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

Finally found a set of these mirror covers. I've been looking for awhile off and on and found a site that sells them. It's a Japanese site and I received all emails in Japanese. I had to use google translate which wasn't perfect so I still didn't really know if I was going to receive them or not. I ordered them on March 30 and received them yesterday. The price includes shipping.

revier | Rakuten Global Market: Early 185-Hilux LED light vermeckilim with LED Wayne CardA mirror foot ramp with OE interchangeable genuine color painted LED winker mirror led mirror LED doamirauinka /

You can order them in black, chrome, or desert dune I think. They are only for the older style side view mirrors though, '96-'98 I believe. I ordered black but I'm not a fan of having them glossy with my paint so I will have to do something about that so it will be a little while before I install them.


<img src="http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p779/zacforsale/2583E83C-519D-4E0E-8ECB-900DCD86F292_zpsx83i1dsi.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p779/zacforsale/4BF2E5D9-3A3C-4528-9D1A-9DFEDCB1F0F8_zpsplmtzhn3.jpg" border="0">

You'll like em, went with the blue myself in a chrome finish which I then dipped. Mine are 00 covers so I'm certain you can find 99-02 as well. Looking forward to the install.:becky:
 

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Great story and timeline to compliment an even better build.
I like how you went all in with zero experience. Impressive.

Thank you.
Just a lot of reading and research and mistakes.


You'll like em, went with the blue myself in a chrome finish which I then dipped. Mine are 00 covers so I'm certain you can find 99-02 as well. Looking forward to the install.:becky:

Yep you are the one where I first saw these. I don't think I'm going to hook up the running light though. Just have the blinker and the flood light when I open the doors.

And yeah the newer ones are out there somewhere. I hadn't been able to find any English site offering any year until these though. Although the site is in English, the emails were in Japanese and difficult with the translation. I just made sure to point that out that these weren't the correct years for him so he didn't buy the ones I posted thinking they would fit.
 
Yep you are the one where I first saw these. I don't think I'm going to hook up the running light though. Just have the blinker and the flood light when I open the doors.

And yeah the newer ones are out there somewhere. I hadn't been able to find any English site offering any year until these though. Although the site is in English, the emails were in Japanese and difficult with the translation. I just made sure to point that out that these weren't the correct years for him so he didn't buy the ones I posted thinking they would fit.

Thanks for the insight!
[MENTION=84917]GreenbowCounty[/MENTION] where did you get your?
 
Thank you.
Just a lot of reading and research and mistakes.




Yep you are the one where I first saw these. I don't think I'm going to hook up the running light though. Just have the blinker and the flood light when I open the doors.

And yeah the newer ones are out there somewhere. I hadn't been able to find any English site offering any year until these though. Although the site is in English, the emails were in Japanese and difficult with the translation. I just made sure to point that out that these weren't the correct years for him so he didn't buy the ones I posted thinking they would fit.

Glad you pointed out the difference in mirrors for the different years (up to 98 Pre-minor change and 99-02 post minor change); would suck to go through all that trouble and not be able to use the things. If you can I'd say install a toggle switch for the accent lights or find a local audio shop to help you. I had a time getting my original covers off due to there being some locktight on the the screws. Finally just dremeled the things off:violin:

Thanks for the insight!
[MENTION=84917]GreenbowCounty[/MENTION] where did you get your?

revier | Rakuten Global Market: Late 185 Hilux light vermeckilim with led rear-view mirror LED doamirauinka unpainted LED Wayne CardA mirror foot ramp with OE interchangeable /
[MENTION=88636]W3LCH[/MENTION] :party:
 
Glad you pointed out the difference in mirrors for the different years (up to 98 Pre-minor change and 99-02 post minor change); would suck to go through all that trouble and not be able to use the things. If you can I'd say install a toggle switch for the accent lights or find a local audio shop to help you. I had a time getting my original covers off due to there being some locktight on the the screws. Finally just dremeled the things off:violin:

Yeah they were a ***** when I took the truck apart to be painted. I didn't put any loctite on them when I put it back together so it should go easier this time. Good idea on the switch though, I might do that.
 
I don't think there is a difference in mirrors between the years. However, there is a difference between certain models. My 99 base model mirrors (powered, non-heated, non-painted black finish) were a different shape than the mirrors in my 02. The 99 mirrors were slightly smaller and thinner.
 
I don't think there is a difference in mirrors between the years. However, there is a difference between certain models. My 99 base model mirrors (powered, non-heated, non-painted black finish) were a different shape than the mirrors in my 02. The 99 mirrors were slightly smaller and thinner.

You are correct about there being those smaller black unpainted mirrors. But for the painted versions, there was a slight change in the shape, the earlier versions were more square shaped. I'm guessing the years were '96-'98 since they made all the changes in '99 so I would guess that is when they modified the mirror shape as well.

Earlier Version

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Later Version

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Never really noticed that until now! Just by doing a quick google image search between the years, the mirror changes seemed to have started on the 2000 models.
 
Well this post is about 4 months in the making, just wanted to wait until I was complete. Even though I still have a few little things to finish. I started in the first week of April up until a few days ago.

I had been having misfires and rough idle for a while due to a leaking head gasket. I had been putting it off because for the most part the trucks power was fine, the only problem was at idle. My registration came up in February and a smog check was required. I knew I wouldn't pass due to the check engine light coming on at times. Instead of fixing the head gasket with the possibility of having a cracked head which these trucks have been known to have, I went extreme and replaced it with a JDM engine and replaced pretty much everything with out disassembling the block. Took a few of weeks to get it torn apart, then rebuilt and starting.


JDM engine in the back of the truck.



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On the stand.

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Under the valve cover.

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Old engine out.

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Took it down to the block and painted it black and then replaced or swapped from the old engine what was need. The oil cooler needed to be swapped as well as the oil pan and pick up.

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Doug Thorley Headers - Not a big fan of chrome but oh well, they aren't too noticeable in the engine bay.

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Wasn't planning on getting a new crankshaft pulley but I could not for the life of me get the old one off as that needed to be swapped too. I heated it up with a torch, used an impact, socket wrench with a long breaker bar, nothing I did would move that bolt. So I gave up and decided to order a URD lightweight crank pulley. Not being a fan of the red color it comes, I decided to paint it a metallic blue as well as painting the 2.2" supercharger pulley.

Just getting an idea of what it looks like all put together.

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Rebuilt the starter while I was at it.

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Also replaced the radiator and added a TRD radiator cap.

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Now I got it in but I couldn't get it to start. The first try the engine cranked slightly and then died and then nothing. The disappointment of this caused me to lose interest in fixing it for a little while. Just needed sometime away from it. I finally traced it to a fuse that had blown and kept blowing. Looking at the wiring diagram for that fuse, I found the most likely issue to be from the starter. I took the starter out and found that one little wire on the inside of the starter was making contact with the starter body which was causing that fuse to short. Once I fixed that, the truck started up and ran perfectly.

Now since adding the Doug Thorley headers, I wasn't able to directly fit my old exhaust so I just ripped it all out. I drove the truck to an exhaust shop to weld in all new 2.5" pipe and new high flow Magnaflow cat and Borla XR1 muffler. I really wanted real working dual exhaust pipes but like everyone else that has done it, it is not possible unless you remove the spare tire, which I didn't want to do. So it unfortunately is just a dummy pipe. I also added new O2 sensors and had a bung welded in for a wideband. The muffler is a lot louder than I was expecting and it takes some getting used to.



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It was now early May and ready to be smogged. This is where my frustration and anger grew. First place I took it to told me straight up that he didn't want to smog it because of the aftermarket parts. Ok then, take it to a place down the street and he tests it and fails me for the visual. Due to the SMOG LEGAL Doug Thorley headers and the crankshaft pulley. The EO number is printed on the header but he says it doesnt match up because he sees it saying D-540 and when he pulls up that number in his system it shows the original headers that Doug Thorley designed for GMC's and Chevys and no where does it show 4Runners. Then he says the crankshaft pulley is illegal because it is considered modifying the supercharger.

Obviously I am angered. I went home and called the Air Resources Board and they do confirm that since the crankshaft pulley runs the supercharger, that it is considered to be modified. I looked up the headers myself and found the Executive Order for them and printed it out, the EO number is D-540-6. It is an amendment to the original executive order adding on to the original. I decided to remove the supercharger just to get it smogged and then put it back on. I took it back to the same smog guy for a free re-test and explained everything to him but the idiot acted like he didn't understand and was confused by the whole Executive Order thing. He said he wouldn't do it and I had to go see a smog check referee. So because he was an idiot, he was able to steal $50 for the smog check.

I call to make an appointment at the smog check referee station which is at the local community college, and they don't have an appointment until the end of May. So I wait. When I go down there, I am there for a long time because the referee finds an issue with the headers and is on the phone deciding to fail me or not. He does point out to me where the 6 is for the EO number but my front O2 sensor is in the wrong spot and he fails me. Obviously I am pissed off but this one is entirely my fault. Luckily I didn't have to pay anything for the smog check as it is free.



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Since my truck is from Hawaii it is a federal version so I only have one cat. The headers are made for both California and Federal version, if I would have paid attention to the instructions better I would have noticed my mistake. The California versions have the O2 sensor higher up on the collector and on the Doug Thorley headers it has the spot already there for the sensor. I put the sensor there without thinking but for the Federal versions I was supposed to block that off and put the O2 sensor in the original spot. DUH. Now I would have to wait weeks again for another free appointment or just go pay again for another smog check.

I head to the muffler guy and have him block off the O2 sensor port on the header and put an O2 sensor port in the general area of where the stock one would be. I immediately head to a different smog check guy. I turned off the truck when I got there and when I want to start it up for him to pull it in, it wouldn't. More information on that is at this link.

Need help with electrical. Truck won't start. - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

This smog guy was totally cool and was even trying to help when he had no one there but I couldn't get it started and had to have it towed. Very put off again by the inability to get it to start, I let it sit for weeks. Finally looking at it again, I found the issue but didn't really. It had something to do with the wiring, the ground that attaches to the side of the intake manifold, due to the faults for both the camshaft and crankshaft sensor. The connection seemed fine as well as taking apart the wiring and putting it back together, I couldn't find anything visibly wrong. It starts and runs now though so I could finally get it smogged. I took it to the same guy in Huntington Beach, Surf City Smog, and I finally passed in the beginning of July. I know someone that works for the DMV so I was able to get my tags and registration mailed to me within a few days. I know feel comfortable to drive my truck around.



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Here is the unsexy version of the engine I had to get smogged. I also effed up by leaving the truck sitting for long periods of time without charging the battery, so I ruined my old battery and it wouldn't hold a charge. I ended up getting a duralast one from autozone because it was the only place open at 8pm on a weekday. It isn't the greatest but it has a 3 year warranty if anything happens.



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Now that it runs and smogged and have my tags, I can put back on the fun stuff. The supercharger, airaid intake, deckplate, and the URD 7th injector.



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As well as adding some blue silicone hose, I did just some of the major ones for now, maybe I'll change some more later.



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I also added a catch can while at it.

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Don't have a picture but I installed a Lo-Tek gauge pod on the A-pillar.
I still need to wire the wideband and boost gauge and then tune the 7th injector.
 
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Oh wow! Engine bay is looking awesome! When I first saw the blue hoses, I thought it was a photoshop, because they stand out so much (very bright color). But they look great! Where did you get the hoses?

Also, regarding the exhaust, it is possible to keep a spare tire underneath there, running dual exits. Feel free to check out my build for details. I'd post a pic, but I don't want to thread-jack. Can't fit a full size spare though. Think I have a 29.5in spare underneath. That might change soon though...

Keep up the good work!
 
I was trying to figure out why you were having such a hard time getting emissions passed, as most places you can at least find a guy that won't even do a visual and never nearly that in-depth but then I saw you are in CA! Makes sense now.

Looks awesome, great job.
 
And that....and the gun laws..is why I won't move to Cali. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I just took mine in for my emissions which consisted of reading OBDII and testing the gas cap.

just a heads up you won't pass CA emissions testing with the BLUE vacuum lines.
 
good work, and yet another reason im glad i no longer live in the peoples republic of california. i feel sorry for you honestly! it should not be that difficult for you to smog a vehicle, those people are just being pricks, and steeling money from you like you said! good for you for over coming
 
Oh wow! Engine bay is looking awesome! When I first saw the blue hoses, I thought it was a photoshop, because they stand out so much (very bright color). But they look great! Where did you get the hoses?

Also, regarding the exhaust, it is possible to keep a spare tire underneath there, running dual exits. Feel free to check out my build for details. I'd post a pic, but I don't want to thread-jack. Can't fit a full size spare though. Think I have a 29.5in spare underneath. That might change soon though...

Keep up the good work!

Thank you. They are very bright and pop in the picture but in person they still look good but not as cool as the picture. I got them from Intercooler Pipe Fabrication

And hmmm...interesting. I figured a smaller size spare would fit. An idea I had been thinking about is finding a spare tire like some newer cars have where its deflated and when you need it you hook up a compressor thing to inflate it to size.



You're an inspiration!

Thanks!

Thank you and you're welcome.


I was trying to figure out why you were having such a hard time getting emissions passed, as most places you can at least find a guy that won't even do a visual and never nearly that in-depth but then I saw you are in CA! Makes sense now.

Looks awesome, great job.

Yeah I've had one guy before that looked past my Airaid Intake but the last few smog checks I've had to go to a STAR station which is supposed to be more stringent. I went to that place first and I guess the guy had died so they lost the STAR certification and the family had to reapply.

and thank you.


And that....and the gun laws..is why I won't move to Cali. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I just took mine in for my emissions which consisted of reading OBDII and testing the gas cap.

just a heads up you won't pass CA emissions testing with the BLUE vacuum lines.

It was a mess and very disappointing at times. And yeah I am aware of the hoses. That's a reason I don't really want to swap anymore hoses. These are easily swappable since it seems I will have to remove the supercharger every two years when I have to get the smog check.


good work, and yet another reason im glad i no longer live in the peoples republic of california. i feel sorry for you honestly! it should not be that difficult for you to smog a vehicle, those people are just being pricks, and steeling money from you like you said! good for you for over coming

Yep. I don't understand how its called a SMOG check and I can pass the actual sniffer test and everything else, but it fails for stupid visual things that don't affect the emissions coming out the tail pipe. I don't want to know how many more problems I might have had if I mentioned I swapped the engine.

It doesn't help that most of these SMOG places have workers that barely speak any English. The guy at the place I finally got passed was a chill Hawaiian dude that I could at least explain things and talk to.
 
Thank you. They are very bright and pop in the picture but in person they still look good but not as cool as the picture. I got them from Intercooler Pipe Fabrication

And hmmm...interesting. I figured a smaller size spare would fit. An idea I had been thinking about is finding a spare tire like some newer cars have where its deflated and when you need it you hook up a compressor thing to inflate it to size.

Thanks for the link! Mind if I ask what sizes?

Also, for the spare, that could work also. I guess I got lucky with my muffler guy. Barely said two words to him and he did all the work (almost by eye!). I'd say I have about a 0.5" of clearance all around the tire. Might have to redo it, only because I want a quieter muffler. 40 Series Flowmasters sound pretty awesome, but the drone is getting to me. Also, I got a hitch after the install, so, I had to bend down my tailpipes. Would love them to sit next to the hitch, for extra ground clearance.
 
Yep. I don't understand how its called a SMOG check and I can pass the actual sniffer test and everything else, but it fails for stupid visual things that don't affect the emissions coming out the tail pipe. I don't want to know how many more problems I might have had if I mentioned I swapped the engine.

It doesn't help that most of these SMOG places have workers that barely speak any English. The guy at the place I finally got passed was a chill Hawaiian dude that I could at least explain things and talk to.

your vehicle is new enough it shouldn't even get a sniff test, it should be plugged into the OBDII and read that way... california is so assinine -pack up and move lol
 
Thanks for the link! Mind if I ask what sizes?

Also, for the spare, that could work also. I guess I got lucky with my muffler guy. Barely said two words to him and he did all the work (almost by eye!). I'd say I have about a 0.5" of clearance all around the tire. Might have to redo it, only because I want a quieter muffler. 40 Series Flowmasters sound pretty awesome, but the drone is getting to me. Also, I got a hitch after the install, so, I had to bend down my tailpipes. Would love them to sit next to the hitch, for extra ground clearance.

I got the shop kit under the boost/vacuum link. It was probably too much and the dress up kit seems like it would have been enough for the few hoses I did.

The Borla muffler is pretty similar with the drone taking some getting used to.


your vehicle is new enough it shouldn't even get a sniff test, it should be plugged into the OBDII and read that way... california is so assinine -pack up and move lol

I have the urge to plenty of times just to pack up and leave but besides the bullshit, I love Southern California. Everything is within a short drive, beach or mountains. Everything but a football team though San Diego isn't even that far. No crazy apocalyptic weather that shuts down the entire region. Just the occasional earthquake.
 
I have the urge to plenty of times just to pack up and leave but besides the bullshit, I love Southern California. Everything is within a short drive, beach or mountains. Everything but a football team though San Diego isn't even that far. No crazy apocalyptic weather that shuts down the entire region. Just the occasional earthquake.

Good choice man! Moving away from California has been the biggest mistake. I just went through and looked through your whole build and it is just down right awesome. Keep up the good work
 

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