4Runner Show Ponies Vs. Off-road Plow Horses

I started out thinking I could keep my 4Runner looking pristine, while taking it out on some serious trails. Now I see that I can take it trails rated as easy and avoid damage, but if if I take it on moderate trails, I am going to beat up my wheels, sliders, skid plates and incur plenty of pin-striping. I try to stay off difficult trails to avoid body damage. I want to keep it looking good, but the trails are too much fun. Interested to hear how others look at it.

 

I think a good majority of people want to start out with a nice sema style show car with the fancy bumpers and nice shine. Then they get their first desert pinstripes and realize that all that shiny stuff was meant to get used. Then it becomes more fun to see how far we can push our 4runners than to see them be shiny and not used and abused a little. But that’s just my thoughts on the matter

 

I bought my 12' with cosmetic damage already incurred by the horrible driving of the 1st owner (looks like a hit to a gas station post on pass door) and maybe some bad luck for them in a front and rear fender bender, so I didn't have such an OCD commitment to the paint starting out. Once I put the front winch bumper on, I did try to keep it somewhat nice for about 6 months, but realized it was pointless because I'm a kook when it comes to pushing my truck. Pinstripes are common on the tight trails here in Florida, and I've got a few AZ desert stripes too.

 

Buy a good dual action orbital polisher, some cutting and polishing pads and a good medium cut polishing compound (not cutting compound) and you can have both the show pony and plow horse after some practice.

Unless through the clearcoat, most trail pinstripes will polish out. Superficial damage to wheels/sliders can be touched up to be passable at a few feet. Cleaning the undercarriage/fender wells/tires is the difficult/time consuming stuff. Comes down to how bad you want Besse to look like Secretariat.

 

It’s your truck. You do you. but if you spent the money on sliders and skids, did you buy them just for show?

 

I bought mine with the intention of using it for its intended purpose. That being said, I do try to be careful off road, as to not really scratch it too bad. On my last outing, I got a nice kiss from a rock on my TRD skid plate, and I have to admit, I loved it! Perhaps that means I am moving toward the pin stripe side of the question, but only time will tell.

 

I try my best to avoid damage and pinstripes... but not upset when they happen. We just call them "trail tattoos".

First scratch is the hardest, after that, subsequent small dents and scratches don't bother you as much. Just make sure to touch up anything ASAP that might have gotten down to primer or metal.

 

Bought it to use it, and don't care. I obviously don't want to dent it or break stuff (though I have, and will) but scratches I give not a shit about.

Never buy a used car from me.

 

Related, when buying this 4R, which was a previous rental, I was super concerned about its rental status and how renters may have abused it, and debated buying it for a month (which is a crazy long time for me).

My wife ultimately convinced me to buy it by asking me "what could someone else possibly have done to it that YOU aren't going to do immediately to it????".

 

I think a 4runner with trail scars looks better than a built rig that’s never seen dirt.

 

I think the best bet is to keep the 4Runner for the mild stuff and as a nice daily driver, and just spend a few k on an XJ for a beater rig. You won't care if you beat up the XJ, and realistically it's way cheaper and easier to make it more capable than the 4Runner.

 

Mine mostly stays on pavement except for trips to the gun range which is in the middle of a swamp, but I don't have it decked out with sliders etc to make it look like I'm an off-roader either. I say do what ya want....I've been muddin' a few times and it's fun as hell, just not what I do regularly. We have 5 guys at work who all bought Jeep Wranglers in different colors with all the bars and racks and lights you can imagine but they're always spotlessly clean (one wanker even dusts his off on his lunch break). Your money, your ride but that's a little silly for me.

 

Buy it,use it,enjoy it

 

I’m learning to appreciate rattle can spray paint and judging the finish from 10’ away. Now I can enjoy it!

 

My Tacoma got me interested in off-roading, but I missed my '03 4runner after a few months. I bought the new 4runner for trails, camping, fishing, and a comfortable ride home. And, because my previous two 4runners were so reliable.

I knew there would be trail rash. But, the first instance was so bad it made me feel sick. It went from 1 small scratch (2nd and LAST dealership maintenance) to having so many scratches I didn't even try to count them. After realizing that the vast majority would buff out, I got over it. What's funny is that I never did buff them out.

I still cringe a little when I hear a branch scrape across the paint. But, it's part of the hobby. In Wisconsin, the best trails have spots where you can't avoid it. You can either live with it, or find another way to spend your time.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep the paint nice, though. I take better care of this 4runner than any vehicle I've owned. I hope to be hitting trails and mall crawler shows with it in 20-30 years still.

 

That is hilarious!

Ha! I tell people that the 4runner still looks great from 20'. It's like a Monet.

 

Looks great from the back of a fast horse!

 

This oughta make you wimps feel better about your minor imperfections lol. This guy knows what T4R stands for .

 

Bought a 2020 ORP, black, on a Saturday this past September. On Sunday took it out to some trail in Anza Borrego, was expecting some loose gravel, not much. It was pretty sandy, loose dirt and lots of gnarly bushes along the sides of the narrow trail. Got plenty of pinstripes, boy the sound of those dried branches against the body was heart wrenching. Did I mention this was the second day of owning this beauty... Anyway, I get back, its all dusty, wash the truck a few days later and see some scratches on driver's side and lots on the passenger side, from the front fender all the way to the back. Looking at that was sad. I was wiling to drop 2K to get it looking new again. Considered opti-coat also. Few weeks pass by, long story short, I came to realize that if I worry about the paint and get opti-coat or something, then I'll always be worrying about the paint, while washing etc. and wouldn't enjoy the trails as much or may be even avoid some overgrown ones and miss out. And if I don't worry about that, to hell with the paint, if something happens, I'll get a cheap fix, maybe. In a few years the paint will look ugly, having made some beautiful memories, I'll get it repainted, again preferably on the cheap, some non-glossy finish. or rhino-line it or something. That realization was so relieving. Only worry about stuff under the hood and under the chassis that'll take me places and get me back, too.

And then, browsing on these forums, I learnt about GOAT. https://goat-truckarmor.com/collections/toyota-4runner-gen5

OP, get one of these and enjoy the trails.

 

I like the goat armor- but it is too nice- I wouldn’t want to scratch it!

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Why in the world did he spend the money on rock sliders??? Looks like he never missed an opportunity to take one at/above the beltline

I get there's a part of the community that likes to wear their disregard as a badge of honor. Never understood it, where's the skill in that?

 

If you have to ask where's the skill? You have no idea and never will. This guy wheels in some of the roughest terrain and hangs with some of the most radically built crawlers in the northeast. He's been having a blast for 6-7 years now and I doubt he loses any sleep over those dents, and he regularly proves how tough these trucks really are. And if he breaks it, he rolls it in the garage and fixes it himself, not worrying if the tech changing his oil actually changed the filter.
This was 5 years ago pre Long Travel, 40s, and Dents.

 

No doubt you're right.

I'm just outside Phoenix while typing this. Drove a couple trails to upper/lower Terminator just Northwest of town to watch the hugely modified Jeeps/rock crawlers on nearly impassable terrain. And a guy tear his not-well-built-enough Raptor up way past trail rash.

You understand. I don't.

 

I figure, I'll get it wrapped in the unlikely event, that I decide to sell it.
That should hide the pinstripes.

 

As long as I’m the one making the pin striping and dents that’s ok. I rage when others make the for me. I already have some pinstripe down the side and it will probably polish out but I bought the damn thing for adventures and that’s what’s gonna happen.

 

Totaled 4 Real?

I'm in the same boat. I'm ok with the pinstripes, etc, but I'm not TRYING to trash it.

Guys who go out and dent the piss out of their rigs are on another level. There's nothing necessarily wrong with it. It's just not part of my plan. I still daily drive mine, and enjoy having a nice vehicle to drive home from the trails.

 

I don’t know who goes out looking to trash their rigs, but if you want to do serious trails like Rubicon in a 4Runner it wouldn’t take long to do that kind of body damage.

 

That's what I've heard. I'll with awhile before hitting anything that hardcore. I'm having a blast running trails that don't cause body damage. Of course, there's always risk. But, I know guys who have wheeled all over the country without doing that kind of damage.

 

Why not buy a beater for serious off roading...i cant afford to beat the the hell out of new or newer vehicle n if i could i still wouldnt.
I know to each there own...just dont understand it. I see so many people buy things new n treat them like dirt....guess im wierd..lol