Hi all.
I am from Ottawa, ON. The Great White North!
I have picked up an '89 4Runner, 22re, auto with about 320k kms for $800. 2 and 4WD all work great. Running gear is perfect, but it had reportedly passed a safety just a few months ago. If it did, the mechanic should loose his license but that's not how our system works.
I will be restoring it to haul a boat or the canoe to go camping in hard to reach places. I won't need lift kits or massive rubber, super rock crawling gears or winches.
Motor seems tight but I'll do the timing chain as soon as the weather breaks.
It has a surging idle just as it is warming up. Cold is fine and hot is fine but it revs up and down at warm. Any ideas? Coolant is 100% full with no air bubbles so it isn't that...
The parking brake (e-brake) system was... interesting. I ran fresh cables and put in new shoes and springs.
It took some pretty fancy work to get those pot metal outer pivots unstuck! They are clean and free moving now and I have bought new boots to keep them that way. Do I put grease in them or leave them dry? Grease will make them move easily but will attract grit and clog up so I'll have to clean them out frequently. Do they seize up if you leave them dry and they have a dust boot?
The frame is solid but the tailgate is more rusted out than I suspected. I have repaired it enough to pass a safety check (I hope) and I will replace/repair it in the spring. Did I mention that I'm in the GWN?
I have found skins for the tailgate. Where can I get a total replacement?
Mine is rusted on the LHS on the inside. The outer skin isn't bad.
I was offered one in as bad shape as mine for $200 CDN with the motor and glass. I found another one that is supposed to be perfect but no motor and no glass, is about 14 hours away and $600.
Are there any better deals out there? I am willing to drive pretty far to buy one that I can afford. Road trip!!
The wiring to the rear wiper and glass has been "uniquely modified" with many splices, three extra switches and a lot of rerouting. Neither wiper nor tailgate window work even with all of that.
Rather than try to find a rear relay box and restore the original wiring, I am running fresh from front to back. It won't be fancy but it will be functional.
Once I have it working I'll post pictures because from what I have seen in the forums, this is a common problem.
I am about to tackle the spare under the back end. I have not even touched it yet. Any advice on getting it moving?
Has anyone built there own running boards/side steps or those tubes that you can skid on? The damned truck floor is nearly up to my thighs so I will need some kind of step to get in more easily. I can cut, bend and weld so if someone has already made these, I'd love plans rather than designing my own from scratch. If not, I'll post photos of those as well once I'm done.
Any help on my questions would be appreciated!
Dwarf8
89 4runner
87 raider
I am from Ottawa, ON. The Great White North!
I have picked up an '89 4Runner, 22re, auto with about 320k kms for $800. 2 and 4WD all work great. Running gear is perfect, but it had reportedly passed a safety just a few months ago. If it did, the mechanic should loose his license but that's not how our system works.
I will be restoring it to haul a boat or the canoe to go camping in hard to reach places. I won't need lift kits or massive rubber, super rock crawling gears or winches.
Motor seems tight but I'll do the timing chain as soon as the weather breaks.
It has a surging idle just as it is warming up. Cold is fine and hot is fine but it revs up and down at warm. Any ideas? Coolant is 100% full with no air bubbles so it isn't that...
The parking brake (e-brake) system was... interesting. I ran fresh cables and put in new shoes and springs.
It took some pretty fancy work to get those pot metal outer pivots unstuck! They are clean and free moving now and I have bought new boots to keep them that way. Do I put grease in them or leave them dry? Grease will make them move easily but will attract grit and clog up so I'll have to clean them out frequently. Do they seize up if you leave them dry and they have a dust boot?
The frame is solid but the tailgate is more rusted out than I suspected. I have repaired it enough to pass a safety check (I hope) and I will replace/repair it in the spring. Did I mention that I'm in the GWN?
I have found skins for the tailgate. Where can I get a total replacement?
Mine is rusted on the LHS on the inside. The outer skin isn't bad.
I was offered one in as bad shape as mine for $200 CDN with the motor and glass. I found another one that is supposed to be perfect but no motor and no glass, is about 14 hours away and $600.
Are there any better deals out there? I am willing to drive pretty far to buy one that I can afford. Road trip!!
The wiring to the rear wiper and glass has been "uniquely modified" with many splices, three extra switches and a lot of rerouting. Neither wiper nor tailgate window work even with all of that.
Rather than try to find a rear relay box and restore the original wiring, I am running fresh from front to back. It won't be fancy but it will be functional.
Once I have it working I'll post pictures because from what I have seen in the forums, this is a common problem.
I am about to tackle the spare under the back end. I have not even touched it yet. Any advice on getting it moving?
Has anyone built there own running boards/side steps or those tubes that you can skid on? The damned truck floor is nearly up to my thighs so I will need some kind of step to get in more easily. I can cut, bend and weld so if someone has already made these, I'd love plans rather than designing my own from scratch. If not, I'll post photos of those as well once I'm done.
Any help on my questions would be appreciated!
Dwarf8
89 4runner
87 raider
