So I managed to put my rig on its side last week. The body is toast. It rolled over and took a hard landing on the driver's side. The body ate most if the damage. It broke the front windshield and rear driver's cargo window. Took big damage to A, B , C, & D pillars. The driver's side fender, hood, both doors, rear quarter, roof, and hatch are also toast.

Additionally, the dash buckled as we lost about 4 to 6 inches internally.

But... Pretty much every mod / bolt on part are fine. The known exception is my new Sherpa Equipment Co. rack is toast.

People that have seen it and pictures have said that the frame shouldn't be bent.

I am currently waiting to hear back from insurance. I provided them this build page as well as a detailed itemized list of things added to vehicle, prices of those additions, as well as dates those were added.

I am trying to come up with options for moving forward.

The most likely plan is to simply get another 3rd gen 4Runner. This way most of the mods can be reused.

I might be tempted if I found a triple locked LC 80, but this is less likely. I don't really see myself getting a new vehicle, because new vehicle payments...

It would seem to me the most straightforward approach is to find a like year, ideally 1999 to 2002, 4Runner to park next to, and begin trading parts.

A few people have suggested that I find a body to put on top of my frame. I haven't come across a lot of people that have done this obviously, as it seems somewhat extreme, but it sounds like one of those things that are crazy enough that it might just work sort of solutions. Has anyone ever done this? LOL...

Differences between 1999-2000, & 2001-2002.

Given my choice, I suppose I would like to have a 2000 4Runner. If for nothing else, at least I wouldn't have to potentially deal with issues associated with the ABS brake master cylinder unit. They are ridiculously expensive for the 2001 and 2002s.

I suppose another potential issue is that I have gears and a locker in my 2002. If I found a 99 or 2000 that had a rear e locker, I might just need to swap over the entire rear axle and sell the rear e locker to maintain the 4.88 gears. other than that, at this point I don't see any other potential conflicts.

I know a few of you had this unpleasant experience and have gone one way or another with your next build.

I would be interested in hearing your perspective and sharing your input not only just for me but for anybody else potentially facing these types of issues.

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Again, sorry for your loss, beautiful rig. If your frame is OK and you just swapped out the body could you use a 2wd car ? That would open up a lot more potential donor vehicles.
Years ago on a theft recovery my insurance would only cover the cost of the factory items, not the upgrades unless I had insured it for stated value and payed the additional premiums. Makes sense, why would they pay ~$12K for a vehicle that blue books at $4k ?

Id go for a swap out or even a body swap. many people have done body swaps..including well documented by thedurk.
maybe you can find a 2wd cheap...to me that would be the cheapest to find

That is significant pillar damage. Even me, who rebuilds frames probably would use that as a parts donor. Simply because you probably can't never get that all straight again. I glad it did its job and you were not hurt.


Or body swap. using your body as the donor.;)


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if you look at my sketchy build thread... did the body/frame swap. lots of work but not hard if you do some planning.

maybe the most important thing about what your trying to do. I'm looking nation wide right now and have been for about 4 months for a body donor for my 97. want to find a decent body from a 97/98 base/SR5 (not limited) with mechanical issues and it's proving to be a very difficult task. trucks in this category or price range are going to copart or salvage. they beat the living crap out of them and usually somebody has already ravaged it. or you get the craigs list $3000 I know what I have BS.

I'm starting to expand my search and now I'm into the $3-4K range of drive-able but something kind of major wrong with them and even maybe a little body damage.

so finding just a decent body donor in the options/color/condition you want is maybe not as easy as it seems?

something like this is really really dam close and I almost jumped on a air plane to go get it.

1999 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 runs excellent - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive sale

because I started with a 97... would have to swap out the wire harness again and fuel rails/injectors... ECU but not a huge deal. think the trans sensors are all the same but... in a couple of months once summer gets close I will be snapping something like this up

I found 2 that would work, one a builder, the other a body donor. You'd be in em for a few hundred to ship your way, but way cheaper than your market.

Facebook Marketplace: 1999 Toyota 4Runner * Limited Sport Utility 4D - Cars, Trucks & Motorcycles - Kansas City, Kansas

Facebook Marketplace: 2000 Toyota 4Runner * SR5 Sport Utility 4D - Cars, Trucks & Motorcycles - Camdenton, Missouri

Also, just sayin...... Facebook Marketplace: 1999 Toyota 4Runner * Limited Sport Utility 4D - Cars, Trucks & Motorcycles - Springfield, Missouri

Thanks for the input guys!

To me the body swap idea sound logistically a bit difficult, but perhaps doable. But in the end, I'd still end up with a Salvage title.

I am perhaps leaning towards lucking out and finding a replacement to transfer parts to. Sucks because all the thinks that need to be done. Cut off, reweld sliders, another tub job, cam tab gussets, front bumper cut / weld job... Blah, blah, blah... I guess it's more of a linear grind.

But potentially, I could end up with a slightly lower milage vehicle to start over with. This would at least be a clean title i suppose. That's not super important because, even with my old rig, i considered myself an "end-user".

Yeah, who cares about the title if you're end user. Body swap would be easiest in my opinion. Mileage is moot really as well since you've replaced so much.

If you're looking for a clean body, the donor vehicle doesn't have to be a 4x4. ;)

With all those frame mods. It's going to be a toss up. Either way I personally think your better off not to try to fix that smashed pillar body.

I could see you going either way on this one.

The good thing is you can take your time and decide what's best for your situation.

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If it where my rig I'd just part swap to the new rig. Then sell what you can from the old rig as a part out.

When you start looking make sure you look in the Reno NV area. These rigs are plentiful there, it's a rust free zone, and their prices are not nearly as bad as Cali or the PNW. I'm 3 hours from Reno so if you find something and want eyes on it let me know. Same if you find a rig in Cali but our prices are stupid high. Like most of our residents. lol

The burning question I have is how did you manage that on that section of trail? Did you lose control, hit the embankment and then flip?

The benefit to doing a body swap is once you remove the body you can clean up the frame and put a nice protective frame coating on it. But either way doing something a second time usually turns out better because you learn from your initial mistakes.

Thanks for all the input so far guys!

I definitely don't plan on trying to "fix" my current body. It is toast.

I will know more about what my insurance payout will be probably by next week. That might make going body swap, of transfer mods to new runner make more sense.

So, I think i get it now. So often we see some pic like this, and say, "how the hell did THAT happen?!?!

I used to think most of those roll overs happened doing something extreme, or someone picked a bad line, had a bad spotter, or maybe, just bad luck.

It was a hill. There was snow. It didn't look in anyway shape or form difficult. The FSR had been well traveled and a lot of that snow was compacted. But... I hadn't had much in the way of rear end breaking loose up till then.

We were done and the group headed down the mountain. I was the last vehicle. I had traveled about a 500 ft down the trail. I don't remember hard braking. But i think I let off the gas. Perhaps I tapped the brakes like when my foot isn't on the accelerator, it is hovering over the brake.

Anyway, the rear broke free and i began turning towards the mountain. There weren't a lot of good corrective actions options at this point. The road is kinda tight and the rear swung around quickly. So, often in these circumstances, the rear changes places with the front and you end up sliding backwards down the mountain. But at a critical moment, I was at a 90° turn facing the mountain. This is when the front wheels went into the ditch. The ditch is mostly large loose rocks. The front tires caught traction, and over I went.

I was so angry with myself and the situation that I never really considered the alternative of going over on the other side. All I could think about was the crash and what it meant.

Maybe you hit a patch of ice. When you hit ice, there's not a whole lot you can do other than go along for the ride.