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1988 SR5 Restomod

Discussion in '1st Gen Builds (1984-1989)' started by codydoss, Aug 31, 2016.

  1. May 27, 2017 at 7:20 PM
    #31
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    That literally made me laugh out loud. I have a saying that I've been using for years since I started working on trucks. "Can't build a show truck while laying on the couch"

    It's so damn relevant to what you said. That gave me a good laugh. Thanks for the compliment lol.
     
  2. May 27, 2017 at 7:22 PM
    #32
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    Small update as of today (5-27-17): Sandblaster/Painter said my frame will be ready for pick-up tomorrow. So I'll be heading to grab it first thing in the morning. If it's not done, I'll probably go into a state of depression.

    We shall see.
     
    bahndrvr likes this.
  3. May 30, 2017 at 5:51 AM
    #33
    bahndrvr

    bahndrvr New Member

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    Trevor
    Melbourne, Fl
    Vehicle:
    03 SR5 V8 4Runner
    2003 4Runner SR5 v8 - Temp Front: Top hat spacer 2.5" on Tacoma struts/springs Rear: TJM/King heavy extended Tacoma shocks 315 BFG AT KO2's (35's) Thrush Welded muffler and rear watermelon delete with turned exit K&N drop in, and extra filter delete Strengthened/Welded passenger side front diff mount Front diff drop - due to the top hat spacer and massive droop.... Scion headunit CB Other stuff done, 6th 4Runner:)

    Yeah I always get excited when I see La stuff on here, seems few and far between:) I lived in Broussard/New Iberia/Lafayette/Youngsville at a few little houses for a while around 1997 as well, Had around 9 months before I left for Basic Training and packed up and moved graduation night!

    That's funny you ended up in Rosepine, it's grown ALOT since I was there, we had a redlight, and one gas station for 90% of my time there, now we have several gas stations;-)
     
  4. May 30, 2017 at 6:12 AM
    #34
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    First Name:
    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    1997... I was three years old.. haha
    But I live in Folsom, which is a very small town as well. We were a village until around 2010 or so. Our entire area flooded with Hurricane Katrina refugees and they ended up sticking around. Change is sometimes good though I guess. We just got our second redlight when I was in Jr High, and that was a big deal haha.

    I see you mentioned basic training, so no matter which branch you may be a part of, I thank you for your service.
     
  5. May 30, 2017 at 6:59 AM
    #35
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    Alright guys! Big update!

    I got my frame back Saturday morning!
    Here's a pic from on the ride home.
    4dedda0c300d4a72b55f901cdd103294_040ba50eed45cdaea6899f2c9d79b4149d6e0c8e.jpg

    I got it home and temporarily tossed my axles under it. I'm waiting until I get my budget right to buy my leaf springs and the parts to build my crossover steering before I build and paint my axles.

    2dbd880400ff7676c1ffd15b25c075e6_f58a5e5c04fc0f4a7f425ce5997dadcf740e7aa4.jpg
    e91a3e10921641b67f14bf0bc191a1c7_c7b4e6c8a565e5fcd32109fbe108ef7e52d44844.jpg

    Now that I have my frame, I have realized how much I have been slacking. So I started getting my crossmember and other misc. items ready to bolt everything together.

    I sprayed my crossmember, and crossmember skid plate with EasyOff oven cleaner (heard it works, so I tried it. Not worth the hype). Once I did that, I hosed them off and degreased them with my new found degreasing love (Zep Fast 505 Cleaner and Degreaser), the stuff works wonders compared to Purple Power or any of the other common degreasers.
    Here's a pic of before the oven cleaner and degreaser. I forgot to take a picture of after those two steps. There was nothing extraordinary to show.
    0ca7bc77c5984095d65f3c3a82258dee_8aebe91c95ac8ba6f864884141ae81add903e8ac.jpg

    Then I began wire wheeling down the crossmember and skid to remove all rust from the surfaces.
    During:
    beda6552877b48301e14cd31c55c6c9d_0f20b4397ae7897006473e95ef669220f26284a5.jpg
    ad706d5b4aa541d741449cd9b7a6f316_0dac4550353953e10ccc6b6ad78c63d0a7377de8.jpg
    After:
    2bb9e7d8043418c5158369caa283d30c_97b660880e368391ce8edacdb106ba7720710c84.jpg
    a2d1fc7ff6e397c6a41fdfca9aeee4aa_df5fb880e7fcad4040d13050a95e53999043225d.jpg

    Once I sanded out any pitting or marks from the years of rust and/or abuse, I prepped the surface and primed the two with the Rustoleum etching primer.
    3dfda7dc42fc8041fb7ab5a9aa3e2bf3_9ff44077f3ae40735185376bf0d519228e030616.jpg

    I sprayed the primer on thick to fill some of the leftover pits from rust, so I'm still waiting for it to cure before I prep for final paint and clear coat. Will post pics of the finished product once I have everything mounted to the transmission.

    The only other things I worked on this weekend were my driveshaft flanges for my transmission/transfer, and my transmission mount.

    I ordered a standard replacement transmission mount from Rockauto pretty much because of the low price and decent reviews. I didn't want to go with an aftermarket style mount due to the poly bushings which I heard would make my shifters shake and vibrate more at highway speeds; and the Toyota replacement part was over $100, which was simply too much compared to all other alternatives. I figured if this Rockauto part failed later on, I'll change it out for Toyota brand and stop being cheap. Worth a shot though.

    Well, I wasn't satisfied with the actual finish on the transmission mount because there were runs in the paint, and there were random places where the paint had been chopped off from being tossed around a lot.


    So I sanded down all the chipped areas and runs, and primed/painted the mount.
    d031471ba9fe97d541be431485226e6e_d1c181fb61d3d808ce48d4ac81066c5d5997c004.jpg
    0ef30227c388d0109855a18591ffcb90_d89ec4eefc81ca480e3f9e7911c7fec1b25a8da4.jpg
    ea28058516566e4301e2368bde5ab798_c5847a880a558c955111059cf84c186410528429.jpg

    Here's a pic with driveshaft flanges next to the trans mount.
    6096d482bd31e0e36db90de94e2d98e6_26b52205ed1dabf5872126c3dcb1a91b67107121.jpg

    I should have my clutch this week, so I will hopefully have everything bolted up to the frame by the end of the upcoming weekend.

    Stay tuned!
     
    Palerider and UssMoGn like this.
  6. May 30, 2017 at 9:00 PM
    #36
    Palerider

    Palerider New Member

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    Installed Rago brackets and 4" cube ditch lights. Weather tech mats. Cargo net. Cargo mat. Ordered Gobi rack with ladder.
    Very nice quality work. Very talented indeed.
     
    codydoss[OP] likes this.
  7. Aug 4, 2017 at 6:32 PM
    #37
    Brino308

    Brino308 New Member

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    Nice work,wish I had the time and patience
     
    codydoss[OP] and Bob like this.
  8. Aug 4, 2017 at 8:09 PM
    #38
    DrewMan

    DrewMan 2016 4RTP-KDSS

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    2016 Magnetic Grey 4Runner Trail Premium
    Bilstein 5100 Series Shocks, Daystar 1.5" Rear Coil Spacer (Mid Left), Level 8 Tracker Pros 17x9, 275/70/R17 B.F. Goodrich TKO's, N-Fab Nerf Steps
    Man this 1988 T4R-SR5 body looks really nice … I must say that I'm in tears seeing these pics … thinking & wishing that I nevered got rid of my Red 1989 Deluxe Model … I must say that those 22RE's were the best!
    Good Luck on your build and I will be following along.
     
  9. Aug 10, 2017 at 8:46 PM
    #39
    Baton Rouge 89 4Runner

    Baton Rouge 89 4Runner New Member

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    Dana
    Vehicle:
    1989 4Runner SR5
    Stock Restoration, V6, repainting original Med Blue Metallic
    Cody, you're doing some amazing things in that shop, and I'd greatly appreciate your guidance. I'm a short drive from you in Baton Rouge and a newcomer to the 4-Runner family, having just bought a friend's 1st Generation 1989 V-6 SR5 that an insurance company deemed "totaled" (front fenders, hood, grille, and bumper; no frame damage, and it runs beautifully). It will soon be repainted the original medium blue metallic, and I'm looking for the L-shaped metal trim around the sliding side windows. One of mine was mangled by a burglar's crowbar, and the other is pretty rough. Would you have a source for a pair of these, or be willing to sell some from a donor truck? __ Please call me at (225)281-9278 or email dana@vutera.com . Many thanks for your help, Cody!
    Dana
     
  10. Aug 14, 2017 at 8:38 AM
    #40
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    First Name:
    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    Hey fellas, I'm extremely sorry for the lack of pictures and updates. I run a small little metal polishing side business outside of work, and unfortunately it takes up a good bit of my extra time. I'm also devoting spare time and money to continue building up my 2012 Ram, and it also requires a lot of time and money. I've been so sidetracked lately that I haven't even gotten my clutch yet.

    Thank y'all for the kind words and positive reinforcement. You guys help motivate me.

    I act like I haven't been doing anything at all, but I have been doing a few things here and there. I'll post some pictures in a few minutes!
     
  11. Aug 14, 2017 at 8:59 AM
    #41
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
    Vehicle:
    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    Like I said, I've been incredibly busy working on OTHER people's stuff, and it's crippled my Toyota time.

    I did find some time a couple of weeks ago to start working on the actual body of the Runner. The front end was cut out by the previous owner, so I just have a rear axle ratchet strapped in up front to allow it to sit up off the ground. I had some extra wheels with old bald tires that I had lying around that I've been meaning to polish and sell. I ended up putting two on the back of the runner since they held air which enabled me to be able to pull the runner around the yard with the tractor.


    ae0e83d6e723b40c69263cdaeaadf379_4e3dd16e7e7a11c6f4da84c1697d58b6a3f0c205.jpgc88f6ac627ebc8ba14e7a3d6699b7af6_d2b3a6d88c29096adf9e964ac590a84c9d85380a.jpg

    Seeing the rear on a nicer set of wheels motivated me to get this thing ready for paint in the engine bay.

    So I immediately after bolting the wheels on, I pulled the truck to the front of the shop and began removing everything that had anything to do with the 3.0 V6, as well as removing some things to further inspect for rust.

    I pulled the bumper off the front, whatever was left of the grille, front fenders, engine wiring harness, cruise control, the computer from the cab, etc.
    Then, I pulled the wiper cowl, wiper motor and arms, then vacuumed out the years of leaves and other things that accumulate in there over time, and to my surprise, there was no rust inside. I then carefully removed my windshield trim to inspect the only rust that I knew was on the entire body. It was a little worse than I had expected, but not bad at all compared to what I have seen before.


    I ran out of energy for that day, so the AC compressor, and a few other things are still in the engine bay.

    Before tearing into it.
    ce9903c8d0eba8e2d59016a801f4ff72_eb06c3be6af123290340670a4cf8875cdc209023.jpg

    Junk under the wiper cowl.
    fd2fc4ebed4eab132a45bf97c3e6b55c_c9dabf66742b3c669bd6588a73b6cf2465f9220a.jpg9472104be647329753fe54573915c3cf_c8a86e2767fe6b9f649555eeb3dd3d738ecc13d6.jpg


    After vacuuming. Blessed with no rust in there.
    50a86aab3ece9dcd34abb3e0ec25b055_c3dc73bb4f55b090e4174b8429f5fa35e2bc879d.jpgcf71d88d73b4acbee53d2eb74e1cc8ad_1662bbf6787008c4f71098d2f367f76dc4b6658d.jpg

    Rust under the windshield trim.
    5629196e9260cb1d0f0957f60972bf85_a91fd44a920f76295f5aa43dc1c58e50554c63a0.jpg379af925b8f0944c672e18599ec88e7b_30258ebcbf772de3a1409e30b2bc78be70159937.jpg208d0196e2daccfc908fd0d480099470_3fbea50837223558057c1d790b267a6e561451a3.jpgf97c2b6810615743a9005c9a01774c8b_4f4f3b21194ec4519e3c0d1f8c07cb24bfaba9af.jpg


    Most of the wiring out.
    a1ce231c8ae0ee55478ff464aa263521_2135c0f03a74aee1e1cf6d2bd079b3fcc9c39709.jpgd883f26808cca34a9fdfa2159bfd8221_4de54e5fbf6a40ac361a76a620af37f28ef812ef.jpg

    How she's sitting at this moment in time. Patiently waiting for more attention.
    87aa28331ed44e431e0ecaa62dc741ab_42f84b3f1020cce89e5f38a3474e3fe14ab0a63a.jpg


    I'll definitely try harder to keep up with posting my progress. Thank you guys for giving me some motivation to keep going. It helps tremendously.
     
    Palerider likes this.
  12. Oct 6, 2017 at 8:54 AM
    #42
    Riding Dirty

    Riding Dirty Sinner; saved by grace

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    Is plasti-dip a mod?!
    Wow, this is really cool!
     
  13. Oct 9, 2017 at 9:14 AM
    #43
    4runner52

    4runner52 New Member

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    Subd for the long haul
     
  14. Oct 31, 2017 at 7:42 AM
    #44
    codydoss

    codydoss [OP] New Member

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    Cody
    Folsom, Louisiana
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    1988 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Restoration in progress. Donor 85 frame.
    Wow guys, I'm sorry for the delay in updates. I have been dabbling in a lot of different ways to make money on the side from work lately and it takes up all of my free time. I do metal polishing as a side hustle and that soaks up almost every free second I have to work on my own stuff.


    I was actually able to make a little progress last week though!

    I polish out of the same shop the frame sits in, so it was covered in polishing rouge dust.
    8b42b1aef9afac037b90788d4d6f0655_a717d5bce929d7c74c27a6c82f3f901e2283eb22.jpg
    688882ff38039ebd87e12844d9947e4b_365d2171579e1c8de200881214baac43063c5d0c.jpg

    So I took rolled it out of the shop and gave it a good bath.
    dcfa3c303ed8cd3ab8c7bc52e30deb0d_e21486fd355da7527e2b70e823cd813f25a80ad0.jpg

    Just seeing it clean again gave me the motivation to get back to work.

    So on the next day, I finally made time to install my flywheel onto the engine, install new pilot bearing, cleaned up an old shift fork and throwout bearing collar, then replaced the actual throwout bearing and installed some new collar clips. I didn't remember to take any pictures of that because I was beyond excited to finally drop the engine onto the frame and then mount up my transmission.


    So I taped up the frame to prevent any scratches while trying to install the engine by myself. Turned out to be a little bit of overkill, but if I wouldn't have taped it, I would've have scratches all over the place .
    98a3122855d5546a975ddb649edb992c_8983d8d245452bee2ba0a3c47bfcea5474edb7f9.jpg

    Then it was time to install the engine!
    751acebfb926229ecfb75340d54c210a_9ae45e0305b3a5e2b3ede394e9364058ac753492.jpg

    That was the easy part.

    The hard part was for me to align the transmission perfectly to the engine by myself without messing up my clutch.

    I somehow did it. I took a small ratchet strap and attached one Hook to the lifting Hook on front of the engine, and then looped the other end of the ratchet strap around the front crossmember on the frame to pull the engine forward and to keep it level so that I could free up the come-along and use it to lift the transmission.

    After a lot of frustration and a handful of adjustments, I was able to bolt the transmission to the engine!
    81be54d95c6aab07f7adee0862104e41_5fea3c474104968036b4602c69efd8d2a67b218e.jpg
    5e4a8abf8b7d4089bb155389934b3020_f7b8e81d301a85d77faa39ac13dc76e95609be7c.jpg


    Shortly after, I realized the old dry rotted spare tires I had on the frame couldn't support the weight of the engine and transmission, so I had to toss on some old bald 33" swampers that are mounted on some old Weld wheels that I'm saving for a future Toyota project.
    These won't be staying on the frame but they sure do make it look beefy!
    3b5d644d418939483a951378d3e4db2d_b656d70c76d2626b1d168579835c118dc82b545e.jpg
    dac31313d3195bc3b520247cf0fc6c2f_0c0b5b3c4cd5e9bb919d0ec77b2c051bea0333d1.jpg

    That's all I've got for now guys.

    As I get more time, I'll be doing some more preparation on the frame to get things going smoothly again. I'll try harder to keep y'all posted!
     
  15. Oct 31, 2017 at 9:47 AM
    #45
    4runner52

    4runner52 New Member

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    Its nice when everything is so clean. Keep up the good work
     
  16. Nov 2, 2017 at 2:05 AM
    #46
    Caltech90

    Caltech90 New Member

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    Looks good man.
     
  17. Nov 2, 2017 at 9:19 PM
    #47
    alittleoff

    alittleoff New Member

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    I think I would have used some of that tape to cover the holes on the motor, unless rouge adds horsepower.

    Steve
     
  18. Nov 9, 2017 at 11:18 AM
    #48
    JH5370

    JH5370 New Member

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    This is an awesome build!
     
  19. Nov 10, 2017 at 11:11 AM
    #49
    Wheeler's Off-Road Inc

    Wheeler's Off-Road Inc New Member

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    Second That! Good job @codydoss ! Keep up the hard work and awesome posts. :thumbsup:
     
  20. Aug 29, 2020 at 2:38 AM
    #50
    Dark Knight

    Dark Knight Get off my lawn

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    Why did this die? It was going so well.
     
  21. Aug 29, 2020 at 4:30 AM
    #51
    Spare Parts

    Spare Parts New Member

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    Freaking awesome work happing. OP, any updates in the last few years?
     

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