Just Another Broke College Student's Mod Thread/ WTB List (NC State)

Oh yea that was still a good deal. I have found some on ebay for a good price but they werent oem. Im scared if I opt for a cheaper set then they will allow condensation to get inside.



That orange is hideous.... A couple of the colors toyota has released the past couple years have been questionable at best. Have you seen the quicksand?



And I thought the interior of my '03 was an upgrade from a 2000 Silverado... I really would have been in heaven with all that.


Orange is not my favorite, but it's still a2016 Taco. So the baby poop color is named Quicksand? Hmmmm.....

The Yeah, leather makes a huge difference in the feel of the cabin. Think I'd prob upgrade any car I purchased to leather if it did t have it already

I like how your lift turned out
 
Orange is not my favorite, but it's still a2016 Taco. So the baby poop color is named Quicksand? Hmmmm.....

The Yeah, leather makes a huge difference in the feel of the cabin. Think I'd prob upgrade any car I purchased to leather if it did t have it already

I like how your lift turned out

Thanks man I am pretty happy with the results.

After checking out the grill I thought I got for a good price, all but two of the pieces used to connect to the hood are broken off... :ybrick: so I am not sure if I will even be able to use it.
 
Came down to Carolina Beach, NC with some friends and the 4Runner did great in the sand. There was only one time when I thought I might get stuck but didnt. Also saw a few 3rd and 5th Gen's while I was out there but didn't get a chance to take a picture. I even got the chance to pull a Not-So-Grand Cherokee out of the sand, which was pretty rewarding.

As far as an update with mods goes, I haven't really had the chance to get much done. With midterms and spring break I have been pretty busy but will hopefully get some things going again soon. I have been working on cutting up the '06 grill I bought and will be finishing that soon, along with the '06 headlights.
 

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Forgot to mention I put some window visors on but am not very happy with the results. I ended up going with the stick-on kind instead of in channel because I read online that a lot of people had issues with the window not going all the way up. The stick-on kind looks really bulky and is not what I was going for.

I have also ordered all of the parts I will need to complete the front end facelift. If all goes well I will be able to get the grill and headlights finished this upcoming week. I'm looking into a way to add the 'Raptor Style' Amber LED bulbs into the grill. I saw that @TiN added these to his satoshi grill and I really liked how it looked. Luckily I was able to find a Land Cruiser 7x series emblem on CruiserParts.net for $32.99. This may not sound very cheap but everywhere else I found them was asking $75 a piece.

Last but not least I ordered a set of @TiN's LED work light mounts that fit into the rear reflector housing. This seems like it is going to be somewhat time consuming so I'm not sure when I will get around to installing them. If you haven't checked out @TiN's build thread or his 3D printed projects he does, I strongly recommend you do so. The ideas he comes up with always amazes me.
 
I know this may not be the most exciting update... but I found a few things at the flea market this weekend! I go every weekend to look for old advertising and signs but NEVER find anything for my truck.

The first find was a vintage "Coleman Inflate-All", which is a portable air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It also came with a cigarette plug-in adapter that hooks up to the battery. I picked this bad boy up for $3 and plan on putting it in my 'tool bin' I am putting together to keep in the back of my truck.
Air_Compressor_4Runner.jpg

The second find was a vintage tripod bumper jack. Or at least I think that's what it is called... I'm not sure how useful this thing is going to be but I picked it up for $10, and I've wasted $10 on a lot worse things. If you know anything about these things I would appreciate the info.
Tripod_Jack_4Runner.jpg

The third and last find was a huge box full of wiring. This may not seem too exciting but I have a few projects that required some wire and this will end up saving me some money. I got the entire box for $2 and I was about to order 10 ft of wire at 45 cents per foot the other night so I have already got my money back!
 

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I was at the flea market today and picked up a funnel cake and that was about it. Any hints for driving on our beaches I may take a trip this week
 
I was at the flea market today and picked up a funnel cake and that was about it. Any hints for driving on our beaches I may take a trip this week

Haha that funnel cake was a good find!

Im no expert but one thing I have found is that you need to keep your wheels moving. I havent needed to let air out of my tires or shift into 4Lo but I guess you could do either if needed.
 
Wanted to give an update since it had been a little while since I posted. I have been slowly receiving parts needed to complete the '06-'09 Facelift and satoshi grill. I ended up going with HID's instead of LED headlights, so hopefully I won't regret it. I'm debating on whether I want to open up the housing and paint it black or just leave it as is. I really like the look of the blacked out housings but I am worried this will cause me to lose the seal.

I also got a set of @TiN's LED mounts that fit in the rear reflector housing, which I am extremely excited about. These are great quality and he got them to me very quickly. Hopefully, I will be able to work on the satoshi after class some this week and put on the grill and headlights this weekend.

A buddy and I are both looking to get a set of Sliders soon, and I wanted to ask you guys what brand you recommended.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures I got while at the beach this weekend.

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4runner_beach2.jpg

4runner_suspension.jpg
 

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Hey dude! I'm digging how your 4Runner's looking so far. I was in the same mindset as you and just ordered a set of RCI Metalworks sliders last week. Should be here in a few weeks. I've always heard good things about them and I am very happy with the skids I have from them. They took a few beatings and have held up well. I opted for the top diamond plate and stuff, and although they are not cheap, I think it will be well worth it. I know you're on a college budget (me too!) but I saved up just for them and I don't regret it whatsoever.

I am curious about the reverse LEDs you picked up. Seriously considering getting a set for myself. How are you going to wire them? Directly to the reverse lights, or are you going to run them via a switch?
 
Hey dude! I'm digging how your 4Runner's looking so far. I was in the same mindset as you and just ordered a set of RCI Metalworks sliders last week. Should be here in a few weeks. I've always heard good things about them and I am very happy with the skids I have from them. They took a few beatings and have held up well. I opted for the top diamond plate and stuff, and although they are not cheap, I think it will be well worth it. I know you're on a college budget (me too!) but I saved up just for them and I don't regret it whatsoever.

I am curious about the reverse LEDs you picked up. Seriously considering getting a set for myself. How are you going to wire them? Directly to the reverse lights, or are you going to run them via a switch?


Thanks for the recommendation! I really like metalwork's stuff! A buddy of mine and I are hoping to get a group together to buy some SOS sliders. They are custom built by a guy in Charleston. After I finish the mods I have in the works now I will probably put a hold on the cosmetic stuff until I get skids, sliders and a body lift.

As far as the lights go, I was thinking that I wanted them wired to come on with my reverse lights, but I want to be able to turn them on when sitting idle as well. My plan right now is to wire them to a switch so I can use them without being in reverse. I havent gotten the LEDs yet so it will probably be a little while before I get them installed. Im coming up on the end of my semester so hopefully will have some free time to get some stuff done soon.
 
Nice to see some NC 4Runners on here... Sorry to jack the post, but go Pirates!!! I just got my '06 and my brother has an '07 in North Raleigh. Our family has a house down at Carolina Beach too, will have to meet up sometime I love camping on the North End.
 
great work on the truck and solid plans. raleigh is an awesome area. have family there and almost took a job there a couple of years back. state is a great school, many friends and several family members went to school there.

to help ease your mind on your headlights, i went with 4600k HIDs (supposedly more of an OEM color) in my 08 and could not be happier with them. you will likely have to reach a finger in and push the squirrel finder down to improve the cut off. if you search the forum, you can find more about it. with the lift, i'd encourage you to crank the lights down a bit. there is an adjustment screw on the back of the headlight assembly that will adjust the height. if you don't, you WILL piss off most vehicles coming your way or in front of you. be ready for some high beam flashes and people getting behind you and turning their brights on!

a mod i'm looking into is figuring out how to tie the map lights into the door lights. there just is not enough light up front when the doors are open in my opinion. since tinting my windows, 5 years ago, i've struggled with low light in reverse. might get around to doing something about that, too! ha.

i started my 4runner spree with a first gen 88 V6 5 speed. dad bought it new in 88 and passed it to my brother and then me. we beat that poor thing pretty hard. it would damn near go anywhere though. great truck with a "made in japan" badge under the hood. unfortunately i was in an accident with it on an early, dreary summer NC morning. ran into another vehicle with no lights on. it had 250k on it if i recall. moved on to a second gen 94 V6 5 speed. drove that truck 6 years before trading it in. i think it had 220k on it when i let it go. was happy to be buying my first new car, but was surprisingly sad pulling away from it for the last time.
[MENTION=144953]trailsurfer92[/MENTION]...hell yeah g-vegas! lived there my first 16 years before a large company left the area and moved us north.
 
[MENTION=144953]trailsurfer92[/MENTION]...hell yeah g-vegas! lived there my first 16 years before a large company left the area and moved us north.

That's awesome! Lol I am kind of surprised by the NC 4Runner presence on here. Seems like the vast majority is out west, but I'm excited finding out some other cool rigs in the area.
 
not to continue the hijack, but there's another guy on here in greenville with a sweet white runner

Hahaha, Go Wolfpack!! Glad to know there are some fellow members in the area. You, [MENTION=51222]anotherrunner83[/MENTION], and I should definitely try to meet up sometime. Are you guys members of the Carolina 4Runners club by chance? Great group of people! Look them up on Facebook if you haven't yet.
 
Been a while since I've been on here so I figured I would give an update.

I recently got an ARB 2500 Awning and have a CBI front bumper on order, so it will be a completely different looking truck soon.

Also will be purchasing some new springs to handle the added weight from the bumper so let me know if you have any recommendations.
 
Been a while since I've been on here so I figured I would give an update.



I recently got an ARB 2500 Awning and have a CBI front bumper on order, so it will be a completely different looking truck soon.



Also will be purchasing some new springs to handle the added weight from the bumper so let me know if you have any recommendations.



If you've got a V8 the OME 886's are good. I personally think they sit higher than the 3-3.25 inches I expected but I'm all for more lift. I'm sitting around 4" in the front. The 885's would be good for a V6


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If you've got a V8 the OME 886's are good. I personally think they sit higher than the 3-3.25 inches I expected but I'm all for more lift. I'm sitting around 4" in the front. The 885's would be good for a V6


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Yea, I've got the V8. Do you have the 886's? If so, what shocks do you have and do you have a front bumper? Would love to see some pics so I have an idea of what to expect.

Honestly, I have been slightly disappointed with the 5100 setup so far. The ride is definitely not as good as I was expecting when I purchased them, but they aren't too expensive so I can't complain much. I'm hoping that the ride and look will dramatically improve when I switch from OEM coils to aftermarket.
 

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