4RUNNERgeo
New member
This will be my build thread. I will start by thanking you guys for all the help, ideas and inspiration. T4R. org forum is a great wealth of knowledge and an awesome site. In the short time I have been a member I have picked up a lot of ideas and knowledge as I familiarize myself with my new to me 4Runner.
I will start at the beginning. My 15.5 year old daughter will soon be driving and will be take my little 96’ Tercel when she turns 16. My wife drives a 07’ Highlander so thought I should keep the Toyota tradition so I started to look for an older Toyota truck to replace my Tercel.
Trying to make room in the gun safe and find a truck I put a few guns up for trade on a local gun forum:hunter:. I had all kinds of truck offers but none that caught my interest. I figured I had 6 months to find a nice “beater truck” and get it to good working conditions before the Tercel was gone. I was ready to give up my search. I then changed the title of my thread to “A few guns for your broken truck” and new offers started to come in. Then an offer came in for a 97’ 4runner 4cylinder 5speed with a blown head gasket, not a truck but better:wow:!
After a few emails the 4Runner was in my driveway! I traded three guns and some ammo (all federal laws were followed) for it. The three guns and ammo cost me a total of about $700. I was a bit overwhelmed knowing the road that was ahead to get the 4Runner back on the road. It had sat for about 2 years with the blown gasket and had not been washed.
I spoke to a high school friend that owns a shop about replacing the head gasket but he recommended that I replace the engine with a rebuild. I am having him do the swap in late Jan or early Feb. He also will flush and replace all the fluids, replace the clutch and service the transmission. This 4Runner is in great condition other than the engine. I figured that for about $2700-$3000 I will have a 97’4Runner with a “0 mile engine”.
I started by washing it and taking off the brush guards, granny boards and did some deep cleaning of the interior. I have painted the fender flares with SEM bumper coater and have removed the front and rear bumpers and plan to paint them.
I plan on using it for light trail, hunting and camping. I will post picture of all the other changes I do to it and will also take pictures of the engine swap as it’s been done. Here are some pictures.
Here it is as I recieved it.
As it sits now in the garage waiting for an engine, nice and clean.
I just power washed the bumpers and will be preping them for paint.
I will start at the beginning. My 15.5 year old daughter will soon be driving and will be take my little 96’ Tercel when she turns 16. My wife drives a 07’ Highlander so thought I should keep the Toyota tradition so I started to look for an older Toyota truck to replace my Tercel.
Trying to make room in the gun safe and find a truck I put a few guns up for trade on a local gun forum:hunter:. I had all kinds of truck offers but none that caught my interest. I figured I had 6 months to find a nice “beater truck” and get it to good working conditions before the Tercel was gone. I was ready to give up my search. I then changed the title of my thread to “A few guns for your broken truck” and new offers started to come in. Then an offer came in for a 97’ 4runner 4cylinder 5speed with a blown head gasket, not a truck but better:wow:!
After a few emails the 4Runner was in my driveway! I traded three guns and some ammo (all federal laws were followed) for it. The three guns and ammo cost me a total of about $700. I was a bit overwhelmed knowing the road that was ahead to get the 4Runner back on the road. It had sat for about 2 years with the blown gasket and had not been washed.
I spoke to a high school friend that owns a shop about replacing the head gasket but he recommended that I replace the engine with a rebuild. I am having him do the swap in late Jan or early Feb. He also will flush and replace all the fluids, replace the clutch and service the transmission. This 4Runner is in great condition other than the engine. I figured that for about $2700-$3000 I will have a 97’4Runner with a “0 mile engine”.
I started by washing it and taking off the brush guards, granny boards and did some deep cleaning of the interior. I have painted the fender flares with SEM bumper coater and have removed the front and rear bumpers and plan to paint them.
I plan on using it for light trail, hunting and camping. I will post picture of all the other changes I do to it and will also take pictures of the engine swap as it’s been done. Here are some pictures.
Here it is as I recieved it.
As it sits now in the garage waiting for an engine, nice and clean.
I just power washed the bumpers and will be preping them for paint.
Last edited:
