Wrecked the 4Runner Saturday Night

dtc81

New member
Hit a patch of black ice on I-87 near Nyack, NY on my way home from my girlfriend's house Saturday night. No alcohol, drugs, sleep deprivation, reckless driving etc. involved, just some ice and a dusting of snow. Traveling alone Northbound at ~50 mph right after a toll booth, lost the rear end sideways and couldn't bring it back. I slid sideways across 2 lanes (no traffic) into a dirt culvert/barrier on the shoulder and rolled (if I remember correctly) twice on my side and once end over end, landing on drivers side. I unbuckled, turned the key to ACC and opened the sunroof so I could get out. Not a scratch or bruise on me. No trip in an ambulance, nobody injured. State trooper wrote the report and dropped me off in a Dunkin Donuts until a family member could come get me, I live about an hour North of where I crashed. I'm pretty happy how the only damage to the rear bumper I built was paint scratches, guess I built it well! Feel pretty blessed to be able to share these pictures after all that.

When I get a little more time I'm gonna assess the damage, might keep it for a trail rig depending on the amount of work it needs to drive, or just pull stuff out of it for my next T4R. Core support pushed in and broke a few fan blades, but theres surprisingly little damage underneath. My buddy who is a Toyota Master tech said with a few "leftover" parts from work it may be able to move again...we'll see haha. Looking for another 99+ 5spd or possibly a 1st gen. Can't stray from the Runners!
 

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Sorry about your accident. Hour north of Nyack - Kingston maybe. Good luck. Word of advice. If you buy another 4runner, buy one from the south, So you don't have to deal with any rust issues.
 
Damn, you got lucky! Well at least pull the rear bumper you made as a momento lol
Edit: "The state trooper dropped you off at his favorite dunkin donuts"

Good luck on the next project!
 
I would definitely prefer a Southern truck for my next one...I hate rust. I figure if I find another 3rd gen I could swap interior stuff if the "new" one's isn't in as good of shape as the wrecked one. Then again I have a weakness for 1st gen Runners, but hesitant because it needs to be a daily driver.
 
inflate the front tire and the rest will come right out with and SOS pad and some turtle wax.

it would be neat to see a 4runner with the back chopped off behind the doors and turned into something like the chevy avalanche

i did the same thing, but didnt total it. 30 mph into steel box for a gas meter. it was head on. not fun. its nice to know that your hard work for your bumper didn't go to waste and you can reuse it.
 
I am sorry to hear about your loss man!
Your bumper hung in there like a boss! It almost makes me wonder what your vehicle would look like if it had an exo.
 
Glad you are ok bro. Looks like you took a nasty tumble. :lookout: Time for a new project! :cheers:
 
I am sorry to hear about your loss man!
Your bumper hung in there like a boss! It almost makes me wonder what your vehicle would look like if it had an exo.

An exo would be the dog's danglies....I have to get my hands on another daily driver worthy rig to start building before I start playing with this thing. Guess I'll be working overtime to pay for the runner addiction!
 
Good to hear you are safe. Another example of the 3rd gen being a tank. My brother lives in Oneonta, NY and the cars out there are swiss cheesed with rust. I bought my latest 4Runner in S. Carolina this summer to pervent dealing with rust. Didn't hurt that I made the trip back to NH through NY because my brother is a brewer for Butternuts brewery out there. Maybe you could make yours into a 3rd gen with 1rst gen toplessness.
 
Glad you walked away. I just totaled my lx 470 and walked too. Decided to replace it with a 3rd gen T4R. Amazing the way the passenger compartment held together.

Good luck with the new rig.
 
wow man, glad you're ok.. Looks like the 4Runner did it's job.

On a side note, I don't know how worth it is to fix it. Looks like it needs a good amount to get it going STRAIGHT, and even then it's gonna be a money pit. There are a lot of hidden odds and ends that you may not see right away but no matter what you do to fix it, it will never be right again. Sorry for your loss though man, I know the feeling.
 
wow man, glad you're ok.. Looks like the 4Runner did it's job.

On a side note, I don't know how worth it is to fix it. Looks like it needs a good amount to get it going STRAIGHT, and even then it's gonna be a money pit. There are a lot of hidden odds and ends that you may not see right away but no matter what you do to fix it, it will never be right again. Sorry for your loss though man, I know the feeling.

yeah I know what you mean, always looks "simple" on the outside, then once you really dive in it starts to nickel and dime you to death with tons of issues. I figure it's worth a shot during any free time just to see. I'd love to find the exact same truck to start with again!
 

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