pavelvoivoda
Member
Hey guys,
Sharing the latest mods done to my 4Runner. One is not new stuff, the other - a total mind bend!
Since it's a pandemic here too, and I have plenty of stuff to do home, I decided that for every 6 hours working on the house, I must do 1 hour of work on the "bug-out Runner"... if all hell breaks loose, it will be the VOC.
The mod was (since I plan on putting a rear bumper with swing out) a rear tail gate from Hilux Surf. One lucky morgue guy happen to have a dead one in the yard, and lots of organs still up for grabs. Apparently, I happen to be the only patient during these pandemic few months, and happen to suffer from a bent, cracked up, worn down, rusted rear tail gate, and lucky me, I called at the right time!
Here is what is looked like before bleeching it in my Ethiopian UN 4runner color.
I stripped it down of all the hardware and mailed to next door to the paint guys, and 3 days later...
The rear spoiler has a much wider stop LED light. I really shines back compared to the original lamp.
Here is a pic of the spoiler on pegs on the roof baking under the scorching sun. I rough and water sanded and used glossy spray paint.
It took about 10 minutes to dry and went working on the tailgate.
I had to replace all the good stuff from both gates, although my old one, had almost nothing to be reused.
I paid about 170 dollars shipped to my house across country, and about 115 for paint. Also the paint cans were about $10, and maybe a day's work to install everything in the new one.
I used my original wiring and had to relocate two plugs on it for the plate light and window master switch on the key lock, because the key lock and light are located on the black bezel above the license plate.
I unwelded the chrome plastic Hilux Surf emblem on that bezel and maybe will place my original 4Runner one right above it, painted black. Pics soon.
-------------------------------------
For the second mod...
I had the idea long ago, but there wasn't any decent enough pandemics, to offset my mind from trying to survive everyday under the lower standard of living here, and start to loose my sanity at home.
At one point, I ran out of space for switches in the cabin! I remembered the bezel above the shift levers on an automatic, was different and was more plastic and less soft leather ergonomics. I saw someone here, who added a switch on it, and figured that I can maybe add lots of more switches.
Got the bezel from a dead unicorn in a different morgue this time. It was probably the only one in the whole country with one.
It fit where it should, but the shift lever couldn't shift into all front gears and the transfer lever couldn't move all the way back. So...
I took out the gear shifter and pinched it in a wise and tried advising it with a hammer, then a bigger hammer, then my biggest hammer. It was a stubborn SOB. It didn't even bent a millimeter! Then it was a time to meet the 20 ton advisor!
Well, let's say the 20ton press turned out to be like US foreign policy - you only know it works if you go there and check it out!
It took about two tries to bend the lever to be just right. The smaller lever was bent at the vice, as it was much thinner. It didn't crack or soften at the bends. I only bent the original bends in the same direction.
I did thought for a second, that it might explode like a ball bearing under the pressure, but it wasn't that much of a tampered steel.
I have to take off my auto shift knob and re-drill the holes, because now it doesn't point forward. Also, I ordered some fake UV resistant leather to make a similar cover for the 4x4 lever, and am waiting for it in the mail.
Then it was just replacement of the CDL and RDL switches from left to the right on top of the new bezel. I might have to look for a new bezel now, as it turns out that there is space to cut three slots instead of 2 in front of the 4x4 lever. The 110V switch in the back of the bezel sticks up, as there is no space under it. I didn't want to cut the metal plate that covers the shifters' opening, so I will decide what I'll do with that slot.
Also, long time ago I installed 2 more power outlets in the hole under the cigarette lighter, but since I didn't need that many power outlets, I replaced the original two outlets with 2 switches for seat heaters, and 2 more for future projects, and a Land Cruiser 80 diff lock switch in the cigarette lighter spot, as I don't smoke, which I plan to use for which battery to charge when driving.
I will post a pic when I illuminate all of the buttons and sew the leather cover for a complete look.
Fun stuff...
Sharing the latest mods done to my 4Runner. One is not new stuff, the other - a total mind bend!
Since it's a pandemic here too, and I have plenty of stuff to do home, I decided that for every 6 hours working on the house, I must do 1 hour of work on the "bug-out Runner"... if all hell breaks loose, it will be the VOC.
The mod was (since I plan on putting a rear bumper with swing out) a rear tail gate from Hilux Surf. One lucky morgue guy happen to have a dead one in the yard, and lots of organs still up for grabs. Apparently, I happen to be the only patient during these pandemic few months, and happen to suffer from a bent, cracked up, worn down, rusted rear tail gate, and lucky me, I called at the right time!
Here is what is looked like before bleeching it in my Ethiopian UN 4runner color.
I stripped it down of all the hardware and mailed to next door to the paint guys, and 3 days later...
The rear spoiler has a much wider stop LED light. I really shines back compared to the original lamp.
Here is a pic of the spoiler on pegs on the roof baking under the scorching sun. I rough and water sanded and used glossy spray paint.
It took about 10 minutes to dry and went working on the tailgate.
I had to replace all the good stuff from both gates, although my old one, had almost nothing to be reused.
I paid about 170 dollars shipped to my house across country, and about 115 for paint. Also the paint cans were about $10, and maybe a day's work to install everything in the new one.
I used my original wiring and had to relocate two plugs on it for the plate light and window master switch on the key lock, because the key lock and light are located on the black bezel above the license plate.
I unwelded the chrome plastic Hilux Surf emblem on that bezel and maybe will place my original 4Runner one right above it, painted black. Pics soon.
-------------------------------------
For the second mod...
I had the idea long ago, but there wasn't any decent enough pandemics, to offset my mind from trying to survive everyday under the lower standard of living here, and start to loose my sanity at home.
At one point, I ran out of space for switches in the cabin! I remembered the bezel above the shift levers on an automatic, was different and was more plastic and less soft leather ergonomics. I saw someone here, who added a switch on it, and figured that I can maybe add lots of more switches.
Got the bezel from a dead unicorn in a different morgue this time. It was probably the only one in the whole country with one.
It fit where it should, but the shift lever couldn't shift into all front gears and the transfer lever couldn't move all the way back. So...
I took out the gear shifter and pinched it in a wise and tried advising it with a hammer, then a bigger hammer, then my biggest hammer. It was a stubborn SOB. It didn't even bent a millimeter! Then it was a time to meet the 20 ton advisor!
Well, let's say the 20ton press turned out to be like US foreign policy - you only know it works if you go there and check it out!
It took about two tries to bend the lever to be just right. The smaller lever was bent at the vice, as it was much thinner. It didn't crack or soften at the bends. I only bent the original bends in the same direction.
I did thought for a second, that it might explode like a ball bearing under the pressure, but it wasn't that much of a tampered steel.
I have to take off my auto shift knob and re-drill the holes, because now it doesn't point forward. Also, I ordered some fake UV resistant leather to make a similar cover for the 4x4 lever, and am waiting for it in the mail.
Then it was just replacement of the CDL and RDL switches from left to the right on top of the new bezel. I might have to look for a new bezel now, as it turns out that there is space to cut three slots instead of 2 in front of the 4x4 lever. The 110V switch in the back of the bezel sticks up, as there is no space under it. I didn't want to cut the metal plate that covers the shifters' opening, so I will decide what I'll do with that slot.
Also, long time ago I installed 2 more power outlets in the hole under the cigarette lighter, but since I didn't need that many power outlets, I replaced the original two outlets with 2 switches for seat heaters, and 2 more for future projects, and a Land Cruiser 80 diff lock switch in the cigarette lighter spot, as I don't smoke, which I plan to use for which battery to charge when driving.
I will post a pic when I illuminate all of the buttons and sew the leather cover for a complete look.
Fun stuff...
