harkco
New member
Here goes my attempt at a build thread. First, a little history.....
For whatever reason I have always had a love for 4Runners. As a kid, my best friend's father came home one day in a brand new first gen - it was sometime in the early/mid 1980s. I don't know why - but I thought it was the coolest freaking vehicle on the planet. By the age of 13, my friend and I were routinely sneaking it out of his father's house - always up to no good, but always having a blast.
My first 4Runner..... It was gold, but hey, it was a 4Runner.... (I'm the dork on the right - but how about my Dad's specs - classic)
This vehicle got me through college and into my professional life. It was sadly traded in for a BMW which I drove for a total of one week. I distinctly remember buying an ironing board for my new apartment one day and was unable to get it into the BMW. I felt disgusted. What had I done. I went back to the dealer with the intent of getting my beloved 2nd gen back - but it was gone :sobbing:
In a state of depression, I traded the BMW for a Land Rover Discovery. This was a lateral move to say the least. I have never owned a vehicle that required so much maintenance and repair. After 6 months, I had had enough. I found a nice 4th gen that was a dealer loaner - it was the absolute most I could afford - and pulled the trigger. It felt wonderful being back in a 4runner. I swore at that point that my allegiance would never again waiver.
My 4th gen....
So many wonderful memories would be made in this 4Runner.....
Meeting my wife:
Buying our first house:
Adopting our first dog:
Bringing my first daughter home from the hospital (who had insanely long fingernails at birth and was always scratching the crap out of her face):
Nearly two hundred thousand miles later I was at a point in my life where I could financially afford the vehicle of my dreams. A fully loaded TEP with KDSS. Living in Texas, however, this would prove to be a huge pain in the butt to obtain. As I would quickly come to learn, Gulf Coast Toyota, for whatever reason, does not order any 4runners with KDSS. My search quickly moved out of state to Arizona where I found the 4runner I wanted. I pulled the trigger and had it freighted to the great state of Texas....
And so begins my build thread. I have followed T4R.org for many years, but finally got tired of lurking. This build will be slow, but steady. With two young daughters and a wife in constant overdrive, my time is limited to late evenings and the occasional weekend.
October 2013
More to come. I hope you enjoy...
For whatever reason I have always had a love for 4Runners. As a kid, my best friend's father came home one day in a brand new first gen - it was sometime in the early/mid 1980s. I don't know why - but I thought it was the coolest freaking vehicle on the planet. By the age of 13, my friend and I were routinely sneaking it out of his father's house - always up to no good, but always having a blast.
My first 4Runner..... It was gold, but hey, it was a 4Runner.... (I'm the dork on the right - but how about my Dad's specs - classic)
This vehicle got me through college and into my professional life. It was sadly traded in for a BMW which I drove for a total of one week. I distinctly remember buying an ironing board for my new apartment one day and was unable to get it into the BMW. I felt disgusted. What had I done. I went back to the dealer with the intent of getting my beloved 2nd gen back - but it was gone :sobbing:
In a state of depression, I traded the BMW for a Land Rover Discovery. This was a lateral move to say the least. I have never owned a vehicle that required so much maintenance and repair. After 6 months, I had had enough. I found a nice 4th gen that was a dealer loaner - it was the absolute most I could afford - and pulled the trigger. It felt wonderful being back in a 4runner. I swore at that point that my allegiance would never again waiver.
My 4th gen....
So many wonderful memories would be made in this 4Runner.....
Meeting my wife:
Buying our first house:
Adopting our first dog:
Bringing my first daughter home from the hospital (who had insanely long fingernails at birth and was always scratching the crap out of her face):
Nearly two hundred thousand miles later I was at a point in my life where I could financially afford the vehicle of my dreams. A fully loaded TEP with KDSS. Living in Texas, however, this would prove to be a huge pain in the butt to obtain. As I would quickly come to learn, Gulf Coast Toyota, for whatever reason, does not order any 4runners with KDSS. My search quickly moved out of state to Arizona where I found the 4runner I wanted. I pulled the trigger and had it freighted to the great state of Texas....
And so begins my build thread. I have followed T4R.org for many years, but finally got tired of lurking. This build will be slow, but steady. With two young daughters and a wife in constant overdrive, my time is limited to late evenings and the occasional weekend.
October 2013
More to come. I hope you enjoy...
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