Topic: [Project Reeda]yup. engines out

[THK Matt]

just do it while they are at work one day.

[KDXSR5]

Do what I did with my truck and pull the engine out in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping. I am sure you could swap the other one in pretty fast too.

[BLACKDOG]

Try reasoning with your parents a bit

1) they are concerned that you will screw up the red truck.  Explain to them that it isn't running correctly right now, and its just going to sit there and rot unless you do something with it.  You've learned a lot from working on the runner, and you're comfortable doing another engine swap.  You've learned how not to drive 9thanks to your brother)

2)right now they have 2 pretty much worthless vehicles sitting in front of their house (yes, I know you can part them out, get some money, whatever.  A vehicle with a shot motor and a rolled vehicle are considered pretty much worthless to most people)  By just letting them sit there, they're gonna deteriorate more, and be worth less.

Also, if you do fix the red truck, there's nothing wrong with keeping the 3.0  It isn't a bad motor.  Its had some issues, on the whole, but so have many others. 

[79coyotefrg]

[NorCalToy [OP]]

i think if i keep one of the said vehicles it will be the runner. the engine is already in it, it has less overall miles (about 50,000 less) and ther is overall wrong less with it, all the small things oin it work (horn, AC is cold, little nicer stereom etc...)

but you bring up some good points BD, thank you.


todd, i have to do my engine swap outside pretty much because there is very little room in my garage. my parents would pregnant dog big time. and the V6 swap is pretty freakin gnar for me to do, considering ive only done one engine swap in my life (a 77 chevy, and we only pulled it). obviously beside this swap. i think ill probbaly keep the runner at least for the time being and it should wotk out with it. ive given it osmemore thought, and will continue to ponder the circumstances.

[79coyotefrg]

i would not be surprised at all if i went through another 6 rigs...

i have kinda tried this...my parents dont really understand anything i tell them.

Blake,  if your parents have any question  i would be more than happy to talk to them    old fart to old fart

[KDXSR5]

Cool, keep the runner, sell red truck, have $$, cut top off 4runner, wheel the piss out of it, break it, fix it, wheel the piss out of it, break it, fix it.... you get the idea Your parents should just be happy that you have learned sooooo much from doing all this work on stuff. I know when I did my first engine swap (I was 15) I learned A LOT. I am still learning a bunch more on this go around of engine swaps too. Good luck with the situation.

[NorCalToy [OP]]

Blake,  if your parents have any question  i would be more than happy to talk to them    old fart to old fart

thanks glen i think my aprents might be a little older than you though... (59 and 54)

Cool, keep the runner, sell red truck, have $$, cut top off 4runner, wheel the piss out of it, break it, fix it, wheel the piss out of it, break it, fix it.... you get the idea Your parents should just be happy that you have learned sooooo much from doing all this work on stuff. I know when I did my first engine swap (I was 15) I learned A LOT. I am still learning a bunch more on this go around of engine swaps too. Good luck with the situation.

i realllllly wanna cut the top off, but i need it to be water proof during the winter as this will be how i get my brother and myself around. and possibley my mom.between 4 people who (will be) drive this winter we have 2 4wds. not that we neccasarily need any more, but it needs to say water proof.

[NorCalToy [OP]]

the only thing i can think of doing is building a very very precise cage that would line up with the doors frame and then soft topping it. or maybe doing some basic fiberglass work... any thoughts on a fiberglass top piece that would be molded to fit over a cage?

[jimbo74]

i thought you pushed the roof back up? if you can mount a windshield in it, the roof doesnt need to come off.....


if its got a roof, then keep it... if the roof is trashed, cut it off and either graft on a new one, or have a beater with no roof and a cage

are you not wanting to spend any money on this truck or what?

[46&2]

Try reasoning with your parents a bit

1) they are concerned that you will screw up the red truck.  Explain to them that it isn't running correctly right now, and its just going to sit there and rot unless you do something with it.  You've learned a lot from working on the runner, and you're comfortable doing another engine swap.  You've learned how not to drive 9thanks to your brother)

2)right now they have 2 pretty much worthless vehicles sitting in front of their house (yes, I know you can part them out, get some money, whatever.  A vehicle with a shot motor and a rolled vehicle are considered pretty much worthless to most people)  By just letting them sit there, they're gonna deteriorate more, and be worth less.

Also, if you do fix the red truck, there's nothing wrong with keeping the 3.0  It isn't a bad motor.  Its had some issues, on the whole, but so have many others. 

I agree with BD 100%

[NorCalToy [OP]]

i thought you pushed the roof back up? if you can mount a windshield in it, the roof doesnt need to come off.....


if its got a roof, then keep it... if the roof is trashed, cut it off and either graft on a new one, or have a beater with no roof and a cage

are you not wanting to spend any money on this truck or what?

yes, i have pushed the roof backup and i *think* it will fit a new windsheild...im just throwing a few ideas around about making a soft top/hard top kinda thing. i like the look of 2nd gen runners, but the removable hard top of 1rst gen runners... either way i will need to fit a windsheil, whether top on or off.

[BLACKDOG]

yes, i have pushed the roof backup and i *think* it will fit a new windsheild...im just throwing a few ideas around about making a soft top/hard top kinda thing. i like the look of 2nd gen runners, but the removable hard top of 1rst gen runners... either way i will need to fit a windsheil, whether top on or off.

measure the red truck's windshield and find out.  What your brother did wasn't bad, what you did to pop it out will most likely work with a new windshield. 

the only thing i can think of doing is building a very very precise cage that would line up with the doors frame and then soft topping it. or maybe doing some basic fiberglass work... any thoughts on a fiberglass top piece that would be molded to fit over a cage?

soft top would work, but you'll not likely ever get it to be 100% waterproof.    The fiberglass idea isn't a very good one IMO.  first time you lay the runner over, or roll it, the fiberglass will crack and break. 


EDIT

Check this out:

http://www.whiteknucklemotorsports.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=27

This is a former build of Brandon's (mod here on the board, he's building a scout now)  I saw this after it was finished, and it was done really clean.  I've considered doing it myself, but haven't gotten that far yet.  I'm not sure where he got the edge pieces, but he's the guy to ask about that.    Don't know how well it would work for a runner, but it turned out real well in his 1st gen

[NorCalToy [OP]]

if i were to build a glass top it would only be for the winter time to keep some water out, or i could build a removable "buggy" top, aka sheetmetal...or plexiglass with a velcro in sunshade...idk. i got too mayn damn ideas...

ill check out that link now.

[jimbo74]

if it currently has a roof in 1 piece leave it the hell alone, especially if its going to be a DD and you want it to be waterproof... mount a new windshield, be done with it.....


if you wnat a buggy, then gut the red truck, cut the roof off, and buggy it.

[ontherocks]

  just motor swap

[NorCalToy [OP]]

so the stock "hard top" is re-installable?


jim, if i do a buggy, ill buy the previously mentioned first gen (thats not intended in anyway to poke at you, it would jus tbe the likely buggy candidate for me. )

[jimbo74]

you have this idea of a removeable soft top... why? you have a truck that you can use that is fine otehr than your idiot brother rolled it.... you said you need a people hauler/DD

put a friggen windshield in it and call it good......



what factory hard top? on a first gen? yes, thyose are removeable, and yes, they go back on.....

[NorCalToy [OP]]

you have this idea of a removeable soft top... why? you have a truck that you can use that is fine otehr than your idiot brother rolled it.... you said you need a people hauler/DD

put a friggen windshield in it and call it good......



what factory hard top? on a first gen? yes, thyose are removeable, and yes, they go back on.....

idk jimbo, i jsut ponder a lot of stuff


i am gonna put in a windsheild, or at least try to....


the first gen in the link is what im talking aobu tbeing able to put the top back on. i know aobut first gen runners...

[jimbo74]

the first gen in the link is what im talking aobu tbeing able to put the top back on. i know aobut first gen runners...

the top is removeable, and it goes back on.....

[BLACKDOG]

so the stock "hard top" is re-installable?


jim, if i do a buggy, ill buy the previously mentioned first gen (thats not intended in anyway to poke at you, it would jus tbe the likely buggy candidate for me. )

 I believe it used 4 or 6 heavy duty clamps that took a bit of effort to clamp down, but had enough staying power to clamp the pieces tight together.  It was a pretty clean look with or without the top.

you have this idea of a removeable soft top... why? you have a truck that you can use that is fine otehr than your idiot brother rolled it.... you said you need a people hauler/DD

put a friggen windshield in it and call it good......



what factory hard top? on a first gen? yes, thyose are removeable, and yes, they go back on.....

Because he wants to take the top off the runner in the summer.   doesn't seem that hard to figure out to me.  Let him ponder his ideas, just like you ponder yours.  There's no reason to bust his balls about how he wants to build his truck or runner. 


BTW
He's talking about the link that I posted about Brandon's 1st gen truck, not a 1st gen runner. 



NCT, check out ORANGE CRUSH's build as well.  He chopped the top on his runner, and put a cage on it.  Also did some pretty sick half doors as well.  I'm pretty sure he didn't make the hardtop removable, but it may give you some ideas, or show you whether you really want to do it or not.  One of Shamb's buddies chopped the top on his as well after a roll, you might want to find that build as well.

[NorCalToy [OP]]

i want to combine a first gen runner with a second gen... :madscienstistsmilie:

anybody got the dimensions of a first gen runner hard top handy?


also does anyone have a pic of the top of a second gen runner handy? i wanna kinda do a paint photo chop...

[jimbo74]

check this out.... 4hummer

i cant find his site......

but he was 4hummer on yotatech... the story goes liek this, his idiot brother in law or something rolled his truck....

http://www.obsessiveoffroadclub.com/Michael/index.htm

[NorCalToy [OP]]

check this out.... 4hummer www.mudrunner.ca

says not found jimbo?


edit: you edited iton me...

EDITEDIT: says still not ofund, does it work for anybody else?

[NorCalToy [OP]]

might work out?

the full thread on chop and bobbin' it

http://yotatech.com/f116/1990-4runner-chop-bob-138587/

[BLACKDOG]

he just wants you to see the pic of it chopped behind the pass. doors.  KWP on this board also did that, mudaddict did as well I believe, both good builds to search for.

[46&2]

i want to combine a first gen runner with a second gen... :madscienstistsmilie:

anybody got the dimensions of a first gen runner hard top handy?


also does anyone have a pic of the top of a second gen runner handy? i wanna kinda do a paint photo chop...

I can get you some measurements tomorrow or something. There is no way it would fit on your 4runner if you cut the top off like that picture. only way it would work is if you cut the top down a lot and I dunno how well it would fit with the body lines of a second gen 4runner.

[NorCalToy [OP]]

ooh haha, that musta been what the link you posted was about jimbo...

[NorCalToy [OP]]

I can get you some measurements tomorrow or something. There is no way it would fit on your 4runner if you cut the top off like that picture. only way it would work is if you cut the top down a lot and I dunno how well it would fit with the body lines of a second gen 4runner.

just thinkin bout different stuff...tahnks nick. r

[BLACKDOG]

I can get you some measurements tomorrow or something. There is no way it would fit on your 4runner if you cut the top off like that picture. only way it would work is if you cut the top down a lot and I dunno how well it would fit with the body lines of a second gen 4runner.

I'm thinking not well.  I bought and parted out a 1st gen runner, and took the top to the buyer of it in my truck, first tried putting it on like a runner, wound up having to flip it over and let it sit in the bed.  I'd assume the 2nd gen runner is about the same width as the 3rd gen truck, just like the 2nd gen truck is the same width of the 1st gen runner.  


If you were to cut it like that pic, I wonder if you could cut it to match the lines of something like an amigo hardtop, and then use your mad fiberglass skills to widen that top to the correct width?