[gh25_]

Hi everyone, I decided that I would start a build thread for my 1998 SR5 4Runner.



Bought on Jan, 24th 2023 with ~196,000 miles

2WD SR5 1998, Evergreen pearl
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Exterior mods:

- Jason Burtman JDM Spoiler

- Clear side markers, turn signal lens, and tail lights w/ all LED's

- TRD style grill with RW&B badge

- 16'' 2nd Gen Tacoma snowflake wheels w/ General Grabber AT/X 265/75/R16

- Bushwacker fender flares

Interior mods:

- Kenwood double DIN stereo

- SRQ Fabrications billet ashtray switch panel

- 1999+ center console swap

- 1999+ upper console swap w/ scangauge integrated door

- Toyota MR2 steering wheel w/ e-shift buttons & Rav4 airbag

- SRQ Fabrications billet mirror arm w/ chevy 99-02 silverado / tahoe rear mirror

Suspension:

- King 2.5 ext. OEM performance front coil overs

- King 2.5 OEM performance piggy rear shocks w/ adjuster

- Camburg 1.0 Uniball UCA

- Front primary durobumps, 3.5in rear durobumps

- OPT Offroad rear upper & lower control arms

- Overland customs adjustable sway bar links (rear)

Maintenance:

- yes

Engine mods:

- Airaid intake tube

- S&B drop in performance filter

- OEM TRD aluminum Oil cap

- LCE Lightweight 5vz crankshaft pulley


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Wanted upgrades:

- Tundra brake upgrade (199mm)

- cat-back exhuast

- TC LBJ uniball conversion

- Magnuson TVS1320 5vzfe supercharger

- Custom rear bumper with a 2'' receiver integrated

- E-locker swap

- Eventually aftermarket wheels, method 315, w/ 285/75R16 or current size

- new speakers & tweeters in front and convert rear speakers to 6.75in

- front window tint

- New stereo with steering wheel controls

- SR5 Sport seats
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So, this journey started not too long after I got my first job. I was a late bloomer and didn't get my license until after I turned 18 (I am 20 at the time of writing this). So, I had learned how to drive and I was driving my family's 03' AWD Honda CRV. great car. It also isn't a truck. It was also not my car so a month or so after I started my job I decided I wanted to save up for my very own first vehicle! I was leaning towards maybe an old ford ranger. Then I changed my mind, I was thinking about an older ford explorer... nope.. still didn't really like that. Then I wanted a 2nd gen Nissan frontier since my buddy has a 1st gen and I was thinking we could be frontier buddies. But, still nope again. Then it caught my eye. 1st gen Tacomas. Man did I really want a Tacoma. I quickly saw the prices for those and was like nah I don't know about that haha. Then I saw the 3rd gen 4Runner. I always liked SUV's but I really liked how the 4runner was a perfect balance of body on frame & solid rear axle truck. but a full cabin. So. then the saving began! I literally saved every single dollar of my paychecks and slowly but surely they stacked up and I had a decent wad of cash and I could start actually looking at some for real.

This one was the second one that I went to looked at in person. A 1998 SR5 evergreen pearl with about 196,000 miles on it. By now I really wanted a green one. This guy had it up for 5,250 on offer up, had a simple description of just a few things that have been replaced. New A/C compressor, alternator, plugs & wires, and new front rotors and pads.

So, me and my buddy go and meet this guy at his place and I am a little nervous on how this guy is gonna be, so far he seems nice from the texts. At this point I haven't even talked price my plan was to go check it out, see if I like it and if I do then we talk money. So, we meet the guy and turns out he's actually a really nice chill guy, also an off road guy but he goes to the desert. We saw his full on pre runner toyota pickup build out front. So I ask my questions, look over the truck, test drive (lol the guy just threw me the keys and said go ahead). Get back from the test drive. So far everything looks great. The body is in great condition, zero dents all the panels are straight, etc. Seems very mechanically sound. No strawberry milkshake or anything alarming. Only downside was that the paint wasn't doing so hot but I was like oh well it's bound to get scratches anyways. It was driven by his daughter who went off to college and now he doesn't need it anymore. He got it from his cousin for her. Long story short he's been trying to sell it since 2020 but since its a 2WD no one bought it since everyone wanted a 4WD at the time. So between January of 2023 and then he just drove it around sometimes so It didn't just sit and also to advertise. Now time for the negotiation. On his offer up he had it up for 5250 but on the sale sign on the truck said 5,000. So My first offer was 4 grand (bit of a lowball I know) But, right out the gate the truck had bald tires and the timing belt was done last at like 98k miles so it was also due for that soon. I would also want to address the leaky valve covers, lol. classic. So 4k was a little too low for him so he said 4750 my counter offer was 4500 and we shook hands on that. I gave him the cash and he gave me both keys and the clean title in my hand.

And there I was. On January 24th, 2023, A proud new owner of a evergreen pearl SR5 1998 Toyota 4Runner, I was psyched. The best part of this story was also that I didn't tell my parents. Suprise! They found out later and were actually proud. Thanks Mom and Dad.

[gh25_]

Here's some pictures of her with me filling her with gas for the first time! Nothing compared to how I felt right now, with my own truck I bought with my own money! The truck had some 31.5x10.5x15in tires on them so it was higher than anything I had driven before. I felt so cool haha

[gh25_]

Haha heres some more pics of my truck at my friends house after we had gotten back from rowland heights. I took all my friends for a ride that day, they were also stoked, and confused they didn't know I bought a 4Runner. My truck had the SR5 cloth moon mist interior, something I would come to really appreciate! Also something I didn't realize was also rare from what I heard? I know most pre 1999 4Runners had the brown tannish interior, which I didn't really like, I don't know what it is but I just don't like that tan color. The interior on my truck was actually not bad. There is only a couple tears in the drivers seat and the passenger is in excellent condition, and the rear bench seat looks almost new. All of the other things looked pretty good. It actually had some great rubber floormats in already that I still have in it and a really nice weather tech big mat in the back cargo area. Score!

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Shortly after that day I had to leave on vacation to Texas to go see family out there, I was happy but also sad I had to leave my 4Runner so soon lol. 2 weeks and I was back at home. First thing I did when I got home was... can you guess? Take those sinking running boards off of course
It looked so much better! At this point I only had about 800 bucks left so I couldn't really spend any money yet on stuff. Only free mods for now. One of those other free mods I did was spray painting my Toyotas center caps black. Now we're talking. Also, something I forgot to mention in the previous post about the interior was the stereo. Since the guy I bought it from spruced it up a little for his daughter he installed a Kenwood DPX503BT stereo for her. Of course it stayed in the truck, and I have a sweet stereo! Having that stereo was actually huge for me. In the Honda CRV it had a regular stereo, and I could only listen to AM because the FM channels always were static for some reason. It didn't have an aux and the only way to play your own music thru it was to get a aux to cassette tape doohickie. Lame. It was so nice now to be able to play my own music! I use the stereo everyday, love it.

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While I was in texas I bought some of the first maintinence parts for my truck since I have recovered more now with my paycheck. First things I bought were of course those infamous lower ball joints (and associated hardware), and a brand new Denso radiator along with new upper, lower hoses and hose clamps.
These items were on my must do very soon list as the radiator was all old brown and discolored, just waiting for strawberry milkshake to happen. I also wanted to do my LBJ's before I even touched dirt with it, just some piece of mind y'know. And don't worry, I watched and read plenty of fourms. OEM only for the LBJ's, I didn't cheap out. I didn't actually get to install those parts right away it was about a week or two before I Did it since I needed to use my buddies jack stands and jack and torque wrench. In between then I decided I wanted some ditch lights for when I go off roading at night if I do since my stock headlights suck balls.... lol I ordered some nice rago fab. brackets and some amazon special 36 dollar amber LED's. and got a harness from o'reillys. Lol the brackets costed more than the lights, but i guess that's how it goes.

[gh25_]

Heres some pictures of when I got the lights finally installed and working. That was my first ever project I did and it took way longer than it should have. But I was learning. For some context, I have never worked on cars or anything before this so me and working on this truck is all learning experiences! But its all fun to me and I been loving it. I have a background in MTB's and wrenching on them for a couple years prior so I have good mechanical skills which transferred & helped with me working on the truck.