4Rescue
Expedition Leader
So, I pulled the trigger and today I spent the day going up to Kent WA to get my 1994 2nd Gen SR5 Ltd. 4Runner (soon to be a "Hilux Surf" :sombrero: ) and a 60K mile 1KZ-TE engine/Trans/Wiring harness/gauge cluster and all kinds of other parts. At 231k the 4Runner's a little tired, BUT, she's got totally straight sheet metal, never been wrecked, leather interior (not sure how I feel about this yet), sunroof, power everything... Basically it's a very nice truck to start with and it's gonna be a "blank slate" to work with. Seeing as the 1st Gen was dubbed "the Super Turtle" when I brought it home, I find it fitting that this truck, with the vastly more powerful 1KZ-TE should be called "The Snapping Turtle" LOL.
After long deliberation and a lot of reading, I think that I'm going to go with the automatic just because it yields the best mileage (OD really helps) and frankly... I have all the parts to do the swap and as it sits I'm to dam excited to not have it on the rod asap . IF I find that I simply can't live with it, I will swap it at that point. PITA??? Maybe, BUT I'm hopeful that it'll be to my liking with the Auto. I watched at "drive impression" vid of an RHD JDM Surf with the 1KZ/Auto combo and it's got plenty of pep and the auto seems to be very well suited to the motor as it's got good strong up-shifts and keeps the motor RIGHT in the power band VERY well. Fols seem to feel the tranny also gives some amount of braking/control similar but not exactly like a manual or a petrol motor so, that'll be nice. Also, my wife can drive it and frankly I've been a bit woried several ties that if I were to be unable to drive us home, she'd be in trouble getting the truck out to the highway.
Plans:
-Auxiliary fuel tank using an LC70 tank switching control. I've got one being sent by a mate in QLD right now with the inclineometer. Although I'm not sure where it'll fit in the truck seeing as these 2nd gen dashes don't give you anywhere to put things up on top of them... Already wondering where the GPS and the V1 will go now...Hmmmm
-Carpet Delete. It'll have a full rubber floor, and while it's a 4dr, it's still gonna be set-up for the wife and I to sleep in the back of it and will likely have the seats folded and the drivers side lower cushion removed so it'll technically be a 3-seater when the need arises.
- Rear Leaf-Swap using longer OME Dakar springs: This might seem strange, BUT plan on hauling heavy loads, towing etc with the truck and for ease of maintenance and flat out "get you home reliability"... I'm going with leaves.
- either 255/85's or a 35" tire (depending on how the gearing works out. I'll be running my 33x10.50's off my 1st gen to see how 33's do and if the gearing's not spot on, I'll go taller. Still gotta figure out if this runner has the 4.30 gears). Trying to find a skinny 35" tire that's suitable for road driving -read: not an LTB/TSL tire - is proving to be a huge PITA so if anyone has any suggestions then please, fire away. Not sure about rims (I do love the AR 5-spokes on my 1st Gen and thought about painting them anthrecite or black), but likely I'll go to 16's if the 33's work so that I can run the 255/85's
- BJ-spacer/OME T-bar front suspension. Eventually it'll go to an SFA, but for the time being I'm trying to get it on the road
- Safari Snorkel/conical dust trap head... It's gonna feel like I'm back in OZ in this truck :sombrero:
- Full Length roof rack/basket
- Either an ARB-Bull-bar w/fender bars tied into the sliders (again "Aussie Style" and frankly I'm already paranoid of the AWFUL drivers in my 1st gen, let alone a near irreplaceable truck like this will be) and a swing-out rear bumper, or a Full Marlin Crawler armor-set-up. I'm torn here. I KNOW how well ARB's work (they've saved my life several times in OZ), BUT I also know that Marlin's armor works just as well and in reality is lighter on the truck/better for the handling as an end result. We shall see.
Not sure what else, BUT I'll be detailing the build here.
Some pictures as it sits today: Just got it home/off the trailer and while I'm dying to get cleaning it... I've slept about 4 hours in the last 6 days so (106 y/o grandmother, Stroke, full time care... yeah, it's like having an infant)... I'm taking the night off
After long deliberation and a lot of reading, I think that I'm going to go with the automatic just because it yields the best mileage (OD really helps) and frankly... I have all the parts to do the swap and as it sits I'm to dam excited to not have it on the rod asap . IF I find that I simply can't live with it, I will swap it at that point. PITA??? Maybe, BUT I'm hopeful that it'll be to my liking with the Auto. I watched at "drive impression" vid of an RHD JDM Surf with the 1KZ/Auto combo and it's got plenty of pep and the auto seems to be very well suited to the motor as it's got good strong up-shifts and keeps the motor RIGHT in the power band VERY well. Fols seem to feel the tranny also gives some amount of braking/control similar but not exactly like a manual or a petrol motor so, that'll be nice. Also, my wife can drive it and frankly I've been a bit woried several ties that if I were to be unable to drive us home, she'd be in trouble getting the truck out to the highway.
Plans:
-Auxiliary fuel tank using an LC70 tank switching control. I've got one being sent by a mate in QLD right now with the inclineometer. Although I'm not sure where it'll fit in the truck seeing as these 2nd gen dashes don't give you anywhere to put things up on top of them... Already wondering where the GPS and the V1 will go now...Hmmmm
-Carpet Delete. It'll have a full rubber floor, and while it's a 4dr, it's still gonna be set-up for the wife and I to sleep in the back of it and will likely have the seats folded and the drivers side lower cushion removed so it'll technically be a 3-seater when the need arises.
- Rear Leaf-Swap using longer OME Dakar springs: This might seem strange, BUT plan on hauling heavy loads, towing etc with the truck and for ease of maintenance and flat out "get you home reliability"... I'm going with leaves.
- either 255/85's or a 35" tire (depending on how the gearing works out. I'll be running my 33x10.50's off my 1st gen to see how 33's do and if the gearing's not spot on, I'll go taller. Still gotta figure out if this runner has the 4.30 gears). Trying to find a skinny 35" tire that's suitable for road driving -read: not an LTB/TSL tire - is proving to be a huge PITA so if anyone has any suggestions then please, fire away. Not sure about rims (I do love the AR 5-spokes on my 1st Gen and thought about painting them anthrecite or black), but likely I'll go to 16's if the 33's work so that I can run the 255/85's
- BJ-spacer/OME T-bar front suspension. Eventually it'll go to an SFA, but for the time being I'm trying to get it on the road
- Safari Snorkel/conical dust trap head... It's gonna feel like I'm back in OZ in this truck :sombrero:
- Full Length roof rack/basket
- Either an ARB-Bull-bar w/fender bars tied into the sliders (again "Aussie Style" and frankly I'm already paranoid of the AWFUL drivers in my 1st gen, let alone a near irreplaceable truck like this will be) and a swing-out rear bumper, or a Full Marlin Crawler armor-set-up. I'm torn here. I KNOW how well ARB's work (they've saved my life several times in OZ), BUT I also know that Marlin's armor works just as well and in reality is lighter on the truck/better for the handling as an end result. We shall see.
Not sure what else, BUT I'll be detailing the build here.
Some pictures as it sits today: Just got it home/off the trailer and while I'm dying to get cleaning it... I've slept about 4 hours in the last 6 days so (106 y/o grandmother, Stroke, full time care... yeah, it's like having an infant)... I'm taking the night off