zacattack20's Matte Blue ‘98 to '02 Sport Edition - Not the normal build thread

[zacattack20]

Luckily I got this in right before everything shut down in 2020.
It took the expected full 12 weeks at that time.

I ordered another one for my wife's new car once they opened up orders again after the shutdown and it took almost 7 months.

 

[zacattack20]

This was my first attempt at a 4Runner TRD pro grille.
Using a '16+ Tacoma TRD Pro Grille and a '01-'02 4Runner grille.

 

[zacattack20]

2020: Lone Pine/Alabama Hills

 

[zacattack20]

2020: Lone Pine/Alabama Hills

 

[Spriggs53]

I think this is probably one of my favorite 4Runner’s now. Such a gorgeous blue, blue is my favorite color! I’m jealous! And the styling is too perfect and unique, I love it.

 

[zacattack20]

When I removed and sold my old suspension parts I had just put in the cheapest aftermarket pieces I could find.
Definitely needed to update that junk.


Icon Stage 5 kit with Delta Joint Upper Control Arms
OME 890 Rear Coils
Front and Rear Durobumps

 

[zacattack20]

Added some USB ports to the back and swapped the front cigarette lighter for USB ports with a voltmeter.

Much easier to charge all the kids devices now on trips.

 

[zacattack20]

Interior Hatch Release - Lemme Out Mod
One of the first to buy this kit so I got it for a really good price.

I put one of the door lock knob surrounds around the hole for a clean look and I swapped the strap with a TRD keychain strap from eBay.

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[zacattack20]

Rear Hatch Window Switch

It’s wired to the wires in the hatch that are controlled by the key cylinder that way it always has constant power even while the truck is off.

The easiest way would have been to put it on the hatch panel but I didn’t like the look of it there or want it that low in case anything would hit it. So I had to run wires through the hatch grommets which is always so easy and fun.

Also for anyone that might not know with these earlier window switches, the UP/DOWN control is backwards from the Back Window wording on the switch (Since they were intended to be upside down while in the center console for the earlier versions that were pre-center console cup holders). Anyway, you can just peel/pop of the little “Back Window” face and turn it around and then rub off the UP/DOWN words so that the directions make sense.
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For anyone that wants to do this with this switch, this is the wiring.

Three wires in the hatch at the key cylinder:
Green/Red - Up
Green/Yellow - Down
White/Black - Ground

Switch Wiring Pigtail:
Red/Black - Down
Light Green/black - Up
Black/Green - Ground

These you won’t need for window operation, only if you want the switch to light up which will only light up with truck on and lights on so kind of pointless.
Green - illumination positive
White/green - illumination ground

 

[zacattack20]

Wanted some extra light under the cargo cover so I don't have to retract it at night to see.

I like to do things cleanly so I cut out some holes, used some recessed tracks for the LED strips with a frosted lens cover

 

[zacattack20]

I posted a while ago about how I removed the fender antenna and put a shark fin one on the roof. I previously had used a cheap $10 one that just stuck on the roof with adhesive and the cable run out the back. It looked cheesy and it actually kind of flew off while on the freeway. On top of that the reception was horrible. ⁣
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I finally replaced it with a Metra one that required me to drill a hole in the roof that mounts with a nut underneath and with the cables going inside this time. This one also has a 12V wire for improved reception.

 

[zacattack20]

This was a cheap easy "mod" that I had been meaning to do for a long time.
It did make a noticeable difference.

I don't have a welder/know how to weld so I just drilled a hole and used a roll pin. And then some plastic spacer in between the roll ball.

 

[zacattack20]

Got this Garmin 45 Dash Cam for free. It has a bunch of cool little features.

To not be too obtrusive, I put it behind the rear view mirror. Just have to turn the mirror to the side to see the screen.

And a little time lapse video from it...

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[zacattack20]

2020: Lytle Creek

 

[zacattack20]

2020: Los Angeles

 

[zacattack20]

I had never cried over the death of a celebrity but basketball and the Lakers were my whole childhood growing up. Growing up in the Midwest in the ‘90’s, everyone was a Chicago Bulls fan, only me and one other friend were Lakers fans, so we got a lot of shit for it. ⁣⁣
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I had been a huge Shaq fan so when he came to the Lakers in ‘96, I followed. Same year Kobe got drafted and traded to the Lakers, playing along side Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. To watch the west coast games I would have to stay up past midnight when they would make it on national television. ⁣⁣
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I moved back to California in 1999, the year the Lakers moved into the Staples Center. My dad got me tickets to a preseason game at the Pond in Anaheim that year only to have Kobe break his hand a few days before the game. That was my first Laker game I had been to. Then I got to go with my uncle to the first ever Lakers home game at the Staples Center (Kobe still out with the broken hand). They gave out a keychain which is still the only keychain I carry around on my keys. Shaq and Kobe were everything to me. All I cared about was basketball and the Lakers. I wore a Free Kobe shirt around when his whole legal crap went down. ⁣⁣
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When Shaq was traded to the Heat, I blamed Kobe for tearing everything apart. I became a Heat and Clippers fan. In 2006 was the first time I saw Kobe play in person, at the two Clipper home games. He scored 50 in the first game I saw him. Only a couple weeks later for him to score 81. I clearly remember that night, I missed it because I was at work. I came home to see it on ESPN. ⁣⁣
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My anger for him tearing apart the Lakers subsided and I came back around. I became a huge Lakers/Kobe fan again. I only got to see him play once on the Lakers home court, his first game back after tearing his Achilles. ⁣I cried the night he retired. It was like the last piece of my childhood going away, what I grew up on. ⁣⁣
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I won’t ever forget when I found out he died. I was outside, working on my 4Runner when my son texted me “Kobe Died”. Just in disbelief I sat down, googled and started crying. Only for it to get worse to find out his daughter was on there too. ⁣
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MambaForever

 

[zacattack20]

Outbound Nevada Molle Panel with special edition 3g4rsocal logo ⠀⠀
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- Painted the panel and hardware satin black and then added a flat black and a gloss black stripe⠀
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- Put some electroluminescent panels behind the logos to light up when the doors open⠀
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- Added a switch to one one of the slots that acts as a door switch and turns on all the interior lights, going to move the rear window switch to the other slot once I get a new rear cargo panel. ⠀
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- Attached the Toyota bag(roadside recovery kit and first aid kit) with quick release belts. The other two pouches are empty for now but going to add some small amount of tools. ⠀
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- Two hardwired rechargeable flashlights⠀
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- Something I’ve been wanting for a long time because of all the electrical stuff I do, a fire extinguisher. ⠀
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- And then had to cutout a portion of the cargo cover to go around all the stuff⠀

 

[zacattack20]

TRD Gas Cap

Got it from eBay, not specifically for our size gas cap so just had to modify it a little for it to fit.

 

[jb10]

Outbound Nevada Molle Panel with special edition 3g4rsocal logo ⠀⠀
⠀
- Painted the panel and hardware satin black and then added a flat black and a gloss black stripe⠀
⠀
- Put some electroluminescent panels behind the logos to light up when the doors open⠀
⠀
- Added a switch to one one of the slots that acts as a door switch and turns on all the interior lights, going to move the rear window switch to the other slot once I get a new rear cargo panel. ⠀
⠀
- Attached the Toyota bag(roadside recovery kit and first aid kit) with quick release belts. The other two pouches are empty for now but going to add some small amount of tools. ⠀
⠀
- Two hardwired rechargeable flashlights⠀
⠀
- Something I’ve been wanting for a long time because of all the electrical stuff I do, a fire extinguisher. ⠀
⠀
- And then had to cutout a portion of the cargo cover to go around all the stuff⠀

really like those molle panels. i bought the driver said last year and really wish i had bought both sides. maybe later this year or in the spring i will get the other side done.
curious on the size of your fire extinguisher. it looks like a smaller one? i have been looking at them as well. i ask because i took an off road training and the guys said anything smaller than a 5lb you are just wasting your time and not likely to do the job on a fire. opinion?

 

[zacattack20]

A few engine bay mods here.

AFE Cold Air Intake with Phase 2 Motortrend Blue Aluminum Clamps

Previously had the Airaid modular intake tube with the deck plate mod but sold that. Cold Air intakes don't do much for our trucks but my stock air box became cracked and separated so might as well replace the whole thing.

My truck being a '98 has the larger MAF sensor. I swapped it for the newer less restrictive MAF sensor which only required re-pinning a few of the wires on the connector.

Wires from connector that need to be moved around, got these images from the TTORA post. 96-98 MAF upgrade | TTORA Forum

Spiker Engineering Hood Struts

Then added some under hood lighting. There is a kit out there from Scarab Offroad but I already had everything I needed to do this.