What should I put on my "To Do" list?

[8ac1v1c]

Hey folks - finally convinced my wife to sell her bloody Civic, and picked up a 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Limited :bigok:

My first upgrade was to install an alarm. (Which BTW I suggest you do not spare a dime on)
Viper 2way ESP with proximity, Memory Tilt, and shock sensors all around, as well as a Back up battery and a back up siren. Even added an off-location GPS tracker. Also upgraded the super-blue LED's to warn hater's first.

So now that the security is covered....Now's the time to put something into the safe.

As much as I would love to, I highly doubt the wife will let me take this anywhere off a concrete road. I'm an enthusiast at heart and cant stand leaving a vehicle the same as it was when it left the showroom floors.

So I turn to you folks......what should I add to my "To Do" list?
What parts are available, cosmetically and performance-wise?

 

[leesdawgs]

CAI, TBS, exhaust. thats where Id start....

lee

 

[8ac1v1c]

CAI, TBS, exhaust. thats where Id start....

any specific brands?

Honestly, I'm new to the Sport Ute scene and not sure how the import Tuner manufacturers held up for the 4x4 scene.

 

[leesdawgs]

Volant CAI, Airraid TBS, and magnaflow exhaust...I went with the flowmaster but I think it was the cheap way out...

Lee

 

[duzuck]

Bang for buck, one of your best bets would be to install either a pricey supercharger, or a less pricey (but still pretty expensive once you factor in the installation) is a head job. I haven't read much about people doing this on their 4runners, but doing something like a multi-angle valve seat grind, increase in valve diameter size, valve stem cutting, or even just a port-polishing / port-matching job will probably greatly increase horsepower. Maybe match this with a custom-ground cam.

THEN, after one of those installs, things like a performance exhaust, cold air intake, or a chip burn will REALLY shine. Until you do something drastic like that, IMO, spending the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, on well-marketed "performance upgrades" isn't really going to be worth the 0.1 second reduction in a 1/4 mile time. Here's a link to a neat article that I recently read, which might just open up your eyes on how products like the beloved K&N filter could make their product look all the better, while in reality it actually isn't doing a thing.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/editors/technobabble/9907scc_technobabble/