brettniles's 1990 Overland Build

[brettniles]

I've been lurking around here for about six years, owning a 4runner the whole time but not doing a whole lot with it, but I recently started bringing it back from a state of disrepair and neglect, so I figured it was time for a build thread.

This is what it looks like in it's current state, but it's been quite the journey to get here.

And here is the truck the day I got it and the day after. It had a couple minor rust spots on the body, and I paid to have it looked over by a mechanic, but knowing what I know now, I probably would have kept moving due to the rust on the frame. Still no holes to this day, and it's been stopped from progressing, but if I bought a new truck today, I would start with a cleaner slate. Also, the truck had been resprayed and looked pretty good, but that clearcoat did not last very long under UV exposure.

 

[Eugene13]

Nice rig! What do you plan to do with it next?

 

[Dropzone]

truck looks better now than when you got it.
I have always like ARB bumpers

 

[bbjornson]

I do like that original paint color though!

 

[brettniles]

Nice rig! What do you plan to do with it next?

I daily drove it for a few years after I got it and it fell into disrepair b/c of some knee surgeries I had to pay for. I kept it alive, but parked it and bought a '97 Accord for $500 to DD instead. Now I'm finally building it for overland adventures. I'm not a mechanic, but my good friend is giving me a good deal on his labor for a big (and more fun) project than regular maintenance jobs. I would not be doing this without him. And honestly, I probably wouldn't be doing it without a lot of "budget build" inspiration from here. I am not a rich man.

Here's what's been done pretty recently:

• Undercoated with POR15 (a couple summers ago before I stopped driving it mostly)
• ARB Bumper Recoated and installed
• New steering gear
• Tie rod ends, idler arm, pittman arm
• BJ spacers
• OME Front Shocks
• OME Rear Shocks
• OME Springs
• Valve cover leak fixed
• Oil Cooler? leak fixed
• Timing belt, water pump, new pulleys under the timing cover
• New bearings
• Free 33x10.5x15 tires from a work colleague
• New Rear window motor and relay mod
• New front fenders
• Remove all possible body rust, seal small bits with chassis saver, fiberglass, Monstaliner
• Repair sunroof from mysterious bullet hole (I lived in a shitty neighborhood for a while)
• New vent glass on one side from a break in (Also shitty neighborhood)
• Test winch motor (good)
• New larger 15 gallon fuel tank
• New rear wiper arm

Current Priorities:

• New wiper motors
• Install Kenwood CarPlay Stereo
• Install some rear speakers
• Get a dash cap or some solution for the cracked dash
• Get a new control pack for the winch
• Maybe coat the cargo area with the extra monstaliner I have and throw out the carpet
• Find some Toyota 4.88 axles
• Find a factory tow hitch frame thing
• Inexpensive Pro Comp D-Window Rims

Further Down the Road:

• Compressor
• My friend wants to weld a full roof rack...
• Build a drawer setup
• Grippy things
• LED Light Bar
• HID Lights
• Awning/RTT
• Heat Exchanger Shower

Even Further Down the Road:

• Blue Lake Offroad Rear Bumper
• 3.4 Swap when my motor dies

 

[brettniles]

Body Rust

Here's some of the rust spots before I got to work on them. Rest assured, it was in pretty much every common spot for it: both rear wheel arches, especially under that plastic thing, both fenders, one door bottom, the body behind the mud flaps under the rear bumper and inside that part of the body as as well.

 

[brettniles]

Cutting/Grinding and Sealing

First thing I did was cut/grind out as much as I could and sealed the edges and everything else that had to stay with Chassis Saver Silver Aluminum. I made the decision to build with fiberglass rather than welding as much as possible because 1. I'm not that good at metalwork and welding and 2. because even if I did weld, I figured I'd have exposed weld spots on the back of the panels where I couldn't get to in order to seal where rust can start anew. I did the cutting and silver aluminum over the winter and it showed NO signs of further progress while it was still parked outside for several months. Happy with that.

 

[brettniles]

Fiberglass and Sanding

Next came fiberglass and sanding. Had to make a backer out of sheet metal for the fiberglass down where those stupid plastic rock guards go, but everywhere else I was able to get it covered with long hair glass then sand. Repeat until you want to kill yourself or truck is done. I started with long hair fiberglass then moved to short hair, then regular filler. Then I sealed it all again with Chassis Saver.

Sand and test fit of the bumper.

 

[brettniles]

Monstaliner

Finally the Monstaliner. Things:

• Work one panel at a time. Get a friend to cut in while you chase them around the truck filling in the panels.
• Order extra rollers and change to a new one when they get squishy. Especially on the second coat.
• Take off your door handles.
• Take your time taping.
• Mask your windows. Splatter isn't a huge problem but definitely had to scrape a bunch of micro dots off my windows.
• Don't worry too much about texture on the first coat.
• On the second coat, don't go back to a panel after you've moved on because the texture will be different because the stuff has started to dry and it won't self-level as much.

First coat on a wheel arch:

Second coat:

Second coat, dried?:

Bumper coated:

 

[4runner_kid]

Nice choice on the tire's. Also, good job on the rust repair.