a2labs

I have some information for anyone looking to source something like this from a Toyota in a junkyard. Those extra clusters came with the SR5 trim package 4runner's and Tercel's. If it still has the original paint, the SR5's have big broken stripes on the sides and the hood, so they're easy to spot. The 4runner cluster has an altimeter where the Tercel's 4wd indicator is. There's also a switch on the face of the 4runner clusters to kill the illumination, which I find handy when driving on unlit roads at night. (but not while wheeling, as was mentioned above) That Tercel cluster looks brand-new and factory! Good job!

Are noobs allowed? Is there any registration process/fee? If I make it to Seattle, I'd really like to go! :cool:

I noticed it's been said before, but this is just amazing! I've always dreamed of doing something like this... If I can make it to the WCCS in August, I really hope to see your car there! I'll have to be careful not to drool all over it, ha! Good luck finishing the project!

Wow never would have guessed that, but it makes sense I suppose. From an ex tow truck drivers perspective, that makes certain recovery operations a real pain in the arse!

I want a brat now! I can just barely see the holes in the body behind the bumper, but they look different from my wagon, so maybe my idea won't work after all. Crikey!

Cut off like in an accident? Or with a torch? I'd say it depends on how much metal is left where they used to be... good pics of the damaged area might help! If welding isn't an option, and there's enough metal left, you might be able to drill holes for some large grade 8 bolts. I'd use no less than two 1/2'' fine thread bolts per hook. To these bolts you could attach some hooks off another vehicle, or some large shackle or eye that might be found at a hardware store, lowe's, home depot, etc. I'd get the biggest, most grossly overrated stuff you can find, something in the 1 to 2 ton range. Better safe than sorry. Good luck, and welcome!

Welcome to the site! Can a newbie welcome another newbie? :-p Not sure what your old bumper looked like, but I'm definitely curious. If you can't find any aftermarket parts, it might be easiest to have something custom fabricated. Should be relatively easy and cheap if you can source some scrap material, and find someone who's handy with a torch and welder. And if you're not too picky about the way it looks. I'd be happy with a nice thick pipe. I've wanted something like that to replace my bumpers for a while now.

Hello everyone =) Ok introduction... Where to start? I guess relevant soob stuff would be good. I've always wanted a 4wd soob since I was in high school, being fond of off-roading, several of my friends had them, girlfriend had one, (good times) and I always thought it was cool to have 4wd in a car. 4wd or awd in cars wasn't so common back then. Living in Virginia however, with chemicals and salt on the roads, most soobs were literally rusted in half! Actually everything rusts in half here. I picked up an '85 GL wagon while working in the oilfields of Wyoming a few years ago, a real steal for $300, as all it needed was a battery and some tlc. At the time I had several other vehicles, so after some fine tuning, I put my new toy through several "tests" (dogged the crap out of it) without caring too much whether it blew up or not in the Wyoming snow, dirt, rocks, hills, etc. It proved itself to be very worthy, so when the bad economy finally landed in Wyoming, I sold all my other vehicles, packed my belongings into the soob, and headed back to my homeland of Virginia. I wasn't sure it would even make it those 2000 miles. It did make it, just fine, loaded down to the bump stops, and it has served me well for 3 years now. I had to replace an axle some while ago. I curiously broke a camshaft a while ago, wasn't doing anything crazy, just cruising in a straight line down the highway at 60mph. I was unable to determine the cause of the break, but a mechanic friend of mine suggested it could have been a factory defect. I do any mechanic work that's possible myself, so I went to a scrapyard and pulled a head thinking I would swap the whole head. But being the cheapskate that I am and not wanting to buy a head gasket, I only replaced the cam, cam housing, and lifters. That was over a month ago and everything has been fine so far, other than my cat breaking apart and clogging up my exhaust the other day. Fixed that too. So as it turns out, there's no jobs on the east coast, and I'm moving to Seattle in a few weeks to see what the west coast work scene is like. Will my trusty soob make it 2700 miles across the country? I certainly hope so, as I've been watching NW washington offroad and hatch patrol videos on youtube for years now and wishing I was there! Life is funny eh? I'm also currently making a roof rack for the soob out of emt electrical conduit, so look forward to pics of that in the near future. And if anyone wants to cross their fingers for my cross country trip, I'd really appreciate it. Glad to be here! :cool: (that was probably a long intro, sorry)