Chopping My yoda

[4runner907]

Whats up, this is my first thread, I'm from AK. I am beginning my 4Runner build next week, Would like to document the process from start to end, and if anyone here has experience, maybe fish for advice and tips. The plan is to move the hatch forward behind the back seat and mate it to the cab, followed by either cutting a tacoma bed in half and narrowing it and adding that to the back half of the truck, or leaving the lower quarterpanels on and cutting the bed rails off the tacoma to cap the quarter panels. I am hoping that if I measure and research properly, and take adequate planning before hand, I can reinstall the panels and interior comforts and keep it looking as if it came that way with little modification.

I would like to post pics of the build as I go along and allow for advice to be given. If I'm in the wrong section let me know. And glad to be part of t4r community.

I will be trying to make it clean seamless and show worthy long enough for a pic, before I go out and hit some trails with it, lol. Thanks.

 

[jdkilroy]

Whats up, this is my first thread, I'm from AK...

Welcome to the Forum!

I look forward to following this build. Be sure you add your build to the master build list in this section.

Can't tell from your post what year your 4Runner is but you might want to locate your actual build thread in that year's section so that the folks who know the most about your "Gen" will be seeing your thread.

Good or bad, a lot of us tend to cruise/hang out in our Gen-specific section more than the others.

 

[4runner907]

thanks

Thanks I'll try to repost in the proper place. It's a 99 by the way, SR5. I think thats 3rd gen? I'll cruise around and see which section is the right one for it. I plan on adding the pics as I go through planning, tear down, and rebuild.

Thanks again for letting me know where to post.

 

[absolute yota]

Welcome to the Forum!

I look forward to following this build. Be sure you add your build to the master build list in this section.

Can't tell from your post what year your 4Runner is but you might want to locate your actual build thread in that year's section so that the folks who know the most about your "Gen" will be seeing your thread.

Good or bad, a lot of us tend to cruise/hang out in our Gen-specific section more than the others.

I know, when I venture out of 4th gen land I am always amazed at how much more info and awesome rigs and builds going on. I love my 4th gen but before they made them I loved the 3rd gen. Who am I kidding I love all toyota trucks.

 

[4runner907]

I started working out measurements this weekend, and have come to some good conclusions, but also some bad conclusions. I am a glass half full kinda guy though, so the bad may quite possibly be rectified with some good ole alaska boy engineering. My plan is to use the hatch as tha cab back, and fab a tail gate kinda like the one mossyrocks used on his t4r. The goal in this being that if I didn't cut up the dorr to bad I could move the wires and forrrward and make it so the window can still roll up and down. Well I have enough room to for the window to do this, but the problem I may have is the wheel well. The angle I want the back of the cab to slope at leaves it sitting on the wheel well, and is going to require me to cut into the hatch to make it fit. I don't want to the hatch more vertical either.

Keeping the hatch sloping at the same angle as the interior molding behind the rear passenger doors will allow me to re-install them and keep it looking factory after I am done, which is what I want to do.

Got some photos to upload, Showing stecils and cardboard mock up. I'm really anxious to get working, but gotta couple months before the snow is gone. For the best, i guess, Probly wouldn't have spent as mush time planning if it wasn't so damn cold out.

 

[Coastal616]

I did this around 2002 with a 2nd gen 4runner, I ended up buying 2nd gen pickup cab and spliced the back of it onto the 4runner cab to create essentially a crew cab pickup. It was pretty cool. Good luck with it.

 

[LINY4Runner]

I've always wanted to half-back a truck but I don't have it in me to cut up my baby...so I'll live vicariously through you as you cut up your baby :second:

 

[audiness]

sounds like a cool project!

 

[Dirtco]

Here is some motivation for you! I'm sure it will give you some idea's.

Choppin up the 4Runner - YotaTech Forums

 

[4runner907]

Thanks for lookin. Like I said, this is my first big chop job, luckily for me, my yoda was originally a disposable vehicle. I had originally got it for the ex-wife, after we split she dumped it on me. I have spent the last three years trying to destroy it. Actually it was only the first 4 months, and it wouldn't die, then four bying the p*** out of it, still wouldn't die, and rolling it three times, still won't die and I'm driving it to work. Therefore, cutting into it won't really kill me inside, and if the outcome is as good as I hope, I will then be pretty damn proud of it. I decided to keep it and make it my fun time based on the fact it won't die. Any who. I got most of the maesurements and planning done, this next week or so I will begin ripping out the interior, and will finally be able to start posting pics as I go. Since visible work will start.

Speaking of work, I am gonna be looking for body parts. Where is a good place to order from. Budget is a big deal. Looking for fenders, hood, lights, grill, and possibly pass front door. I want to replace the bumpers, but will probly build those my self. later.

 

[4runner907]

Ok, so here is a pic of my rig from last summer. I bought this thing for my ex-wife in 09, five months later we were divorced and she had dumped it in my drive. It was in tip top, fantastic shape. I set out to destroy this thing. Fastforward to now. I have rolled it three times, sunk it in the knik river, rallied it in current stock shape that would make any leeper cry. I barely maintenanced it, and for a time generaly didn't care what came of it. Needless to say, It won't die, and I have come to absolutely love this rig. So I am now going to crazy on it. Mods, repairs, interior, and paint. I got some pictures this week pulling some interior, and getting my marking and measurements complete. I'll be putting those up soon.