My Updated Ride

[Nate1]

Well, since I've sold my explorer I'm pretty sure I don't fit in the "Elite Explorers" registry, so I'll just post/update here.

My current truck is a 1996 Lexus LX450. It is basically a Toyota Landcruiser; solid front and rear axles, electric locking front/center/rear diffs, the usual.

My current mods are:
Timing Advance
HIR Headlamps
ScanGauge II computer
OME 3" Suspension Lift
Custom transfer skid plate
Eclipse AVN5510 in-dash Nav/dvdbplayer/headunit

In progress mods are:
Full York onboard air setup (OBA)

Summer plans are:
Slee steel front bumper
Slee StepSlider rock sliders
Full secondskin sound deadening
New Speakers
Possibly 35"s


Here is a recentish pic of the truck:

I will update for anyone that cares with details as mods progress. The OBA setup, in particular, will be applicable to Explorers and will probably be of interest.

Mods, feel free to move this if it is in the wrong place.

-----Nate

 

[section525]

Lookin good, Nate. Any pics in action?

 

[Burns]

My current truck is a 1996 Lexus LX450. It is basically a Toyota Landcruiser; solid front and rear axles, electric locking front/center/rear diffs, the usual.

My current mods are:
OME 3" Suspension Lift

I like that it has locking diffs and thats with 3" lift. Dang you got a stock pic. It must have been little stock.

 

[Nate1]

I must confess, that isn't the most flattering pic of the truck's stance... it's not as little as it appears, although it isn't as dramatic as 3" seems on some other vehicles.

Here are two pics on stock form doing a bit of wheeling:

 

[Nate1]

One more pic from a friend's camera, with IBT content for those of you that remember her

Goin wheelin tomorrow too... hopefully some new flexxed out pics to come

EDIT: I have not corrected my caster yet though, so my pinion angle is not quite correct and I'm getting some driveline vibes ... I may add trim packers after I correct the caster and see how that makes the stance change.

 

[Burns]

Yeah get some flexin pic. I want to see them.

 

[SuRrEaLNJ]

I kid i kid
seriously those things can be like tanks.

now lets see it stuff a tire!!!

 

[FROADER]

Nate, I found this pic. Is it of you.

 

[Nate1]

Nate, I found this pic. Is it of you.

Sorry, not I... I'm not yank enough to submit myself to the torture that is baseball (A spitting image, though)

 

[Nate1]

Pics from today's "test run" to make sure everything is secure;

I need to setup swaybar quick disconnects, and have decided I would like a taller lift and probably 305 tires. Shame that Fl has crap for wheeling though. I'm gonna try to head over to Tellico some time this summer while I am up in NC.

Edit: A friend added these from facebook:

(man i feel the pshops coming)

 

[SuRrEaLNJ]

Id agree with the swaybar quick discos. i know those things dont roll to bad so thats definately cutin your flex down

 

[toypaseo]

Quick Polyview/Paint chop...

 

[Nate1]

There we go... and section better get in here with the wildcard R. Simmons pchop....

 

[Premier]

I like the Lex

 

[Rick]

Nice rig. They were pricey when new, but I bet they're pretty reasonable now...

 

[Nate1]

Nice rig. They were pricey when new, but I bet they're pretty reasonable now...

They are fairly reasonable.... it's ~12k for a 1996, however I've got low miles for a 96 having just ticked over 110,000.

The previous owners of it are friends of our family and cut me a big huge huge huuuuuuge deal on it, so I ended up paying less than half of 12k for it. In fact, I paid about 1/10th the price of one when they are new. And more than a few FZJ-80 owners I know have rolled over the 300k mark on original engine/trans/etc, so I may only be 1/3rd the way through the usable life of the car. Talk about a steal!

They are pretty capable in stock form all things considered, but they are definitely low for a LWB vehicle. Still, copious room under the hood considering its a jap vehicle, and I have had no trouble doing all my own repairs on it.

 

[Stephen]

Lookin good! Those things are tough, I've seen some even of the newer generation with lifts and mods and they'll do just about anything you want em to do.

 

[toypaseo]

bump for Photoshoppers...

 

[Nate1]

Seriously, slackers

I flexed out some more today...

(that is a sheer ledge )

 

[Nate1]

I decided to install a new toy this saturday... Eclipse released it's new in-dash navigation for 2007, so I jumped on it and bought a bluetooth enabled one from circuit city. The Eclipse AVN5510...

The only thing is that the idiots at circuit city gave me a non-bluetooth AVN5510. The bluetooth one includes a parrot bluetooth kit which interfaces with the HU, so I may have to go down to circuit city and raise hell. I worry though that since the unit is installed I will not have anything I can do, but I'm going to call the corporate people first. The only good news is that I ordered it online from the web pickup option to get $100 off and lower the price to $1520 and so there is a record that they advertised the bluetooth version, and that it is what I paid for.

I really really like the unit though. The navigation is top notch and it seems to have every road under the sun, including national forest roads.


Next up is onboard air (hopefully before June when I go up to work in NC) and then secondskin sound deadening everywhere and some new speakers.


Edit:

Oh yeah, I also got a new haircut