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Posting for Mike

Discussion in '3rd Gen 4Runners (1996-2002)' started by silver max, Mar 4, 2019.

  1. Mar 4, 2019 at 8:27 AM
    #1
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    21
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    I'm Ken, Mike's best friend, since high school, Pt. Loma '67.

    Mike had been a brief member of this forum, Mike Lowther.

    Mike died suddenly. He was diagnosed on Oct 22 with lung cancer associated with mis-diagnosed and untreated Agent Orange symptoms 10 years earlier. He died on Nov 6.

    After watching my dad take four months, Mike was ahead of the game.

    His widow, Donna, looked up his login info for this forum for me. I'm helping her from Denver, CO to get Mike's 4-Runner ready for re-sale in Beckley, WV. She does not drive.

    He has a 2001 4-Runner SR5 with nothing extraordinary except he has detailed the entire truck inside, outside, underneath, engine bay, nooks and crannies, and added steel custom built military grade front and rear made in America off-road bumpers.

    Right now it's at the shop getting the rear bumper and a new skid plate installed. Donna, Mike's widow is sending me the entire book of paperwork going back to his purchase and maybe before that.

    Mike was extremely annoyingly anal retentive about his vehicles' performance and appearance.

    I'm starting this thread in an attempt to help his widow sell the 4-Runner as efficiently as possible.

    Are we completely insane to think the truck is worth $10 grand? He has $3 grand in the bumpers alone and several completely rebuilt mechanical systems.

    He also has a '91 Bronco, with suspension and engine performance upgrades. I sent that one through a mechanic to get it road worthy and going to paint soon. Another high school friend and I are covering the costs, Donna keeps the sale money. If anyone is interested in a big old Bronco, here's the listing.

    https://www.fullsizebronco.com/foru...ions-flame-free-zone/499586-mikes-bronco.html

    As soon as Donna sends me some pics, I'll post them here. She always starts crying when we talk about his vehicles. She had no idea how much he was spending on them.

    Thanks for any comments, good, bad, or ugly.

    Ken
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2019
    WallyT4R and 2016Pro like this.
  2. Mar 4, 2019 at 9:38 AM
    #2
    4X4Runner

    4X4Runner The Anti Pro, Pro! Staff Member

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    The left coast
    Vehicle:
    2017 4Runner Smashed Ass Edition
    Mad driver mod. OME Suspension. 285/70R17 BFG AT KO2
    Sorry to hear about your loss!

    Wishing you luck with the sale of a well taken care of 4Runner.
     
  3. Mar 4, 2019 at 9:41 AM
    #3
    SCMountaineer

    SCMountaineer New Member

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    Upstate South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    On my third 5th gen — 2021 SR5 premium 4wd
    Gunmetal TRD wheels, Yakima rack, Canvasback covers
    Sorry to hear of your loss...I'm a Beckley, WV native myself.
     
  4. Mar 4, 2019 at 10:12 AM
    #4
    HoBoDanny

    HoBoDanny Dude...

    Joined:
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    Daniel
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
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    RCI Skid Plate CBI Ditch Light Brackets Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10 265 70R17 113T Tires 1.25” Wheel Spacers TPMS Bypass Mod Hydrocarbon Filter Removed Merca decal 2” leveling kit front only Black headlights
    Damn that sucks man. I’d say if it’s as clean as you say and has decently low mileage it would be worth close to 10k. Good luck with the sell! Could always post pictures up on here, t4r, and tacomaworld. Good luck with the sell!
     
  5. Mar 4, 2019 at 10:30 AM
    #5
    brownbear

    brownbear Relax

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    NFab side steps TRD matte blk wheels K&N airfilter, go rhino rear hitch step,
    Very sorry to hear of your loss! Definitely puts some pics up here. A lot of good peeps on forum.
     
  6. Mar 4, 2019 at 11:39 AM
    #6
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    Thank you for your comments.

    I'll keep the thread active throughout the process. When Crager gets done with it, I'll get it professionally detailed one more time before it comes home. I think the only mods are the front and rear bumpers and some special skid plate he bought.
     
    HoBoDanny[QUOTED] likes this.
  7. Mar 4, 2019 at 1:37 PM
    #7
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
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    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    Got some pics. More to follow when it gets home.

    The paperwork should be here later today.

    The front bumper (scroll down to see it) is Shrock Works steel wrap around with switched fog lights and pencil beam driving lights.

    The rear bumper is Tactical Armor Group steel wrap-around with jerrycan holder, Class IV hitch, 7-way plug, back-up lights, tow hooks, rubber bumper guards, CB antenna mount (behind tire)

    IMG_0003.jpg
    I pity the poor fool who tailgates this truck in a wreck.

    I'm pretty sure he put a lift kit on it
    IMG_0004.jpg

    You might ask why the magnetic CB antenna? He did not have a chance to convert from portable to permanent.
    IMG_0005.jpg

    IMG_0023.jpg

    IMG_0024.jpg

    IMG_0025.jpg

    IMG_0085.jpg

    Mike liked color.
    IMG_0295.jpg


    He spent 100's of hours prepping underneath things. Naval jelly, primed and painted.
    IMG_0296.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2019
    WallyT4R, MattAK and HoBoDanny like this.
  8. Mar 4, 2019 at 3:11 PM
    #8
    SCMountaineer

    SCMountaineer New Member

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    433
    Gender:
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    Upstate South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    On my third 5th gen — 2021 SR5 premium 4wd
    Gunmetal TRD wheels, Yakima rack, Canvasback covers
    Great looking truck...underneath looks clean for a WV vehicle.
     
    silver max[OP] likes this.
  9. Mar 5, 2019 at 11:23 AM
    #9
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    Holy receipts, Batman! Donna had a cow!

    She saw the receipts for the first time. He spent $3000 on goodies in eight months of 2018 alone.

    The rear bumper is from Tactical Armor Group, Inc. in Douglasville, GA. It is welded on. They are out of business. They were trashed on forums, but Mike was very happy with the bumper. He also had heavy duty springs installed to carry the extra weight.

    The front bumper is a 4-Runner Schrock Works from Vivid Racing in Gilbert, AZ. Here's the website for it.

    Each year's receipts 2010 - 2018, plus a 2010 CARFAX report, I'll put them in page protectors in a binder in chronological order by date. No records prior to Mike.

    IMG_9847.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2019
  10. Mar 5, 2019 at 4:27 PM
    #10
    kbp810

    kbp810 rebmem wen

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    Sorry to hear that, I recently lost my father to lung cancer; which was also originally misdiagnosed.

    You can tell he really loved that 4Runner, and I'm sure it will find a good home.
     
    jester243 and silver max[OP] like this.
  11. Mar 6, 2019 at 7:51 AM
    #11
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    21
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    Eight years, $27,426

    Some analysis:

    Differential housing and all internals replaced @ 96,123, "customer supplied parts"
    Timing belt and water pump replaced @ 99,000
    Catalytic converter replaced @ 129,000
    Struts, rear wheel bearings, rear axle shaft, rear brake shoes replaced @ 130,000
    Rear axle seals, spark plug cables replaced @ 135,000
    Brand new Kenwood Bluetooth radio
    All work by ASE shop, who also installed the bumpers.

    IMG_9851.jpg

    If anyone wants to contact me, kenhaynesjr@gmail.com
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
    WallyT4R likes this.
  12. Mar 19, 2019 at 2:57 PM
    #12
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Member:
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    Messages:
    21
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers
    The front bumper is installed. Functional fog lights and pencil beam driving lights. Too bad he did not have a chance to put a winch on it.

    It also has a new powder-coated skid plate somewhere under there, not sure which one.


    IMG_3958.jpg IMG_3959.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2019
  13. Mar 26, 2019 at 8:11 PM
    #13
    silver max

    silver max [OP] New Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
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    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    silver 2001 SR5 4Runner
    custom bumpers

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Mar 26, 2019
    SR5 Limited likes this.
  14. Mar 29, 2019 at 7:08 PM
    #14
    4xstew

    4xstew New Member

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    First Name:
    Kenny
    Springfield, MO
    Vehicle:
    300k Strong 3rd gen
    Toytec full suspension lift, 285/70R16, aftermarket front bumper
    Sorry for the loss,
    I sure like these. But I have too many projects :( I'm sure they will find a good home.
     
  15. Mar 29, 2019 at 7:39 PM
    #15
    SR5 Limited

    SR5 Limited New Member

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    Thankyou for your service Mike. I just donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
     
  16. Mar 29, 2019 at 7:42 PM
    #16
    SR5 Limited

    SR5 Limited New Member

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    Doesn’t need paint it’s aged beautifully I think...people make them look worn now...
     

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