places that if it was black that would show some imperfections. Glad I didn't. I was watching Grave Yard cars, and even at the factory, the way they picked out which cars got painted black was that it was unbelievably straight even at the factory and not all cars were straight enough for black. Black has to be perfect and would be a lot of work to get one perfect.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Misty has regretted selling her 91 extended cab for some time now. I tried to tell her how hard those trucks are to find. I found one for her a while back and the guy would not sell it to her. Today she came home from work and said a co-worker of hers bought that truck for $100 as it needs a motor. She was frustrated for not being able to get it. It is in better shape then most I work on and just needs a motor. It is a gray 92 extended cab and really in great shape. Her friend got a great deal. I sold him a great parts truck recently and it has everything he will ever need to get back on the road. She is still frustrated.

I work nights and just happened to wake up while the kids got home from school. Justin wanted me to fix a wagon for the neighbor girls. I wasn't exactly excited about working on it as I was still tired but decided to go out in the shop. Then I decided it would be a great time for him to learn some about welding.

I explained to him how the metal had to be clean for current to flow and had him to use the wire brush grinder to get the rust off. To get another bracket off of the wagon, he had to use the cutoff saw to get a rusted bolt. Once all of that was done he had to use the vise and various tools to get the bracket back into shape. He got to do some banging and bending to get everything ready.

He is the one that doesn't really care to work on trucks but he did enjoy working with the various tools and seeing what all was involved in getting something repaired and doing it himself.

Here is Mr. Justin welding away and he really enjoyed it. Glad I did get out of bed and give him a hand. We both enjoyed being out there.

kelvinb

nice job terry. learn em young!