Returning owner in need of help
 

Greetings one and all. Long time lurker and returning 4runner owner with a couple of questions that I’m hoping someone on here will have the answers to!

First, a brief introduction. I started out with a white 2004 Hilux Surf which I drove for five years before my wife inherited it and I moved onto a brand new FJ Cruiser. (My first ever new car :biggrin2:) Drove that for five years, before my wife inherited that and I moved onto a Land Cruiser 200, which I was fortunate enough to buy new.

Well, after two years of Land Cruiser ownership, we decided it was way too big for our needs. Our kids are all grown up, so now it's just the wife and I. Plus running costs of the big thirsty LC here in Japan are crazy expensive. :mad: So we sold the LC and were without a 4X4 for the first time in a very long time. I had a Mazda Roadster (Miata) for a while, but missed not having a 4X4 to go out into the mountains in. So we bought a 1991 Suzuki Jimny (with 660cc of raw throbbing power. :biggrin2:) Great little car and perfect for the incredibly narrow forest trails we have here. But it was constantly breaking down and not ideal for longer trips. So, the little Jimny has gone and I’ve found myself back in a 4runner.

It’s a 2009 Hilux Surf SSR-X, one owner, non-smoking car and the best bits: full dealer service history and only 23,000KM (~14,000 miles) on the clock! :thumbs: So far, it feels very good to be back behind the wheel of a 4runner.

Now, onto the questions. It seems the previous owner lived in Tokyo and didn’t use the car much. The paintwork needs a good polish, and some of the trim pieces have suffered under the harsh sun. There’s a trim piece that runs up along the windshield edge to the front of the roof rack. Mine has become brittle and come loose. I plan to replace it, but wanted to know if it’s possible to do so without disturbing the roof rack. Basically, can the trim be replaced with the roof rack in place. Dealer says it needs to be removed, which is something I want to avoid. Found a couple of threads on the topic, but nothing with the info I'm looking for.

Any help would be most appreciated.

I plan to restore the car as much as possible, and then some light mods.

:thanks:

Some pics

2009 Hilux Surf SSR-X
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...13a6b1a9_c.jpg

1991 Suzuki Jimny

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8c1434d8_c.jpg

2017 Land Cruiser

https://live.staticflickr.com/2909/3...0829097b_c.jpg

2013 FJ Cruiser
https://live.staticflickr.com/5525/1...9882235a_c.jpg

2004 Hilux Surf
https://live.staticflickr.com/7393/1...2a04f494_c.jpg

Right hand drive and blind spot mirror make this JDM as f***

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Wow - nice collection of cars

I can’t answer your question per say, but the roof rack is pretty easy to take off and put back on. I wouldn’t shy away from that if it’ll make the job easier

Well this guy does live in Japan sooooo


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nice background! the jimmy looks like a lot of fun. 14k is a keeper. can it be imported to USA?

Well clearly he does. I've just never seen pictures or anything of an actual Surf in the wild lol. Looks awesome.

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Thanks! I could be wrong, but I believe the 4runner uses the same roof rack mounting system as the FJ, so there's a little "metal tray" into which the roof rack bolts thread. The tray is held in place by some flimsy plastic hanger and it's possible to break this taking off the rack. If that happens then it'll require dropping the headliner to sort out.

Maybe I'm being overcautious, but whenever I attempt a seemingly simple job, a whole host of complications arise! :doh:

nope, the roof rack is easy to remove, the biggest hurdle is removing the roof rack end caps without breaking the clips, once this is done, removing the roof racks is actually simply backing out 4 bolts at each corner

Thanks for the reply. Hopefully I'll be able to remove those caps without breaking the clips!

Get some threaded rod that will fit in the bolt holes. Replace first bolt with rod, remove other screws and the rod will allow you to pull up the plastic piece if it falls down.

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Sweet looking ride!

Great idea!

Just curious why there are no fender mirrors on the Land Cruiser?
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2007 SE V6 Titanium

Here in Japan, if you opt for the top tier factory infotainment system it comes complete with side, front and rear cameras meaning you don't need the usual fender mirror.

This might help some.

Windshield and roof mouldings

1x 75531-35110 - MOULDING, WINDSHIELD, OUTER UPPER
1x 75548-35010 - FASTENER, WINDSHIELD OUTSIDE MOULDING, RH
1x 75549-35010 - FASTENER, WINDSHIELD OUTSIDE MOULDING, LH
1x 75533-35050 - MOULDING, WINDSHIELD, OUTSIDE RH
1x 75534-35030 - MOULDING, WINDSHIELD, OUTSIDE LH
2x 75557-35010 - MOULDING, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH, CENTER NO.2, RH/LH
1x 75553-35010 - MOULDING, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH, REAR, RH
1x 75554-35010 - MOULDING, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH, REAR, LH
2x 75561-60030 - CLIP, ROOF DRIP SIDE FINISH MOULDING

Roof rack delete (if you wanted to, I'm doing it to mine)
8x 90119-08C47 - bolt
4x 63185-42020 - bracket
4x 75596-35030 - roof drip cover