Roody
Adventurer
Well only six months after selling my VehiCROSS, I'm back...this time with a 4Runner. Which is coincidentally what I set out to buy before purchasing the VX in the first place. Strange how things can come full circle, isn't it?
Anyways, I just introduced myself over on the 4Runner forum so some of what's below has been copied/pasted. This thread will serve as the hub for my build, adventures, and random shenanigans that come up with the truck. Hopefully things will go smoother than they did with the VX. They already have, so that's a good start.
Some of you may recognize this truck, as I bought it off a fellow member on here-- djtc is his username, he's a great guy and not just a true 4Runner lover but a true off-roading and adventure enthusiast.
The truck is 2005 V6 Limited, purchased in January of 2017 in Ottawa (Canada) and imported into New York by yours truly [spoiler alert: it was a PITA but is totally do-able]. Here's how it sits as of this writing:
Modifications as of now (Feb. 2017) are:
-Toytec Superflex HD springs (rear) and Eibach springs (front)
-Bilstein 5100 shocks
-16" steel wheels and 255/85/16 BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s
-SPC upper control arms
-Custom front bumper w/secondary DRLs and integrated LED lights
-Front skid plate
-Snorkel
-Sleeping platform w/drawers and cargo area track lighting
-CB radio w/Firestick antenna
-Projector headlight conversion
-Custom roof rack w/Smittybilt awning and LED camp lights
-Rock sliders
-Deep cycle batter
-High-clearance tucked exhaust w/Dynomax muffler
The plan is to use the truck to take me on the trips I've been dreaming of doing for fifteen years or so but have never been in the position to make happen. Moab, Rubicon Trail, Black Bear & Imogene Passes, and so on-- that's just the tip of the iceberg. The 4Runner will also be used for trips to the "local" wheeling areas: Rausch Creek, AOAA, Maine, etc. And, of course, it will be subjected to the usual stuff, like beach trips and getting to the trailhead for hard-to-reach hiking spots, and the likes. It won't see much day-to-day use as I have a WRX for that, but should supplement the Subaru nicely.
I will be writing about the Stormtrooper for the automotive site I contribute to, Hooniverse. Pieces specific to the site will be slightly or very different from what I post here depending on the topic. For reference going forward, all in-depth Stormtrooper updates for Hooniverse can be found by clicking this link:
Stormtrooper 4Runner
Future mods are limited...for now, at least. Obviously there's a wish list but this is very much a budget project. Ideal additions would be lockers, belly skid, on-board air, heavy duty rear bumper, back-up camera, winch, LED reverse lights, and an auxiliary input (for phone/iPod).
And that's really about it for now. I don't have any huge modification-based plans for the truck itself, but do have big plans to take advantage of it as a platform for exploring and knocking off bucket list adventure items alike.
I'm pretty damn excited about this truck and can't wait to start wheeling it. Hope to meet some of you in the future, and see some of you on the trails! I'm already signed up for the big FJ event at Rausch Creek at the end of April so that should be a good place to start if those of us in the Northeast section can't plan a meetup or trail run before that (which hopefully we can). Either way, I'm stoked to get the Stormtrooper out on the trails.
Cheers,
Ross
Anyways, I just introduced myself over on the 4Runner forum so some of what's below has been copied/pasted. This thread will serve as the hub for my build, adventures, and random shenanigans that come up with the truck. Hopefully things will go smoother than they did with the VX. They already have, so that's a good start.
Some of you may recognize this truck, as I bought it off a fellow member on here-- djtc is his username, he's a great guy and not just a true 4Runner lover but a true off-roading and adventure enthusiast.
The truck is 2005 V6 Limited, purchased in January of 2017 in Ottawa (Canada) and imported into New York by yours truly [spoiler alert: it was a PITA but is totally do-able]. Here's how it sits as of this writing:
Modifications as of now (Feb. 2017) are:
-Toytec Superflex HD springs (rear) and Eibach springs (front)
-Bilstein 5100 shocks
-16" steel wheels and 255/85/16 BFG Mud-Terrain KM2s
-SPC upper control arms
-Custom front bumper w/secondary DRLs and integrated LED lights
-Front skid plate
-Snorkel
-Sleeping platform w/drawers and cargo area track lighting
-CB radio w/Firestick antenna
-Projector headlight conversion
-Custom roof rack w/Smittybilt awning and LED camp lights
-Rock sliders
-Deep cycle batter
-High-clearance tucked exhaust w/Dynomax muffler
The plan is to use the truck to take me on the trips I've been dreaming of doing for fifteen years or so but have never been in the position to make happen. Moab, Rubicon Trail, Black Bear & Imogene Passes, and so on-- that's just the tip of the iceberg. The 4Runner will also be used for trips to the "local" wheeling areas: Rausch Creek, AOAA, Maine, etc. And, of course, it will be subjected to the usual stuff, like beach trips and getting to the trailhead for hard-to-reach hiking spots, and the likes. It won't see much day-to-day use as I have a WRX for that, but should supplement the Subaru nicely.
I will be writing about the Stormtrooper for the automotive site I contribute to, Hooniverse. Pieces specific to the site will be slightly or very different from what I post here depending on the topic. For reference going forward, all in-depth Stormtrooper updates for Hooniverse can be found by clicking this link:
Stormtrooper 4Runner
Future mods are limited...for now, at least. Obviously there's a wish list but this is very much a budget project. Ideal additions would be lockers, belly skid, on-board air, heavy duty rear bumper, back-up camera, winch, LED reverse lights, and an auxiliary input (for phone/iPod).
And that's really about it for now. I don't have any huge modification-based plans for the truck itself, but do have big plans to take advantage of it as a platform for exploring and knocking off bucket list adventure items alike.
I'm pretty damn excited about this truck and can't wait to start wheeling it. Hope to meet some of you in the future, and see some of you on the trails! I'm already signed up for the big FJ event at Rausch Creek at the end of April so that should be a good place to start if those of us in the Northeast section can't plan a meetup or trail run before that (which hopefully we can). Either way, I'm stoked to get the Stormtrooper out on the trails.
Cheers,
Ross
