need some opinions and such... feel free to absolutely destroy mine

howdy all! long time lurker, newly joined. recently got a 2007 red 4runner for my 16th, and have been thinking about some modifications for a while. now that summer is here, and i can work more, the budget is slowly increasing. my goal is to go full red and black on the outside, with some performance upgrades as well. i dont want to go all out with everything, as i want something i can comfortably drive on roads, but i also want to eventually be able to take it on some trails.

i have already done new speakers in both the front and rear doors, but still need to install tweeters eventually. heres the list of what i have planned. feel free to add or take away from the list.

- rims and tires (keeping existing tires for now- PO had just recently put new ones on so dont want to waste money on unnecessary tires yet)
- lift/leveling kit (not sure which yet)
- grille with light bar most likely
- headlights and taillights (whats the difference between smoked and tinted??)
- a little louder exhaust
- eventually a turbo? want to get as much out of that little v6 as possible lol
- roof rack that i could attach a thule or yakima cargo carrier to, and maybe some auxiliary lights as well
- stereo of course to get the maximum out of those speakers

thats honestly all i can think of as of right now. let me know if i missed anything obvious or if you have any suggestions as to what i might do. this is gonna be a very slow build so if you would like to stick around and offer suggestions along the way that would be much appreciated.

feel free to absolutely roast me. i'm new here and have zero idea as to how any of this works...

I ALSO NEED A NICKNAME!!!! her name is currently sheila but i would like to do something themed with the red and the black.

 

Welcome to the forum! We would love to see pictures of your 4runner!

You might not need anything beyond good tires depending on the type of trails you want to run. If you're going to be around rocks and boulders, skid plates and rock sliders are good protection for your undercarriage.

Also, a basic set of tools and recovery equipment is good to have.

 

Is this girl Sheila you speak of imaginary? Pictures!! Oh and Welcome!

 

Welcome.

 

i knew i was forgetting something!! these are the only two good pictures i have at the moment, as im currently on vacation.

no idea if this is the right way to respond to replies or not oops.

 

Nice man! Welcome and congrats!

 

Now there ya go my friend! Nice looking lady!!

 

One piece of advice I have about adding aftermarket lights are that a bright white light is almost mandatory when off road and you don't need a lot to start with, something to complement your high beams is a good way to go. But, you should plan on some amber in there as well. In heavy dust or fog they really open up a column of visibility when white will reflect right back in your face. I can tell you I have used my amber a lot over the years. Especially when you start going on trail rides in groups, which is a blast by the way, even for my old ass. In dusty conditions following other drivers is tough and the amber really helps without blinding other people in their mirrors. In heavy fog on the hwy amber allows for great vis without blinding the oncoming traffic as well.

 

Nice! Great color!

 

how similar are yellow fogs to amber fogs? is there any significant difference?

 

Amber seems to be a deeper darker color to me , but it might depend on what the manufacturer wants to call them. My Rigid lights are definitely amber, but they are expensive. I do think yellow might be a lighter color, but I don't have much experience with an actual light that is listed as yellow. Some cheaper lights will have just a white light with an amber or yellow lens, where expensive ones will actually have color projecting led.
Hopefully someone with more light technology experience will chime in here.

 

Welcome from Phoenix, nice ride, have fun.

 

Welcome to the fun. Nice looking rig.

 

would you recommend starting with the investment of more expensive ones? im sure i could find a yellow or amber lens for the existing fogs and do an LED or HID swap. btw thanks so much for your help

 

Keep your eyes open on Craigslist. Get yourself some TRD off-road rims for cheap. Lots of guys upgrade their rims on new trucks and the off-road rims would be great for you. Might even find someone on the forum here that would give you a deal.

But I think you might have 16” rims on your T4R? If you step up to a 17” rim you might need a little lift or a smaller tire.