tylerbaird's Build Thread

tylerbaird

New member
Well I've owned my 4Runner for two years now, and I joined this forum shortly after, so I figured it's time for a build thread to show where I'm at with my truck. Keep in mind that I am a full time college student, so this will be a very slow and fairly inexpensive build until I graduate next June. So anyway...

Here's my 4Runner the day I brought it home in January of 2010. 1998 SR5 4WD Anthracite Metallic with 180k miles and a 5 speed manual transmission.


I paid $6500 which I consider a good deal because of how high these trucks sell for in Oregon, and how hard it is to find a nice 5 speed, which I was set on getting. I also love the Anthracite Metallic so needless to say, I jumped on this one as soon as I saw the post.

My first order of business was removing the running boards, and eventually the window visors and bug shield.


Next was painting the ugly faded center caps on the wheels to match the body. I don't remember what type of paint I used for this...


I didn't take many pictures of the stereo system, but I ended up going with a Pioneer Premier deck, Alpine speakers all around, and a JBL amp mounted behind the rear seat, which I regret now because the amp tends to get in the way when I'm hauling stuff around and need to have the seats folded down. Here's a picture of the amp...


I didn't really start modding until I paid off the truck in August, but this made me very happy so I decided to celebrate...

I like to keep things clean when it comes to vehicles, so the Deckplate Mod and ISR didn't really do it for me. Instead I decided to go with the Airaid Jr Intake Kit, which includes the Airaid MIT and the Synthamax (dry) drop-in filter.


I also decided to add a Magnaflow 18" muffler for better airflow and more aggressive sound.


I started back at school in late September, so I had little time and money to put towards the 4Runner. I found a set of '99 Tall Coils on Craigslist and was able to pick them for $60. I also noticed that my shocks were starting to go, so I decided to replace them with some Pro Comp ES9000's because they were on sale. The ride is actually pretty nice and they should hold me over just fine until I decide to lift this thing.


The lift was minimal, but I can tell that it's a bit higher now.



I also decided to add some Husky Floor Liners since my 4Runner didn't come with any mats and I was tired of using my cheap ebay ones.



Love that 5 speed


October came around, and I was ready for some new shoes. My original plan was to get some Pro Comp 7089's and Duratrac's, but because of the horrible service and incredibly long wait I received at 4 Wheel Parts, I decided to cancel my order and take my business to America's/Discount Tire. I had to wait until December, but it was well worth it...

Level 8 Strike 6 wheels, with 265/75R16 Duratrac's





And this is where I'm at as of right now. I don't have any concrete plans, but with spring coming up I'll probably focus on some maintenance items, like LBJ's, brakes, etc. I had the timing belt, water pump, seals, fluid changes all done when I bought the truck. I'll be sure to update the thread whenever something new occurs. Thanks for looking!
 
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There's nothing wrong with very slow and fairly inexpensive. I put 65K and 3.5 years on my '97 before I did any real mods to it. In fact, I think I was going slower and even less expensive than you are.

What you've got here is a clean, practical, useful truck. All the mods you've done have a high bang to buck factor.

:lookout: ON, Tyler, drive on. The wheels/tires are sweet too... Those wheels were among my top choices for my '97 and of course I love the Duratracs.
 
Love those Wheels and the black compliments the color of your 4runner beautifully. I think all you need now to round off the look is blacked out bumpers and accents. I look forward to more progress. I love seeing new build threads! Hope to get mine going some day.
 
Love how much a good set of wheels and tires changes the look of these rides. Never gets old seeing the transition. Great build so far. Keep it going!
 
There's nothing wrong with very slow and fairly inexpensive. I put 65K and 3.5 years on my '97 before I did any real mods to it. In fact, I think I was going slower and even less expensive than you are.

What you've got here is a clean, practical, useful truck. All the mods you've done have a high bang to buck factor.

:lookout: ON, Tyler, drive on. The wheels/tires are sweet too... Those wheels were among my top choices for my '97 and of course I love the Duratracs.

Thanks man. Your '01 is one of my favorite builds on this site, so that means a lot coming from you. This thing will hopefully have a respectable build eventually, I just have to take care of more important things first. Plus I have to leave you guys wanting more :biggrin2:

Love those Wheels and the black compliments the color of your 4runner beautifully. I think all you need now to round off the look is blacked out bumpers and accents. I look forward to more progress. I love seeing new build threads! Hope to get mine going some day.

Thank you. My plan is to eliminate all the chrome off this truck. I already removed the ugly fender trim, but the bumpers will have to stay until I get a lift and am ready for new ones. It's a bit time consuming to make, but it's worth it to hear all of the compliments and feedback. Get one going when you have some free time!

Love how much a good set of wheels and tires changes the look of these rides. Never gets old seeing the transition. Great build so far. Keep it going!

No kidding man, it was an awesome feeling when I pulled into the parking lot and saw it for the first time with the wheels and tires. I'll try not to hold off the next mod for too long. Thanks for reading.
 
I probably should have put this in first, but I thought I should add a picture of the car that I sold in order to buy the 4Runner. This was my first car that I had owned since I was 16...

1990 Acura Integra LS 5-Speed


Injen SRI, Megan Racing Headers, Hi-Flow Cat, Greddy Cat-Back, Tokico blues, Tein lowering springs, Skunk2 camber kit, Buddy Club P1's, etc. I loved that car but after 4 years of driving it I realized that I wanted a vehicle that could fit more people/stuff and that I could have some fun with! I think I made the right choice :lookout:
 
Looks great man. Love the color and the those wheels look awesome on your truck. I generally don't like a lot of after market wheels but they look great. Keep it coming and good luck.
 
Looks great man. Love the color and the those wheels look awesome on your truck. I generally don't like a lot of after market wheels but they look great. Keep it coming and good luck.

Thank you. I'm not a big fan of aftermarket wheels on these trucks either, but once I saw these I couldn't pass them up. Thanks for the kind words.
 
Any video of how it sounds with the intake/exhaust combo?

My camera is just a cheap little Nikon Coolpix L4, but I can try to make one tomorrow after work or wait and see if I can use my girlfriends camera. We're supposed to see some snow in the next day or two but I'll definitely try to get one up ASAP.
 
I've been busy with school and work so the 4Runner hasn't gotten much love lately. I did however score a 1st gen roll bar on Craigslist for $25 awhile back so I figured I'd throw up a picture of that. I never really had any intentions of buying one, but I figured at that price I should take advantage of the opportunity.



I still haven't decided if I'm going to use it or not so if there are any local guys that are looking for one of these, just shoot me a PM and I'll make you a deal. And I thought I would share with you guys an update that is soon to come...



Stay tuned.
 
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Well it's been a long week of waiting, but all of the parts for my next mod have finally arrived...









231mm Tundra Brake Upgrade, coming soon to a build thread near you! :surfer:
 
You're going to love the new brakes man. With 265/75's that thing will stop on a dime, and you'll be all set if you ever upgrade to bigger tires.
 
You're going to love the new brakes man. With 265/75's that thing will stop on a dime, and you'll be all set if you ever upgrade to bigger tires.

Thanks dude. And thanks for showing the difference in contact area between the parts store pads and the OEM ones in your thread. I ended up scoring my OEM pads with shims for $54 shipped on ebay! And blcktpgsr was kind enough to remove his spacers to make sure the wheels would clear the calipers for me, so you can add the Level 8 Strike 6's to your wheel list. Thanks for reading man, I feel like I've been talking to myself lately ha.
 

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