Weezerbot, get your own stinkin' truck! My 1998 4Runner SR5

[FurthurOnTheFly]

It's finally time to get this going! I hope to make this not just a build thread but more the tale of a girl and her 4Runner; our adventures together, the love, the hate, the passion, the lies...well you get the idea. I've been inspired by different build threads on different forums, so here is the translation of my truck. I plan on keeping this first post updated.

The day the keys exchanged hands:

How it sits as of 5/1//09:

The Specs
Owner: Heidi Van Camp
Location: Phoenix, Az
Make and Model: Toyota 4Runner SR5
Year: 1998

Engine: 3.4L V6
Transmission: Automatic
T-Case: Stock
Front Axle: IFS, Icon Vehicle Dynamics Coil-overs
Rear Axle: Factory E-Locker, Bilstein 5100, Performance Products Springs
Tires: 265/75/16 BFG AT's
Wheels: 16x7.5 TRD FJ Cruiser Special Edition Anthracite

Trail Armor:
All-Pro Sliders

Electrics:
Uniden PRO510XL CB
Wilson Lil Wil Mag Mount Antenna
Scanguage II
Rino 530 HCx handheld GPS/FRS
SPOT Global Messenger
Sylvania Silverstars
Digital Attitude Indicator
6 Circuit ST Blade Fuse Block
XM Radio Roady XT
Yaesu FT 8800-R w/ Comet SBB-5NMO Dual Band Mobile Antenna on Larsen Mount
Dell 12" XPS running Delorme and Internets
LED Dome Lights


Additional Modifications:
Sonoran Steel Adjustable Panhard Bar
TRD Air Filter
20% window tint
Rear Diff Breather Extension
No-Loss Tire Valve Caps


Adventure Gear:
ARB Recovery bag, holding ARB Snatch Strap, Tree Saver, 9000 Snatch Block, gloves, Petzl Tikka LED Headlamp, and Bow Shackle.
Camp Time Roll-A-Cot
LED Maglite
Hi-Lift Extreme

Currently Waiting in the garage:
New OEM Spark Plugs, Spark Plug Wires, and Fuel Filter
Daystar Bump Stops

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

So this story actually began around October 2007. Josh and I took a camping trip with some friends up to Fossil Creek in his Subaru WRX Wagon...which probably would have turned out better if it wasn't a lowered race car.
(Actual pic from said trip!)

After scraping our way through that adventure, we decided it was time for a truck. We began the process of bugging his parents to sell us their 4Runner which they hardly ever drove...but they wouldn't budge. Josh had admired the FJ Cruiser since its release so we checked one out, along with a 4th Gen 4Runner and a Rav4. We liked them all for different reasons. We had our list of options for all three and headed out one night to a giant tent sale. Long story short we came home with this:

And so started our love affair with the FJ, or now known as R2FJ. We began our build up of it and the affair grew. Long story short we both loved it so much we would actually get into tiffs over who got to drive it...and when I got to drive it, I did things like this:

And that worried MR. R2FJ..........

We soon came to the conclusion that I needed my own truck to beat on, not to mention with the daily driving of the FJ we were racking on the miles. In my mind I had a few options: a 60 Series LC (of which I'd been in love with since high school); an 80 Series (which we both loved) or a 3rd Gen 4Runner (nice styling, practical, also loved). For as long as I wanted the 60 I decided I didn't want the maintenance of an older truck that went along with it. If I was able to find an 80 in decent condition for the right price I might have ended up with that, but the poor gas mileage for a daily driver drove me away, so my focus ended up on the 4Runner. We searched and searched, test drove a few, and once again bugged Josh's parents about their 4Runner they still weren't driving very much. The day we were about to make an offer on a local 4Runner, we got the email: the parents were finally willing to give up the Runner. We picked it up Christmas of 2008 in Huntington Beach and drove it home...Happy Festivus!

The specs when picking up: 1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5, fully optioned out minus the leather interior (thank god), but including the woodgrain dash (I must admit I've come to like it), moonroof, Smitty Bilt Step Bars, Factory E-Locker and about 76K miles. :coffeedrink:

 

[crawler#976]

Hot Dog Heidi!!!

What a steal - super low miiles for a '98 to boot.

So, what's next? A TJM and Warn 8000???

 

[toy_tek]

76k... that truck isn't even broken in yet! I might be a tad partial, but nice choice.

 

[ttora4runner]

Nice and that's awesome mileage for a 11 year old vehicle.

What's next?

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Thanks guys! I like to think everything happens for a reason, and I can report today that I am very happy I ended up with this truck. The low miles and factory locker were just a bonus, the biggest thing is piece of mind knowing exactly who owned this truck before and how well it was taken care of!

The truck was originally purchased new in Scottsdale and lived in Prescott for about a year before their abrupt move to Southern California. Since they own their own business and work from home the only miles it ever saw was the occasional drive around to run errands.

I have many many plans for this thing, and a few more updates to do here but I'm now at work with all my pics on the home computer so some of those will have to wait for tonight.

Mark, I was originally in love with the TJM about a month after they pulled out of the North American market. By the time I got around to finding out all the in stock bumpers were sold out. My attention has now turned to choosing between the ARB and Shrockworks and I'm leaning towards the Shrockworks right now...but thats a bit down the road!


January 3, 2009: Seven Springs Run

Upon our return to Phoenix I was itching to get the truck out on the trail and see how it would do....along with making sure that rear locker was still functioning! So myself, Josh (Mr R2FJ) and Mike (Tibaal89) headed north to run the Seven Springs trail, an easy but equally scenic route north of Phoenix. The 4Runner did quite well, and I was surprised just how much it handled very similar to the FJ. I only needed to engage the locker in one spot, but it worked....and I was a happy camper!

photo by Tibaal89

photo by Tibaal89

 

[adventureduo]

Awesome.

Dang that rock boulder climb in the R2 FJCruiser looked wild.

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Awesome.

Dang that rock boulder climb in the R2 FJCruiser looked wild.

Charouleau Gap near Tucson....I came home from that trip and Mike posted up those pics and it was all over!!

I had a good last hurrah. :victory:

 

[datrupr]

Your Runner looks super clean, Heidi. Tell us more about your plans for it. Also, the FJ TRD wheels look really sharp.

 

[daverami]

Nice build. Great looking 4Runner.

Those wheels look familiar...

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Thanks for the wheel comments...I lusted after them for quite sometime and they look better than I ever thought they would.

Ok on with the story!

January 4, 2009

So I'm an admin on a local group site called AZFJ.org and every couple of months people get together for mod days, and after all the holiday goodies roll in what better time to have one? So knowing one was coming up, and knowing the amazing Bellydoc was going to be there with his mad welding skills, I decided to seize the moment. I was certainly not planning on having sliders be the first mod to the Runner, but the timing was right. So on our way back to Phoenix from Cali we detoured to Hemet, CA to pick up some sliders at All Pro. These are the same style we have on the FJ and I love them.

First a little paint:

Let the sparks fly!

The finished product:

Big thanks once again to John. And if you don't know who John "Bellydoc" Goodman is, you should! A Fool and His Money

A few days later it was CB install time. After reading through various forums I found out about the Uniden PRO510XLc that will fit perfectly into the ashtray location. But wiring? Ya no clue...so I enlisted my local wiring guy to assist. I helped! Really! I cut out the back of the dash so it would fit in there and velcroed it in....Josh did the rest.

Its hooked up to a Wilson Lil Wil Mag Mount Antenna, which I ran under the door sill and up the side.

Following that I installed the Scanguage II, drilling a hole and running the cable under the center console. It's secured by velcro to the top of the console.

The whole enchilada:

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

January 16-17, 2009: Sedonafest Pre-Run

For those of you who don't know I'm on the Board of Directors for Disabled Explorers, and this year we are putting on the third annual Sedonafest. We decided to add some new trail runs to the mix so Mike (Tibaal89) and I needed to go up to Sedona for some exploring. I was just excited to get the Runner on some dirt again!

February 7th, 2009: Four Peaks Pick-up

Mr. Tim SOAZ decided it would be a good thing to do his clean-up again this year out at 4 Peaks, so Josh and I took both the FJ and the 4Runner out for some camping and garbage fun. With the FJ in display-mode, the Runner was delegated to be the site transportation of people, garbage bags, and water. Hopefully we can do it all again next year!

Next on the mod list were some new wheels and tires. I really wanted to with the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R, as they have proven to be tride and true running on the FJ, but they are not made in the size I wanted. I ended up with some used (but FREE) 265/75/16 BFG AT's and so far they are doing great. With all the daily driving I do I'm liking these tires more and more. But now I needed new wheels! Lucky me, the Tim SOAZ FJ TRD Special Edition wheels I had lusted after for so long came up for sale...I have to admit I did think about it...but I'm glad to be running the SOAZ Special because they just look hella good!

And a big thanks to Travis (Safari Pacific) for hooking me up with the wheel mount!

 

[gjackson]

Very nice. What a score on the truck. I'm looking forward to the build.

cheers

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Its time to get some gear in this rig!

I picked up this awesome ARB Recovery Bag and all my goodies from Wil and Wen at Sierra. I'd had my eye on that bag for a while but wasn't sure how well it would work fitting all the stuff, but it totally rocks. I can fit my gloves, snatch strap, tree save, snatch block, shackle, tire repair kit, and headlamp plus room for more. And its all compartmentalized for the specific items so they stow away really neatly.

Next were some of the No Loss Valve Caps...not exciting to some but exciting for those of us who tend to lose things!

Then I mounted up my trusty Rino 530 HCX. I like to do some geocaching from time to time and since I'm not running any other kind of gps this will do for now.

Jacque at TRDParts4U was kind enough to hook me up with a new TRD air filter!

 

[flyingwil]

About time you start a thread on the 4Runner!