magnumxix
New member
Hi just joined up on T4r and decided to start up a build thread.
A little back history on my little big white panda...
I bought it one year ago almost exactly with 183k
She is a 97 White Limited.
I found her while checking out garage sales, she was in BAD(kinda) shape.
She was brown not white, at 15 feet she looked like she was light brown from the factory. Wheels were black from brake dust, hitch was rusted to hell, dents in bumpers, shredded tires, would not start etc etc. She had been sitting for a year or two.
I bought it for $1000, my father came down and we got it started and I towed Him in his denali xl.
I was surprised that this brown brick could tow that big denali, he never had to give it any gas... Needless to say I was starting to think this was not a total loss.
Grabbed new wheels/tires from broadway & 44th (denver) (I think that is 4runner hell, so many 4runners in such a small place there were 5 3rd gens parting within 3 blocks)
Washed her so many times it was not even funny, spent days just washing her.
Cleaned out interior, new fluids, tires, lights, brakes etc. I had to rewire the stereo to get that working again, redid some other failed wiring attempts.
Here is how she is sitting today.. (no before pics, sorry)
(I changed out my bumper with an sr5 bumper which has no dents, so these pictures are a little outdated)
(new old bumper + removing, cleaning, painting skidplates + towbar restoration)
The only things wrong with her, which you CANT see in the photo's are the backleft fenderplastics are gouged I think someone vaulted and lost against her. And the rear bumper, I really only need the right section, but it is rusting a bit so I might aswell get a new one.
Leather front seats are torn to shreds, just the butt. slight stitch fail on the driver side. headlining looks not nice. Tarp cover for trunk area is busted up. rusting on the little shrouds below the lights, dented hood, dent on back trunk.
(If anyone has anything for her I would be happy to talk to you (pm me))
Hit up the junkyard today and picked up a new a/c control cover mine was destroyed (someone got mad and attacked it with a screwdriver, ac cover won) And cupholder (sister borrowed car for her last time that day)
Oh and I picked up a Brush gaurd today.. Did toyota ever make a brushgaurd for this? I think it has a toyota serial sticker, im not sure though as its really faded.
(note the nice bent bar, Someone used it to pull something.. stupid people it has a tow hook for a reason.) (ill fix it dont you all worry)
Oh and that all cost me $33
Total spent on her to this day (that I can remember)
Her herself: $1000
Plugs+brakes+suspension+lights+misc:$400
Oil changes + additives + etc fluids:$200
New Tires:$308
Brush guard + misc stuff:$33
Total:$1941
(not bad eh? I wish I had before pictures she was a mess, And I got the sr5 bumper for free)
I'll give you guys updated pictures and pictures of the brushguard restoration.
(does anyone know who did the led light mod and listed each led model? I seem to have lost it from my bookmarks, and search isint helping me)
Small list of misc other things I have done
new stereo + wiring no cap just off of battery. (jbl 4x50w rms amp under driver seat,alpine sub amp with sub in back, sub 15" in my awesome box 30hz - 400hz pretty well balanced, curves off at 15hz is not "punchy" kicks hard, downfiring)
I like my music to be balanced not "power + bass + bass = loudness and girls" but my system can get pretty loud (around 120db it hurts my ears @ 90% with the windows rolled up)
Belkin F8Z492TTP bluetooth audio reciever into the dash (and modded for range 35-50 feet range outside of vehicle, crystaline clear audio)
I'm planning to do led mods, maybe to taillights and possibly running leds on the brushgaurd. def led mod the top brake light (its dead atm)
**Edit #47** www.ashtonswanson.com/4runner
Here is a gallery of my build, currently no "build" photo's
A little back history on my little big white panda...
I bought it one year ago almost exactly with 183k
She is a 97 White Limited.
I found her while checking out garage sales, she was in BAD(kinda) shape.
She was brown not white, at 15 feet she looked like she was light brown from the factory. Wheels were black from brake dust, hitch was rusted to hell, dents in bumpers, shredded tires, would not start etc etc. She had been sitting for a year or two.
I bought it for $1000, my father came down and we got it started and I towed Him in his denali xl.
I was surprised that this brown brick could tow that big denali, he never had to give it any gas... Needless to say I was starting to think this was not a total loss.
Grabbed new wheels/tires from broadway & 44th (denver) (I think that is 4runner hell, so many 4runners in such a small place there were 5 3rd gens parting within 3 blocks)
Washed her so many times it was not even funny, spent days just washing her.
Cleaned out interior, new fluids, tires, lights, brakes etc. I had to rewire the stereo to get that working again, redid some other failed wiring attempts.
Here is how she is sitting today.. (no before pics, sorry)
(I changed out my bumper with an sr5 bumper which has no dents, so these pictures are a little outdated)
(new old bumper + removing, cleaning, painting skidplates + towbar restoration)
The only things wrong with her, which you CANT see in the photo's are the backleft fenderplastics are gouged I think someone vaulted and lost against her. And the rear bumper, I really only need the right section, but it is rusting a bit so I might aswell get a new one.
Leather front seats are torn to shreds, just the butt. slight stitch fail on the driver side. headlining looks not nice. Tarp cover for trunk area is busted up. rusting on the little shrouds below the lights, dented hood, dent on back trunk.
(If anyone has anything for her I would be happy to talk to you (pm me))
Hit up the junkyard today and picked up a new a/c control cover mine was destroyed (someone got mad and attacked it with a screwdriver, ac cover won) And cupholder (sister borrowed car for her last time that day)
Oh and I picked up a Brush gaurd today.. Did toyota ever make a brushgaurd for this? I think it has a toyota serial sticker, im not sure though as its really faded.
(note the nice bent bar, Someone used it to pull something.. stupid people it has a tow hook for a reason.) (ill fix it dont you all worry)
Oh and that all cost me $33
Total spent on her to this day (that I can remember)
Her herself: $1000
Plugs+brakes+suspension+lights+misc:$400
Oil changes + additives + etc fluids:$200
New Tires:$308
Brush guard + misc stuff:$33
Total:$1941
(not bad eh? I wish I had before pictures she was a mess, And I got the sr5 bumper for free)
I'll give you guys updated pictures and pictures of the brushguard restoration.
(does anyone know who did the led light mod and listed each led model? I seem to have lost it from my bookmarks, and search isint helping me)
Small list of misc other things I have done
new stereo + wiring no cap just off of battery. (jbl 4x50w rms amp under driver seat,alpine sub amp with sub in back, sub 15" in my awesome box 30hz - 400hz pretty well balanced, curves off at 15hz is not "punchy" kicks hard, downfiring)
I like my music to be balanced not "power + bass + bass = loudness and girls" but my system can get pretty loud (around 120db it hurts my ears @ 90% with the windows rolled up)
Belkin F8Z492TTP bluetooth audio reciever into the dash (and modded for range 35-50 feet range outside of vehicle, crystaline clear audio)
I'm planning to do led mods, maybe to taillights and possibly running leds on the brushgaurd. def led mod the top brake light (its dead atm)
**Edit #47** www.ashtonswanson.com/4runner
Here is a gallery of my build, currently no "build" photo's
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along with any other "issues" the original owners lost the remote key and the original key + key I had made is worn to the point of me having to punch the door and turn at the same time. (I have to do a similiar trick with the ignition, good thing the airbags dont initiate untill the vehicle is running 
I love it to death, it's awesome and the bst plate bumper out there, in my opinion 
I want to break 24 but I think that's impossible.
and my girlfriend was complaining about me looking at vehicles that I didint own 
