1988 4Runner Sonoran Expedition Mod

[stormnmormn]

This has been my project for the past year or so. Its a 1988 4runner, 22RE, 5 spd, with 130k original miles on it. It's an Arizona native and has NO rust! I guess those hot, dry summers and mild winters pay off some how. When I purchased it, the Arizona sun had faded the gray paint, so thats where I started first. The following is what I've done to it so far.
-White paint
-Water pump
-Fan clutch
-Fuel filter
-Radiator
-Fuel tank
-Fuel pump
-Starter
-Plastidip grill
-Reflective tape on sides
-Reflective tape TOYOTA on grill
-Custom front stubby bumper - duracoat texture
-Modified rear shell
-Roof rack
-Spare tire, roof mount
-Steel, Toyota wheels
-Kelly Safari TSR 265/75/r16 tires
-Add a leaf springs in rear
-Converted A/C to 134a
-New stereo/speakers
-Paint shell
-Rear seat mod from 1984 Toyota 2wd pickup
-Reupholster rear shell area
Little by little, Im adding to my collection of camping gear. It works out great with my family of myself, wife and two boys under the age of two. It is also my daily driver and usually gets between 19 and 21 mpg, mainly due to the fact that I cruise at about 65 tops down the freeway. Some ideas for future mods include a custom, extendable side canopy, shelf in rear cargo area, custom rear bumper, ladder to roof and personalized expedition decal on both doors. If y'all have any ideas, Id love to hear about them!

 

[The_Dude]

That is so cool!

 

[seanpistol]

:coffeedrink:

 

[borison]

We need to see more pics of that shell and the interior.

 

[stormnmormn]

Replacement of Rear Shell with Custom Shell

I wanted to make my rig a bit more useful when it comes to actually being able to carry people and gear. I volunteer with a local boy scout troop and upon going camping with them the first time, the original shell on my 4runner was too small to carry all their stuff, plus mine.

Ive always loved the Land Cruisers from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa because of their ruggedness and ability to utilize every nook and cranny.

I wanted my runner to do the same, so I found a steel, utility shell with double rear doors and side doors that ran the length. The original steel shell was about a foot too long, so I had to cut it to fit and re-weld it.

I also wanted the rear seats to still be used, so I cut out the front of the steel shell so it could mate up with my cab. The next task was to shorten the side access doors to only be about half of the length so my rear seats could fit.

I ended up using the rear windows that were in the steel shell as my side windows for the rear seat area. Once I got the shell fitted on the truck, I used black silicone to make it all watertite and weatherproof.

The roof of the shell is very sturdy and can hold a great deal of weight. I mounted the tire to the roof and secured it by welding a t shaped bracket with all thread as the vertical portion, which goes through a hole in the roof and is held by a large piece of fitted flat strap, lock washer and nut.

 

[stormnmormn]

Concept Drawing

Here was my concept drawing. I think Ive come pretty close to what I wanted!

 

[nonohmic]

Sweet!

 

[stormnmormn]

Expedition, Door Decals

I'd like to make some custom door decals to sorta complete the expedition vehicle look. Pixeldecal is an online, custom sticker site and they actually make black decals that reflect as a silver color at night. Here are two options I have thrown together. Let me know what your opinion is, ie. too busy, not clear, etc...

 

[ca18_sean]

Nice job on the top! That looks great.

 

[austintaco]

You will live up to your forum name. You have definitely taken this forum by storm. Job well done.

 

[lndhark]

That's awesome! Love how you utilized the shell. Maybe beef up the suspension a bit (bigger torsion bars, Bilsteins, custom leaf pack & longer shocks in the rear). You'd be surprised at how capable and rugged the Toyota IFS of that era is...perfect for Expo wheeling. Keep up the great work...can't wait to see what's next!

 

[stormnmormn]

Thanks Indhark. Its been a fun build. A suspension lift will do my rig alot of good, especially off road, when Im loaded down with more gear/passengers. Ill be taking a roadtrip up to Utah in late July, so hopefully I can get that added on before then. Ill keep yall updated. Tomorrow, we're headed down to Bisbee Arizona for a little trip. Ill post some pics from that.

 

[tanglefoot]

Wow! I've been mucking around with different shells and campers but none have been that professional by far.

 

[borison]

Looks well thought out and executed.

 

[stormnmormn]

I found this one on craigslist for $200. Its made by Stahl if youd like to search for one on there too. The thing I like about this one being all steel is that it acts as a roll bar in place of the original. Allows for much more head room. Im a firefighter and have seen a rolled truck with a similar, steel shell and the shell actually held up a lot better than any other part of the truck did!