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In ode to Leslie, my first vehicle, a 3rd gen Toyota 4Runner. For the countless hours i spent modifying it, fixing it up, and loving it, i have decided to share my favorite build EVER. I can’t count or remember how many times i looked into this build thread over on t4r.org to gain some inspiration. Ervin, or as most know him on the forum: Blcktpgsr, is one of the most creative guys i never had the pleasure to meet. Moreover, you can find a link to his build- no, his masterpiece, here.

I will talk about some of my favorite things in this build, modifications, and how it evolved from being an average late 90’s SUV to be the pearl of all 3rd gen 4Runners.

How it All Began: 1997 Toyota 4Runner

Firstly, Ervin bought his truck on August of 2009 with 131,000 Km (about 81,400 miles) on it. His build thread began on June 17, 2010, although at the time he purchased the 4Runner, he was not all that into trucks; he was more of a sports car and motorcycle guy. It was just by chance that his interest sparked in the truck direction, and we get to see the results here.

This is what it looked like in the very early days. However, seems like he could not keep it clean for very long!







Baby Steps

The first few modifications to this 4Runner were like most others. For instance, a lift, some nicer tires, rims, and other little things here and there. In no time, he had figured that his rig was a keeper!

Below are pictures with the lift, before the bigger tires.





The suspension job included the following parts:

1. Old Man Emu (OME) 881 Coils 2. Old Man Emu (OME) 890 Coils 3. Old Man Emu (OME) N56 Shocks 4. Old Man Emu (OME) N91 Shocks 5. Toytec Top Plate Spacers 6. Cornfed Rear Spacers

After he had his suspension setup down, and other side projects (like adding fender flares and wheel spacers) the 4Runner got some new shoes. BFG M/T KM2’s in a 285/70r17 size.







It is at this point is where most people call it a day and decide to stop doing much else to the vehicle. Well, turns out Ervin is not one of those people, and he had other plans. In fact, he has many other plans.

Armor and Protection

Some of the armor you will find in this 4Runner is custom. For example, The skid plates. You can find more information on those particulars in the linked build here.

A list of the armor included in this build is below. The savage Offroad sliders apparently are not made the same style anymore. Bummer, i liked the older style better.

Now yes, your rig will be heavier. However, with so many rocks and dumb drivers on the road, it pays to have extra protection. Especially if it will make your rig look like this!

Ok, maybe this roll bar isn’t armor per se, really. But it is one of the coolest sound/drawer/coolness system out there! lots of hard work in this part of the build. You can find specifics on the roll bar and accessories in this link.

Similarly, i guess a roof rack does not count as armor either. But it’s protecting the roof is it not?

Electrical Modifications

Once the main offroad items are covered; like your lift, tires, and maintenance, The next stage is to electrify the build. In other words, lights, upgraded electrical systems, power outlets, crazy sound systems, these are just some of the common touches most enthusiasts include. First You will tend to see images like these during those processes.

But don’t get scared or discouraged! this is all part of the fun. The scary, potentially fire starting fun.

The electrical mods on this 4Runner include:

With this many lights you will never be caught pants down on the dark. But you could potentially catch someone else!

4Runner Maintenance and Mechanical Work

It turns out not everything is about looks. Sometimes you have to spend a little in the reliability component and functionality. You may have the coolest rig out there, but if its on jack stands more often than on rubber, you are doing it wrong.

That’s why when you have a heavily modified vehicle that you just drive everywhere, you will need to do constant maintenance work. Especially if you offroad.

This means that over time, this 4Runner received the following mechanical reconditioning

B&M Transmission Cooler Lower Control Arm Bushings Differential Breather Extension Several CV Axles Replaced New Fuel Filter Spark Plugs 231mm Tundra Brake Upgrade Thermostat Flowmaster 50 Series Exhaust Walbro 190 lph Fuel Pump 4.88 Ring and Pinion Gear Set Belt Set New Waterpump Fan Pulley Steering Rack Reconditioning And many more….

Current Suspension Setup

OK, Back to the fun stuff.

Although Ervin has gone through several iterations of suspension items, it seems like he found the winner. The suspension setup that he has run for the longest time in his 4Runner includes these Toytec coilovers and OME coils.

Since the 4Runner is not as lift friendly as other rigs with solid axles,you usually have to figure out ways to fit bigger tires under the truck. There is the hard and cheap way, which is to hammer down and cut away everything unimportant in sight. Another less involved way, is adding a body lift. Of course, when you have 35’s like this rig does, you will have to do both.

4Crawler is one of the most popular 3rd gen 4Runner body lift vendors. Their website is not all that easy to navigate; but most 4Runner guys overlook it due to the great product and customer service they provide.

The current wheel tire and suspension setup is broken down below, with links so you can find the items yourself.

I could not find the Trekmaster shocks listed in the thread, but there are lots of other options! two great ones are the OME 964 and the Bilstein 5100!

Ervin did lots of trial and error so that all you 4Runner guys out there go straight to the setup that works best for you!

Current Wheels and Tires

At some point, around may of 2011, the 4Runner got new shoes. Ervin could not find a 5th rim to have a full matching set of his original chrome wheels. This was a problem, because his spare was now very visible on the back of the truck.





Unique Details and Modifications

The whole build is unique and purposeful. But we had to pick some distinct parts we just drooled over, and that you don’t typically see very often.

Three of these unique details are a Hilux Surf, Japanese spec rear hatch and tire carrier, a set of overhead switches and gauges in a custom fiberglass enclosure, and retractable mud guards.

The Hilux Surf (Japans 4Runner) Tire Carrier

Ervin bought this tailgate along with the tire carrier from Japan. The whole shebang came out of a 1996 Hilux Surf SSR-X.

Firstly, after finding that the US spec 4Runners don’t have some necessary structural bits to help hold the load of the spare tire, he went to town on his D pillar and beefed it up to accept the added weight of the tire and tire carrier.

Then, in no time, he had the hatch and tire carrier painted, mounted, and looking killer. A very specific step by step of how he did it all is found on this link.

I hope by now you are as hooked to this as i always been. Creativity like this is not something you see everyday.

Custom Overhead Switches and Gauges

Man. I have lusted over this setup FOREVER. When i had a 4Runner i swore i’d follow on Ervin’s footsteps on this one. But due to a lack of time, money, and most of all knowledge with regards to working with fiberglass, i did not do it. Still, i have the goal of replicating this mod on my Land Cruiser someday.

He created two main pieces out of fiberglass, by first molding the contour of the headliner at the very front of the 4Runner. Above all, to fit all the wires he needed to get up there, he applied the same engineering to the a-pillar interior trim and added extra space for the wire run.

The setup certainly looks wicked at night! some of the switches include air compressor, locker, winch power, in/out, the plethora of lights, etc. In addition, he added some gauges to the passenger side. Voltage, transmission temperature, and so on.

This Nifty Retractable Mud Guard

Do you need space to stuff your tires when offroad, but don’t want an ugly chopped bumper look when on-road? say no more! This build includes retractable mudguards that you can push back when you need a bit more clearance.

Ervin achieved this by modifying the rear bumper where you cant see, to add a tube where a smaller tube slides in and out. Then, to provide the actual clearance needed, he chopped a piece of the seam weld.

The result is a very convenient and attractive solution when offroad, that has no ill effect on the look of the truck when not offroad. Therefore, comparing the two pictures below you can clearly see the difference. Where the first picture shows rubbing, the second shows a good two inches to spare.

Current 4Runner Setup

Lastly, this is how this 3rd gen 4Runner sits as of now, almost nine years after Ervin first acquired it. Goes to show that a build is never truly complete!









Blcktpgsr’s

3rd Gen 4Runner





Oh, and did i mention the this 4Runner is also supercharged? yeah.

4Runner In Use

No good build thread is ever complete until we get some pics of the rig in use! Apparently Canada has lots of beautiful places to go and explore, so a lack of content is the least of our worries.

You will see pictures from all of the different mod iterations on this 4Runner. from the very stock, to the not so much. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading! if you have any questions about this particular rig please leave a comment below, or contact us! Alternatively, the link for the full build thread is here!

Want to Mod for Less? Get 10% off ANY of the items featured on this build at 4WheelParts.com by following this link! 4WD10LESS19