(I've spent over an hour tonight searching for these answers first and couldn't find any.)



Sorry for the rush but any advice would be greatly appreciated:

Okay here it is, I've totally fallen in love with the LTD color matched front bumper, and color matched wider flares, but currently I have my heart set on a manual, which means no LTD.

I JUST got word of a '99 SR5 5 spd for a great price that I have to look at tomorrow before its gone and I know it has the black matte finish flares, which to me look like they have a rougher finish that bushwhackers. So two ?'s:

1. Can something be done with the crome on the front bumper, like an insert or something, so it can be painted.

2. Can you get paint to "stick" to the black factory flares and still get a glossy finish.

This is very important because if I can't get that sleek "all vehicle color matched look", then I may have to settle for an LTD = Auto :cry: I don't want to buy this one then regret it later.

Thanks Much!!

 

Buy the SR5 and add some bushwacker flares. You might be able to paint the OEM sport flares but I dont think it would be worth the trouble. As for the bumper, I'm sure you can find one for sale here or on EBay. I'll even sell you mine after I get my bull bar but it's not perfect, and the valance is hosed....

 

Well for both parts you can pretty much buy them and switch them out yourself but may cost a bit. You can also check the board because there are usally people switching out their bumpers for arb's or tjm's so if the color matches yours you might be in luck. The black flares are a differnet finish and material than the limited flares and also dont stick out as much so even you you can get the paint to stick I dont think it would look the same.

 

I have seen a 98 4Runner with the painted flares. I noticed one problem.
If you look at the pic on my rig:

You will notice that the front flare doesn't go all the way down to the end of the body. If it has running boards, then you will have the goofy looking piece that connects the two. You will either need to pain that part, which would look weird because the running boards are black. Or you could leave that part black, but that would look weird as well.

There isn't a problem getting the paint to stick, you will need to use primer that is made for flexible plastic parts (like bumpers).

 

ahhhh, just get the limited and be done with it. auto's aren't all that bad. you won't get a "slick" finish on the SR5 flares anyway due to teh texture. If you want body-matched flares, then you need to get the large flare package for a 01 or 02 SR5 along with some sliders or the matching running boards. good luck.

 

My '00 SR5 has the color-matched LTD flares. It came that way with whatever package the original owner chose. It is also a 5-speed manual. I did not look for those flares specifically. I was shopping for a '99 or '00 5-speed and this is what I found.
I saw plenty in this configuration too so I do not quite undestand your post stating that you can not get them this way.
If I had to choose between the flares I wanted and a 5-speed, I would choose the one that is easist to change later.
Mike
PS. I do not like the color-matched flares on my '00 at all and would have preferred black ones of the same width.

 

I never said that he couldn't get them both - but I hope he's VERY patient. I was implying that it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find EXACTLY what he was looking for. Not many of the '00 SR5's have the wide color-matched flares that I know of, and only a VERY small percentage of the ones that do have them are 5 speeds. He asked about painting the regular SR5 black flares, and that is why I told him that he needed to worry about the 5 speed now and get the color matched flares from an 01 or 02 (from a salvage yard) and add them later... or just get a limited and don't worry about the 5 speed - hence the .

 

I was referring to the original poster.

Sorry about that.

Mike

 

oops. :pat:

 

Why a 5SP in an SUV(towing + offroading)? LTDs look garage queenish

 

I don't have a garage. Or a queen. Thankfully.

 

Thanks for the quick feedback guys, I forgot how much I liked this forum, every is anxious to help. Haven't been on it in almost a year.



Birdman: Thanks for the advice, that will probably be the route that I'll go, I was just trying to pinch a few more pennies for my SC, and bushwackers aren't thecheapest.

SLC Punk: Good point because I'm definitely taking the running boards off. Didn't think of that.

bamachen: Doesn't sound like painting would bea good option, and I realized that with my 10" rims they probably wouldn't be wide enough anyways. How much would a set of the factory ones run at the stealership? and don't they have a special way to mount?

goldtaco9: You were pretty lucky to find it that way, I've been on ebay, autotrader, and cars.com and I havn't found any with a stick and in my price range with the wier painted flares.

My obsession with a five spd isn't based on practicality, I'm pretty sure its based on control issues.

No really, I've just always had manuals, there is just something soooo sweet and sporty feeling when your flying through the gears. Especially with a TRD SC Also towing with an auto = heat issues at times.

Just to to give autos their fair dues I am going to test drive one before I look at the manual today. It sounds like I could save a lot of time customizing, and potentially end up with an e-locker if I could just live with an auto.

Thanks again all!!