Off-Road Thread. Any 4x4 Guys Here?

General Discussion
#1

Went off-roading on sunday with a buddy who just got some new tires on his disco. We had a lot of fun, he wants to get a lift and go more often. I’ve always had a blast any time I have an opportunity to go throw some mud up on the Jeep, but don’t have too many friends with off-road cars. So hopefully I’ll get to go more often now that my buddy has caught the bug.

Anyhow, thought I’d see who else might be into going off the beaten path.

Pics & little from the weekend. Camera obviously doesn’t do the trails justice, but it was still fun for relatively light off-roading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EkqnyeCiQc&list=UUlv59LP-RwyOncUcL_mfZqg&feature=share

A little rubbin

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/73C70217-41E3-4F12-8F92-1AC5097D7E04_zps968t8wqj.jpg

A little wildlife in the trail. I didn’t realize how small baby turkeys are!

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/8D3237EA-7FDA-4384-8E2C-9C032DE45A88_zpstgbjuw5z.jpg


http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/A293F019-78D6-4DFD-B85C-6330115B980F_zps2gwrlma1.jpg


http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/1FF76D1F-AA0D-46D8-9B0C-FA0E40912D7C_zpsqolrfmiy.jpg


http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/1B8D2E24-85FE-478D-A798-FF5FB8B0E5DB_zpsnngrv1lv.jpg


http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/D3A2DA76-4C25-462F-A211-BF8DA7CC5232_zpscyenhdyj.jpg

Whoopsie. . .

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/mbgt72/Jeep/Jessie/DBA8164B-D37F-4E58-B065-61E904F11985_zpsvatpa0xz.jpg

#2

those turkey nuggets must have just got their feathers

#3

I am in the process of building a 1976 FJ40, Cummins Turbo Swap, 5-speed H55F with split t-case, Custom Frame, Aqualu body, full cage, Zombie Rig. I never actually bought a car, only a frame. I call it my “Kit Car,” without an instruction manual.

Since cars older than X years do not require any testing as a collector vehicle, all I did was buy a clean title attached to an old frame. The seller mailed me the data plates and the serial cut out on the frame (scrapping the frame). So I walked into the DMV and walked out with a license plate to car that doesn’t exist.

Here is my build thread:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/my-1976-fj40-kit-car.727065/

Here is my Flickr Album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88859026@N03/sets/72157632476636069/

But here are some highlights:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8895367629_fc502d96ea_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/9593269497_dcfdf495dc_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/9705923870_97f01a586a_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3815/11894058173_b975583769_b.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/11922405206_025fd15c19_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/12112250564_351cbdbb2b_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/11746632634_8dbe6c6cb3_b.jpg

Since I added power steering and A/C Pumps, I had to fabricate and design a pulley system and raid the local NAPA store for pulleys.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/11812528363_393b550ff7_b.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/13115641423_c8eb77f666_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/13276000713_fba1efd800_b.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/13947368290_f47fcfe3ec_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/14154076633_a6685f04d9_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/13947332867_c94509a789_c.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/14311238316_5d30433791_c.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/14354563973_f3ded22bc8_c.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14354560083_89bd817c86_c.jpg

I have a few friends coming up on the 19th to help me strip it down, and take to the Line-X shop on the 20th. Reassemble the following Mon/Tues/Wed.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14331030521_08654241ea_c.jpg

#4

So instead of paint, I am having the local line x franchise spray on their product on all the body panels, matching the paint color Toyota Dune Beige (416).

Since its a mix of aluminum and steel, I had everything media blasted first, then had a local body shop apply a two part epoxy primer on everything getting color. I don’t trust the local line x guys, they are lazy and not the best attention to detail people. So I wanted to take ownership of the prep process from start to finish. In the end it cost me more money and hassle, but I only want to do this once.

Everything else was dropped off at the powder coater.

Before blasting:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/14208432068_42bd32dcef_c.jpg
Sandblast before by well_armed, on Flickr

After blasting:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5530/14414508334_8cf0176253_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr

After Primer:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/14273555619_e2b1b99b7b_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr

This week I finished restoring the roof (which is a fiberglass top riveted onto a steel base).

I layed a new coat of fiberglass on the bottom of the roof, used Zero Rust spray on the metal lip, than sprayed down a coat of two part epoxy primer over the entire carcass in preparation of doing a diy bed liner kit (raptor liner).


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14412343391_8c5cf4889d_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14429586341_125fb1f866_c.jpg
Roof by well_armed, on Flickr

I added some Toyota White (033) pigment to the liner kit, threw down a coat of marine seam sealer, and sprayed on about three coats of the Raptor line. Turned out great.


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5558/14264967327_14a4432aea_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3848/14480348873_d0aae703fb_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14460217335_78e9e995e5_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2923/14450055832_0eea9e859e_c.jpg
Untitled by well_armed, on Flickr

#5

You guys have some pretty cool hobbies. My life is boring by comparison.

#6

Man, that is such a cool build. It’s almost too pretty to go scratch up!

#7

Dang I am going to have to post up my two project off road vehicles when I get a chance. I was into the off roading world hard before coming into the car game.

#8

Final Assembly


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3896/14606974054_16ed02c7dd_c.jpg
Paint and assembly by well_armed, on Flickr


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/14609005985_1eaf7e8a48_c.jpg
Paint and assembly by well_armed, on Flickr

#9

Lookin good!

#10

My ladies 2006 Jeep liberty CRD. It’s been a 4 year project and still not done.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/09/8azuhapy.jpg

My 2005 jeep Rubicon. This was a hay day photo. She is totalled right now and has been sitting for 2yrs

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/09/azyru7y3.jpg

#11

Wow, don’t see too many liberties look like that!

What happened to your rubi? Looks damn nice in that photo!

#12

I was thinking the same thing. Never thought of that vehicle as anything but a small SUV.

#13

Thank you. She wanted something unique and I think we accomplished that ha ha.

Gear box gave out on the road and rolled at 25-30mph.

Thank you.

#14

Video tour of my fj:
http://youtu.be/dsDLxQgkqaw

#15

Rolled as in flipped? While you were driving?

#16

great work man, mf girlfriend is super jealous she’s a big fan of older toyota trucks

#17

I’d like to get a few year old G55 and crush things.

#18

Ya while I was driving. I was on a dirt road going around a bend in the road when it happened. Mud terrains and no steering input on loose dirt is not good.

#19

This is the 1999 Grand Cherokee I owned for all of about 4 months then it blew a head gasket. Didn’t feel like fixing it in the middle of winter, and I had an itch to get something more fuel efficient. So I leased the Sonic hatch I have now.

Bought it for 1800, sold it for 2750. But I put about 1k into it with tires, the stereo, and other maintenance. Pretty much broke even.


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x59/joec1992/IMG_6623_zps273b8346.jpg


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x59/joec1992/IMG_6632_zpse9ff9c5b.jpg

Amp and crossover mounting plate I built for it

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x59/joec1992/IMG_6291_zps5fadddc6.jpg

Repping the JHM plate frame…

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x59/joec1992/null_zpsf1f54ad0.jpg

And this is what lead to the decision to sell it.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x59/joec1992/6D7CFC75-33E4-45E9-8618-EC1E1EE1E1DA_zps3qbdfqsd.jpg

#20

All kinds of bad ass here
http://www.vintageoffroad.com/collection.cfm?category=1

My local independent shop here in Flagstaff helps them out with mechanical inspection/issues. Always one or two in shop. Sadly cannot afford many of their price tags.

Had a scout ii first time I lived here. Wish I had never sold it :’(

Going to check out a titan front end converted xterra in a couple weeks.