[BaseRunner]

Well hello fellow 1st generation owners, I just bought this beauty today 4/5/2013. It needs a new timing chain and it has some rust. I plan on sanding the rust off pretty good and using some rust treatment. Then I plan on plasti dipping the WHOLE ride black! Any suggestions by you guys for what else I should do with it would be greatly appreciated it! Oh and I have a 2000 3rd generation which is my daily driver, this 1st generation will be the weekend ride!

[BaseRunner]

more pics

[KidVermicious]

Boo plastidip, you need to bring that factory paint job back!

[BaseRunner]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

Boo plastidip, you need to bring that factory paint job back!

Lol man I wish I could do that, but I dont have the money to do that. Plus this is gonna be the weekend warrior, im going to be going mudding crawling and all that good stuff. So its gonna get all scratched up...plus Plasti dip is affordable lol. I dont know what to do about some of the rust though.

[Footofgod]

Originally Posted by BaseRunner

Lol man I wish I could do that, but I dont have the money to do that. Plus this is gonna be the weekend warrior, im going to be going mudding crawling and all that good stuff. So its gonna get all scratched up...plus Plasti dip is affordable lol. I dont know what to do about some of the rust though.

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=367

Try this. Cheaper than plastidip, resists scratches nicely and has a cool sand paper like texture. With a light sanding first, it holds great.

[SV_Dude]

Get a wire wheel and clean up the rust. Spray some por15, chassis saver or whatever your favorite rust treatment is on the rust. That will stop the spread of the rust. Stay away from plastidip. I haven't ever seen good results from it. I have never used it but anything that I have seen with plastidip on it has looked crappy and the paint has peeled after a very short time. If you're going to repaint it then use a rustoleum paint and make sure you do your prep work.

Either way you go, take lots of pics and post your progress!! Congrats on the new runner!!

[BaseRunner]

Originally Posted by Footofgod

RustOleum.com

Try this. Cheaper than plastidip, resists scratches nicely and has a cool sand paper like texture. With a light sanding first, it holds great.

Thats a interesting idea, thanks im gonna think about that.

Originally Posted by SV_Dude

Get a wire wheel and clean up the rust. Spray some por15, chassis saver or whatever your favorite rust treatment is on the rust. That will stop the spread of the rust. Stay away from plastidip. I haven't ever seen good results from it. I have never used it but anything that I have seen with plastidip on it has looked crappy and the paint has peeled after a very short time. If you're going to repaint it then use a rustoleum paint and make sure you do your prep work.

Either way you go, take lots of pics and post your progress!! Congrats on the new runner!!

Thanks man, and I appreciate the tip, Im going to try and get this rust off and think about what im going to go with. But first things first, I need to change the timing chain and have this baby up and running. Everyday I walk out of my house I look at it and get sad that its just sitting there and not being driven on a mud trail or something lol.

[Footofgod]

Originally Posted by BaseRunner

Thanks man, and I appreciate the tip, Im going to try and get this rust off and think about what im going to go with.

Just grab a grinder and saw zall and cut it all off. Wheel with whatever is left.

[BaseRunner]

Originally Posted by Footofgod

Just grab a grinder and saw zall and cut it all off. Wheel with whatever is left.

I think im gonna just sand the hell out of it and just treat it and spray over it. That will still keep the truck intact. Its not too much, the only considerable amount of rust is on the driver side by the back tire. Other then that its pretty good underneath and other places. But that spray you recommended might come in handy!

[BaseRunner]

Sorry guys noob question here. I noticed my brake fluid is really really low! I was wondering would any type of brake fluid be good? or is there a special type of brake fluid for these classic runners?

[RAD4Runner]

After you get engine running, address the known issues with these classics, to name a couple:

• Rear suspension sag,
• Intermittent click-only starting issue,
• Dim headlights because of thin wire and unnecessarily long current path, which also burdens dimmer switch with high current (not ideal, and as high as 17 amps with 55/100 bulbs)

Originally Posted by BaseRunner

Sorry guys noob question here. I noticed my brake fluid is really really low! I was wondering would any type of brake fluid be good? or is there a special type of brake fluid for these classic runners?

Standard DOT-3 is good.

[BaseRunner]

Originally Posted by RAD4Runner

After you get engine running, address the known issues with these classics, to name a couple:

• Rear suspension sag,
• Intermittent click-only starting issue,
• Dim headlights because of thin wire and unnecessarily long current path, which also burdens dimmer switch with high current (not ideal, and as high as 17 amps with 55/100 bulbs)

Standard DOT-3 is good.

Thanks for the tips man! much appreciated!

[BaseRunner]

I just went out to try to get my runner started. When I put the key in it wont start!!...the day I brought it home it started fine with no problems. Now I must say the day I brought it back I didnt know about the push button release for the ignition key so I just pulled it out of the ignition...did I mess something up? whats wrong with my runner??

[KidVermicious]

Do you get a click when you turn the key? Sounds like it's coming from the passenger kick panel?

[BaseRunner]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

Do you get a click when you turn the key? Sounds like it's coming from the passenger kick panel?

Yea I did...I was kinda wondering what that click was.