SP Rides: A Beast of a Beauty
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Keoni Rodrigues
Age: 33
Occupation: Painter
Hobbies: Wrenching, drifting, four-wheeling, dirt bikes, Super Moto stunting
Year/Make/Model: 1991 Toyota 4Runner
Color: Black
Engine: 1996 OEM turbo, 22RET fully rebuilt with LC Engineering kit, re-wired. T3T4 top mount turbo kit with external waste gate, custom fitted front mount intercooler, Fatty oil cooler with filter relocation, 3-inch straight exhaust with 4-inch dual chrome tips, 3 row aluminum radiator.
Drivetrain: 6-puck racing clutch 4:88 gearing front and back with Special K welded front differential, rear Detroit Locker.
Suspension: Custom 7-inch front and 6-inch rear long travel Allpro leaf swap, Johnny joints, Fox shocks with external reservoirs, front steering Trail Gear high steer kit. Bobby Long Chromealloy front axles, Axle Armor welded to housing.
Wheels/Tires: 20×14 Fuel Mavericks with 33-inch Toyo Open Countrys.
Sometimes, there’s a choice to be made when enthusiasts get knee-deep in modifying their ride. One of those people is Keoni Rodrigues, who set out to build a do-it-all monster, but in the end, turned this 1991 Toyota 4Runner into something almost too pretty to ramble in.
This truck was actually built for abuse. Fully constructed from the ground up, the 4Runner began as a quite a project: a body with rusted-in-spots and in serious need of work. Rodrigues is known for doing all of his work in-house with his Team Kamakaze crew members. This means that everything — from the paint and bodywork to the engine rebuild and suspension setup — was done in his garage.
For starters, Rodrigues ditched the entire independent front wheel suspension in favor of an old-school Allpro leaf spring setup. Even the OEM coilovers were cut out and replaced with leaf springs; the result is a suspension that is durable, reliable and a must for rock crawling. The current setup also includes Johnny Joints, which means that the entire setup will flex hard.
The original second generation models were without turbo, so Rodrigues swapped in a 22RE-TE with a T3T4 top mount turbo, and an LC Engineering kit that was re-wired from the ground up. This gorgeous engine was hand-built by his brother, Lopaka, and sits on a stunningly blue-and-gold engine bay. A custom-fitted front mount intercooler, Fatty oil cooler with filter relocation and a 3-row aluminum radiator provide additional cooling. A custom 3-inch straight exhaust with 4-inch dual chrome tips handles the exit gases. The drivetrain consists of a 6-puck racing clutch, 4:88 gearing front and back with a Special K welded front differential and rear Detroit Locker.
The exterior was body-worked and the rust spots removed. Originally painted white, Rodrigues switched the exterior’s colors to sultry black while continuing the majestic blue underneath the skirts. The interior was refreshed and a set of gauges was installed for better monitoring. In addition, a sexy blue bubble shift knob was built in while a 3-spoke leather and blue steel steering wheel were installed.
All this flex resides on a beautiful set of 20×14 Fuel Mavericks fitted with 33-inch Toyo Open Country wheels. Even the brake setup has been color matched to the body and, thanks to the huge lift, the well-maintained chassis is on display for all to see.
Although this ride is built to go anywhere, Rodrigues felt that it was more appropriate as a pavement pounder. It may be easy on the eyes, but this beauty is a beast.
