Dirtco's 2001 "Mild" Build Thread

Dirtco

Dirtco

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Well, here we go again! This build will be pretty tame compared to my other 4Runner (and other builds), but it’s still nice to have everything in one place and have a record of what’s been done.

A little history: My wife has been driving around a VW Turbo S Beetle for the last couple years, it’s been a good (and fast!) little car, but with the addition of my daughter the car no longer fits our needs. I also wanted her to have something that was four wheel drive. We really didn’t want to take on another car payment if we could avoid it, so we started looking around for an affordable 3rd Gen. 4Runner. It seemed like the most obvious choice since I have the knowledge of building mine, along with the tools and spare parts. I really wasn’t even looking that hard when I found this 4Runner. I did a quick Craigslist search and there it was.

It’s a 2001 4Runner SR5 in Stellar Blue Pearl, with Thundercloud flares; one owner with records. It’s very clean for it’s age, and it's in great shape. Now for the not so good news… it has a lot of miles (233,000 to be exact). I was concerned with this until I met the owner, and looked over the vehicle; it’s obvious that she took care of the 4Runner, and the records show that if an issue did arise it was addressed immediately. Also, the transmission was just replaced not too long ago and still has a warranty, so that’s one less thing I have to worry about.

Pictures:







Interior (From original ad):





 
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The plan for this 4Runner is to take care of all the little issue’s that come with the age and miles of the vehicle, and do a “Mild” build while I’m refreshing the drivetrain. Here are the major goals; there is a ton of little stuff that I won’t get into right now.

- Small suspension lift, via replacement springs and shocks (between 2-3”)
- 265/75/16 Tires (leaning toward Duratrac’s)
- Stock five star wheels, with some fresh paint and Spidertrax 1.25” wheel spacers
- Rock sliders, and possibly a front bumper
- Lights, stereo, :blah:

Here is what I’m going for (Thanks [MENTION=87696]BenK[/MENTION] for the picture). Nothing too crazy, just something my wife and the family can drive around on a daily basis, but still be able to plow through a foot of snow to get home.

 
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Ha! I saved all BenK's pics while figuring out what to do with my '98...
Looking forward to this build up - you always provide great inspiration
 
Thanks for the mention! Im a big fan of your main 4runner. Hard to believe you'd notice mine. Anyways, I know some people bash on that blue but I always liked it. Especially with the thundercloud 2tone. If you really want it to be like mine you're gonna have to supercharge it soon! :biggrin2:

Good luck with the build!
 
BenK said:
Thanks for the mention! Im a big fan of your main 4runner. Hard to believe you'd notice mine. Anyways, I know some people bash on that blue but I always liked it. Especially with the thundercloud 2tone. If you really want it to be like mine you're gonna have to supercharge it soon! :biggrin2:

Good luck with the build!
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The blue is not bad, my wife really likes the color and that's what counts. I would love to supercharge it, but with the high miles I don't think it would be the best idea. You never know, it's always a possibility down the road! :D
 
The crossbars that were on the 4Runner were in horrible shape. I've been meaning to pull the crossbars off my 4Runner since I don't use them and wanted a cleaner look. So I removed mine and installed them on the new 4Runner. It really helped to clean up the look of both 4Runner's. I still need to hit the rails with some "Forever Black", or something like that.

Old





New (Not the best pictures)



 
Sweet. My sisters rig is set up pretty much exactly how you want to do the blue one. Small lift, 265/75 Duratracs on 5-stars, upgraded stereo and lights. It has 260k miles on it, and is a perfect daily driver for her.
 
quicksilvr said:
Sweet. My sisters rig is set up pretty much exactly how you want to do the blue one. Small lift, 265/75 Duratracs on 5-stars, upgraded stereo and lights. It has 260k miles on it, and is a perfect daily driver for her.
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Nice! How much lift is she running? I'm debating 2.5"/3.0" (OME 881/890) or 1.5"/2.0" (OME 880/906); I would like the higher setting, but she doesn't want it to set too tall (for getting the car seat in/out). I highly doubt she will go wheeling in this; maybe some easy trails to meet me at camp, and busting out of the parking lot when there is a foot or two of snow.
 
I actually like the blue, i am sure your wife likes it, its a perfect color for a woman. cause it is kinda purple
 
Dirtco said:
Nice! How much lift is she running? I'm debating 2.5"/3.0" (OME 881/890) or 1.5"/2.0" (OME 880/906); I would like the higher setting, but she doesn't want it to set too tall (for getting the car seat in/out). I highly doubt she will go wheeling in this; maybe some easy trails to meet me at camp, and busting out of the parking lot when there is a foot or two of snow.
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She's running the old H&R springs that Toyota would sell from the dealer as a "factory" style lift. They are only about 1.5" of lift at most. But I think it looks perfect. Personally I'd do the shortest lift you can, simply because you WILL notice the height for the daily activity of getting yourself and the kids in and out, but you WON'T notice the difference off road. If you're partial to OME stuff, the 880/906 route sounds perfect. Tall '99 fronts on adjustable billie's is a sweet front setup, and 906's are still pretty great for the back, I just wouldn't use the OME shocks.
 
Like the way this one is going, I'm looking at the same tires for mine. When I bought my 99, it already had 265/75's on it with a nice amount of clearance on what I think is a stock suspension.
umety5u6.jpg

Looking forward to see how yours comes out.
 
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