3rd gen 4runner builders?

Live in SC and would like to find someone who is experienced in building 3rd gen 4runners. Motor, trans, suspension, are just a few examples. I want mine to be new again. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Easy there friend. A complete resto like that is gonna be thousands and there's a big chance you will never complete it.

I have been slowly redoing my rig as I bought it new in 2002 and she was getting tired and needed some long overdue TLC.

First off...take state of what you have.

Engine:
Do a compression check. This is going to tell you what to do. If there is bad compression in any of the cylinders, I would opt for a long block from a reputable remanufacurer. Have a shop drop it in.

Do an exhaust gas test of your coolant. If you have a head gasket going bad, it will show up in the coolant. Then you will need to pull the heads, resurface them and replace.

Chances are all the compression numbers are probably looking OK, and all the plugs look normal etc...there is NO NEED to rebuild the engine.

My engine has 265k on it, and doesn't burn oil so I opted for a full engine "refresh" instead. I made a list of the ancillary parts that are due for replacing. I replaced all the hardened vacuum hoses, the Throttle Body (which came with the TPS and Pedal pos sensors and motors), the hardened air intake pipes, new valve cover gaskets, plugs, wires, T-Belt, drive belts, water pump, t-stat, PVC valve, etc. etc. etc. Outside of the long block, everything has been updated worn.

She now runs like the day I bought her new.

I used about 2 gallons of simple green and cleaned every nook and cranny of the engine bay. Every part that came off while I was working got de-greased and scrubbed.

She looks like a new in there:

Before:

After:


Before:

After:


Before:

After:


Transmission:
How does she shift? If she's shifting fine, you may not need to rebuild the transmission. Pull the pan. Look for debris. I had 250k mile fluid in my rig...never changed until recently...fluid was black as the ace of spades. I pulled the pan and barely any dust on the magnets. This told me that the transmission was not worn out. I changed the fluid\filter and o-ring on the side of the transmission and she still shifts perfectly.

If you do need a new transmission, get a REMANUFACTURED one.
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1503-the-difference-between-remanufactured-and-rebuilt-components/

Suspension:
This is where you should find a good suspension guy and where your money will be best served. I went and redid nearly my entire suspension replacing all the shocks\ball joints\end links\steering rack\bushings\struts\etc. with only TOYOTA parts (I don't like aftermarket parts). She drives soooo much better after 20 years. She lost the sway she was getting at highway speeds, the steering is way tighter with a new rack, etc. The only thing I didn't replace are the wheel bearings and the control arm bushings. Some day I'll get to them.

If you've already done all your research and know what you need, I apologize that I really didn't help you find a shop in SC.

 

Thanks negusm for your reply.... I'm not mechanically good enough to do it myself as you obviously are. I'm sure what I want to do will be expensive. However, 3rd Gens are getting pricey. 18k-Mile 2000 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $40,000 on February 11, 2022 (Lot #65,525) | Bring a Trailer

So I am looking for a shop within 400-500 miles away that can make mine new again. Everything new but the interior and paint. I'm not really having any issues with mine but starting to plan ahead for a restoration.

Thanks again!

 

What's your budget? I've bought more than $6k in Toyota parts if I added them all up...and it sounds like you are looking to do even more. Add a 30% markup if you're having a shop get them, plus labor and you're going to get to $15k really really fast. I'm betting with all the parts and work I've done to freshen up my rig, I would have needed to pay a shop $20k.

It's going to be very hard to find a shop where you drop the car off and say "make it new". They literally won't know what to do with it. These aren't classic Mustangs or Camaros where they are so popular that there are shops that specialize in full blown restorations.

Better to have a shop go over it with a full inspection. Fix what is broken or worn with genuine Toyota parts and then take it to an exotic sports car detailer who will clean the hell out of it. Then just take it in for yearly inspections and detailing. You'll get probably better longevity over time, that way.

But hey, if your budget is indeed $30k or so, good luck! A lot can be done for that kind of scratch.

 

negusm, Again, Thanks for the reply and question. If you look up the website Bringatrailer.com and search 4Runners, really nice 3rd Gen 4Runner's with low miles are very expensive. A 96 with 22,000 miles is bidding now and $29,000 with 6 days left. Anything you buy there's an extra 5% added on for the auction site plus you still have to pay shipping.

For example: Some that have recently sold but there is a huge list to view
01 SR5 with 85,000 miles $18,000
2000 Limited with 18,000 miles $40,000
96 SR5 with 67,000 miles $26,750

I don't want it to break often, and I have had very good luck with mine. I want extremely dependable and would rather replace everything than one thing at a time. Budget, $15,000 to $20,000

 

So buy one of those. Sell yours. You'll come out ahead.

You can't make yours be like new for those prices.

 

As stated, if you have such a large budget, just buy another.

These 4Runners are workhorses, and aren't as fragile as you make it seem. It is not necessary to replace every and all components just because.

I was nearing 300k miles on my 4Runner yet took it on long trips to the snow, off roading, etc.

I kept up on maintenance, but I really pushed it as often as I could.

Many components were original to the vehicle, and that's ok because these Toyota's just last.