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

[zacattack20]

TRD Stripes on Spoiler

I had already wrapped the spoiler in gloss black vinyl.

I had this idea/maybe saw it on the forum at one point and just popped back in my head.
I don’t remember.

But I made some TRD stripes from matte black vinyl and put them on the spoiler.

Not sure how I feel about it. I think it looks cool but then I have my issues with symmetry. Just not sure. Oh well, it’s easily reversible if I decided I don’t like it.

 

[zacattack20]

After looking at my last post I realized the spoiler screws looked like crap.
So I painted them black.

Also I think I need to re-do the vinyl stripes.
I don’t think I have them angled enough, they look too straight up.

 

[Jason B]

I had already wrapped the spoiler in gloss black vinyl.

I had this idea/maybe saw it on the forum at one point and just popped back in my head.
I don’t remember.

But I made some TRD stripes from matte black vinyl and put them on the spoiler.

Not sure how I feel about it. I think it looks cool but then I have my issues with symmetry. Just not sure. Oh well, it’s easily reversible if I decided I don’t like it.


<img src="https://i.imgur.com/SHGRxl9.jpg" width="700"></img>

Someone stole my exhaust setup Looks good man. I always thought it just looks more balanced with two pipes next to that hitch. Centers it perfect.

What LED rear 3rd is that?

 

[HawkPlt]

Bump

 

[zacattack20]

Someone stole my exhaust setup Looks good man. I always thought it just looks more balanced with two pipes next to that hitch. Centers it perfect.

What LED rear 3rd is that?

Yeah I’m pretty sure your truck is where I got the initial vision of the dual exhaust. I’m all about symmetry.

Once I get a few more bucks I’m gonna do something else with the exhaust that I think will look pretty cool.

The LED 3rd light is Revier brand from Japan.

 

[zacattack20]

Went on a little drive a couple weeks ago. Here are some pictures.

First stop - Mormon Rocks in the Cajon Pass

 

[zacattack20]

Stop Number 2 - A few random abandoned places in Oro Grande, Yermo, and Barstow

 

[zacattack20]

Stop number 3 - Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande

 

[zacattack20]

Stop number 4 - The Harvey House in Barstow

 

[zacattack20]

Stop number 5 - Zzyzx Road

 

[zacattack20]

Stop number 6 - Death Valley Rd

 

[zacattack20]

Stop Number 7 - Las Vegas
My reason for the trip.

I might not be your first owner, but I have owned the longest. You came out of that Japanese factory in October 1997, feeling alone and unwanted until your first owner finally picked you in August of 1998. You traveled around the islands of Hawaii until you were traded in for something newer.

In June 2006, in the city of Hilo, was when my dad picked you up with a little over 80,000 miles. We had some experiences there on the Big Island but not as many as I would have liked and will always regret that.
I became home sick and you traveled back with us to the main land. That is where you would officially become mine and where you would bring home my first child.

I’ve had you for over 12 years now and put on around 120,000 miles to where you are now. I’ve made my changes to you. There probably isn’t one screw or bolt or nut that I haven’t touched on you. Your exterior went from red. To pink(faded red). To black. And now blue. Your interior went from brown to black. You have always been beautiful no matter which color you were.

We have had our ups and downs. That one time the mean lady on the freeway didn’t stop and rear-ended you. But I fixed you back up.

The time you started leaking coolant on my lunch break at work. I had to leave you overnight and come back and fix you the next day. Taught me about changing your water pump and timing belt though.

The times your starter didn’t want to work for me and left me wondering if I was going to be stranded. But you never did and would eventually start.

When you had to have your preemptive heart surgery. But you came out of it in a much better place.

I almost gave up on you. You were deteriorating. California SMOG didn’t wanna you to be “fast”. I was ready to leave you behind for something newer. I sold all the parts off you that was worth anything. I stripped you down to pretty much stock. But then I had a change of heart. I could never let you go. I had to make you beautiful again. I won’t ever make that mistake again.

Happy 21st Birthday.

 

[Jason B]

What color are your wheels? And you said you used to have the jaos spoiler?

 

[thatphatphuck]

Hey man. Very impressed with how pioneering you've been with your 4runner. You do some very cool mods not attempted by others.

I was hoping you might be able to give me some more info on the shift knob update you did.

Can you tell me what all had to be modded? Ive got a 1998 sr5 4x4 but I know you can swap between the 2wd and 4wd auto shift knobs with some modification so I'd say I could do a similar mod to yours.

Any more pics? What shift boot did you go with? How does it look? I love the idea of a push down knob to shift.

Thanks for any insight you can give

 

[zacattack20]

What color are your wheels? And you said you used to have the jaos spoiler?

They are matte black.

And yes I used to have one, but then sold it when I was going to get rid of the truck.

 

[zacattack20]

Hey man. Very impressed with how pioneering you've been with your 4runner. You do some very cool mods not attempted by others.

I was hoping you might be able to give me some more info on the shift knob update you did.

Can you tell me what all had to be modded? Ive got a 1998 sr5 4x4 but I know you can swap between the 2wd and 4wd auto shift knobs with some modification so I'd say I could do a similar mod to yours.

Any more pics? What shift boot did you go with? How does it look? I love the idea of a push down knob to shift.

Thanks for any insight you can give

Thank you.

I am very bad at taking pictures or documenting my processes on things, because I am constantly trying different things to make it work and usually in a rush to get it put back together. This is one of the only pictures I had in the process.

This was actually my first attempt before it broke and I had to redo it.

I cut down the height of the knob at the same time. What is not shown in the picture is the spring that goes around the rod and then the nut that keeps it loaded.

In the picture, I had added the metal washers to keep the rod from wobbling but still was not stiff enough to keep it from breaking eventually. I replaced it with a nylon spacer that was long enough to go up the rod and actually just enough to go to the inside of the shift knob. That kept the rob from snapping after constant usage.

Then after the nylon spacer, the spring went on top of that, then a washer and nut to keep the spring loaded. All of this is inside of the shift knob.
Then on top, the threading of the metal rod of the shift assembly is not the correct size for the shift knob. I can't remember the correct name but I used a "thread adapter enlarger" that screwed around the top of the rod and the outer diameter was the correct threading for the shift knob.

The shift boot was some cheap boot off of eBay from China for less than $2. It serves its purpose and looks great for the price.

For this knob I had to cut off some plastic on the bottom to make it a flat surface. I then glued a black ring to the bottom so that it covers the boot.

 

[zacattack20]

I just took it apart to get a picture. You cant see the threaded adapter as it stayed inside the threads of the shift knob

 

[thatphatphuck]

That's perfect thanks for taking the time to do that! I think I see clearly how all of that goes together. Now time to determine how different the 4wd linkages and shaft are.

Fid you ever get the cruise working with your Rav4 steering wheel? Did you use 4runner stalk or Rav?

I went with a late model is300 wheel and am trying to use Lexus stalk as 4runner didn't fit cleanly. Have horn, and cruise light on dash turns on and off but does not actuate the cruise control for some reason. Have had a hard time finding diagrames for those subharnesses

 

[zacattack20]

That's perfect thanks for taking the time to do that! I think I see clearly how all of that goes together. Now time to determine how different the 4wd linkages and shaft are.

Fid you ever get the cruise working with your Rav4 steering wheel? Did you use 4runner stalk or Rav?

I went with a late model is300 wheel and am trying to use Lexus stalk as 4runner didn't fit cleanly. Have horn, and cruise light on dash turns on and off but does not actuate the cruise control for some reason. Have had a hard time finding diagrames for those subharnesses

Yeah It works. I used the 4runner stalk. But I actually moved the position of the stalk to be before the clockspring, since I wanted to use the wires in the clockspring for radio controls. I cut a hole in the trim around the base of the steering wheel and moved it there. I then put a plastic plug where the old hole in the steering wheel was. You can kind of see it in the picture below.

 

[zacattack20]

Changed my pedals to some TRD pedals.