ChaseR9's 1986 T4R DLX "Casper" Build Thread - Toyota 4Runner Forum

ChaseR9 · 03-05-2015, 02:36 AM

Hey everyone! It's been a long time coming for me to get myself a T4R. I love the mountains and living in Calgary, Canada we are blessed to have the Rockies just an hour from the city centre. I'm super stoked to get out and use my 4runner for camping and wheeling! My interest in Toyota's has come from being around my older brother, who you guys may know as Rickshay on the forums, and watching him build several immaculate Toyota's. I've learned a lot from being around him but am looking forward to learning even more now that I have my own truck to learn on and becoming more active on the forum. Last year he convinced my dad to buy and build a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. Now I've become the latest victim of the Toyota bug.

So here it is...my 1986 Toyota 4Runner DLX with automatic trans also known as "Casper"....

IMG_6763.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

IMG_6764.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

IMG_6765.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

IMG_6766.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

I purchased the truck from the original owner in Santa Monica, California who named the truck "Casper" cause he bought it Halloween day in 1986. I thought it was fitting for me to keep the name. The original owner is the Captain of a US airways airplane and took extremely good care of this 4runner. He gave me every single maintenance record since it was brand new, a log book with dates and milage of when everything was done, a custom care cover made just for this 4runner, owners manual, service manual, and the original window tag from the day the vehicle was bought. The top has never been taken off...

The truck has 232k miles on the body (no rust) but the original owner had a new 22RE built by Jasper Engines put in at 189k miles in 2007. I flew down to California myself to pick it up and drove it back to Canada. The only issue with the vehicle is a small vibration at around 60 mph which I found out was the lower ball joints.

The first thing I did was remove the chrome stripping around the fenders and edges of the runner (no rust underneath!). Short term plans include new lower ball joints, possibly tie rod ends, replacing all fluids, new driver side corner (amber plastic was hit by a rock on the drive home), and making sure all basic maintenance is up to date. Spark plugs, timing chain, water pump, hoses, and belts have all been changed within the last 5k miles. Any advice on anything I should have done is much appreciated! I'd say I have very basic mechanical skills but am wanting to learn as much as I can and do as much work as I can myself.

Cheers!

Cali 4runner · 03-05-2015, 02:41 AM

Welcome to the forum!
That thing is really clean!! Don't let it rust to death with all that snow and salty roads..

ChaseR9 · 03-05-2015, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cali 4runner

Welcome to the forum!
That thing is really clean!! Don't let it rust to death with all that snow and salty roads..

Thank you! I've washed it 3 times in 3 days haha. I am going to try my hardest to keep it this clean!

wallytoo · 03-05-2015, 07:48 AM

really nice looking 1st gen. and no rear sag. pretty sharp.

mikekfr · 03-05-2015, 08:01 AM

That is beautiful, maybe check the color of antifreeze & swap the green to red if it has green antifreeze in it, i learned that here at T4R.org. Also, maybe check the maintenance records to see when the fuel filter was last changed and maybe throw in a can of seafoam and/or MM oil, pending your gas/oil treatment likes. Congrats, it's stunning. If you're in a position to 'garage' it or, maybe look into one of those $200 vinyl enclosed canopies and have your own portable car garage, that would save the condition of the exterior, tons.

ChaseR9 · 03-05-2015, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikekfr

That is beautiful, maybe check the color of antifreeze & swap the green to red if it has green antifreeze in it, i learned that here at T4R.org. Also, maybe check the maintenance records to see when the fuel filter was last changed and maybe throw in a can of seafoam and/or MM oil, pending your gas/oil treatment likes. Congrats, it's stunning. If you're in a position to 'garage' it or, maybe look into one of those $200 vinyl enclosed canopies and have your own portable car garage, that would save the condition of the exterior, tons.

I will be swapping the green to the red antifreeze! The fuel filter was done at 217k miles and I may look into using some MM oil with my next oil change. I plan on running 10w-30 synthetic oil for my first oil change and feel that I can get away with it because of only 40k miles on the newer engine. I bought a five qt of Pennzoil Platinum in the US for 23 bucks which would run me 50 bucks in Canada!

rickashay · 03-05-2015, 02:37 PM

Looks great Chase. Have to get some ideas from @Dirtco and his old rig!

Hey @Intruder , your going to have to get some a good stock pile of Halloween candy with Chase now joining the posse. Haha
@4running _Daily my bro just picked this up in your home neck of the woods.

Intruder · 03-05-2015, 04:49 PM

@rickashay I think he's gonna have to start bringing his own candy now if he has a truck.

Intruder · 03-05-2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaseR9

Short term plans include new lower ball joints, possibly tie rod ends, replacing all fluids, new driver side corner (amber plastic was hit by a rock on the drive home), and making sure all basic maintenance is up to date. Spark plugs, timing chain, water pump, hoses, and belts have all been changed within the last 5k miles. Any advice on anything I should have done is much appreciated! I'd say I have very basic mechanical skills but am wanting to learn as much as I can and do as much work as I can myself.

I don't see 37s in that list. What's wrong with you?

ChaseR9 · 03-05-2015, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickashay

Looks great Chase. Have to get some ideas from @Dirtco and his old rig!

Hey @Intruder , your going to have to get some a good stock pile of Halloween candy with Chase now joining the posse. Haha
@4running _Daily my bro just picked this up in your home neck of the woods.

Thanks bro! Ya I'll definitely be looking around Dirtcos build. Stoked for Halloween wheeling already! haha

ChaseR9 · 03-05-2015, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intruder

I don't see 37s in that list. What's wrong with you?

HAHA maybe one day! :

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farmerjon · 03-07-2015, 11:45 PM

Looking forward to seeing a solid classic build! I've followed @rickashay 's builds for a long time. I've not done much to mine, I just enjoy it!

Looks super clean! Casper is a major city in my home state, so the name is a nice touch.

ChaseR9 · 03-18-2015, 03:57 PM

So...I ordered new Sankei 555 lower ball joints on Friday night and they arrived at my door Tuesday morning from an online auto parts supplier here in Canada. Here they are...

IMG_6769.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

I am aware of the issues with ordering non OEM LBJ's but I needed to find the quickest way to get the pats to my door to be able to pass an out of province inspection after bringing the truck up from California. I wanted to order OEM Toyota Parts from the states but they were going to take two to three weeks to have them shipped to Calgary from the US. I did get some OEM parts priced out from Toyota here in Calgary and they were wanting to charge me 150$ a piece. Which is far more than OEM parts from the states and from getting the 555's online. I plan to replace these lowers with OEM ones when the uppers go and am planning to do the tie rod ends at the same time (with all OEM components). For now the 555's will have to work....

I do have a question for you guys about the 555's. In the picture below, directly above the black grease nut the rubber boot has a tiny little hole that allows grease to escape from inside the boot when the ball joint moves. My brother told me that the OEM lowers do not have this hole and are completely sealed. Is that true? Would I be able to seal up the hole so that no grease is able to escape? For obvious reasons like water getting inside the boot and rusting/corroding away the inner side of the boot as well as not having to keep on top of greasing these LBJ's.

IMG_6773.jpg by chaser88, on Flickr

Plans for this weekend...

Install new LBJ's
Install new driver side rear drum brake cylinder and bleed breaks (I do have a slightly squishy brake pedal. I'm hoping changing this leaky cylinder and bleeding the brakes will fix the issue)
Oil change
Paint and touch up front skid plate and wiper arms

89FourRunner · 03-19-2015, 05:37 PM

The new LBJs should solve the vibration issue, I had the same issue when mine were bad.

As far as the hole in the boot, I wouldn't over think it. Fill them with grease, and they will only press out what needs to be pressed out. No water is going to get in past that grease regardless of the little hole. None of the boots are perfectly sealed up at the bolt anyway. Grease them twice and year and forget about it.

THats one super clean 4Runner, and your concern about the boots on the LBJs say you are the right man to own it! Good Luck!

ChaseR9 · 03-19-2015, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89FourRunner

The new LBJs should solve the vibration issue, I had the same issue when mine were bad.

As far as the hole in the boot, I wouldn't over think it. Fill them with grease, and they will only press out what needs to be pressed out. No water is going to get in past that grease regardless of the little hole. None of the boots are perfectly sealed up at the bolt anyway. Grease them twice and year and forget about it.

THats one super clean 4Runner, and your concern about the boots on the LBJs say you are the right man to own it! Good Luck!

I'll be keeping my eye on them for sure. Appreciate the compliments on the runner! Love driving it everyday. I see how you all love your classic yotas so much! :

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