Words: Eddie Maloney
Photos: Dale Martin
We’ve seen lots of extreme builds over the years, but “wow” is the one word that comes to mind when we saw Ethan Mullani’s 1996 Toyota 4Runner. Done by Allout Offroad, a build of this magnitude was not going to be easy. That’s why Ethan, who hails from Richmond, Texas, made sure to mention that the Toyota was, “built, and not bought.” One of the challenges when trying to accomplish a project of this magnitude is the lack of parts.
“They didn’t make parts for what we were trying to do,” he describes. “Thus, we had to spend thousands of hours brainstorming and fabricating to make sure this thing would work!” But it was all about the truck, first and foremost, and many hands came together to make the magic happen. Arguably, the most difficult part of the build was the frame and suspension fabrication. Most lifted builds do away with the 4-wheel drive system, but not TOBIG4U. Ethan insisted it remained working, which only complicated matters more. With precise measurements and tolerances only seen on aircraft, a 42-degree angled front drive shaft was created to keep the integrity of the truck’s front wheel drive system in working order.
Because of the caliber of the project, this wasn’t something that was done in a few months. It actually took a little over two years to complete, with countless man hours, time and patience. Given how labor intensive this build was, there was no doubt that it was going to be showcased at the biggest automotive aftermarket show in the world – SEMA! And you couldn’t miss it as it was front and center at the American Force Wheels booth. Or, you might have been one of many who actually mistook it for a bonafide monster truck.
Ethan has had many builds under his belt, but none as challenging or as memorable as this one. “It takes a team to build something on this scale of detail. Thanks to my friends and sponsors for making the ‘World’s largest 4Runner possible.’” When they said it couldn’t be done, Ethan and his team made it happen. We are pretty convinced Ethan and co. have something even crazier up their sleeves for their next project!
