Mk_98

the little things, we put 300lb of concrete in the MSP could of posted that

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

sounds like me, exiled from the garage to the driveway and back, rinse and repeat...i need to get the no reverse issue figured out..

you definitely have gone through a few random vehicles

MaK92-4RnR

Lol yeah, I already need to update my signature since the Tahoe and Pickup are gone. Hopefully the Protege sells here pretty soon.

MaK92-4RnR

4-22-21 - Update

2003 Chevy Tahoe - Sold
2003 Mazdaspeed Protege - Sold

I'm back down to 2 vehicles and it's actually kind of nice having all of the extra space again. Half my garage is still consumed by lawn/yard tools but I should be solving that here pretty soon with a 12x10 shed in my backyard. For now, I put the 4Runner back in the garage so I can start brainstorming on what she needs to be road worthy again. Plus, my house is getting painted today/tomorrow and I think the safest place for it to hang out is in the garage.



Anyway, I decided to start with a new windshield. Still need to schedule the replacement but I did order a 1 piece rubber molding that replaces the chrome trim. This molding/gasket is highly sought after on a thread over on Yotatech so I figured i'd give it a whirl:



That's all for now.

MaK92-4RnR

6-9-21 - Update

A lot has happened in the past few months:

1) My birthday came and went. I spent the entire week eating out and drinking beer with everyone who was willing to celebrate. Well, that Friday I got ridiculously sick with food poisoning/salmonella from one of the restaurants that I ate out at the week of my birthday. It took me about 7-10 days to actually fight off the bacteria infection but something to this day still isn't 100% with my body. Food to this day still doesn't sound appetizing and I also dropped about 31-32 lbs. I look and feel great but I've basically sworn off smoking cigars, drinking beer and eating food that isn't prepared by myself. Kind of an interesting lifestyle change but I think it's a move in the right direction, health wise.

2) I had a new windshield installed in the 4Runner. I didn't use the 1 piece rubber gasket because the technician wasn't very experienced with the whole "rope through" installation method so I just told him to go ahead and install a traditional gasket. It came out great and I'm happy with it. The previous windshield was removed and I inspected the surround for any rust and it actually looked brand new under there, which was a relief. Here's pictures of the new windshield:



3) I know back in April I mentioned that I was back down to 2 vehicles and the 4Runner was back in the garage. Well, that changed. I had a friend of mine mention that he was selling his 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and after a few weeks of negotiating, we finally came to an agreement on price that we were both happy with and I brought the car home:



For being a FWD hot hatch, what a fun little car. It already had K-sport coilovers, Corksport exhaust, Corksport intake, Kenwood amp + 12" subwoofer, Turbosmart 50/50 BOV & an Accessport. The car was a blast but as with all my vehicles, if it passes California smog, I typically post it for sale for 90 days for a price that I cannot refuse. I had it up for about 2-3 days and then a family from Granite Bay came down with cash in hand to purchase it for his 18 year old son who just graduated high school. Needless to say, it left. Now I'm back down to 2 vehicles again (4Runner & Camry).

4) I decided to order all the parts I need to get the 4runner's timing fixed. Here's a list of everything I ordered:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Oil Cooler
Idler Pullies
Knock Sensor
PCV Valve
PCV Grommet
Air Conditioning Belt
Power Steering Belt
Alternator Belt
Fan Clutch
False Water Pump / Fan Bracket
Thermostat

All parts ordered were AISIN/NGK/NTK brand for a whopping $415.00. I feel like I got a solid amount of parts for the amount of money spent. Parts are expected to be delivered on Monday the 14th.

5) Amidst all the chaos, one of my good friends called me up saying that his 2007 Tacoma was making some odd noises. He drove the truck over to my house and immediately I realized he needed new brakes. Here's some pictures of that job:









In the meantime, I'm just selling off parts that I've accrued over the last year or so from vehicles that I've bought and sold. I'm literally sitting on tons of parts from The Mazdaspeed(s) that I had and I'm hoping that I can make some money from selling those and drop it directly into the 4Runner.

I'm having a shed built in my backyard on the 29th of June. I actually planned on building the shed myself but with the prices of lumber right now, I'd literally only be saving myself 700-800 bucks. Seemed like a no-brainer to just have a professional put it in. He only needs a day to install it (where it would take me a week or so) and it'll come with a 10 year warranty. The mindset behind the shed is to get everything that's yard/lawn related in my garage moved out to the shed so that I can move 2 vehicles into the garage again. Right now, there's just so much stuff in there that I only have one side. Once the shed is built, I'll have less clutter and more room to actually wrench on the 4Runner.

I'm also waiting on my mountain bike to be delivered (2021 Giant Trance X 29 2) but the date keeps getting pushed out! It was originally expected to be here on the 24th week of 2021 but now we're at the 28th week of 2021. Nothing like sitting on a $3700 purchase for months and no guarantee on when it'll be here. With that being said, it's kind of ridiculous how everything "bike related" is backordered. I'm patiently waiting for 1UP to restock themselves with their bike racks but still no word. I have no problem picking up a used unit but everyone is asking $200+ over retail for their bike racks and there's no way I'm letting someone hustle me like that. Anyways, here's a picture of the bike for good measure:



That's all the updates I have for now. I have a few more things coming down the pipeline but I'll mention those when they come to fruition.

MaK92-4RnR

6-21-22 - Update

1) I sold the Mazdaspeed 3 for a price I couldn't refuse. I also sold the easily removable parts and made a pretty good chunk of change from that sale

2) Finally got around to tearing into the 4Runner. Long story short, the timing jumped 2 teeth. Not really sure how this happened but the only thing I can think of is maybe a tensioner gave out? Everything that was pulled off to get to the timing belt looked pretty good but I ordered all new replacements so the 4Runner should be ready to rock and roll after this is all said and done.

3) Shed is being built on the 30th of June (confirmed). Pretty stoked to have my wrenching space back.

4) Still no real update on the Bike. I called and they're telling me week 28 of this year is the delivery date but it might show up early, might show up late. I took the liberty of waiting into account and have Crankbrothers Pedals, AMS Crank Arm Guards, AMS Chain Bash Guard and a full Ride Wrap kit waiting to install once it gets here. I also tried ordering a platform bike rack from 1UP but unfortunately everything is wait listed for 4-8 weeks. I signed up for the wait list about a month ago and they called me the other day stating that my name is coming up sometime next week but then I have to wait another 4 weeks after purchasing it for it to be built/delivered to my address. There's a bunch of 1UP racks on craigslist/facebook marketplace but everyone knows they're backordered and selling them for 200.00-300.00 above retail. I'll probably end up going with a KUAT but I really want(ed) the 1UP based on the recommendations on Ih8mud.com

MaK92-4RnR

6-25-21 - Update

1) Minor set back, the 4Runner's harmonic balancer is spun so I ordered a new one and i'm just waiting for that to come in. The "new" one is used w/ 160k confirmed miles. I'll just clean it up, install it and hopefully I can get the truck back together / running by next weekend.

MaK92-4RnR

7-23-21 - Moar Updates - Completely out of order, timeline wise.

1) So the 4Runner now has a new timing belt, water pump, PCV, drive belts, fan clutch, radiator... yada yada and she passed smog! Surreal moment for me since this truck is always a huge pain in the ass when it comes to getting it to comply with California Standards.



2) Shed is in! I'm starting to get the garage all organized again and I still need to build shelves in the shed but at least I can now put all my yard equipment outside and use the garage strictly for wrenching.





3) I finally took delivery of my 2021 Giant Trance X 29 2 last night. I'm beyond stoked to actually ride again after a 3-4 month hiatus. This bike meets and exceeds my expectations thus far but i have yet to take her on a trail. Bob Cycle Center was nice enough to install my pedals, crank arm / chain guards & a clear Ride Wrap kit.



4) It the middle of everything happening above, a friend of mine called me up saying he's got a coworker who needs to sell an 07 Grand Cherokee. After talking to the owner I drove down to Davis and picked the Jeep up. He had a spare oil filter in the cargo area and I had some spare 5w30 floating around so I did an oil change and also plopped in a new air filter in. Truck runs and drives perfectly fine, i just need to get it registered in the state of California and she'll be ready to rock. The only complaint I have about the Jeep is that it's not a V8.

84 yota dude

Congrats on the smog and bike!! Nice shed too.

MaK92-4RnR

8-2-21 - 1UPUSA Bike Rack, New Alternator, New Wheel Bearings & New Bike Shakedown:



What a weekend...



Starting on Friday, I was headed to work in the Jeep and I made it about 4-5 miles from the house before the entire dash lit up like a Christmas tree. I looked down at the Scangauge II and noticed 11.7 volts. Instantly made a U-turn, pulled it into the driveway and drove the Camry to work. I had already made plans to swap wheel bearings on my buddy's Tacoma on Saturday so when I made it home after work, I pulled the bad alternator off the Jeep and since the Tacoma was there already, I tore that down and cleaned up the spindles.



Alternator on the Jeep removed:





Here's the existing spindles removed. The driver side is cooked:





I just sprayed the spindle down a little bit and wiped the dust out:





No damage to the spindle from the cooked bearing:





The next morning [USER=50829]@MKtaco98[/USER], our cousin and another friend went to Folsom Lake and hit the bike trails out there. I didn't grab any pictures from the ride itself but it was the first ride on the new bike and what a difference being on a full suspension bike versus the hardtail. I did get a lot of pictures of my new 1UP bike rack and all I have to say is this is hands down the best bike rack on the market.



I thought I had to actually assemble this thing but it came ready to rock and roll:





Here it is in it's lowest locked position:





Wings open:





Here's my bike and a friend of mine's Norco on the bike rack:





After the bike ride, I did the required parts run to AutoZone, went home and installed everything on both vehicles and both were operational again.



Alternator installed and ready to rock:





Wheel bearings on, no more issues. (Dust cap was installed right after this picture):





Once all the vehicles were dialed in, I ended up bringing yet another vehicle home on Sunday:





It's a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL. Original owner, garage kept since new and it has the convertible hardtop along with a soft top in perfect condition.



I might be in over my head a little bit with this Benz. It doesn't have any issues, doesn't leak oil at all but I'm just not sure how desirable it is. It's in great condition, low miles but it's just kind of an odd cookie. It seems like the market is hit or miss with these right now. Some are going for 25k+ but other are going for 10-12k? I'll have to clean this one up, see how she does on the market and go from there.

MaK92-4RnR

11-9-21 - Couple Updates, Trip up to Foresthill

Been awhile since I've posted. My right eye flared up again and I've just been dealing with trying to get that back to a state of normality. It sucks, but hey... I try to get by each and every day with no depth perception and 50% blindness.

The 4Runner has been doing well. It still has a few things that need to be worked out but all in all, it made the trip and back to Foresthill without any hiccups.

But anyways, I went up to Foresthill and hung out for the day. Mostly I wanted to scout out the camp sites up there because I'd like to do a weekend camping trip to shake off the rust. Here's some pictures that I took:













I was pleased to find out that the camp sites around the area have actually been serviced recently. They have brand spanking new fire pits and grilles along with a lot of the under brush being trimmed out. The sites are much larger now, too.

I'm thinking of making a run up there this weekend with some friends. Might even consider a solo camping trip with the doggo.

2ToyGuy

First off, let me say: I can empathize with your vision troubles. I ran into a horse on my motorcycle back in 92. What he was doing on MY bike is a mystery to this day...

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Anywho, I was going about 60 on a highway outside Yuma, Az, on my way to work. Just before dawn, the monday before Thanksgiving. Horse ran right out in front of me. Near as we can figure, he reared at the last second, rode the forks and fairing up and scraped me off the bike. 1975 Kawasaki Police Special. Think CHIPs
We went bouncing down the highway for a ways. Me, the bike, and the horse. He died at the scene. Choked out his last breaths in the ditch. BLM wouldn't let anyone kill him but them, and they were "busy".
I don't remember a thing. I know my helmet bounced off the centerline for a ways, because it has a bright yellow stripe down the left side of it. Knocked my left retina loose. After I recovered, the eye doctor tried to place the retina back where it belonged, but it tore loose again. I've been blind in my left eye ever since. The pain was intense.
I can empathize, believe me.

I love the pics you took. I grew up in the SF Bay Area, when it was still beautiful. A little town called Woodside. Beautiful place. My back yard looked like your pictures of the campsites. I really miss it, but, well, you know what the Bay Area is like now.

Have fun camping!
Pat☺

MaK92-4RnR

Hey Pat,

Oof... That sounds like hell. I wish I could say my vision loss is from an accident that I was involved in but unfortunately, it's the shingles virus attacking my cornea. Luckily, I haven't had any visual outbreaks on my body but my eye has a constant crimson red hue to it and 100% vision loss. I already have a scar down the center of my cornea from a previous outbreak but now it's back and I have 2 or 3 cracks this time. My optometrist and ophthalmologist seem enthusiastic about my eye recovering but for now, I just deal. You don't really realize how good you have it until you don't have any depth perception. I'm being a good sport about it, though. Still going to work, hanging out with friends and being active so hopefully this virus pops smoke and I can get back to wearing my custom scleral contact. My optician did a killer job designing a scleral contact and even with the scar, it restores my vision but I cannot wear it until the infection is gone. It's been 7? Maybe 8 months now since i've worn my contact.

San Francisco is like a dying fire. It used to be so vibrant and fun but as of lately, it's a bit of a doom and gloom city. Littered with homeless, trash and feces (literally). The last time I went there was to pay a visit to Pier 39 and it was "fun" but it just didn't have that same spark it used to have. This was before my Niece was born so.... 2-3 years ago? It's really unfortunate.

Thanks,

- M

MaK92-4RnR

11-16-21 - Mumford Bar Camping Trip

We ended up going camping at Mumford Bar after scouting it out the weekend before. I couldn't sleep at night during the week knowing that we went up there and didn't stay the night. We drove up there late on a Friday night and stayed through Sunday (12th-14th). Zero complaints. The weather was perfect. The dog had a blast. The lady was comfortable. We literally didn't see anyone the whole weekend so it was a nice escape from society.





As you can see, the 4Runner was loaded down pretty good but it still drove up there perfectly fine. I'm just patiently waiting for someone to come buy the Mercedes and then I'll do some work on the 4Runner. I'm already thinking of revamping the suspension front and rear, installing new carpet throughout the interior and selling off the trail-gear bumpers, winch and lighting and getting into an Addicted Offroad front bumper and a 4x4labs rear bumper tire carrier. I also brain stormed the idea of doing a "half-cage" so that I can run a roof rack without drilling into the fiberglass top.

84 yota dude

Sweet!

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

FINALLY he listens about getting rid of those ugly TrailMart bumpers!

MaK92-4RnR

Jokes on you, you're gonna buy em.

Mk_98

Gonna say you're gonna get new bumpers, and he's gonna ask to buy the "trailmart" ones for his 4runner.

space-junk

iTrader: (1)

Youre gonna be waiting a LOOOOOONG while for that, brother! hahahaha.

erm... ive already got bumpers for my runner. and i have NEVER been a fan of tube bumpers. Since i first saw @MaK92-4RnR s runner ive been telling him to get plate bumpers because the tube looks like booty. Dont get me wrong, they serve their purpose just fine and if people like them, more power to them, but they dont fit the aesthetic that i love.

MaK92-4RnR

Everyone has their price. You'd buy em for $100 bucks and you know it. But you know me... i'm just gonna find somebody that gives me a grand for the whole setup.