paddlenbike
Adventurer
Fantastic thread crenshaw; I read all ten pages. I must be a real dirtbag because a 3rd gen truck with a 3.4 and a Wildernest is a pretty sweet setup in my mind. I am not sure how many people will remember this, but back in the very early 1990s there was a glossy parts catalog called "Performance Products" and it often featured on the cover of the magazine, a red 1991 Xtra Cab SR5 V6 with a color-matched ARB bull bar, fender flares and a color-matched Wildernest camper. I always wanted that truck. I kind of still do.
My 4WDing days started in 1994 when I had the chance to buy this immaculate 1987 Toyota Xtra Cab SR5 5-speed from a friend of mine. I lived in the foothills and had started my first year of community college, so I spent every single weekend exploring in it.
I held onto that truck for three years until I graduated from college and got my first decent paying job. I had always wanted that 3rd gen truck I described above, so in 1997 I bought myself a super clean 1994 Xtra Cab SR5 V6 5-speed. I absolutely loved this truck and it proved to be extremely reliable. The 3.0 V6 headgasket campaign was going on at that time and when the headgasket did start leaking, Toyota put in a brand new shortblock at zero cost.
This is how it looked shortly before I sold it in 2005:
One with the 4Wheel Camper:
It was pristine. You could eat off the engine.
It had Sway Away torsion bars, Rancho soft add-a-leaf, 32" tires, Rancho RS9000 shocks, a Leer shell and I was the second person ever to transplant an e-locker from a 3rd gen 4Runner into the rear of a vehicle that never came with one. (I think Dr. Karl Bellve was the first--I just copied his work.) You can see the diff lock switch just below the hazard light switch to the right of the steering wheel.
I should have never sold this truck. I was stupid to part with it. But aligning with the whole purpose of this thread, I found myself wanting for more when I should have kept what I had.
I knew Americans were buying less and less manual transmission vehicles and in 2001 when Toyota completely discontinued manual transmission 4Runners, I knew it was the end of an era. One summer in 2005 I came across my dream vehicle, a 2000 4Runner with a 5-speed manual (last year it was ever offered) and the factory locking differential, being sold at an Acura dealership. The holy grail. I didn't even have a checkbook on me but I made the purchase that day, came home and put the 1994 truck for sale and scored $9,500 the first day it was on the market.
I love the 4Runner but I loved that '94 truck too. I have come to realize in the past couple of years that "keeping up with the Jones's" is not how I want to live my life. I have a vehicle that is extremely reliable, fun to drive and will take me anywhere I want to go for years to come. I have a small house that isn't fancy but my mortgage costs less than rent in my neighborhood. Except for a decent mountain bike and a nice dSLR camera, I don't own anything fancy. And beginning this July I am taking a voluntary pay cut by cutting down to 4 days per week (from 5), to give me more quality time with my wife and 8 month old daughter. We have big plans for travel and don't intend to let American-grade spending slow down our dreams. I've made my mistakes in the past to keep up with society, but I'm done. I want to thank everyone who posted in this thread for helping me remember what is important in life.
My 4WDing days started in 1994 when I had the chance to buy this immaculate 1987 Toyota Xtra Cab SR5 5-speed from a friend of mine. I lived in the foothills and had started my first year of community college, so I spent every single weekend exploring in it.
I held onto that truck for three years until I graduated from college and got my first decent paying job. I had always wanted that 3rd gen truck I described above, so in 1997 I bought myself a super clean 1994 Xtra Cab SR5 V6 5-speed. I absolutely loved this truck and it proved to be extremely reliable. The 3.0 V6 headgasket campaign was going on at that time and when the headgasket did start leaking, Toyota put in a brand new shortblock at zero cost.
This is how it looked shortly before I sold it in 2005:
One with the 4Wheel Camper:
It was pristine. You could eat off the engine.
It had Sway Away torsion bars, Rancho soft add-a-leaf, 32" tires, Rancho RS9000 shocks, a Leer shell and I was the second person ever to transplant an e-locker from a 3rd gen 4Runner into the rear of a vehicle that never came with one. (I think Dr. Karl Bellve was the first--I just copied his work.) You can see the diff lock switch just below the hazard light switch to the right of the steering wheel.
I should have never sold this truck. I was stupid to part with it. But aligning with the whole purpose of this thread, I found myself wanting for more when I should have kept what I had.
I knew Americans were buying less and less manual transmission vehicles and in 2001 when Toyota completely discontinued manual transmission 4Runners, I knew it was the end of an era. One summer in 2005 I came across my dream vehicle, a 2000 4Runner with a 5-speed manual (last year it was ever offered) and the factory locking differential, being sold at an Acura dealership. The holy grail. I didn't even have a checkbook on me but I made the purchase that day, came home and put the 1994 truck for sale and scored $9,500 the first day it was on the market.
I love the 4Runner but I loved that '94 truck too. I have come to realize in the past couple of years that "keeping up with the Jones's" is not how I want to live my life. I have a vehicle that is extremely reliable, fun to drive and will take me anywhere I want to go for years to come. I have a small house that isn't fancy but my mortgage costs less than rent in my neighborhood. Except for a decent mountain bike and a nice dSLR camera, I don't own anything fancy. And beginning this July I am taking a voluntary pay cut by cutting down to 4 days per week (from 5), to give me more quality time with my wife and 8 month old daughter. We have big plans for travel and don't intend to let American-grade spending slow down our dreams. I've made my mistakes in the past to keep up with society, but I'm done. I want to thank everyone who posted in this thread for helping me remember what is important in life.
