First post to the site, have a few questions

[rva]

I have been lurking for a couple of weeks now after I got my new (to me) 1997 4runner. I have loved it so far, lifted 2 inches on 285 75 khumo mud terrains, 5 speed manual sr5. It has been a great car so far and a lot better than my last truck on gas (went from getting 11 mpg to 18mpg city in this). When I bought her from a friend, she had a few issues with her but they are purely cosmetic. So, my questions are

-The antenna is broken for the radio. What would the best replacement method be? Should I go with the old saying of you get what you pay for or could I save some money here?

-The wheels have some wear and tear on them, little surface rust and look pretty rough. What methods would y'all go about cleaning them up? I was thinking grabbing some steel wool, sand paper, and some spray can paint and prettying them up a little bit.

Last but not least here she is--

 

[masphx]

Great looking truck you have there.

Antenna - Tacoma Whip mod is your answer here. You could also just leave it but disconnect the motor. Then move it up or down manually depending on your needs (this is what I do).

Rims, there are a few DIY painting rim threads. Check them out. Yo can go what ever color you like (like black for example).

Mason

 

[SantaCruzRunner]

Ive done both of these mods, both easy and effective! let me know if you have any questions!

 

[Hepar]

You can replace the mast too if you want. I like having the auto antenna, so I just replaced mine. Not sure if your local Toyota dealership does the same, but mine will match any price, so I just found the lowest price online and showed them. Think it ended up being around $30.

The wheels can be cleaned up, but I'd look into some other options. There are quite a few stock wheels that look a lot better. The Tundra split spokes and the 4Runner 5-stars are two crowd favorites.

 

[rva]

I have been looking at other wheels, I just think for now I will clean mine up just for costs sake. Once I get more spending money I am looking for a new set. Any ideas on what paint colors would look good with the black? I am not completely sold on the blacked out look, although I think the amount of chrome on my truck would offset it. Thoughts? Im between black, gunmetal grey, and silver.

 

[Hepar]

I have been looking at other wheels, I just think for now I will clean mine up just for costs sake. Once I get more spending money I am looking for a new set. Any ideas on what paint colors would look good with the black? I am not completely sold on the blacked out look, although I think the amount of chrome on my truck would offset it. Thoughts? Im between black, gunmetal grey, and silver.

I think any of those choices will look good on it. The area you really want to take your time is in the prep. After that, if you decide to change color, it's not that big of a deal. I'd prep them all and then paint one silver and one gunmetal. Put it up next to the Runner and see which one you like better.

 

[rva]

So a depressing update. Radiator Hose blew off and I am sitting in a diner down interstate 85 with the pops. The engine is hot so we are letting it cool and are going to add more coolant to the system once it cools. Anyone got anymore suggestions for me? The check engine light popped on and then we reattached the hose and it went off but isn't running too well. Could it be the coolant that sprayed or would you say it's just too hot? Any quick reply would be great with some help.

 

[4Real]

My radiator top hose blew, ended up being clogged radiator. Replaced radiator and remedied the problem.

 

[Jbird123]

Here's a nice thread on the antenna:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classic-t4rs/8838-power-antenna-fix-pics.html

 

[rva]

Something you always hate to see. I hope she can be up and running soon, I already miss driving her. Now I have to fetch rides and drive an automatic all week... Not too happy right now. I jokingly (in his mind) told my pops I should toss a ls6 in there if the engine is toasted.

 

[rva]

So, it turns out the head is cracked. Engine overheated and cracked the head so it is off to be rebuilt. Got a quote from the place I originally took it to for $4000, and thought that was a little excessive. Talked to the previous owner (a good friend who felt really bad about it since I purchased it in February) and he talked to his mechanic. He gave me a quote for $1660 for the rebuilding of the head, new timing belt, new water pump, and a transmission flush. Hopefully I will be able to drive my baby sometime soon, its been a weekend and I already miss it.

 

[PitbullRescuer]

Damn man, shame you're not closer. I am rebuilding a set of heads now for a 5VZ.

$1660 is a pretty good price though considering it includes the labor. A word of advice though, have the other head rebuilt at the same time.

 

[rva]

I will absolutely look into rebuilding the set of them, but it will come down to a budget thing and I know that it will be preventative maintenance but I will just have to talk to the guy at the shop and see cost wise what the pricing would be.

 

[02SE]

If it overheated, which in turn cracked the head, you (or the Mechanic) need to determine why it overheated in the first place. Otherwise it could be a recurring issue.

Good luck.

 

[rva]

That was a question I had as well, my radiator hose blew off. Could that be because of a clogged portion or maybe because it was just loose and the pressure caused it to fall off?

 

[the great him]

it could be something just as simple as a lose hose clamp and it just blew off and dumped out all of your coolant and you didnt notice it intime... have the mechanic do a pressure test of your cooling system.

 

[02SE]

Yes, it could overheat due to a blockage in the cooling system. Or if a hose came loose causing a loss of coolant.

Or a thermostat that was stuck closed. A water pump that had failed. A bad fan clutch, etc.

There are numerous possibilities. But the cause should be determined, so it doesn't happen again.

 

[rva]

Alright, thanks for the input y'all. I will definently have him check it out when it is in there just to make sure it is all working in order. At this point I am just praying the thing was loose and that is what caused it, I guess I am just hoping to limit the things going wrong in my mind.