Hello, gents. New here w/a black/burgundy 1987 22RE auto.
- Thread starter flagbasher
- Start date
flagbasher
New member
Well, I got the cap in, but it wasn't without some trouble.
I was dumb and didn't check the vent size before mounting the dash cap, and the vents didn't fit through the holes. I ended up filing down the sides of the vents and rounding the edges so I could pop them through. Then I had to wet sand the areas I scraped, and I had to paint them again.
My recommendation would be to remove your vents, clean them, paint them properly (lightly), install them in the dash just before you mount the dash cap, then don't bother putting in the rightmost bolt for the dash cap that's behind the passenger vent. I absolutely destroyed my red vent getting it out to get to that bolt... and you don't really need it there in the first place. All 3 vents, painted, in your crappy dash before you even glue the cap on. Then paint the cap.
I put in the center vents first, then tried to mount the corner vent when it was in the truck, and it hasn't quite gone in all the way. I'll probably revisit that later.
Here are the center vents after I filed them, jammed them in, and repaired the damage.
The dash cap wraps under, and stops before the screws. There's technically a seam, but you won't really see it.
This is probably the area with the worst finish. Past the cap in the corner, there is some vinyl that had flaked out. It doesn't really show much though.
Tiny gap between the cluster trim and the dash. Makes sense really. The original fit to the vinyl cap is tight. I can't imagine how they would ever replicate that.
Overall view. The passenger vent isn't popped in all the way. I'll probably get fussy and address that later, but it was so nasty out today that I didn't want to deal with it.
This is the worst of it. The clinometer cover, even with the bottom trimmed, doesn't quite fit. My guess is that the 84-86 dash cap (which I put in) has a different clinometer cover profile than the 87-89 dash cap (which I originally had). The upside is that I'm going to put my gray dash cover back on, so you won't see it.
FWIW, I painted the red clinometer cover gray. It came out great finish-wise.
I was dumb and didn't check the vent size before mounting the dash cap, and the vents didn't fit through the holes. I ended up filing down the sides of the vents and rounding the edges so I could pop them through. Then I had to wet sand the areas I scraped, and I had to paint them again.
My recommendation would be to remove your vents, clean them, paint them properly (lightly), install them in the dash just before you mount the dash cap, then don't bother putting in the rightmost bolt for the dash cap that's behind the passenger vent. I absolutely destroyed my red vent getting it out to get to that bolt... and you don't really need it there in the first place. All 3 vents, painted, in your crappy dash before you even glue the cap on. Then paint the cap.
I put in the center vents first, then tried to mount the corner vent when it was in the truck, and it hasn't quite gone in all the way. I'll probably revisit that later.
Here are the center vents after I filed them, jammed them in, and repaired the damage.
The dash cap wraps under, and stops before the screws. There's technically a seam, but you won't really see it.
This is probably the area with the worst finish. Past the cap in the corner, there is some vinyl that had flaked out. It doesn't really show much though.
Tiny gap between the cluster trim and the dash. Makes sense really. The original fit to the vinyl cap is tight. I can't imagine how they would ever replicate that.
Overall view. The passenger vent isn't popped in all the way. I'll probably get fussy and address that later, but it was so nasty out today that I didn't want to deal with it.
This is the worst of it. The clinometer cover, even with the bottom trimmed, doesn't quite fit. My guess is that the 84-86 dash cap (which I put in) has a different clinometer cover profile than the 87-89 dash cap (which I originally had). The upside is that I'm going to put my gray dash cover back on, so you won't see it.
FWIW, I painted the red clinometer cover gray. It came out great finish-wise.
Last edited:
flagbasher
New member
They're bright, but not too bright I don't think.
There's a bit more brightness variance that the camera isn't really picking up, but not as much as standard bulbs.
Brightest.
Darkest before they cut off.
joeynational
Member
that dash cap came out nice! I like it I'll probably get one. I just need some vents mine are cracked and broke all over.
Chuckles89
New member
Man, your truck is getting better and better!
flagbasher
New member
So, some updates. I got the gray carpet in for the passenger section of the truck.
The color is really close. Here are the floor mats compared to the original tailgate. Direction changes how it picks up the light a bit.
Pulled the red carpet, and laid down some of the sound deadener.
Finished with the sound deadener in the passenger area. I'll need more to finish the bed. I'll probably do the sides and doors, too. After getting the carpet with "mass backing" and this stuff, the noise has decreased a bit.
Finished with the passenger area! Happy with the way it looks. I need to wait on the cargo area, though. I need to get the correct gray seats that have the carpet from the cargo area going up the back of the seats.
And for fun, here's the new warm white LED in the cigarette lighter fiberoptic setup. Came out pretty cool!
I also took the opportunity to clean up the console and give it a touch of paint. I also did the black for the shifter trim. I'll post more pics of that as they go in. Before and after.
The color is really close. Here are the floor mats compared to the original tailgate. Direction changes how it picks up the light a bit.
Pulled the red carpet, and laid down some of the sound deadener.
Finished with the sound deadener in the passenger area. I'll need more to finish the bed. I'll probably do the sides and doors, too. After getting the carpet with "mass backing" and this stuff, the noise has decreased a bit.
Finished with the passenger area! Happy with the way it looks. I need to wait on the cargo area, though. I need to get the correct gray seats that have the carpet from the cargo area going up the back of the seats.
And for fun, here's the new warm white LED in the cigarette lighter fiberoptic setup. Came out pretty cool!
I also took the opportunity to clean up the console and give it a touch of paint. I also did the black for the shifter trim. I'll post more pics of that as they go in. Before and after.
flagbasher
New member
A keen eye will notice that, along with the gray carpet and interior, that I also replaced the stereo head unit.
I got a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. It's sort of their entry level audiophile unit. 16 band stereo EQ, Burr-Brown D/A converters, automatic speaker time alignment, automatic EQ settings. It has bluetooth audio and phone capability (I still need to plug in the mic). It can also be set up as a low/mid/high "network" setup, which I didn't do.
But why I really bought it was for the Automatic Sound Levelizer capability. It can automatically increase the volume to compensate for road noise, which is invaluable in this truck. Constantly changing the volume was driving me nuts. It looks great, and sounds great. Very happy with it.
DEH-80PRS - CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ, and Auto Time Alignment | Pioneer Electronics USA
I backed it up with one of Pioneer's slimline GM-D1004 amplifiers. It's exactly as wide as the head unit, and outputs 45w RMS per channel. 4 channels. I did the fronts and rears with this amp. It's very small. I used some 3M Dual Lock (industrial velcro) to tape it to the back/bottom of the DEH-80PRS. It BARELY squeezed in the front stereo slot width-wise.
I had to reroute the original Toyota wiring harness that is behind the radio up higher a bit in order to get the head unit to fit depth-wise. It really was a squeeze, but it can be done if you work on the wiring harness. Basically everything leading to the automatic ECT box and all of the lighting wiring for the shifter unit had to be moved up and out of the way. With the stereo out, before being moved, the Toyota harness looked like a T going across. The bottom line of the T going down was for the automatic/ECT stuff. I rolled it up. I also had to pull out the top line of the T and lift it up above some white plastic on the left side to make room for the head unit.
Then after relocating the harness and screwing the head unit and amp combo into place (the original Toyota mounting brackets fit, BTW), you have to squeeze the input and output plugs into the GM-D1004 amp blindly (easier than it looks). It's all very tight, but fits. You won't be able to plug it all in first. You can get the wires in the back of the head unit, but not the ones too the amp.
The entire head unit/amp combo can be powered off of the original Toyota stereo harness. I got the correct Toyota adapter to start with, and soldered the Pioneer harnesses to it.
GM-D1004 - Compact Class FD 4-Channel Amplifier | Pioneer Electronics USA
The sub, however, was a bit of a different story. I used a Pioneer TS-WH500A subwoofer. For the head unit, I used the regular plug wires from the head unit to the amp, and then to the speakers. For the subwoofer, I used RCA adapters to feed the signal to the self-powered subwoofer unit. I placed the subwoofer and controls under my seat. I had to use longer rear bolts and ~3/4" metal sleeves to raise the rear of the seat up just a bit to clear the subwoofer's height.
I finally have some bass in the truck. Wow. It's not earth shattering, but compared to some 6x9s way in the back of the bed, having this under my butt is a different world. Nothing to write home about, but solid sound, IMO.
I ran the power wire and in-line fuse up through the hood pop grommet in the firewall, into the headlight harness across the front behind the radiator, and directly to the battery. It's mostly hidden. So power comes directly from the battery, audio and on/off signal from the DEH-80PRS.
TS-WH500A - 8 ¼" HVT Sealed Active Subwoofer | Pioneer Electronics USA
I used Pioneer TS-D1002R 4" speakers up front. I put some XTC shallow foam baffles behind them.
TS-D1002R - 4" 2-Way Speaker | Pioneer Electronics USA
XTC 4" Speaker Baffles (Slim-line: 2-5/8" depth) Protect your speakers at Crutchfield.com
I used Pioneer TS-D1302R 5 1/4" speakers in the rear. I plan to put some XTC shallow foam baffles behind them, too. Haven't gotten around to that just yet.
TS-D1302R - 5¼" 2-Way Speaker | Pioneer Electronics USA
XTC 5-1/4" Speaker Baffles (Slim-line: 2-1/2" depth) Protect your speakers at Crutchfield.com
The speakers have integrated tweeters, built in crossovers, and they sound great for their size.
The other thing I did was relocate the 5 1/4" speakers to the rear seat pockets so I can hear them better. A bit of work, but I'm super happy with the results.
Just some blah wood I had lying around, cut to size. It's a tight fit to leave enough to both hold the speaker, and have clearance for it to rock into place. I ended up putting a couple more washers behind the top screws to get the angle of the speakers to go straight up and down correctly.
Back side. I cut a slit in the wood to fit the divider in the cup. I also drilled a wire access hole in the back. In hindsight I would have made this a bit lower as it wants to interfere with rocking into place at this height.
A couple layers of 1/4" plywood stacked to clear the front of the speaker.
Velcro to attach the front grille I made. I ended up stapling it to both the enclosure and grille so they'd stick and not peel off.
Test fit of the grille wood after painting. 1/4" plywood.
And covered! I used some 3M spray glue to glue on some aluminum sheet to protect the hole. Then I painted it gray and used spray glue and staples to cover the grilles with fabric to make them "hidden" when installed.
And installed!
The DEH-80PRS also has auto-eq and time alignment. Seemed like a goofy unnecessary feature, but it really helped clarify and focus the sound for me. You place a mic they give you on the headrest, let it do its thing for about 5 minutes (clicks, hums, etc.), then your speakers are time aligned for how far they are from you, and it does a rough EQ. The time alignment really makes a difference. I adjusted the EQ a bit to get it punchy, but it wasn't crazy far off.
Very happy with this system.
I got a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. It's sort of their entry level audiophile unit. 16 band stereo EQ, Burr-Brown D/A converters, automatic speaker time alignment, automatic EQ settings. It has bluetooth audio and phone capability (I still need to plug in the mic). It can also be set up as a low/mid/high "network" setup, which I didn't do.
But why I really bought it was for the Automatic Sound Levelizer capability. It can automatically increase the volume to compensate for road noise, which is invaluable in this truck. Constantly changing the volume was driving me nuts. It looks great, and sounds great. Very happy with it.
DEH-80PRS - CD Receiver with 3-Way Active Crossover Network, Auto EQ, and Auto Time Alignment | Pioneer Electronics USA
I backed it up with one of Pioneer's slimline GM-D1004 amplifiers. It's exactly as wide as the head unit, and outputs 45w RMS per channel. 4 channels. I did the fronts and rears with this amp. It's very small. I used some 3M Dual Lock (industrial velcro) to tape it to the back/bottom of the DEH-80PRS. It BARELY squeezed in the front stereo slot width-wise.
I had to reroute the original Toyota wiring harness that is behind the radio up higher a bit in order to get the head unit to fit depth-wise. It really was a squeeze, but it can be done if you work on the wiring harness. Basically everything leading to the automatic ECT box and all of the lighting wiring for the shifter unit had to be moved up and out of the way. With the stereo out, before being moved, the Toyota harness looked like a T going across. The bottom line of the T going down was for the automatic/ECT stuff. I rolled it up. I also had to pull out the top line of the T and lift it up above some white plastic on the left side to make room for the head unit.
Then after relocating the harness and screwing the head unit and amp combo into place (the original Toyota mounting brackets fit, BTW), you have to squeeze the input and output plugs into the GM-D1004 amp blindly (easier than it looks). It's all very tight, but fits. You won't be able to plug it all in first. You can get the wires in the back of the head unit, but not the ones too the amp.
The entire head unit/amp combo can be powered off of the original Toyota stereo harness. I got the correct Toyota adapter to start with, and soldered the Pioneer harnesses to it.
GM-D1004 - Compact Class FD 4-Channel Amplifier | Pioneer Electronics USA
The sub, however, was a bit of a different story. I used a Pioneer TS-WH500A subwoofer. For the head unit, I used the regular plug wires from the head unit to the amp, and then to the speakers. For the subwoofer, I used RCA adapters to feed the signal to the self-powered subwoofer unit. I placed the subwoofer and controls under my seat. I had to use longer rear bolts and ~3/4" metal sleeves to raise the rear of the seat up just a bit to clear the subwoofer's height.
I finally have some bass in the truck. Wow. It's not earth shattering, but compared to some 6x9s way in the back of the bed, having this under my butt is a different world. Nothing to write home about, but solid sound, IMO.
I ran the power wire and in-line fuse up through the hood pop grommet in the firewall, into the headlight harness across the front behind the radiator, and directly to the battery. It's mostly hidden. So power comes directly from the battery, audio and on/off signal from the DEH-80PRS.
TS-WH500A - 8 ¼" HVT Sealed Active Subwoofer | Pioneer Electronics USA
I used Pioneer TS-D1002R 4" speakers up front. I put some XTC shallow foam baffles behind them.
TS-D1002R - 4" 2-Way Speaker | Pioneer Electronics USA
XTC 4" Speaker Baffles (Slim-line: 2-5/8" depth) Protect your speakers at Crutchfield.com
I used Pioneer TS-D1302R 5 1/4" speakers in the rear. I plan to put some XTC shallow foam baffles behind them, too. Haven't gotten around to that just yet.
TS-D1302R - 5¼" 2-Way Speaker | Pioneer Electronics USA
XTC 5-1/4" Speaker Baffles (Slim-line: 2-1/2" depth) Protect your speakers at Crutchfield.com
The speakers have integrated tweeters, built in crossovers, and they sound great for their size.
The other thing I did was relocate the 5 1/4" speakers to the rear seat pockets so I can hear them better. A bit of work, but I'm super happy with the results.
Just some blah wood I had lying around, cut to size. It's a tight fit to leave enough to both hold the speaker, and have clearance for it to rock into place. I ended up putting a couple more washers behind the top screws to get the angle of the speakers to go straight up and down correctly.
Back side. I cut a slit in the wood to fit the divider in the cup. I also drilled a wire access hole in the back. In hindsight I would have made this a bit lower as it wants to interfere with rocking into place at this height.
A couple layers of 1/4" plywood stacked to clear the front of the speaker.
Velcro to attach the front grille I made. I ended up stapling it to both the enclosure and grille so they'd stick and not peel off.
Test fit of the grille wood after painting. 1/4" plywood.
And covered! I used some 3M spray glue to glue on some aluminum sheet to protect the hole. Then I painted it gray and used spray glue and staples to cover the grilles with fabric to make them "hidden" when installed.
And installed!
The DEH-80PRS also has auto-eq and time alignment. Seemed like a goofy unnecessary feature, but it really helped clarify and focus the sound for me. You place a mic they give you on the headrest, let it do its thing for about 5 minutes (clicks, hums, etc.), then your speakers are time aligned for how far they are from you, and it does a rough EQ. The time alignment really makes a difference. I adjusted the EQ a bit to get it punchy, but it wasn't crazy far off.
Very happy with this system.
flagbasher
New member
Nothing at the moment.
I plan to beat some surface rust on the rear frame to death before putting a hitch on. I might do inner frame rail rust treatment all the way down just because. I've got the spray for it.
I also made some progress on stripping those aluminum SSR wheels, but I need to polish the other 3 and get new tires.
The front end is also sitting off kilter. Not sure why, but the passenger front end is a bit low.
The exhaust pipe also has a huge hole in it. I've got a replacement pipe.
I've been putting it off a bit. Our other DD got totaled and we're going through the insurance process now, my rental property is having various issues that need attending to, and we're busy mulching our own yard at the moment.
Lots of stuff in the way right now.
I should probably get started on all of this somewhat soon though.
RAD4Runner
Senior Member
Nice touch on the speakers, the carpet and I like the under-seat sub. I'm also converting as much of my interiors to black/gray.
May we see how the sub-woofer hides under the seat when seat is all the way forward and all the way front? - Thanks in advance.
May we see how the sub-woofer hides under the seat when seat is all the way forward and all the way front? - Thanks in advance.
Last edited:
flagbasher
New member
It's tucked under the driver seat. I'm honestly thinking about doing another one under the passenger seat just to get a bit more bass. I'd probably have to grind off the return spring bracket to make it happen, or raise the rear of the passenger seat even more than I did the driver.
The driver seat rear is lifted about 1/2".
All the way back. How I drive.
All the way forward.
I velcroed the controls under the front lip of the seat.
The sub is under the seat here. You can see it a little bit. I considered putting some extra gray carpet on the side of it so it disappears, but it doesn't seem to matter all that much. I didn't even bolt the thing down. I just placed it there and left it.
flagbasher
New member
Finally an update.
State inspection and old dead tires necessitated this update.
Ye olde 32" off road tires were toast.
I hurriedly finished stripping and polishing my SSR Auswuch wheels and got them mounted up.
Stripped with some standard paint stripper. Finished up any stubborn areas of remaining finish with acetone. Then polished with Griot's Garage metal polish. Ran out, then bought some Mother's metal polish locally to finish up. Cleaned with water, dried, then cleaned with lacquer thinner, dried, and coated with Sharkhide Metal Protectant.
Back to OEM tire size. Kumho Solus 225/75 R15.
Lug nuts are those conical shaped Sickspeed aluminum lugs with caps from eBay.
Got a Toyota 3 spoke alloy as a spare, too.
I can already feel the difference in acceleration, especially considering I've now got a manual trans with auto trans differential gearing.
Inspection also necessitated getting my tailpipe with holes fixed... and I got a new muffler in the process. I already had the pipe ready to go from Rock Auto. The muffler was a surprise to me, so the shop grabbed something it just had lying around.
I'm back to the stock exhaust location/drop, so I'll end up putting on the rest of the rear bumper plastic cladding.
I also picked up rear corners for the bumper. They've got SEM Trim Black in their future.
State inspection and old dead tires necessitated this update.
Ye olde 32" off road tires were toast.
I hurriedly finished stripping and polishing my SSR Auswuch wheels and got them mounted up.
Stripped with some standard paint stripper. Finished up any stubborn areas of remaining finish with acetone. Then polished with Griot's Garage metal polish. Ran out, then bought some Mother's metal polish locally to finish up. Cleaned with water, dried, then cleaned with lacquer thinner, dried, and coated with Sharkhide Metal Protectant.
Back to OEM tire size. Kumho Solus 225/75 R15.
Lug nuts are those conical shaped Sickspeed aluminum lugs with caps from eBay.
Got a Toyota 3 spoke alloy as a spare, too.
I can already feel the difference in acceleration, especially considering I've now got a manual trans with auto trans differential gearing.
Inspection also necessitated getting my tailpipe with holes fixed... and I got a new muffler in the process. I already had the pipe ready to go from Rock Auto. The muffler was a surprise to me, so the shop grabbed something it just had lying around.
I'm back to the stock exhaust location/drop, so I'll end up putting on the rest of the rear bumper plastic cladding.
I also picked up rear corners for the bumper. They've got SEM Trim Black in their future.
TonyMikeMike
New member
Thanks for posting this. I am adding a rear split seat to my 85. I have the seats, but I am struggling to find the correct latch catch. Which latch catch did you use?
fourwd1
Moderator
Welcome to T4R.org !
You may have a long wait for the OP's response.
He hasn't posted here since 2017, although he has logged in as recently as Dec 2024.
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