once i get some proper rubber and restore the suspension with 4600s this things gonna be a beast 🔥

New to me 2000 Hilux Surf with the 5VZ and 118k Miles.

Hi everyone,

This weekend I bought my first Toyota ever. I'm coming from BMWs and other enthusiast cars, so this is new territory for me. It's a late-90s 4Runner SR5 with 280k miles, owned by the same person since about 30k miles, with an exceptional handwritten service record.
So far I'm amazed by the build quality of this Japan-built truck. I've already picked up a set of 5th gen wheels and tires to keep it OEM+.

My goal is simple: keep everything that makes this truck great (reliability, simplicity, capability) and make it a better daily driver. Think tasteful restomod: better seats, sound insulation, upgraded interior, and sensible performance upgrades.

Head unit and cameras:

- I'd like a modern head unit with a backup camera, ideally front and 360 cameras too.
- I'd love the screen mounted higher and more driver-focused while keeping an OEM look. Are there any dash kits that do this?
-Which head units have you had the best experience with?

Interior and sound:

- I want to sound-deaden the whole truck and turn it into a quiet, comfortable cruiser.
- I'm planning a great speaker system with an amp. Any recommendations for amp placement?
-Has anyone added a heads-up display or a steering wheel with audio controls?
-What are the best pre-cut or molded carpets for the 3rd gen? Stuff that improve sound deadening
- Any other interior upgrades that keep the OEM+ look but improve the driving experience?

Performance and suspension:

- How reliable is the TRD supercharger long-term? Forced induction usually costs reliability, so I'm also interested in upgrades that won't hurt it.
- What are your favorite suspension upgrades for ride quality? I am not looking for overland build.
- Has anyone installed air suspension on a 3rd gen?

Any advice, part recommendations, or build threads to look at would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello all,

I am new to owning a 4runner and I just bought a 1997 and the clock doesn't work. Is this something that can be fixed, if so how would I do that? Thank you in advance!

I was knocking doors for my job and saw the color of this car and felt like asking the lady if she was selling it cause I needed a vehicle. turns out she was and has owned it since 04 with good maintenance records on kbb. it doesn’t have rust but has 305k miles on it. she sold it to me for 1k

Didn't realize there was such an uproar for these vehicles. the name of the car is the beast

does anyone have advice for keeping this thing driving smooth and keeping it on the road?

this is what she sent for service done in the last couple years

“Valve cover gasket and timing beltwere replaced, wheel cylinder replaced, struts, ignition replaced, brakes all in 2022, tires 2021. That’s all the service records I kept from last couple of years. “

I bought this 2000 SR5 for $3500 about a month ago. Zero rust (Florida) old lady owned and the normal maintence was also kept up.

I replaced the front and back suspension components with a mechanics help. ( I was born with very bad fine motor skills as being a preme. It sucks but such is life! ) We re did the whole front and back.

New valve cover gaskets ( had a small oil leak)

I gave her an oil change, new air filter and new front brakes rotors + pads. (Took me 4 hours 😂😂)

Next stop is going to be the timing belt : water pump kit.

I’ve put 1900 on her already! A few trips and such, including our first 2 night camping trip down in South Florida.

How many miles does yours have? I’m currently at 251,700.

Starts right up and gets down to its smooth idle instantly, shifts like a dream. I’d love for this to last me another 75-100k!

I daily drive motorcycles so the 15 mpg doesn’t really bother me 🤷

I sold a 2009 Hyundai suv I had for a year that kept racking up problem.
Couldn’t imagine a new car payment so here we are!

Good day everyone.

Bought this 2000 Surf 2.7, with 180,000km on last spring.

It’s my daily driver and commuter. It’s a 120km daily trip to work.

I change oil every 5,000km and it’s starting to be annoying. I feel I could probably push it a bit further without consequences?

Also the suspension feels like it’s bottoming out on big bumps, could probably benefit from a suspension upgrade. I want a little to no lift option geared towards comfort. Old Man Emu?

I put Toyo Open Country HT on for the warmer months and Toyo Observe GSI6 for winter.

I changed all the fluids when bought. Have yet to chek the valves. I plan on doing the trans cooler mod. It will be rust proof every fall and I clean it regularly.

Like the title said I want to keep this guy for a long time any tips?

Thanks 😁

Hello again,

I am new to owning a 4runner and this one had an engine swap a few years ago before I got it and they changed the ignition key so its not the same as the doors. Whats the easiest way to have all the keys match? My husband was just going to have a locksmith take the ignition out and change it to match the doors. Whats the easiest way to remove it? Thank you in advance!

This is after rigorous soaking in parts cleaner and scrubbing with a wire brush, new ones are $25 each

My 2000 4Runner 5VZFE started making this "chugging" noise today on my drive home from work. Ever since I got the car a few months ago, the catalytic converter/exhaust has always sounded a bit odd so today I just thought it finally gave in. I recall the RPMs sputtered once when I came to a stop, also lit up the check engine indicator at a separate time but only for a few seconds and was off for the rest of the ride. I ran the codes when I got home and it gave me the P0304 code (cylinder 4 misfire). Could be my spark plugs/coil packs, injectors, though I did inspect two of the spark plugs last month during timing belt/waterpump replacement and they looked old but fine. My question is: Is this for sure a misfire or could it be my CAT throwing off the code? Maybe both have gone bad. If it is a misfire, what are the steps I should take to diagnose what is causing it? Thank you in advance.

My rear passenger wheels sticks out more than the rear driver side.

Was doing a once over before a short trip tomorrow and noticed this sound from behind the upper timing cover. Maybe water pump? Thoughts? It’s only an 80 mile trip but I don’t want the water pump to grenade if that’s what it is.

I pulled the upper cover back and it didn’t seem like belt slapping around.

Good prices, wide variety of racks, bumpers, plates, etc. Thoughts or experiences?

Big puddle of brake fluid under rear driver side axle. Hard brake line is toast, will need to replace soft one also. Any clue where that hard line goes to or anyone know a part number?? Goes up and above the shock tower. TIA

Currently in the middle of an engine build out of the vehicle, probably won't make it back into the 4runner before winter hits. What can I do to ensure the engine is well lubed through the winter before installing it in the spring? Coat every moving part in assembly grease? Wait to pull the pin on the belt tensioner/ install belt later so it doesnt deform and cams are under tension? What else can I do to make sure initial start up sequence is good to go after the 5vzfe been sitting for awhile?

Is there a way to swap the wasted spark style ignition system a coil on plug system on the 4runners? Would it even benefit anything to do that? I've never had a car with a wasted spark system, but idk that swaping would help

Does anyone know if you can just replace the bushing on the lower control arm or do you got to replace the whole lca ? The bushing is worn the tf out and I've got 1.5 -2" of play ! '97 Sr5

I’ve been struggling to figure this out and haven’t had much luck searching online. When I put the truck in Park, the doors would unlock and then when I would put the car in Drive the car would lock. This stopped a couple of months ago and can’t figure out why. There was an old remote start that was set up in the car but was removed by a shop when I was getting some electrical done. Not sure if this feature was after market and part of the remote start.

Does anyone have any insight into what I can do to get this back?

I'm tired of the yellowish lights my current Philips 9003 CrystalVision Platinum are giving out, any recommendations for bright white or blueish lights? I have the stock glass headlights on my '01 4Runner SR5.