Newer amenites you'd like in your 1st Gen?

Ok, so almost everyone said steering wheel controls. There have been lots of threads about the 4runner wheel, the 05-07 sequoia wheel or the DC wheel. Who's going to write a step by step for dummies tutorial about it? I'll even buy the 4runner wheel if somebody will do a write up for me so I know exactly what I'm getting into.

 

OK I guess I am the outlier here but what os the big deal about the steering wheel controls?

The radio is literally 2 feet from the wheel at most,I just do not care or understand?

 

I can slap my kids, steer and change the radio at the same time!

It's just really handy and useful. Try it, you might like it

 

Maybe if you have gorilla arms or sit really close. I have to shift my entire top half forward to reach the audio controls as my arms are on the shorter side.

 

I don't use my HU for anything except cassettes. It would be cool if my steering wheel controls could be connected to my phone via Bluetooth to control it

 

No Kids anymore but you make a solid point,I might need to try that again?

Nah!

 

That hurts me and yes I do have Gorilla arms,ask anyone.....T-Rex.

 

When I first got a car with steering wheel audio/phone controls I thought they were amazing, maybe the best thing ever invented along with paddle-shifters and heated seats. In my Tundra I don't miss steering wheel controls at all.

If I could add only one modern amenity, it would probably be heated seats. They help relieve back discomfort and are just plain comfy.

Speaking of modern amenities not mentioned here because it's no longer modern, intermittent wipers were a modern amenity brought to us by Ford in the 70s. I remember my friend Grand Dahlke's mom showing them to me in her new T-bird. There's an interesting movie about the inventor's legal battles with Ford over the concept.

On his wedding night in 1953, an errant champagne cork renders college engineering professor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) almost completely blind in his left eye. A decade later, he is happily married to Phyllis (Lauren Graham) and the father of six children. As he drives his Ford Galaxie through a light rain, the constant movement of the windshield wipers irritates his troubled vision. The incident inspires him to create a wiper blade mechanism modeled on the human eye, which blinks every few seconds rather than continuously.

With financial support from Gil Previck (Dermot Mulroney), Kearns converts his basement into a laboratory and develops a prototype he tests in a fish tank before installing it in his car. He patents his invention and demonstrates it for Ford researchers, who had been working on a similar project without success.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_of_Genius_(film)

 

Heated seats make my junk sweat,not my preference ever while driving.

 

Seat heaters aren't a terrible install if you really want them. The hardest part is getting the seat apart and set somewhere comfortable. The hog rings are easy when you get the hang of it. The wiring is pretty easy too.

 

Thanks for the encouragement. It is on my to-do list but I'm waffling between using the existing seats, using fancy seat covers or swapping to leather seats. Using the exiting seats is in the lead for now. Now summer is coming so I may not miss them for awhile.

 

It would seem like it's almost as much work to get new covers while doing the seat heaters, but I'd say it's only about half the amount of work. Maybe less. Since you have an access cab you could go budget friendly and just buy the front seat covers. You might be around $500 for leather and heaters. It's crazy what it did for the enjoyment if my truck.

 

Only an OEM backup camera, though I have one via the aftermarket stereo, so I'm good. Maybe seat heaters, but the engine warms up fast so it's not really an issue (unlike my TDI).

I really have NO newer amenities I'm craving.

 

Plush Himalayan Sheepskins Seats. Warm in winter and cool in summer. Best of both worlds.

Added Bonus: Keeps seats clean. Either throw them old away or wash them. Set of 2 for $89 way nicer than any leather heated seat on my other cars. Git yo Pimp Daddy on! Easy install and Therapeutic. Do your research and see its true.

 

The previous owner of my Tundra had these, and the dealer left them in. I thought they would be the very first thing I threw out - I assumed they would be filthy and, in Arizona, way too hot. Turns out, I love them.

They do trap a lot of dust out here, and they aren't trivial to clean. I think they theoretically require dry cleaning, but a couple of dry cleaners I asked looked at me funny and said "nope". I did them once in my washer, and that was a mistake. I think the second time I showered with them, and that worked ok, but still a pain in the ass.

Mine completely cover the seat and headrests, which is even more protective of the seat fabric. Unfortunately all of the elastic is shot, and they are getting a bit shabby overall, but a quick search for an exact replacement seemed to indicate these cost more like $112 each.

Anyhow, I agree with PHM, these sheepskin covers are comfy and worth considering!

 

They do trap shtuff if you aren’t careful and dusty desert doesn’t help. These Drape Style Covers are easily removed. Prior, I had a full set like yours on my seats from 2002 until about 2014 when they became worn out so I tossed them. Seats look new still today which I attribute to those covers. These newer ones are super thick. Way thicker than my original set.

 

My Kids are 3 grown ass men, think I’ll skip the slapping part

 

I have heated seats. I like them for about 5 minutes. My wife leaves hers on constantly and that is why I got a truck with them.

 

Yeah. Mz PHM has them on full blast (in the Face and Body Model Mobile) in height of Summer Heat.

Must be a lady thing.

 

Yeah, I don't really get it either. The Woman's car has the steering wheel controls. I very rarely use them. I had them on my GM and Ford trucks in the past too. Rarely used them then either. I don't drive with my hands anywhere where the controls are on a steering wheel. I'm fairly short though and have slightly long-ish arms in proportion to my height so that may enable an easier reach to the dash than someone taller than me.

 

Probably a Lady Parts thing!

I really just can not stand the feeling of a heated seat no matter how cold it is outside.

I was driving an RX350 recently for my Sister as she was considering buying it to replace her GX470 and it had broken heaters that were stuck on!
Yikes!

It was a very short test drive.

 

Maybe once my Mangina starts growing, I’ll consider the heaters.

 

@Jack McCarthy Dude.... I did not know this. Tried it today, and viola. Perfecto.

 

Your welcome. We all miss something. I never knew I had a light for low wiper fluid. Probably because it never worked since the day I bought my truck.

 

I am pretty sure that heat only makes them grow faster in the first place?

Hardly worth the risk!

 

Amazing isn’t it. Another Tip: CC only works over 25mph.

 

Yeah, I figured that out a while back on a long trip. I'm pleased that it works under 30mph. Overall very happy with the cruise on these.

 

Never underestimate old man strength.

 

That's funny, I'm the exact opposite, mines never been off.....
https://www.tundras.com/threads/issues-you-have-no-problem-not-fixing.79095/

I still haven't fixed it.

 

That one is easy to add!