The rockers are completely gone, and the frame has almost no e-coat left. But it is still saveable. I havent checked the rear upper spring perches yet, too afraid of what ill find. So for the moment they are Schrodinger Spring Perches, both perfect and completely rusted away.

I got it in Michigan. But it does have a Nantucket Beach pass from 1998, so it may not be from Nantucket, but it did summer there.

I keep getting sent to Chicago for work, but I have been making progress.
I have gotten the front suspension back together.


Thats 99 talls that were given to me by a co-worker/4runner pal. They are sitting on bilstein 5100s on the second from the bottom seat. Im thinking it will be about a 2 inch lift.

The truck is actually sitting higher than my jack stands right now.



Steering and brakes aren't back in, so its about back to where it was when I got it.

Im suppossed to be picking up the block and heads from the machine shop sometime next week.

Colby pitbull ?

I'm not sure, I got him as a pup from a local rescue.

Yes, the 4Runner may have once belonged to one of "the beautiful people"

If you haven't decided on the engine yet, The Yota Shop in Washington state sells remanned long blocks for about $3500. Buying a low mile rusted out runner with a good engine might be a good idea as well.

Got the engine pieces back from the machine shop.


Tried my hand at powder coating. Did a little experiment on how clean the surface needed to be clean. The answer: pretty darn clean.


Started Patching the rust spots on the frame
Before


Now


Im waiting for a warm dry day to weld up the patch so I can have the door open in the garage venting the welding fumes.

Made really good progress yesterday with the help of some friends. Got the rear end all put together and on the ground. And got the front brakes and steering finshed up.

Unfortunately as we were getting ready to drop the front diff in the vehicle, we noticed that the needle bearings on the driver side output of the front diff was destroyed.

So now debating to rebuild or find a new diff.

After almost a year, the 4runner as finally moved out of my garage.

Didnt really document as much of the work as I was planning on. And I still have some issues to work out, but it runs!

Cool build, nice seeing the rig brought back from what would have been the dead. Keep the updates coming

I found a disconnected ground while redoing the camshafts because I had forgotten to pre load the exhaust cam gear.

I'm pretty sure it it's the alternator ground but can't figure out which bolt it's supposed to hook into. Does any one have a picture of the bolt. Maybe for the big 3 upgrade which I need get around to soon any way.

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If I recall correctly, you have a ground going to the alternator, then engine block right above the oil pan and below oil filter on drive side. Then you have the simple one from battery to chassis.

How was rebuilding the block? I'm considering doing this at some point.

The comments on rebuilding the engines amazes me. It's almost like you can't win. Buying a junkyard motor, crap shoot, buying jdm motor crap shoot, buying remanufactured blocks an expensive a la carte crapshoot.
And then you have the option of rebuilding the block yourself....after the machine shop decks it, and you rebuild per the manual. It doesn't seem so bad.

But there may be more bolt in people instead of engine builders on here which is why it's skewed. Maybe if people drove a less reliable car people wouldn't be so afraid of these engines lol

Hey thanks for the info, i think I may have found where its suppossed to go.

Rebuilding the engine wasnt too bad. I had a machine shop give it a once over and despite 220,000 miles and who knows how much abuse the block and crank were still pristine. I actually have a set of slightly oversized OEM crankshaft bearings that i accidentally ordered from the dealer. I think the thing that most people are worried about is things like the oil pump where people claim that even the OEM replacement from AISIN isnt as good as what was originally installed. I actually reused the oil pump just in case. I've rebuilt 7M supra engines before and the the 7M and 5VZ are almost identical in technology despite the 5vz being a decade newer. So I really see no issue in rebuilding. I guess if you can get a junkyard engine for 800 and you know it has good compression that would be the cheapest bet.

Get your rockers replaced? are both the inner and outer rockers gone or did you luck out and only the outer was rusted away?

Yup typical snow belt frame arch...:-( Decent patch on the arch. How think of steel did you use?