My lift plans have changed. I ordered a Bilstein lift (6112 adjustable front, 5160 remote reservoir rears). I didn't want anything huge, and had the 6112s preassembled at a 2" lift height (they can go anywhere from 1" to 2.75"). That, some bigger tires (either 275/70/17 or 285/70/17, ...

Thanks. I initially hung the ladder sideways and it was awful. Initially, I was going to hang them both side by side, then just tossed the one on top and used the 4 hangers for the step. I like that they are out of the way and don’t visually block anything.

Figured I’d toss in a pic of the 4Runner before I get started on it. In the next few months, I’ll be installed a Dobinsons 2.5/1.5” lift, and wheels/tires, I picked up a set of TRD Pro matte gray wheels a couple of months ago when Toyota had a 40% Off TRD parts sale. I couldn’t pass up new OEM wheel...

I added some ladder storage this weekend. After measuring, I noticed the gap between the two doors was perfectly spaced to hang my two light ladders. One ladder on top, the other hanging below. I can still reach it easily, and it both utilized unused space and kept things off the floor. I plan to fi...

Yes, the Cougar is also gone. We still have the Grand Cherokee. Having put almost 4k on the 4Runner in a couple of months, it's nice, comfy-ish, and very similar to the Taco in some ways. It's still very much "trucky", and I found I wasn't using the bed on the Taco other than for my son's ...

In what should shock nobody, the Taco be gone. Replaced with a 2019 4Runner. Nothing special, an SR5 Premium with the third row.

The Taco netted $28k on trade in, so it cost me about $3k over three and a half years, not including gas/insurance/etc.

It was fast. A 1 day sell. It's actually been a bit of a stress reliever, as the expense of what was still needed was weighing on me a little bit. The next vehicle I get won't require the amount of work this one did, hopefully. Even NC Miatas have dipped into my price range. I'm not looking for anyt...

And just like that, whoosh...it's on to something else. I sold the Cougar a couple of weeks ago to a guy that had one as his first car. Apparently, he wanted it last year when I put an ad up, and was bummed when the ad went down. All in all, I ended up in the black about $1800. I resold the seats th...

Well, the seats are installed. Actually, I installed them twice. I initially installed them they way the previous owner had them installed to his brackets. Strangely, he had them installed backwards, which prevented the seats from being mounted on the brackets from being mounted at anything other th...

I picked up a set up Procar Classic seats from a seller on craigslist last night. They're black, so I'm thinking I'm going to color change the interior. Finding parchment replacement upholstery is expensive. Black is not. I'll most likely try out the vinyl/fabric spray paint on the spare interior pi...

Looks sharp. Great to see you've got the car back on the road!

Changed the oil this week (exciting, I know) and had my son help me. It's my first time using the Fumoto valve since I installed it. Impressions? It works, I used the tube that came with it, but won't use it next time, as it negates the "clean" factor of using a valve if you have to deal w...

Well, new tires, combined with just renewing the registration, means I'll be keeping this thing. By the time another registration rolls around, the truck will be paid for. I've never paid off a vehicle with a loan, so this will be something new for me. I've owned plenty of vehicles free and clear, b...

Yep, it's a rats nest under there and I haven't even attempted to look at it yet.

Finally got the hideaway door actuators installed, wire, working, and finishing. Only major gotcha I had is that the rubber dust boot that covers the motor adjustment knob was an obstruction and jammed one of the motors. Nothing big, although to adjust the door back down, I had to remove the headlig...