Resurrecting "Red Green" a tough Toyota.

Labor Day 2024 update -

Got the passenger side fender replaced. Got the front bumper end caps replaced, Got the headlight surrounds replaced. Lots of fitting to do on the fender. Not my best work, not my worst. Took it for a test run.

Started de-bugging the electrical problems. Headlight relay intermittently will not pick. Either the combo switch or the relay. The relay is identical to the one for the parking lights. Hard to get to under the dashboard, but easy to do a diagnostic swap with the running light relay.

I have the entire rear harness unplugged right now. The left tail light stays on regardless of whether the switch is on or not. It will drain the battery if I don't unplug it. One really cool thing about this Toyota version is that you can disconnect the entire rear harness with a plug behind the passenger seat. Unfortunately, that mean no gas gauge.

IDOT still hasn't hit my CC for the KYSOTI vanity plate. If they would give me a temp, I could take it in for the exhaust system replacement. I guess that give me more time to debug the electrical.

IMG_3891[1].JPGIMG_3897[1].JPGIMG_3895[1].JPGIMG_3896[1].JPG
 
Started prepping the tailgate repair this morning. It will be MIG welded and stronger than the OEM spot welds when I get finished. If you go back through the thread you can see the top of the tailgate is missing. Thankfully I saved it when it came off. Dumbass design. There is a reason they went back to the side clamp closure in 1984 LN50's and the current Hi-Lux.

So in this pic I have it loose fitted and I will start marking and clamping for where I will tack it. Then I will do the inside welds. I will have to remove it to do the outside welds. @p_ham may be able to weld upside down, but not me. The bed wall spot welds in the lower valance are gone as well. These are the only support for the bed walls when the gate is not closed. It is really loose right now. Once the gate is cleaned up, I will re-install it and get the bed walls right. There is some geometry to consider so the clearances are right when I remove the clamps and spreader. Too wide and it won't latch, too narrow and it won't close. You get it.

The rear valance has sagged as well. You have to lift the left side of the tailgate to get the latch to line up and close. I have an idea for a jig to lay across the top with j hooks to engage the tailgate and lift it in position to be tacked. The line on the tailgate in the pics should line up with the matching line on the tailgate bucket. BUT - The top rail of the tailgate has to be fixed first.

IMG_3898[1].JPGIMG_3899[1].JPG
 
I had this on hold while I focused on moose hunting.

Runs and drives. Talked to Idaho DOT about my vanity plate. There was a SNAFU with the order. All squared away now and KYS0TI plate will be here in six weeks.

I am shopping for a MIG welder to get the bed and tailgate back to snuff. I was bidding on one at a school surplus auction. Didn't get it.
Gonna end up at Harbor Freight I suppose.

Immediate to-do items: (These will get me road legal)

Repair bed box and tailgate.
Chassis wiring - Lots of cut wires. I am going to have to replace/re-weave the entire rear bed harness.
Exhaust -Nothing left aft of the catalytic converter.


Future to-do items:

Swap bench seat for buckets.
Upgrade alternator. The original 40 Amp is pretty anemic. I'm thinking a GM 2-wire, but there is some re-wiring required.
Install locking diffs. Leaning toward ARB
Install new bumper and winch.
 
Changed the oil and filter today. Smells like blow-by, but it has been in there for 20 years.
Finished running the rear diff vent hose up to the firewall. Dressed it all up with red zip ties.
Noticed the clutch slave cylinder is leaking.

Another $120 at Napa for cap, rotor, wires, plugs, and slave cylinder.

Turns out Idaho tab colors are on a 20 year cycle. My 2004 tabs are the same color as the 2024 on our daily drivers.
As soon as they mail me the temp plate I will drive it to town for exhaust and wiring specialists. I have the skills to fix the wiring, but not the will.

Learned that the white residue I found when I replaced the in-line fuel filter is zinc oxide. Now I know why my granddad always said you should never park a rig with a half full gas tank.
The zinc is from the galvanizing in the tank corroding. Caused by condensation of water vapor in the tank.
 
Very cool revival project! Yeah, if you didn't have any exhaust behind the cat, the O2 sensor more than likely was seeing extra oxygen because of reversion and being near the end of the pipe. The extra oxygen causes the sensor to think the mixture is lean and tells the computer to richen the mixture. An exhaust leak near the sensor will cause the same false lean too. The O2 definitely likes the new exhaust.

To your earlier question about the heater cables, take them off and soak them in EvapoRust. After a day or two they should slide well again.
 
Last edited:
Bow Bullet said:
Very cool revival project! Yeah, if you didn't have any exhaust behind the cat, the O2 sensor more than likely was seeing extra oxygen because of reversion and being near the end of the pipe. The extra oxygen causes the sensor to think the mixture is lean and tells the computer to richen the mixture. An exhaust leak near the sensor will cause the same false rich too. The O2 definitely likes the new exhaust.

To your earlier question about the heater cables, take them off and soak them in EvapoRust. After a day or two they should slide well again.
Click to expand...
Still have small leak at the manifold flange. I need to pull it anyway to drill out, plug and re-tap the three bolt holes for the heated air shroud. I ordered all the gaskets yesterday.

Ordering an LED headlamp conversion as well. The stock H6054 lamps seem so dim in the modern world. This will also lower the current drain. With a 40 AMP alternator, every amp counts. Eventually I will convert the system to a GM 2-wire, 115 amp alternator. Done right, you also have to go to 10 gauge wiring for the main feed. Plenty of that laying around here.
I need the extra amperage to pull the winch and the ARB locker compressor. And lights of course.

The headlights still randomly go dark. I had swapped the parking light and headlight relays for this previously. No fix. I figured out yesterday that if I whack on the steering column they come back on. New combo switch on order. If that doesn't fix it, I will have to look for a corroded connector or wiring issue.

Welding in the replacement driver's side floor panel and will soak climate control cables when I install this next year:
1979 - 1983 Toyota Pickup Internal Roll Cage

If you've read the whole thread, you know why I need it.
 
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