The Batoll Builds

yeah paint touch up is expected especially for rock rash. Spray paint is always a simple fix and a preferred repair ahaha

 

Style Points


Donor 2000 Lexus ES300 with Birds eye Maple wood trim.


Removal is straight forward T30 Torx on either side on the steering wheel near column this allows for air bag removal, and 2 electrical connections Air Bag and Cruise control. With everything removed you brace your self and pull. (May need to use a puller, had to use one for the to remove the 4runner steering wheel during install of this bad boy)



Junk yard condition was bad, leather was discolored and wood had deep cracks all over



Taped off the leather and sanded the wood with 600 grit to remove the proud material(near cracks) then applied some wipe on poly and finished sanding with 1200 grit. Took at least 10 iterations of the sand poly sand to get a smooth finish.



With the wood in decent condition, sanded down the leather to make the surfaces somewhat smooth and coated the leather with a pretty good interior match.



Before



Final result



Installed matches the interior and plastic “wood” limited trim pretty good.

 

Damn, that looks good.

 

GX 470 Window Trim

Nothing fancy just black trim to get rid of the metal chrome crap you got in the early to mid 2000’s.

 

Alright, it’s been a while TW, been busy with work but still planning next moves for the 4runner and GX.


GX:
Just picked up a set of sequoia/ tundra wheels for the GX. Cant wait to clean these up and paint them bronze.

Other GX items
- Wheels will get new tires
- Modify side step trim
- 67” TG Sliders


4runner:

Bumpers!

Front
- TG Tacoma front bumper mount
-TG winch mount then
- Cut up the damaged ARB and make something of it using TG mounts

Rear:
Beef up the tow hitch bracket and use it as a bumper mount.

 

Running board removal on the GX leaves a small section exposed to running boarding mounting location near the front wheels, as shown in the great internet screen shot below:




Cutting up the running boards allows you to fit the top trim piece to cover the section up. Just need to trim everything flush. This is all in preparation for some sliders



Found set of front and rear seat OEM all weather mats. Stoked on these

 

Trims trimming now complete just waiting on the sliders to come in. Nothing fancy just some 67” TG weld on sliders.

 

Man, when you moving back out here?

The GX is looking goooood

 

Thanks man just in the collecting parts phase. Wife wants it to stop looking like a minivan so decided I’m just guna build both slowly ahaha

I’d like to move out of the bay to reduce living expenses but my job has me planted and I love what I’m doing and can’t do it anywhere else. So next big mod in the works is finding a house with a garage.

 

Haven’t been posting much as it’s been raining which translates to minimal progress as I don’t have a garage to work in so second best thing to do it make purchases, build what I can and design.

Purchases:
The previous purchased items have arrived
- sliders for the GX
- Bumper mount for the 4runner
- Winch mount for the 4runner

Xmas gifts!:
- Ultra gauge MX 1.4
- EBay Dorkel

Tools:
New welder, Lincoln 180 found technically used but brand new out of the box with not even one arc struck and it was a deal. Still have it set up for fluxcore as I’m still welding outside but with the higher settings I will no longer have to deal with multiple passes in some cases.

Planning and Design:

Measured the cargo area of the 4runner and will be designing/building a storage system. Plans to start with the 4runner and take what I’ve learned and transfer that to the GX.

Build what I can:

Ultraguage mount, also set it up to read tranny temps




I have made a couple of these mounts but this install was by far the most interesting, PO had stripped the Phillips heads of the two mounting screws to a cones. Using and extractor kit I was able to get out one (the top screw) and the bottom threads must have been damaged as nothing was budging.

After thing about a few possible solutions I decided it was best to drill and oversized hole and tap a larger thread (the angle of the A -Pillar and access made this fun)

end result oversized thread with ghetto custom fastener with a reduced head diameter and a slot for installation and removal. Eventually this slot will be replaced with a more traditional tooling feature.



at the end of the day it’s fit form and function is not affected, plus also retains factory look hahah

 

Drawer concept still in the works:

Basic overview:

Steel Frame .750x.750 with .0625 wall
500 lbs drawer slides with one side locking
Wood or composite skin
Allow for fitment to 4runner or GX
Goal weight 120lbs

 

Shit; going steel is going to make it really heavy.

Why not aluminum?

 

Just a preferred material to work with, that’s the challenge is to keep the weight down running with steel also reduces costs.

I’ve modeled in the tubing radii and wall thickness and based on the volume of the frame I’m sitting at 60lbs and estimating 5lbs of weld so approx 65lbs.

Also Using steel for the drawer frame will allow my to try and find light weight skins.

At the end on the day still a work in progress and still being in the design phase nuthin is set in stone yet.

 

I'd love to do the same, but considered going wood all around.

If I keep it long enough, maybe I'll go aluminum

 

Test fit the 67” sliders on the GX.





Trimmed the bumper mount and test fit the winch mount.



Trimmed the frame horns and welded some end caps on.



More to come in the next few weeks

 

Is that the trail gear bumper mount?

 

You gave me an idea to build a bumper off of my winch mount.

 

It’s been a while work has been busy, and attempting to buy a house so new purchases are on pause. However I was able to pick up a winch and starting some work on the gx sliders. Cut tubes to size and got them all weld prepped.



My Supervisor adding his two cents

 

Sliders are on the GX.

 

Been working this mod for a few months now and it’s starting to wrap up and I’m really excited about this one.

House mod
- Has a garage with 220 hook up for the welder.
-1st project is marking a lift for the RTT to get it off the 4runner when driving it daily.