Waterbottom

Looks like a nice ride you guys had, even with the break downs. That just goes with the territory, fix one thing to find another, be that on your truck or the one beside you.
I'm Trying to keep up with the rest of your post, but sometimes its like watching Rain man counting tooth picks, it happens all to fast. haha

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hey guys, I will be commenting in response to a couple people, and replying to a bunch of PM's, as soon as possible... I had to take mom to the Social Security office today for what sounds like one last chance to get her a break on that stupid declaration that she owed nearly 3,000 dollars from 14 years ago... As soon as she applied for her husband who passed away Social Security the computer for some reason decided that she was overpaid 14 years ago. She cannot afford this, and we're meeting with an advocate today but I think its just lip service to be honest. I hope they will at least let her make $10 payments or something, but considering her age I'm sure they're going to want it all and that means they will just withhold at least 2 or more of her social security checks until it's all paid off. I'm a little pissed off today to say the least, but I can still hope for the best. I'll be back in a little bit

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Well,........ I'm literally pleasantly shocked! Lol..... A Mr. "G", we'll call him, the case reviewer for my mothers appeal to the original "DENIED" decision of her request for a waiver of debt? .....HE WAS A GODSEND! He explained how they by law referred us to a different 'case officer' for appeal of the decision, since sending us to the same guy who denied us the first time?>>> That's no longer deemed to be "ethical", so they "forward" the case file...... YA THINK? HAHAHA......

He reviewed the work of 25 pages or so that I'd done, looked up and down from his glasses several times, from me to the papers, back and forth..... I was getting dizzy! Lol....

After a few minutes, he looked up, looked obviously ticked at the comments the former case officer(who'd denied her) had made, and he looked at my mom and said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry that you've had to go through so much worry over the last several months, nearly a year! ...... That is just terrible! How could anyone remember who told them the incorrect info 15 years ago?!?! ....You know what? Your son did a great job of providing so much info, all clearly laid out, and I agree with his assessment, that 'you clearly can't afford this!' SO: Instead of making you surrender the $10 you barely have left over each month,....I'm waiving this, right here and now! Now go home and relax, this is over!"........

We could have been seen by any of dozens of not so understanding ppl today... , and it is his JOB to get money and deny ppl if it's ethically feasible.... But, WE GOT HIM, THANK GOD!

I try not to complain guys, and I hope I can say, without too much argument, that I try to be a positive person in spite of and in the face off quite frequent crises... But this one had really got me angry and feeling like it was the last straw in what feels like several bales of said straw over the last few years... And that quickly, we meet the right person and things move in a way that is really going to help my mother over the next year! I'm literally ecstatic for her!

coryc85

That's awesome Mark. Last thing someone on a fixed income should have to worry about is paying back money the government GAVE them. Now you and your mom can relax.

Now get back on the Toyota!

ToyoTech559

wow. im am really happy for you and your mother that its over. sucks that you had to do all that work just to get it over with but it worked out in your favor this time.

Redeth005

Nice Mark. Im Happy for ya. and i hope those picture messages cheered you up a bit earlier lol. I'm Happy for good ol' Erna. She needs to relax. Worrying about paying all that $$$ isnt her fault to begin with. Just another way the gov takes our money away. I'm happy she'll be able to relax now. Hopefully i wont have to worry about any of that when my parents are elderly. sounds like a pain in the ass.

On the plus side. now you can also relax! and get back to work on your 4Runner.

Red Wagon

Oh wonderful buddy!!!

That is such happy new. Must be such a relief.

You have a very busy life.

84 yota dude

Hey Chef just curious: how did you keep those original tail light covers so shiny?! Also is this a trail truck or is it a daily driver? thanks

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hahaha. ... Thanks , and not to worry, I have plenty to do!

Yep! Was a great feeling to see her face light up and that burden be lifted from her!

Thanks buddy, and yeah that was pretty funny. For some reason, it made me think of the new Johnny Knoxville movie, Bad Grandpa! Lol... All the crazy pranks they pull... A lot of its not my style of humor, but some of it is just so hilarious. That would be a rough prank though, it could break up a relationship you know what I mean? Lol... I guess if that happened it wasn't meant to be anyway right? Hahaha.
As far as her being able to relax, absolutely! This is been stressing her out since very shortly after her husband passed away. Just a rotten thing to do to an elderly person, and for the most part, until today, they have absolutely no compassion or sense that they wanted to help her figure out a way to make it easier on her.

Just briefly, not to be negative, but I would really spend some time speaking with physicians and otherwise in regards to that very subject of your parents. I know this from experience, because my step father had no assisted living insurance, and as dark is this might sound to say, had he lived another year, which would absolutely had to have been in a home considering his level of dementia,... And the cost of 'in your own home care', which is around $500 a day... They would have run through what little bit my mom HAD within that single year. Like I said, I don't mean to be a downer, I just wish more people that I knew and cared about took that seriously....end of life planning. I mean just look at her funeral expenses for him alone... Probably barely a thousand dollars worth of insurance, had he been willing to do that, would have saved her from having to worry about that $10,000 bill. Now think about 250 to 350 dollars a day, for around a year, or in some others cases ... 5 YEARS, in assisted living facilities ! ..... Just saying... Press them to tell you what their plan is. I can't tell you how horrible it has been for some of the people I've met that there is nothing they can do because they have to work and because their parents never planned for any of this they wound up in some pretty horrible places. I'll leave it at that, & I apologize if I upset anyone... I just know what I know, & I also know how so few people have any clue what is coming if they don't have some type of backup plan.

It is, such a relief and excellent news...., and indeed, I am a, for the most part, 7 day a week go-go-goer, lol. S' all good... As the famous saying goes,...... "Keep moving or die!" BUT; Maybe I should slow down for a bit here and there before I take it into the opposite end of the spectrum! Hehe.

Anyway, thanks again guys, all of you... Absolutely a fantastic day for a fantastic person!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hey Duderino, ....lol... ( Big Lebowski inside joke, hahaha)...

I've always used the same UV wax on my tail lights that I've used on the truck. I use cornstarch to remove the wax as it prevents any scratches or swirls... & I kept them fairly well sealed. Whenever I replace a tail light bulb, I make sure the seals are all good where the lens goes over the housing.

Over the past few years the truck spent more time in modification and so forth then my normal percentage of Wheeling the 10 or so years before... I will be this one and the one before it quite a bit, pretty much every weekend or a couple times a month.... But I also daily drove it quite a bit as well. From 2002 when I bought it to 2005, I put 128000 miles on it, touring California wilderness and so forth. From 2005 to now I have only put on another 45 thousand miles. I've just been way too busy with work and raising kids and caregiving and.... And and and and. Hahahaha. You know what I'm saying. I guess you could say it is both, but I plan to do tons of Wheeling and camping over the next few years.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Speaking of tail lights, look what I got in the mail today!.......







And, a little clean up including the entire undercarriage and wheel wells and trans and transfer case, etc....





One of the reasons for cleaning it throughout underneath is obvious, but I want to get ready to mount certain things in there in cluding the rock lights... So I figured I better blast some of that heavy stuff off. I'm shocked how the pressure washer removed all of the tire spray, at least that's what I call it. The tires just kind of shoot the molten rubber all over the place in the wheel well... Especially MT's. I noticed that a lot more since I don't have the AT's on there....

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

PS; I got some questions coming pretty fast in regards to a couple of decisions I have to make on wire routing and the alternator and rock lights and a couple of things. I'll probably just do a video and then you guys can tell me what you think. I also have to get the headlight harness and then decide if, after some before and after viewing, I want some Zenon h4 bulbs with hella housings or something like that. I'm probably fine for now as these balls are fairly new and pretty bright... But maybe I'll see a killer sale or something right? I sure would much rather carry both around in my glove box then an entire headlight hunt and a little podunk town on holiday weekend! Lol. Nothing against podunk towns, I would love to move to one someday!

I have everything in one area staged and ready to get started, literally every project... I already finished the review dome light and I'm trying... But all the wiring I have to do for those four switches and the air and the roof lights with quick release... It's going to be a good idea I think to think that out quickly and just run the wires, but I want to make sure it all goes the right way and nice and clean.

diableri

Where'd you get your tail light covers Chef? I need to get a pair as well as front turn signals.

84 yota dude

Awesome, thanks!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

There is a company it goes by many names, including Auto Parts Warehouse, auto parts wholesalers, auto body parts wholesalers, and the link below is the one that I used. Every single thing that I've ordered from them I got within 24 to 48 hours and it is always good quality. I haven't looked for the front corner lights, but I'm sure they have them....

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...d=230921673746

Here's the turn signal from a different name.....

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...d=370475325308

And I think I saw the corner lights...

As a matter of fact, here they are... I just want to say that I have noticed over the last few years of the front corner lights ,.... That, well, they are getting a lot more difficult to find. The tail lights are out there by the thousands. This is the whole assembly.

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...d=370879703321

Sure man! What's going on with you? Are you getting something crazy in the works? I don't check for new friends quite often on the homepage so if you start to build pager you have one go ahead and post it up. What I mean is, send me a link. If you want to send it pm that's fine too.

diableri

Thank you Chef! Ordered. I looked at a few places but was sure about reputations.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Wooot! Lol... My pleasure, and I hope you get it all quick.

Cyberhorn The Dragon

excellent news on mom mark just awesome

cool tailight wow nice a clean you gona do some undercoating while in there workin on the rock lights?

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hey William! How you doing buddy? Well, as far as undercoating ,.... The factory undercoating is completely intact from front to back, zero rust protruding from any of it, and I think at this point I should just leave it alone. They used undercoating and then painted over it on the wheel wells and underside as well. It's definitely not over spray because the entire truck from front to back on the under body is red over the under coating..... Unless they used red undercoating? I can't seem to find any black under it when I pressure wash. I found enough skirts for the front to cover the brake lines in all of that stuff... I want to get those installed because they stop a lot of mud from getting into the engine bay.

Thanks, regarding moms! She's a trooper, dude!

84 yota dude

Haha nothing crazy in the works.
Currently I have a 1984 Toyota pickup 4x4 dlx that I got for my first car in March! (Btw I'm 16) Was really excited about that. After all my research online and I found out that the truck needs some work: leaf springs, shocks, rebuilt knuckles, and some other things. I got the truck for a steal at $2500 and thinking about it, I could probably make money off of it with out really putting any money into it! So, after buying it a month or so later I discovered the first gen 4runners and fell in love with them. So by the end of this year I want to sell the truck and find a 4runner. Also btw I love the red color of yours and I think your truck is awesome!!