***THE VOLUNTEER***

[robert.levi]

DISCLAIMER: I'm starting this thread on multiple forums to gather as much information as possible so I apologize if you've already seen this.

Hey bros, just picked up this 1985 4Runner 22REC with 130k on the original engine.

A little history behind it: I scoured the internet every night towards the end of my tour in Afghanistan looking for a great 4Runner. I saw the posting for this truck - which I thought was perfect - and contacted the owner but was deterred by the $6500 price tag. Also, it was in Mobile, AL, while I was in Nashville, TN.

But by the time I got home I still hadn't found what I was looking for and the truck was still listed on CL. So I sacked up and decided to take a leap of faith. I flew down to New Orleans, where the owner met me. The truck was definitely in great shape, but with a little wear and tear here and there. Most importantly though, it had been garage kept with absolutely no rust on the frame or body, except for a dime size bubble in the paint below the gas cap (of course).

I bought it for $5700, which I now believe was a high. I followed the owner home to Mobile to notarize the bill of sale (his mother was the official owner) and then I turned north and held her at a steady ~65mph for about 10 hrs. Absolutely no problems to speak of up to this point, except I had to have a new AC compressor installed for R134 (prior owner disclosed this), which was out of my scope of mechanic ability.

The previous owner added the visor, which he drilled into the frame (!) and added the original Toyota decals (although I believe that particular design was originally intended for the Pickups). He also added the running boards. On the inside (which is in awesome condition save a single rip in the driver's seat), he added some pioneer speaker in the rear, so I presume he cut into those panels. Otherwise she's bone stock.

I'm ready to start sinking some money in to the her, but I'm looking for guidance on which direction to take her. Originally, my plan was to build up a respectable expedition vehicle that I can use for a daily driver (the 22RE's MPG was a major buying point for me). My initial concern was all-bolt on additions, no permanent cutting/welding. I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on the Old Man Emu 2.5" heavy lift, but I'm getting caught up in finding the right front/rear bumpers. Pretty much all of my options involve at least cutting brackets, if not major welds to the frame. Part of me wants to say, "F- it, lets get crazy and make the beast how I want her." But part of me also says, "Whoa, If I put in a little bit of work and got her to a 'Restored' condition I could probably sell her for at least $8500 in CA (where I'm moving to in a 9 months)." And then I could buy another, cheaper 4Runner that I felt more comfortable cutting into. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

So at this point these are the upgrades I'm considering most:
-OME 2.5" Heavy Lift
-33x10.5" or 285/75/16 (~32.8x11.2") Tires (leaning towards Toyo Open Country M/T)
-16" wheels
-Yukon 4.88 gears
-Marlin V6 IFS performance brake combo
-Custom front bumper (either CBI DIY or Badlands Baja/Basher)
-Custom rear swing out bumper. (Probably Badlands swing out).
-Softopper/bikini top

A few questions:

For those running the OME suspension, have you had to add Hysteer/adujustable drop drag link/custom pitman arm? Do you find any rubbing with 33's? I've been researching this for a hot minute and haven't found any definitive answer (including one from ARB).

Any advice is welcomed. Thanks guys -RL

 

[yalex]

Congrats on the find!

As far as cutting into the truck, its inevitable that its going to get cut / welded / dented / scratched at some point once you start modding.
If you are thinking about flipping this vehicle and going for another, make up your mind before you start modding your current 4Runner.

IMO the one you have looks like an excellent platform. Im in the same boat in some regards as to taking the sawzall to my 13' Tacoma! But its bound to happen...

Good luck!

 

[Arclight]

With regards to how much you paid, I would say that paying ~$6k for the exact truck you want with a good interior and straight/rust-free body is pretty much par for the course. That money doesn't go very far if you're trying to restore the body, seats, etc on a $1500 truck that is rough. Also, if you factor in the cost of your time in searching for the "perfect" truck, then paying $1000 over what constitutes a "great deal" makes sense. You're in the market for a truck, not hunting for vehicles to flip.

For the modding, I would say just don't go crazy and do high-quality work if you ever want to sell it. For instance, make sure all of your wiring is done to similar standards as a police car or ambulance. Make a neat hole in the firewall with a step drill, install the right size grommet afterwards, and use split loom and high-quality connectors to harness everything up, and nobody will give it a second glance.

The same thing applies with your other mods - cutting a small notch out of your frame or welding in a gusset plate to accommodate a winch bumper is fine if you measure 3x, cut once, paint it afterwards and make it look nice. If you butcher the frame with a torch in an attempt to fit an F350 bumper that is too wide and angled wrong, well that's different.

Also, put your initial time and money into basic maintenance and you won't be disappointed later. Do things like flushing the fluids, changing hoses and making sure the brakes are in top condition. On my Toyotas, I've also learned that it pays to buy dealer or OEM quality parts for important stuff. If you go to a NAPA or Rock Auto, you can often ask for the DENSO or similar Japan brand for things like O2 sensors.

There are a few forums I'm on where someone will get a nice truck like this, and then immediately cut out the interior, bob the bed, and sell all of the OEM parts they think they won't need. This goes along until some major snag hits, like they find out they cut too much frame away for the shock mod, or threw away some unobtainable part needed for passing smog. Just go slow, and you'll be fine.

Arclight

 

[robert.levi]

Thanks guys for the thoughtful comments. I think you're totally right that the I've got a solid truck, one that I like, and it's time to make it mine. I'll pull the trigger on the OME suspension and I'll look more into the Badlands bumpers today. Any suggestions on either if those two steps?

 

[tanglefoot]

That's a really interesting example you found there.

I have the front 20mm light OME spring packs and shocks up front on the '85 and the original steering and it works nicely--I've never felt the need to upgrade the steering. Mine has the manual steering--I really like it. 33s might fit okay with the OME kit and a little fender liner trimming if you don't disconnect the swaybar. I prefer how they drive on smaller tires though. I was running 31x10.50s but now I'm on 30x9.50 and I like them better.

I'm from the "stock or restoration" school of thought. It brings me down to see the clean examples get chopped and cranked up but a clean stocker really draws my eye. All I might do is see how difficult it would be to remove the running boards and visor (especially the visor!) and then leave it at that. I admit the OME suspension components really improve the ride and handling characteristics though.

I'm a big fan of those 15x6 SR5 wheels you have on there..I'll probably cry if you swap them out--haha. Did they paint red accents in the wheel holes...hmm...interesting.

I don't know--they've obviously gone to a lot of trouble to keep it clean. If you want to mod one out, I'd find a different example myself...maybe even a junkyard rehab.

Enjoy the truck!

Eric

 

[tanglefoot]

That's a really interesting example you found there.

I have the front 20mm light OME spring packs and shocks up front on the '85 and the original steering and it works nicely--I've never felt the need to upgrade the steering. Mine has the manual steering--I really like it.

I'm from the "stock or restoration" school of thought. It brings me down to see the clean examples get chopped and cranked up but a clean stocker really draws my eye. All I might do is see how difficult it would be to remove the running boards and visor and then leave it at that. I admit the OME suspension components really improve the ride and handling characteristics though.

I'm a big fan of those 15x6 SR5 wheels you have on there..I'll probably cry if you swap them out--haha.

Enjoy the truck!

Eric