marko3xl3

Well, well, seems like many people are currently investing into this mod. Yeah I know there are probably a goshzillion and a half threads about it (or not) but I still wanted to share, couldn't pass up the perfect oppertunity.

Let's start with my truck in it's original state, the day after purchase. The "after" picture is lower down on this thread, but you'll promise not to look. Right? Haha, who am I kidding!





Some miles and bumps down the road (literally) I had to invest in replacing my bumpers, fenders, and hood, and while I was at it I decided that I could easily upgrade the look of my truck as well. Kill two birds with one stone. In the end, I ended up purchasing two items that were different from OEM. Can you guess which?

At that point I went and talked to a trusty guy at a very local body shop who does some exceptional work and asked him what my best solution was. He explained to me that OEM Toyota body parts would offer the best fit (more about this below) but would also put a big dent in my wallet. Then he proceeded to educate me about how the front body parts on the 4Runner are mainly cosmetic and don't really do a lot to aid in impact and that I could probably get away with cheap Taiwan import parts.

Being the poor high school student I am I agreed to the idea, but to be honest I did have my reservations (which were remedied later...) You'll read more about my adventure with them further down.

Now, get all hyped up, because here comes the second picture...how my truck looked with the non-painted but primed black and supposedly electro-treated (to avoid rust) aftermarket totally non-OEM parts (and aftermarket clear lights):



So that's done, I got the parts, but now what? Right...you gotta paint it. Sadly, my very empty pockets weren't happy about that so I had to wait before I could accumulate more $.

... INTERMISSION ... Get up and strech, have a beer, pet your dog, do whatever, just don't switch channels.

OK, so, after a horrible amount of days of penny pinching, I finally had enough rolled up coins to have my truck painted all purty. Sadly, I can't exactly tell you how much it cost to have the hood painted because I had many other things done for a flat price, but I am pretty sure others have posted the amount somewhere on this forum. Maybe once I go back to the body shop, I'll ask, just for you, 'cuz I am nice like that .

And before I continue my presentation of results (ha, I said "presentation of results") I am gonna post the "after" pictures. Now, from a business sense that doesn't make much sense because you are likely to depart to another thread (that is, if you are even reading this bit) but I am hoping you've enjoyed the show so far and you'll be drawn on to the end. Plus, I'm nice like that, remember .





If this wasn't my truck, I'd be shocked right now. And to be honest, I was blown out of my mind when I got the truck back (read: The 2 weeks of shop time were worth it). Not only did they manage to perfectly match the paint, but they also used German BMW paint, which is supposed to last forever. Next to that, I am outrageously fancinated with the new look, it's so FRESH.

Now, as I promised, I am going to share a bit with you guys about aftermarket vs. OEM parts which should set the record straight once and for all. I organized the info into a bullet form, because I felt that it would be easier to read in that format.

• When Toyota stores their OEM body parts, they are individually packaged into boxes that are made of solid wood and are rectangular. Aftermarket body parts tend to be wrapped with cardboard and since they are already "thinner" than OEM parts, they could easily get hurt during transport and stacking (usually 50+ parts on top of each other). Toyota takes much more
  care, but it all comes at a cost.
  
• Aftermarket body parts also tend to not fit as perfectly as OEM. I was told that Toyota pays special attention to gaps between body parts, which might be ruined by using aftermarket. Now, that difference is really minor and only noticable if you look for it, especially if your body shop does a good job of installing the part(s).
  
• Since I also got aftermarket clear lights, I learned that the adjustment controls on them can be a bit flimsy, so they are harder to aim but they stay put just find once you aim them. They also seem to have a blue-ish tiny ONLY IN PICTURES. I don't know if OEM ones do that, it's just a weird little observation. Other than that, these lights are just as good and bright as OEM.
  
• And since everything (OK, well most everything) has a good side to it, I gotta say aftermarket chrome looks a lot better than OEM, but who needs chrome anyways, right!

Now keeping in mind all of the above, read on to the next section to hear about my tiny troubles with aftermarket parts and how to deal with them. It's good info. Seriously.

As far as fitment is concerned, I did not have any issues, because the body shop did an excellent job of fitting parts. There is one little fitting issue that is really minor, but I'll put that in as I go along.

Beside the grille extensions (the little pieces of sheetmetal below the lights, which are a pain to get to look good either way) my main trouble was with the aftermarket hood. Since you are basically dealing with a big surface of thinner-than-normal sheetmetal that is only supported by a brace held together by dabs of some glue, it was pretty unstable when you wiggled it around, not at the part where it's screwed in, just in general. Even though it got better when the scoop part was installed, I still wanted some more stability. After inquiring to the shop about it, I found out that the best solution is to fill the hollow space between brace and hood with URETHANE (glue used for windshield installs) which when dried would add plenty of stability overall.

After all that, I believe that my hood is pretty comparable to an OEM hood, probably as close as you can get anyway.

OK, just a little longer folks and then I'll exit the stage!

As some of you might know, there has been some discussions on here as to what exactly you need to get the OEM scoop appearance. Well as you have seen in the off-road picture above, you need a hood that accepts the scoop. Then, you need a big insert (made of fiberglass I think) that screws into the hood and accepts two more pieces, a plastic black thing that gives the scoop an endless appearance (like it was actually functional) and that gives a good black backdrop for the mesh that goes in front of it.

Now, that's really all you need, that is, if you are willing to find your own way of attaching it into the hood. The truth is, you could probably get away with that if you are using aftermarket parts like me because the fit will never be perfect (again, we are talking dust spot sized perfection here) but if you are using a Toyota OEM hood, using the Toyota mounting hardware is recommended (by me at least) because it just fits so nicely and it's a good feeling when it's done right.

Yes, the price of the hardware will be a little steep considering it's only hardware, but with it you have the confidence of having everything that's needed and having the best fit possible with the least amount of movement between hood and scoop. Plus, since you can't get the scoop aftermarket, why scimp on the little things. PLUS, if you order from Northridge Toyota, you can get the parts even cheaper than your local dealer (with great service if I may add) and then the parts won't even seem so expensive.

I would really love to elaborate more on how much the correct hardware aids in the install, but I wouldn't be able to do that with some close-up pictures, from under the hood which I still need to take. I'll keep you guys posted.

•••

Now, besides the hood-scoop "mod" and the headlight "mod" I also did another "mod" of my own, which I would really love some feedback on. You know that rear spoiler wing on the 3rd gens? Yes, the black one? Well...here is what it looks like color-matched:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


•••

That's it guys and gals. The end of my write-up. Don't fret though, modding never ends on this forum, so there will be more, hopefully soon. Clear corners anyone?

•••

As a last note, I would like to say that I apologize for any grammatical or spelling related mistakes I have made in the post. If I find any, or get pointed toward any problems, I'll promptly fix them. I would also like to take this moment to say that I have no problem in editing this thread per suggestions, so bring them on. Also, if you have anything to add to this thread, I would be more than glad to add on your comments in this main post (with username) so that other users can benefit from this info in one central location.

Thanks so much for reading!
Marko

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NOTES AND AMENDMENTS

- None Yet -

Q&A

-None Yet-

Tofer

lookin good!

MTL_4runner

Excellent writeup Marko!!!!
.....made even better with pics, great job!

wjwerdna

looks great good info
North(B)ridge Toy SP?

ebelen1

Ditto on the great writeup. It's good to not only see pics and get a few facts but the thought process I'm sure will help others.

As a recommendation, your front grill is ready to be Satoshi-ized...

calg3

Excellent, nice write-up I really like how the 96-98 4Runners look with the hood scoop

914runner

Wow that looks really good!

Come to find out Im not the only poor high school student on here!

X-AWDriver

The spoiler looks good too and your's is a first that I've seen painted but mine will be staying black since the Jade color of my Runner wouldn't have the impact that the lighter colors would. Good job on it all and very good write up.

marko3xl3

Thanks guys for the all the kind words! I tried hard to do it right and I am glad to see that ya'll think it's good!

wjwerdna: Thanks! I always thought it was Northbridge, but I checked the receipt and it actully says Northridge. DOH! FIXED!

ebelen1: Thanks for the suggestion, but I kind of fell in love with the 99+ style grill and mesh insert combo as seen here: http://www.burtmanindustries.com/ima...mesh_99_02.jpg. What I will do though is color match the grille and then paint the mesh semi-gloss black, it should look real good.

calg3: I feel the same way. Yes, the 99+ style bumper setup looks good w/ and w/o the hood scoop, but I just like 96-98 style more. I feel that you have more options available considering the blinkers are in the main bumper and not the valence. The approach angle is also better. The main reason I like this one more though is because it doesn't stick out...I don't know why, I just don't like it. That's why I don't like the ARB and TJM bumpers, so long.

X-AWDriver: I am glad you like the spoiler! I thought it'd look really good color matched when I told them to paint it, but when it was on there it looked awkward because I wasn't used to it. But now, it's growing on me and I am really starting to like it. It gives the truck a more luxerious look. The painter who did it thought it looked better black because he liked the contrast and I agree to that as well, but to me it looks just as good painted and it's different from everyone else! I don't really know how it would look in Jade, but even though it won't have an impact I think it'll add to the value, but it's all personal preference. If I wouldn't have color matched it I would've probably sprayed it semi-gloss black to freshen it up a little.

Oh and one more thing...if anyone wants to have their spoiler done, don't worry about painting the stands. A) It's kind of hard to paint especially if they have a rubber base to them (says the body shop) and B) you barely ever see them and they do look good black as a connection from spoiler to body. LOL, the guys at my body shop kept saying it would look silly, just because they didn't feel like messin with small parts, but I disagree somewhat, it's good either way. Again, personal preference. I think mine are staying black though

Man, I need to quit typing these long posts, haha!

butnut

Looks tight! Dig the scoop, gives a factory custom touch.

X-AWDriver

Well,now that the rear spoiler has been pointed out I'm going to do what you said and give it a couple of new coats of black this summer so now I'll have something else to do.

MTL_4runner

Mines getting a bit faded too, I'll probably do the same one summer afternoon.

marko3xl3

Woo! I am glad I sparked a new mod idea. For all of you who are going to refresh your spoiler, sand it with 600 wet beforehand. That's the best for spraypaint.

MTL_4Runner: Just wondering, do you like the color-matched spoiler. You have the same color truck as me, so I was just wondering. If you don't like it, that's fine I am just interested in opinions.

hotlavaaaa

looks good. how many hp does that TRD license plate frame add?

marko3xl3

You don't wanna know I don't think you could harness the knowledge properly

TOYJZX100

did you debadge your rear hatch? enjoyed reading btw, lol

marko3xl3

Nope, it was always like that, cool huh. I never actually noticed it was "de-badged". I thought that's how all SR5's of that year came, but on second thought, it looks like I am missing some badges down low. Hmmm, the previous owner must've done it himself (even though I doubt that, because he did no other mods, but it's possible) or he/she had the dealer do it at time of purchase or something.

P.S.: Thanks for making the notice that. Now I like my truck even more. I really like the simplicity of my hatch now. Just "Toyota" and "4Runner" reading from top down. Sweet!

X-AWDriver

I need more badges;got any ideas?