2003 Sport Edition (Armor Cladding) with 18x9 Black Wheels

[2003 BladeRunner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16m9edypODM

Hello. I have been lurking on this forum for years now. I have finally got around to customizing my 4Runner, so I decided to join the forum. This is my 2003 4Runner V6 Sport Edition 2WD with the Armor Cladding. I bought it used in 2008 in good condition. However the original Armor Cladding was faded, so I replaced all the cladding on the truck by myself.

I recently put 18x9 KMC XD Enduro Wheels on my truck. I bought the tire & wheels package from tirerack.com & installed them myself. I wanted the style to stay low profile, but I wanted to widen the stance with wider wheels. Plus I've always wanted black wheels. The factory wheels were getting badly faded & worn, plus I needed new tires bad. So I decided to upgrade them both. I might make future mods such as a intake, dual exhaust & black headlights. I could really use some advice on the dual exhaust, especially since its only a V6. I mean, is it worth it besides for styling? I could also use some advice on the headlight installation because I heard it's a pain to replace them.

I decided to make a technical video of my wheels, to help others who are trying to decide what kind of wheels they want & how they fit (especially black wheels). It can be kinda stressful when shopping for wheels because there are so many options available & no refunds lol.

 

[Nathana92]

Hello. I have been lurking on this forum for years now. I have finally got around to customizing my 4Runner, so I decided to join the forum. This is my 2003 4Runner V6 Sport Edition 2WD with the Armor Cladding. I bought it used in 2008 in good condition. However the original Armor Cladding was faded, so I replaced all the cladding on the truck by myself.

I recently put 18x9 KMC XD Enduro Wheels on my truck. I bought the tire & wheels package from tirerack.com & installed them myself. I wanted the style to stay low profile, but I wanted to widen the stance with wider wheels. Plus I've always wanted black wheels. The factory wheels were getting badly faded & worn, plus I needed new tires bad. So I decided to upgrade them both. I might make future mods such as a intake, dual exhaust & black headlights. I could really use some advice on the dual exhaust, especially since its only a V6. I mean, is it worth it besides for styling? I could also use some advice on the headlight installation because I heard it's a pain to replace them.

I decided to make a technical video of my wheels, to help others who are trying to decide what kind of wheels they want & how they fit (especially black wheels). It can be kinda stressful when shopping for wheels because there are so many options available & no refunds lol. I got kinda carried away with the video editing at 7:42 lol.

Looks like a nice truck man. Where did you source the replacement cladding from?

Not many run dual exhaust, most just go with a muffler replacement or a cat back. If anything I would suggest just doing a single in dual out style exhaust if you wanted the dual exhaust look.

 

[2003 BladeRunner]

Looks like a nice truck man. Where did you source the replacement cladding from?

Not many run dual exhaust, most just go with a muffler replacement or a cat back. If anything I would suggest just doing a single in dual out style exhaust if you wanted the dual exhaust look.

I actually replaced the cladding soon after I bought it in 2008. I got it from the Toyota dealership. Surprisingly, they still had all the panels, clips & rivets to put them on with. However the front bumper is original. For some reason the front bumper doesn't fade that bad. It's some kind of higher quality material. I'm not sure if the dealerships still have the panels. I'm sure there are some in a Toyota warehouse somewhere.

This is the type of exhaust I was referring to:

I beleive the Borla exhaust was the official TRD dual exhaust. A guy at my work drives a 2009 style 4runner & he has the dual exhaust. However, I just don't know if it is worth putting on my V6 model.

 

[smc23]

i dont think its worth it to spend upwards of $1000 on a dual exhaust especially a V6. I wouldn't spend that much on my V8, i just got a gibson cat back for $350 on amazon. There are cheaper options if you want to get an aftermarket exhaust.

 

[awdjunkies]

I think the OP is wanting to go for this look (Although sound may be a bit off since it's a v6 vs the videos V8) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPy0KPa9oFc

 

[smc23]

I think the OP is wanting to go for this look (Although sound may be a bit off since it's a v6 vs the videos V8) :

2004 toyota 4runner true duals drive by - YouTube

yeah but getting a sound like that out of a V6 is nearly impossible, thats why i dont think its worth it spend that kind of money on it. You can get a cheaper system that will generate basically the same sound. With the duals you would really just be paying for the look.

 

[2003 BladeRunner]

I think the OP is wanting to go for this look (Although sound may be a bit off since it's a v6 vs the videos V8) :

2004 toyota 4runner true duals drive by - YouTube

I've definitely watched that before a couple times. His sound is great. I'm just aiming for a louder sound when accelerating, a little better performance & the dual style. I listen to music while driving, so I don't want it to loud. I'm on the fence about it.

My next mod for sure is going to be the black headlights. The exact same ones in this thread:http://www.toyota-4runner.org/engin...ries/34241-should-i-get-these-headlights.html

 

[2003 BladeRunner]

i dont think its worth it to spend upwards of $1000 on a dual exhaust especially a V6. I wouldn't spend that much on my V8, i just got a gibson cat back for $350 on amazon. There are cheaper options if you want to get an aftermarket exhaust.

Yea, I think I might pass on the exhaust. I think the headlights will be it.

Check out 5:00 of the video for the hub painting trick. It was super easy & a lot less work than cutting templates & cardboard.