Brian757's "Stormtrooper" Build Thread

[Brian757]

Brian757's Bad Habit..

FOREWARNING: PIC HEAVY. CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN BANDWIDTH'S RISK.
This is more of a self maintenance record but is also here for everyone to enjoy.

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INTERIOR

• '00 Power Leather Seat/Door Conversion (Here)
• Weathertech Floormats (Here)
• Scangauge II OBDII Scanner/Realtime Gauge (Here)
• All Lights, including gauge cluster/dash converted to LED's (Here)
• Tinted Windshield (5% - Above AS1 line) (Here)
• Tinted Windows (35% front/5% rear) (Here)

EXTERIOR

• Rubber 14" Flex Antenna [Mounted in factory location] (Look through window - Here)
• Hand molded/cut/sawed wheel well (Here)
• Removed runningboards (Here)
• LED Rear license plate light (Here)
• Anzo Headlight Housings (Here)
• 4X Innovations sliders (welded) (Here)
• Tundra 13WL Brake upgrade (Here)
• Wagner Thermoquiet Ceramic brake pads (Here)
• Replacement BugFlector from AVS (Here)

ENGINE BAY

• Volant cold air intake (Here)
• DieHard Platinum - Group 35 (2/22/15) (Here)
• 5000K 55W HID Kit (Hi-Lo) (Here)
• Doug Thorley headers
• Magnaflow exhaust system
• Hayden Trans-Cooler (Here)

SUSPENSION

• 2.5" Bilstein 5100 Shocks All Around (Here) [Front-Normal//Rear-Outboarded]
• 3" Tacoma body lift (Here)
• 3" Eibach/Toytec Lift Springs [Front] (Here)
• 2" FJ Superflex Coils [Rear] (Here)
• 1" differential drop (Here)
• Energy Suspension Bushings on Steering Rack & Sway Bar End Links
• SPC Light Racing upper control arms (@132,000 miles)

WHEELS & TIRES

• 315/75R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrains (Here)
• 16 x 8 Ion Wheels (Here)
• 1.25" Hubcentric Spidertrax Wheel Spacers (Here)

SOUND SYSTEM/ENTERTAINMENT

• Alpine CDA-117 head unit (2nd one, Here)
• 2 -12" Alpine Type R's (Running Parallel @ 1 Ohm) (Uninstalled)
• 1 Memphis 1000 watt monoblock amplifier (@ 1 Ohm) (Uninstalled)
• Custom Ported Dual 12" Sub Enclosure (Here) (Uninstalled)
• 1 Kicker 500 watt stereo 4-channel amplifier (Here)
• Memphis MC Series speakers all around (6.5" in front/5.25" in rear/1.5" tweeters)

MAINTENANCE

• Underbelly Bedline (@71,000 miles & 106,000 miles)
• Engine Bay Degreasing (@71,000 miles & 106,000 miles)
• Seafoamed the gas tank/oil/PCV valve (Added new oil immediately afterwards) (@102,000 miles)
• Sway Bar links (@106,000 miles)
• New OEM headlight adapters (@108,000 miles)
• Lower ball joints (@114,000 miles)
• Upper ball joints (@114,000 miles)
• Inner and Outer tie rod ends (@114,500 miles)
• Timing Belt Job (@120,000 miles)
• Idler Roller/Tensioner Roller (@120,000 miles)
• Front Crankshaft Seal/Both Camshaft Seals (@120,000 miles)
• Hydraulic Tensioner (@120,000 miles)
• Air Conditioning, Alternator, and Power steering belts (@120,000 miles)
• Water Pump & Gasket (@120,000 miles)
• Thermostat & Gasket (Rated for 82°C/180°F) (@120,000 miles)
• Crankshaft Bolts (Old one's were stripped) (@120,000 miles)
• High Mileage 50/50 Prestone coolant added (@120,000 miles)
• Front grill repaint/resurfacing job (@121,000 miles)
• Buffed and waxed (@124,000 miles) (It has seen more, but I do not remember each time)
• Replaced all U-Joints (@128,000 miles) (No Images)
• Replaced Radiator, radiator hoses, fittings and clamps (@130,900 miles)
• New Valvoline full-synthetic DII trans fluid (@134,000 miles)
• Purolator fuel filter (@134,000 miles)
• Purolator PCV Valve (@134,000 miles)
• New NGK spark plugs, wires & coil packs (@134,000 miles)

FUTURE PLANS

• Outdoor Logic Front Bumper
• HornBlasters Shocker train horns
• 2nd Gen TRD Supercharger
• Supporting Fuel Mods
• Cree Offroad LED Lightbar
• CBI Offroad rear bumper
• Savage skid plates

It really never ends...
I do not recall everything done to my vehicle, as some work was not recorded by myself. However, from here on out, starting 5.10.13, I will record all progress made. Thank you for reading, enjoy!

Current setup of my 2002 (Sitting on 35s):

Also, for anyone who requires looking up any info on Toyotas, use this site. This engine searches through 80 Toyota technical sites. A very useful tool.
NWToys.com - All Toyota Search Engine

 

[Doug18]

Lookin good man!

 

[Brian757]

Initially, When it was given to me by my sister, after she got a car.
I was in love with it when she first got it. But damn I was happy to have a car.

I originally did mild mods like changing the air intake and maybe the tail pipe.

I hated my intake system so I modified it a bit. I never really knew what I wanted when I was young. Go figure..

I then went and got some Jensen head unit. Which I wasn't very fond of once I put it in. It hid my A/C and stuff. Ugh, pain in the ass. AND it conched out on me in the winter some time. Screen froze and didnt work, I even insulated it.

I had to have the BASS like everyone else in my school.

I even custom built the box!!

 

[Brian757]

I still didn't "hit" the hardest at school so I stepped my sound system up a notch.

I was SOO excited when I got my Alpine Type R 12" woofers.

Went with Memphis MC Series speakers throughout the car (I NEVER TOOK PICTURES OF MY INSTALL.) Basically I cut wood to retrofit my front speakers and then drilled the tweeters to fit the twice in diameter Memphis MC Tweeters into our door.

But the amplifiers are as follows. A Kicker 500 to power the speakers and a Memphis 1000 watt Mono that can take a 1 Ohm load. So I bridged the 2 subs together to make 1 ohm and now they get their full 1000 watts.

First Setup was this: (Behind the box, but then realized it damages the amps.

So I went with this concept. When you lift up either side of the seats, it doesn't hinder the other side. They run completely independent of one another, so one side can be down and the other up.

Then I got Weathertech floor mats all around. I only have this one picture as of now.

The rear WITH the LED lighting that I installed afterwards.

Here is an outside view. NOTICE the front lighting, the rear lighting, and I had lighting outside facing the ground ONLY when the doors are ajar.

 

[Brian757]

At around this time, in oh, say, 2009? I worked at a pizza place. I had two good buddies who I managed to always get along with. I NEVER knew that they were 4runner owners until one day I left the same time as one of them and he walked straight to a 4runner. Its actually pretty cool. I was a cook and they were both drivers. I was able to take a picture at night when one of them showed up (We were all lined up perfectly.) Check it out!

It goes, Me, Nate, and Braxton.
I am of course the 3rd gen. (5VZ-FE)
Nate is the 2nd gen, (22-RE from 3VZ-FE swap)
Braxton owns the jalopy 1st gen. (22-RE)
Thats Braxton in the photo.

 

[Brian757]

I then went and tinted my windows: 20% in the front, 5% in the rear.
I also sanded my rims, primed them, painted and clear coated them flat black.

I took off the runningboards because apparently their not cool
I changed my disc brakes to ceramic and painted them red. I also painted some other things red. (Dont know why...)

 

[Brian757]

Another picture of it with those rims; also getting washed.

Took her out and got her dirty. It felt good

 

[Brian757]

Notice I put on 5000K 55W HID kit on. I actually liked the output. It was decent compared to halogens.

I went and put a Daystar leveling kit onto it. They were just the spacers. It was 3" in the front, 2.5" in the rear.
Also went to BFGoodrich All-Terrains. I liked those tires so much.

 

[SJC]

mOar please

 

[Brian757]

I even installed a 9' whip antenna but it whacked everything and made my truck look like a big R/C car. It went pretty quickly. Plus, there is only the hillbillies in my city and the Community Service people to talk to on our CVs. I got rid of it quickly

Another picture of my truck.

 

[Brian757]

Let me just get my head unit stories out now. I went through quite a few, some I dont even have pictures of. But let me show you 2 that I liked the most.

First was my Pioneer head unit.
It was nice and put out good sound.
Notice I was converting my HUD to Blue at the time.

And then, my current head unit, the Alpine CDA-117.
It has treated me so well, and it is incredible with audio controls. Makes my sound system roar.

 

[Brian757]

I finally got tired of "touching up" and "re-painting" my wheels. So I went and bought alloy wheels; black with the polished lip.
I also flipped the tires so the lettering was black. Didnt like the upkeep for white letters.

 

[Brian757]

I then went and installed a Thule Snowboard rack, the 92726 Pull Top. It was an amazing addition to the runner and the snowboard trips with my girlfriend WITHOUT our snowboards in the runner taking up space

And this was how the weather was once we got to Snowshoe, West Virginia.

Check it ;P

 

[Brian757]

I then decided to get bigger tires and change up my suspension. I wanted to go balls out or not do it at all. I wanted nice tires. I ended up getting a 3" body lift, Nitto 305/70R16 Mud Terrains, and a custom 1.5" wheel spacer kit. I know most of you guys will freak hearing I put a 3" BL on my truck but I needed space for bigger tires and a body lift can only hurt a vehicle if its installed incorrectly. I have good buddies who actually own body shops in my area and i paid in beer while they helped me in my garage assemble my vehicle.
I ended up with this.

 

[Brian757]

Someone vandalized my truck and kicked in a headlight. I worked at a bar at the time, some drunk ass probably trying to be funny or heavily intoxicated.
This is it disassembled.

I decided to go with the ANZO headlights because they are DOT Approved and I require this to pass my Virginia State Inspections annually.

Also decided to clean up the grill a bit because of the chipping in the black areas.

I mounted it up onto my snowboard holder in my room when I was done. It was late. I didn't want to go out in the rain and install the grill

And here is everything all said and done. The grill is in and the headlights are on.

 

[Brian757]

I am so tired. I hope people enjoy this build thread. If anyone has questions about anything, I will answer them! I had to get a build thread started. I still have plans to supercharge, re-upholster, change bumpers, sliders or tube runningboards. Enjoy!

 

[Brian757]

I finally couldnt take the crappy ride from the spacer system and factory suspension system. I bought Tacoma '02 Bilstein Shocks (Front and Rear) and FJ Cruiser "Superflex" Coils and put my butt to work.

This is her all done. Sitting in the road with the T100.

I was also able to still fit in the garage. This means I need 35's to not fit anymore. I need a stepstool to work in my engine bay

 

[Brian757]

Here are some more pictures of my lift system.

 

[Brian757]

I DO NOT have pictures of my Doug Thorley headers nor do I have pics of my Magnaflow muffler system. I did not install those 2 parts on my truck. I didn't want to do headers for some reason and I didn't weld my pipes onto my muffler. But they happened!!

Here is a brief timeline, from the time I painted my rims and imagined a lift to the point in which I actually had a lift and rim/tire setup installed.

 

[Brian757]

There is so much more that I know I have missed. I have done stuff like LED'ing the glove box to hyper white, as well as the rest of my dome lights and map lights. I have also made a "ABS, TRAC mode, and VSC TRAC switch" to toggle those components. Now instead of the TRAC OFF button, I can hit a switch which turns everything off and I can "drift, or get myself out of a rut". I also have a subwoofer switch which allows me to turn my subs on and off quickly.

I also installed a new tailpipe. I also relocated it and it is an 18" long 3" wide chrome tail pipe. This thing is massive but makes the 4runner sound like a V8! (This picture is old)