_ExpeditionMan
Adventurer
The Beginning
I started getting interested in overlanding about 3 years ago while still in college. I stumbled upon Expedition Portal and starting reading through Stioc's excellent Nissan R50 build thread. This thread was especially inspiring to me as it showcased a man building a vehicle he loved regardless of aftermarket support or stock capabilities, which is something we can all respect and certainly applies to me now. After getting a job and finally having the cash to purchase a vehicle I started looking around. I had settled on a clean first gen trooper (rare), a maintained Series 1 Discovery with a 5spd (unicorn), or a clean reasonably priced 1st gen 4runner with a 22re and a 5spd (rainbow unicorn). So as I was scrolling through craigslist hoping to win the lottery I stumbled on an ad for a 1994 4runner SR5 3.0 5spd with 178k. I had dismissed the 2nd gen 4runners as the black sheep of the otherwise studly Toyota truck family, but there was something about the simple straight edge styling and 4 door practically that struck home. So after talking with the owner (who was incredibly upstanding and honest) and reviewing all of his service records I caught a red eye flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pick her up. My Mom even tagged along to keep me company on the drive back! The truck was in really good shape and had a ton of work done to it, including the head gaskets, and drove better than any other car I had owned. So I bought her and made the drive back to Southeast Texas with no issues and even averaged 20.1 mpg. As an added bonus on the way home I got a chance to explore a few dirt roads in the hill country which let me drop it into 4wd for the first time. Man it feels great to finally have a truck and to be able to contribute to this awesome community!
The Goal
This will be an occasional DD along with my overlanding vehicle so all modifications will have to be practical, sorry no SAS here! I hope you enjoy the journey as turn this 4Runner into a capable, reliable, and comfortable platform from which myself and others can escape the daily grind to spend time outdoors. More to follow..
Immediate Needs
Secondary Needs
Long Term Wants and Dreams
The day I drove her home:
Recent photos:
I started getting interested in overlanding about 3 years ago while still in college. I stumbled upon Expedition Portal and starting reading through Stioc's excellent Nissan R50 build thread. This thread was especially inspiring to me as it showcased a man building a vehicle he loved regardless of aftermarket support or stock capabilities, which is something we can all respect and certainly applies to me now. After getting a job and finally having the cash to purchase a vehicle I started looking around. I had settled on a clean first gen trooper (rare), a maintained Series 1 Discovery with a 5spd (unicorn), or a clean reasonably priced 1st gen 4runner with a 22re and a 5spd (rainbow unicorn). So as I was scrolling through craigslist hoping to win the lottery I stumbled on an ad for a 1994 4runner SR5 3.0 5spd with 178k. I had dismissed the 2nd gen 4runners as the black sheep of the otherwise studly Toyota truck family, but there was something about the simple straight edge styling and 4 door practically that struck home. So after talking with the owner (who was incredibly upstanding and honest) and reviewing all of his service records I caught a red eye flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pick her up. My Mom even tagged along to keep me company on the drive back! The truck was in really good shape and had a ton of work done to it, including the head gaskets, and drove better than any other car I had owned. So I bought her and made the drive back to Southeast Texas with no issues and even averaged 20.1 mpg. As an added bonus on the way home I got a chance to explore a few dirt roads in the hill country which let me drop it into 4wd for the first time. Man it feels great to finally have a truck and to be able to contribute to this awesome community!
The Goal
This will be an occasional DD along with my overlanding vehicle so all modifications will have to be practical, sorry no SAS here! I hope you enjoy the journey as turn this 4Runner into a capable, reliable, and comfortable platform from which myself and others can escape the daily grind to spend time outdoors. More to follow..
Immediate Needs
- Timing belt, water pump, and associated items (complete - 12/18/2015)
- Pull rear bumper and deal with rust to ensure it does not spread to body
- Replace both front CV's, the boots are cracked (complete - 12/27/2015)
Secondary Needs
- Rear recovery point (complete - 12/19/2015)
- Engine skid plate (complete - 12/19/2015)
- Extended differential breather lines
- Rear window up switch on center console is not functional
- Rebuild and install Aisin Manual Locking Hubs (complete - 12/27/2015)
- 33" tires (complete - 5/8/2016)
- Disable ADD system and lock shift fork
Long Term Wants and Dreams
- Transmission skid plate
- ARB Front Bumper
- Custom Rear Tire Carrier
- 2" Suspension Lift
- Onboard air compressor (complete - update incoming)
- Snorkel
- Replace blown front speakers
The day I drove her home:
Recent photos:
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