Kurtis T4R Build Thread

[Kurtis]

Thanks guys. I'm still waiting for Les Schwab to call and tell me they fit in an alignment today. In the mean time I picked up a tree saver, my shackles for the front bumper, and a new head unit. I still need to weld on the muffler and it's getting late.

I found another 4Runner owner when I went to pick up the tree saver and he found me a sport hood for $100. I still need to have it painted and get the insert but I can pick it up tomorrow.

 

[Kurtis]

Here's some more bumper porn for you.

 

[Ilovemy97Limited]

Bad ass Bumper man. I'm going to have to give it a shot. I'm sure getting the measurements and dimensions took a good deal of time?

 

[Kurtis]

Update:
Muffler installed...Check!
New Pioneer Head Unit installed...Check!
Alignment...Check!
Scored sport hood for cheap, installed running around town looking like a cheap import...Check!

Road Trip!

The original plan was to go do part of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR - Washington Backcountry Discovery Route) but all the forest fires really put a damper on the trip. A lot of the roads are closed right now and there is a burn ban in effect. No camp fire=no marshmellows=no fun.
Thursday the wife and I decided to take off for a few days. We left late Thursday. We headed east over the Cascades. First stop was along the Skyhomish River for a little viewing.

We have lived in Washington for 3 years and have never been past Leavenworth.

We continued on and landed in Wenatchee for the night. The smoke was so thick from the fires that it looked like fog. We weren't quite sure where we were going but knew we were going some where. Friday morning we headed north to Lake Chelan, where we found more smoke from the fires.

Yes, that is smoke. Not fog. It was 80 degrees at noon.

We continued down the mountain.

Beebe Bridge (Wife in the Passenger's Seat)

We made it to Mose's Lake where the smoke finally started to lift a little and crashed for the night. I feel really bad about the all the fires and smoke. A lot of folks are wearing masks 24hrs a day. At times it difficult to see.

Saturday we woke and went to play in the Sand Dunes!

The 4Runner did much better in the sand than I expected. I did not air down because I have yet to get OBA. A dual battery setup will come first. I just kept my momentum going and it did just fine.

We caught this picture when we stopped for lunch just before Vantage Bridge on I-90.

Smoke from the forest fires as seen from I-90.

Turns out that the new bumper is actually bug Velcro.

Summary:

1) Our rear storage system sucks.
2) The 4Runner did great on everything I asked of it.
3) Need to paint the sport hood.


With the combination of the new sport hood and the sound of the Flowmaster I feel like I am driving a sports car. And then I take off and I am reminded I am driving an SUV.
Tomorrow we are headed for the mountains for some practice shooting. Maybe more pictures then...

Kurtis

 

[hrt4me]

Kurtis, your front bumper looks really good; do you happen to have any build plans/specs to share?

 

[Kurtis]

I wish I did. We built it on the fly. No plans or prints or anything. The pictures are the only thing we have.

 

[SantaCruzRunner]

love the truck man! how do you like the flowmaster? i LOVE mine.

 

[Kurtis]

Every time I start the truck, I giggle. It sounds wonderful. I couldn't be happier. It's not too obnoxious but much better than stock.

 

[SantaCruzRunner]

Every time I start the truck, I giggle. It sounds wonderful. I couldn't be happier. It's not too obnoxious but much better than stock.

i guess im the only one that likes the drone haha

 

[Kurtis]

My wife's car has had a full exhaust for 4 years now. I'm pretty used to it by now. I really don't notice the sound above 60 anyway.

 

[SantaCruzRunner]

My wife's car has had a full exhaust for 4 years now. I'm pretty used to it by now. I really don't notice the sound above 60 anyway.

yeah i really like the 40 series. i think its the best sounding system for the 3.4. plus with the deckplate/ISR mods it sounds even better!

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

great photos in your other post! i wish we had scenery like that in flat-a$$ florida!

 

[PNWRunner]

I wish I would have known someone was in the area. I live in Woodinville but the parents live in Wenatchee and Chelan, so I make trips every time the schedule allows.
Looks like you pulled over right on the first stretch of the west side of the lake, maybe the school bus memorial? I watched the lighting storm that made the fires last weekend, and had to drive home through them a couple days later, but wow they sure have grown. My dad has the UPS route through every one of your pictures, poor guy.

Theres quite a few T4R's on the westside, you should come out to the next meet.

 

[Shibby!]

Build is coming a long very well.


That bumper is the cat's ass. Looks really good!

Keep it coming! Look forward to what comes next.

 

[rajuncajun]

Seriously, one nice front end.

Well done on the whole build. Looks good.

 

[Brilliant]

bumper looks great

 

[Kurtis]

We went out for a day of shooting and ended up driving around instead because, once again good ole' Washington State felt they need to put another gate on a gravel road. That gravel road just happened to lead to my favorite shooting spot. A-holes...

There is a lot of abandoned houses in the area because the road was washed out by the river. We found this abandoned house that people have started destroying.

What's left of the road.

Little bit of flexing

I ordered the parts for the hood insert and I will pick them up on Wednesday. I found somebody to paint my sport hood too. $250 Cash. Hoping to have it done before the weekend is over. I also order a new clutch. The current one is getting old and has seen better days. Should get the clutch by next Monday. I went with an OEM Aisin.


Kurtis

 

[GSPRunner]

Truck is coming along nice. Yes, we need to get a PNW meet going. I REALLY want to go on that trail, at least between Packwood and Ellensburg.

 

[curtperry]

That's a badass looking bumper, good build you have going here. I think I passed you on HWY 9 a couple weeks ago - saw one with a custom bumper like yours that turned my head around.

Funny coincidence- Last weekend the fires also made me change plans from driving part of the backcountry discovery route (slide ridge road). Ended up camping at Lake Wenatchee instead.


GSPRunner: I agree we should have a PNW meet here. There's some really nice rigs in the area and a lot of us are concentrated in Snohomish county it seems.

 

[Kurtis]

I am down. Hopefully I will be home for it. My current line of work requires me to be gone a lot.