Frankenbuild Concept

If I wanted to build a trail rig from an early gen 4-runner (preferably a 1st gen with the removable top) or pre-taco toyota pickup but planned to swap in a 1st gen 3.4L drive train with after-market locking diffs to replace the 3.0L, would it matter much whether the starting vehicle were a 2WD or 4WD?

Since I'd be replacing everything from the motor to the tires, and probably having to modify or fabricate some mounts anyway, is there any benefit to starting with a 4x4 chassis rather than a 2x4? I'm guessing that being able to start from a 2WD might make sourcing a starting truck easier.

 

It is quite the en-devour if you don't know what you're doing and don't like metal fab regardless if it is 2 or 4wd . 4wd would be easier, but not by much. You can probably pick up a 2wd for a lot cheaper too.

 

Find a Ist Gen 4Runner and do a 3.4 swap

Your no doubt also going to want a Solid front Axle as well.

You can upgrade drive line components as you break them.

Unless you want a major project that will take quite a budget and quite some time

 

I was figuring that swapping the engine, trans and T-case would also likely mean changing the drive shafts (pretty easy by comparison to the rest), and planned to swap at least the gearing in the diffs to get fully locked as well and possibly re-gear for big tires. At that point, about all that'd be left of the original drive train would be the rear axle and maybe the front pumpkin, CV joints and hubs (if I started with a 4wd initially).

This is kind of a dream project, and I have no idea when I'd really be able to start it, but my alternative concept would be to restore an old 70's model FJ40, which seems like it might be more expensive and time consuming since it'll always be easier to find parts for a 1st-gen tacoma power train and used 1st gen 4 runners are a lot easier to find than junker FJs.

 

It would be a much bigger job than I've ever tried before, but I'm a mechanical engineer for a living. I figure I probably need to learn welding (but have wanted to for a while anyway, thinking about making my own camp trailer as well). So far the biggest wrenching job I've tackled myself might be putting the 2 inch lift on my current truck (I also swapped the suspension on a sports car a number of years ago), but I'm always looking to learn more, especially for a rig that I might have to do serious repairs on with just a field tool kit.