Harkco's Build

[aelarson]

You and me both. I was at the shop that did my suspension and we were talking about the added weight of all the mods and aluminum is the way to go. With the winch you’re looking at around 120-140 off added weight. 40 for my rack and another bit for the ladder and it starts to add up.

Maybe we could try and get a group by or something [MENTION=147480]aelarson[/MENTION]. Any specific bumper you had in mind?

An aluminum CBI front bumper would be amazing. Unfortunately, I am going to focus my efforts towards sliders, rear storage drawers, and some other goodies at the moment. So the cash flow isn’t going to be there right now, and a bumper is purely for aesthetics and deer protection at this point. No “real” need for the front bumper at this point and time. I’ll let you know when I decide to pull the trigger on that later down the road!

 

[harkco]

Lost my other 30 inch E-Series to the Harvey Flood (apparently Rigid light bars cannot be submerged in a flooded storage unit for 7 days and still operate), so I decided to try the new midnight edition. Just trying to decide on fog replacements and save a little more $ for my winch before mounting the new CBI bumper.

 

[Valkyrie_4Runner]

That's awesome!! I'm hopefully going to be getting a lift kit for mine after I find a new transmission!

 

[harkco]

 

[harkco]

Had a chance to mount my [MENTION=87816]Baja Designs[/MENTION] Squadron Pro Fogs in my new CBI bumper. Also used their 4Runner pocket kit to get a nice flush fit.

Now just need to decide on a winch and have some free time to mount everything up.

 

[harkco]

Had a full free weekend to spend in the garage installing my new CBI 2014+ aluminum bumper.

Fit and finish are great. Install was straightforward for the most part. Figuring out how and what to do with the fender liners took a little bit of brainstorming, but I think they turned out well. I also purchased their washer bottle skid, which is very nice and provides somewhere else to relocate some of the fender liner.

The only advice I could offer anyone else doing a bumper install that involves cutting the OEM bumper, would be to purchase a laser level. I bought one from Amazon for about $40. It made lining up and cutting everything so much easier and precise (and I also had basically no instructions from CBI).

Only thing missing from the pics is the front winch plate, which I didn't have a chance to put on until this morning. I was hoping to have a winch prior to installing, but Christmas took its toll on my play money. Hopefully by summertime.

 

[harkco]

More pics...

 

[harkco]

More pics...

 

[BillLee]

Great looking truck, Love that new bumper! I'm in the houston area as well. (east downtown) hope to see you around.

 

[harkco]

A few more photos now that my bumper is all complete. Up next is a BMC - hopefully this week.

 

[munkel]

rig is looking great! does the pocket kit still allow you to aim the lights?
thanks!

Had a chance to mount my [MENTION=87816]Baja Designs[/MENTION] Squadron Pro Fogs in my new CBI bumper. Also used their 4Runner pocket kit to get a nice flush fit.

Now just need to decide on a winch and have some free time to mount everything up.

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[harkco]

Yes. There is still plenty of wiggle room to aim the lights.

 

[munkel]

Thanks, did you use the other pieces in the kit or just the filler ring thing?

Yes. There is still plenty of wiggle room to aim the lights.

 

[harkco]

I only used the filler trim pieces since it was going in an aftermarket bumper. I also bought the connectors so they would plug into the factory wiring. Very easy and clean setup. I’ll try to post some up close pics from the front later today.

 

[harkco]

Here you go..

 

[DeepSea]

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)

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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....

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So many wonderful memories would be made in this 4Runner.....

Meeting my wife:

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Buying our first house:

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Adopting our first dog:

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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):

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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....

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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

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More to come. I hope you enjoy...

A few more photos now that my bumper is all complete. Up next is a BMC - hopefully this week.

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Great story and solid build! I have a similar love affair after my 1st snowboarding/offroad trip (1993) riding in the back of my girlfriend's brothers 1st gen. Shortly after that I bought my 1st one, a 1984 with the bulletproof 22R motor. Sold it a couple years later with 265k miles on its original motor, tranny, etc.

From then: 88' standard cab, 90' 4R, 97' LC, 07' FJC, 12' Taco and now my 4R

 

[harkco]

Thanks [MENTION=102398]DeepSea[/MENTION]. Yes - 4Runners just tend to become like family members. My wife always teases that they are like the son I never had. I have finally convinced my daughters that are they trucks, not SUVs.

 

[harkco]

A few quick updates. Finally got around to doing my BMC.



Then did some trimming and moved up a tire size to Nitto RG 285/75/70. So far I am liking the size a lot and not really noticing any decline on acceleration or shifting. Went to my alignment guru after swapping out the tires as well, and everything is driving perfectly. On a side note I will be listing my almost new, slightly used Nitto RG 285/70/17s for sale here sometime in the next few days if anyone is interested.









Installed my front camera and anytime backup camera wiring harness to my switch pro. Just have to clean up some connections under the hood.





Then went skydiving with my dog.



Ok - not me or my dog, but a pretty freaking cool picture.

 

[aelarson]

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As always, great looking 4Runner! That tire/rim combination makes those tires look MASSIVE (They are 285's, so I suppose they are pretty big to begin with) Nevertheless, very cool!

 

[TE!]

Great story and build! What did you do with your spare after going to 285/75's?