Chiyo-chan, our 1980 4x4, is back! -- Some Cosmetic Improvements Only

[46&2]

Thank you.

You know that I'm gonna like yours, too.

It's tough seeing  your truck on 37s and sticking to my conviction that the 33s still look good on mine.  It just goes to show that the Toy 1st Gens look bad ass just about anyway they come, built or not built!

Actually that is one thing I love about all Toyotas from the Hilux to the tacomas. They really are such attractive trucks that they look great big or small.

[4x4yota]

thanks man I really love the way your truck is setup duals on stock susp and stock wheels w/33s thats my dream I want to build a long bed to match yours... Ill trade

[zembalayan]

thanks man I really love the way your truck is setup duals on stock susp and stock wheels w/33s thats my dream I want to build a long bed to match yours... Ill trade

I hear you on the long bed.  You bob it, and then climb everything like nobody's business.  I have to say that I first fell in love with long beds when I wheeled with CrankyCrawler in Moab.  His 1984 2nd Gen kicked butt; it wanted to walk right up everything, even with a carb.  He's got those bad ass Cooper STTs, too.  Here's a pic of his:

Sweet, huh!?

Then when you see Marlin's 1980 long bed  in person, you are a goner!

Thanks for the compliments on the DD, but I think that you are going in the right direction with 37s.  Marlin runs that size on his 1st Gen, and he wheels everything.

I went out and tested Chiyo-chan today.  Here are some pics and vids of me driving her near the rock pile at Hollister Hills OHV today.  Had fun, but you can see that she would struggle intensely on a real trail.  



















VIDEOS

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/zembalayan/MVI_2208.flv

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/zembalayan/MVI_2210.flv

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/zembalayan/MVI_2209.flv







Here are some poser pics!













Other pics that my wife snapped at Hollister:

[zembalayan]

Actually that is one thing I love about all Toyotas from the Hilux to the tacomas. They really are such attractive trucks that they look great big or small.

You are right on the money there!  The coolest thing about going to an event where a lot of Toy owners will be gathered together is the fact that you will see THE Toyota you wished you owned 10 times over and wonder how that could be!!!  

[4x4yota]

thats a great truck... bet those duals come in handy... thats next on my list along with lockers... what crossmember you running? any more pics?

[4x4yota]

those videos are awesome Ive always wanted to go to hollister hills

[blackdiamond]

You didn't even see the truly crazy climb that CrankyCrawler made up Widow Maker Hill!  I climbed it in my 85 bobbed 85 extended cab, but couldn't even get the rear tires of the 4Runner to the wall.  Maybe you saw it on the videos that were passed around?



p.s. how are things going these days?

[4x4yota]

You didn't even see the truly crazy climb that CrankyCrawler made up Widow Maker Hill!  I climbed it in my 85 bobbed 85 extended cab, but couldn't even get the rear tires of the 4Runner to the wall.  Maybe you saw it on the videos that were passed around?



p.s. how are things going these days?

got any links?

[zembalayan]

You didn't even see the truly crazy climb that CrankyCrawler made up Widow Maker Hill!  I climbed it in my 85 bobbed 85 extended cab, but couldn't even get the rear tires of the 4Runner to the wall.  Maybe you saw it on the videos that were passed around?

I got a bunch of videos from Cranky, which were good, but they were formatted for a DVD player, and I never figured out a way to convert them.

I did take a video of you climbing some red rock, bd!    Here's a link:

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/zembalayan/DSCN0151-1.flv

That was a good time!!!

Let me take the liberty of posting some of my favorite pics of your sweet Runner too, Jon!

p.s. how are things going these days?

Things are great, bd!  Good to hear from you.  How have you been? 

T and I are trying to start a family nowadays, and in preparation, I am thinking about buying my dad's 4Runner from him.  You probably remember it when you met him in Moab -- the 95 22RE.  It would make a good base for a rock crawler, but I'd keep it stock IFS per T's preference so she could use it as a grocery getter/ baby wagon here.  I also figure that my dad may want Chiyo-chan (the 1980) to keep for himself in AZ for some crawling down there since he took a liking to the sport since the Utah trip. 

got any links?

I have no postable videos . Maybe, bd does.

Here are some pics that bd took of Cranky at widow maker (I think):

[88_Pathy]

Awesome pics. What color blue is the armor on the 1st gen?

[zembalayan]

Awesome pics. What color blue is the armor on the 1st gen?

Thanks.
The color is Rust-Oleum "7251 Cobalt Blue Metallic," but I am gonna paint them black pretty soon to keep it simple.  

I think that color might match up well with the blue flames on your truck (if that's yours depicted in your avatar).

[zembalayan]

To complete the retro look of the LandCruiser wheels, I just snapped on a set of Genuine Toyota hubcaps:

[4x4yota]

that is awesome I am getting even more jealous of your truck

[88_Pathy]

Yeah I painted mine OSH Blue. I think I like the cobalt blue better though. Oh and cool retro wheels.

[greeny]

That is an awesome 1st gen

[blackdiamond]

Thanks for posting the one video of me making it up that hill. 

That one took me multiple tries and just might be the most aggressive climb I've made.  It isn't the most technical climb I've done, it just didn't like my 4Runner and for some reason I wasn't willing to drive around.  I normally won't push hard enough to get that much bouncing which is a contributing factor in five week long trips to Moab without breaking on the trail.  I bounced back to the bottom three or four times and kept increasing speed slightly and moving up through the gears.

[BigMike]

I spotted this silly guy fixing his license plate this past Saturday with a zip tie, so I took some pictures:

[jonathan82toy]

Bill, You are a Champion! 

[4x4yota]

any more progress... were you going to lift it or leave it stock? Im really digging this truck

[zembalayan]

It nearly brought a tear to my eye, but I sold the 1980 to my dad last week, and he sold me his stock 1995 22RE 4Runner to meet the growing needs of my family.  It's tough to compare the two trucks. 


One cool point about the 4Runner is its very late production date of September of 1995.  This truck must have gotten one of the last 22REs to come off of the assembly line.  It runs like a top!  Once again however, I have the G58 blues, and I will be ever tempted to ditch it for a R151F or a W56.  I imagine that I will keep her stock and concentrate more on my 1993 4Runner. 

I spotted this silly guy fixing his license plate this past Saturday with a zip tie, so I took some pictures:

Thanks for the ziptie.  I owe you one!

Bill, You are a Champion! 

Thanks, Jon!  I wish I could get down your way for some snow wheeling.  Life's been very hectic lately!  How you been?

any more progress... were you going to lift it or leave it stock? Im really digging this truck

It will stay on stock springs for now.  As for progress on the 1980, I did pick up a sweet remanufactured bench seat from Toy Connection last week.  The original vinyl seat was beginning to rip, and since the truck's new home will be in AZ, my dad absolutely required a cloth bench seat for the summers.  I think the new seat's core was from a third gen truck, which seems a lot more comfortable.  It turned out really nice!

I am actually somewhat happy that Chiyo-chan will be in AZ because we could run her on some trails out there, and also she was not taking well to street parking in this damper climate.  I tell myself that I can always buy her back one day, right?

[axled89]

up grades aren't always bad.   and it is still a Toyota.   congratulations

[4x4yota]

sad to here abot having to sell it but I understand... I have been using it for inspiration on my 81... but like you me and my wife are starting a family and we just got a 98 Honda Passport to replace our old tired Jeep

[studentwheeler]

Sorry to here about your first gen...but the runner should make for a good family/long distance/camping/adventure rig!

[BigMike]

A couple weeks ago I went up to the bay area to hang out with Bill I know, I know, you are all jealous of this fact, well, get over it!

Here is Bill showing off his new acquisition






Look at that! Sept of 1995!!

[BigMike]

Thanks for the ziptie.  I owe you one!

I'm still waiting!!

[4x4yota]

I know you dont have the truck any more but just curious at how the truck did with duals and being stock and if it made a difference being a DD also how often did you wheel the truck compared to DDing it?

[toyomr285]

Nice rig! Is your birfields stock or upgraded?

[zembalayan]

I know you dont have the truck any more but just curious at how the truck did with duals and being stock and if it made a difference being a DD also how often did you wheel the truck compared to DDing it?

I truly DDed the truck--daily, and I drove it a ton more often than I wheeled it.  It's a shame, but I only got her out a few times to Hollister before my pop picked her up. 

To compare DDing with duals and when it was stock, I would say that I felt no real difference at all; however, certainly the overall feel of the tranny after the L43 to  L52HD swap was noticeable: it felt better and of course smoother.  Also, when I DDed here in SF, I'd use stock low a lot for the fun of it, dreaming of rocks instead of the steep hills and the slow city traffic that I encountered (hubs unlocked of course).  Pretty damn weak--I know.

When I did wheel it with duals, I was surpised by its performance.  Even being open front and rear, the truck seemed to be a more persistent and natural crawler than my 4Runner is.  I guessed it might be the 20R's ability to lug down a bit more to very low RPMs and not stall.  My 1993 4Runner has a weird, touchier rev and throttle feeling by comparison. 


I think I said it before, but I'd like to meet my dad in Moab and wheel the 1980 there.  I think she would do relatively well, being very slow and not being very tippy.

I still need a locker, or I should say my dad does:)


I did notice that the 33s and the bigger drums on the 1986 rear IFS axle diminished the 1980's stopping power quite a bit, and my dad callled to complain about that after he got the truck.  I got Marlin's big bore brake master cylinder and mailed it to him.  He said that the truck now stops great!  Very good upgrade so he says!

By the way, nice build thread on Pirate--Good job!

[zembalayan]

Nice rig! Is your birfields stock or upgraded?

Thanks.  I liked it a lot, too.  

The birfs are stock.  It would be nice to have Longs for sure.  For now, my dad has a spare set of stock birfs and inner axles packed in the truck as an bit of insurance policy.  (Not that he would need it these days.)

[BigMike]