Just wanted to send a shout out to everone. I figured I would give a brief history of my various rigs and how I got to where I am right now.
Well to be honest, I have gone through a few vehicles and some of them I regret selling while others, not so much.
If we go all the way back, my first 4x4 was a 1978 Chevy, SWB, Stepside, 350, 4spd, Scottsdale (no A/C). It was a great truck and had a lot of fun playing around on the local trails, nothing too hard, just typical forest service type roads.
I traded that in on a 1990 Wrangler, 4.2, 5spd, hardtop. Went from stock (horrible wheeler stock), 2.5" lift with 32's and a lockright in the rear axle. Started running the Rubicon. Then 4" lift with 33's, 4:1 t-case, ARB's front and rear, 4.56's, Currie D44 with discs, custom rear bumper/tire carrier. That eventually became SOA (my own custom springs), with 35's, ran Rubicon, Fordyce, Moab and still explored the desert, but mainly rockcrawling. Sorry, but no digital images.
Had a fit of insanity and bought a '88 4runner, v6, 5spd, one owner with 76k miles in cherry condition. Sold the Jeep (wished I would have kept that one). Out with the IFS, in went the 83 front solid axle with FJ80 highpinion front third, ARB's front and rear, 5.29's, Allpro front and rear springs, ARB front bumper, winch, 35's, dual marlin t-cases, oba with Viar compressor, Eaton shifter knob to control ARB's, Can-back. Still into rockcrawling mostly, but still got out to the Nevada backcountry occasionally. Wheeled Rubicon, Fordyce, Moab, Johnson Valley and pretty much everything in between.
Clawhammer in Johnson Valley.
Got tired of rockcrawling and decided to try something completely different. So in came the Sport ATV's, sold the 4runner. Mine was a Yamaha Raptor 660 and my wifes was a Suzuki 400.
Yes they got dirty, I just had them cleaned up after a trip to the sand. My wife didn't care for just riding in the dirt, she really preferred the sand, so that is what we did. She had two accidents (nothing serious), but it was enough to make me realize that ATV's probably weren't the best idea.
That is when the Lexus 450 came to be. We decided that the backcountry was what we wanted to see. I had to put tires and do the other maintenence on it, but other than that, we just loaded it up and went. It had the factory lockers.
That insanity hit again and we decided that we wanted a truck, so the Tacoma was next. Again, didn't make too many mods to it. Just drove it.
Sold that and bought the Land Cruiser 80. It was bone stock when purchased, but didn't stay that way for long.
Mods to it included: Slee 4" lift, factory lockers, 4.88's gears, 315/75r16 Nitto Terra Grapplers, York OBA, Dual Batteries, Auxillary fuel tank for a total of 49 gallons, custom rear bumper, sliders and ARB front bumper with winch and of course a Dorkel (Snorkel). There was more, but that is the highlights.
My current other rig for exploring and getting "out there" 2007 Chevrolet 2500HD Classic, LBZ Duramax, Allison, Extended Cab/Short Bed.
Tackling Mengel Pass in Death Valley
Mods to it include: Bushwacker cutout flares, 285/75R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers, E-Locker in the front, Buckstop Bumper, with Warn 12k winch, sliders built by me, AeroTanks 52 gallon replacement tank, York OBA, King 2.5" shocks all around, and Full underbelly skid plate. And of course a Four Wheel Camper Hawk camper.
Now for the Jeep: 2006 LJ Rubicon that I bought a year ago with 23k miles, currently 29k miles. Mods include Currie/Savvy 3" front springs, Currie Correct-Lync Steering, Currie Anti-Rock Sway bar, Currie front and rear Trac-Bars, Rear Springs are Chevrolet Caprice Wagon rear springs, still have the crappy no name shocks from the original bb lift, 33x10.50r15 BFG AT's (PO installed), SmittyBilt XRC 8k winch and SmittyBilt front and rear bumpers (got them free from a buddy who upgraded his). I have a AEV Highline Kit sitting in my shop, waiting for paint. Other than that, it's a Rubicon. Future plans are for installation of Highline Kit, 1" body lift, Rokmen Skid and engine skid, 5.13's, I have a stock front locker that will go in the rear when the gears are done, Metal Cloak Control Arms, custom built rear bumper, RCV's for the front axle and mounting my HAM radio.
Up by Gold Lakes.
On the Rubicon this year:
Really liking our current setups. That is only the offroad rigs, that doesn't even come close to the other vehicles/motorcycles that me and my wife have owned over the years. We have a problem. We are fond of saying that if we won the lottery, we would have a 1400 sq/ft house and a 30k sq/ft garage filled with all of our vehicles. We are both car people...bad. :brows:
Looking forward to getting out and doing a run with everyone. As you can see, my wife and I realy enjoy getting out and have done a lot of exploring through out the west.
Jack
Well to be honest, I have gone through a few vehicles and some of them I regret selling while others, not so much.
If we go all the way back, my first 4x4 was a 1978 Chevy, SWB, Stepside, 350, 4spd, Scottsdale (no A/C). It was a great truck and had a lot of fun playing around on the local trails, nothing too hard, just typical forest service type roads.
I traded that in on a 1990 Wrangler, 4.2, 5spd, hardtop. Went from stock (horrible wheeler stock), 2.5" lift with 32's and a lockright in the rear axle. Started running the Rubicon. Then 4" lift with 33's, 4:1 t-case, ARB's front and rear, 4.56's, Currie D44 with discs, custom rear bumper/tire carrier. That eventually became SOA (my own custom springs), with 35's, ran Rubicon, Fordyce, Moab and still explored the desert, but mainly rockcrawling. Sorry, but no digital images.
Had a fit of insanity and bought a '88 4runner, v6, 5spd, one owner with 76k miles in cherry condition. Sold the Jeep (wished I would have kept that one). Out with the IFS, in went the 83 front solid axle with FJ80 highpinion front third, ARB's front and rear, 5.29's, Allpro front and rear springs, ARB front bumper, winch, 35's, dual marlin t-cases, oba with Viar compressor, Eaton shifter knob to control ARB's, Can-back. Still into rockcrawling mostly, but still got out to the Nevada backcountry occasionally. Wheeled Rubicon, Fordyce, Moab, Johnson Valley and pretty much everything in between.
Clawhammer in Johnson Valley.
Got tired of rockcrawling and decided to try something completely different. So in came the Sport ATV's, sold the 4runner. Mine was a Yamaha Raptor 660 and my wifes was a Suzuki 400.
Yes they got dirty, I just had them cleaned up after a trip to the sand. My wife didn't care for just riding in the dirt, she really preferred the sand, so that is what we did. She had two accidents (nothing serious), but it was enough to make me realize that ATV's probably weren't the best idea.
That is when the Lexus 450 came to be. We decided that the backcountry was what we wanted to see. I had to put tires and do the other maintenence on it, but other than that, we just loaded it up and went. It had the factory lockers.
That insanity hit again and we decided that we wanted a truck, so the Tacoma was next. Again, didn't make too many mods to it. Just drove it.
Sold that and bought the Land Cruiser 80. It was bone stock when purchased, but didn't stay that way for long.
Mods to it included: Slee 4" lift, factory lockers, 4.88's gears, 315/75r16 Nitto Terra Grapplers, York OBA, Dual Batteries, Auxillary fuel tank for a total of 49 gallons, custom rear bumper, sliders and ARB front bumper with winch and of course a Dorkel (Snorkel). There was more, but that is the highlights.
My current other rig for exploring and getting "out there" 2007 Chevrolet 2500HD Classic, LBZ Duramax, Allison, Extended Cab/Short Bed.
Tackling Mengel Pass in Death Valley
Mods to it include: Bushwacker cutout flares, 285/75R17 Nitto Terra Grapplers, E-Locker in the front, Buckstop Bumper, with Warn 12k winch, sliders built by me, AeroTanks 52 gallon replacement tank, York OBA, King 2.5" shocks all around, and Full underbelly skid plate. And of course a Four Wheel Camper Hawk camper.
Now for the Jeep: 2006 LJ Rubicon that I bought a year ago with 23k miles, currently 29k miles. Mods include Currie/Savvy 3" front springs, Currie Correct-Lync Steering, Currie Anti-Rock Sway bar, Currie front and rear Trac-Bars, Rear Springs are Chevrolet Caprice Wagon rear springs, still have the crappy no name shocks from the original bb lift, 33x10.50r15 BFG AT's (PO installed), SmittyBilt XRC 8k winch and SmittyBilt front and rear bumpers (got them free from a buddy who upgraded his). I have a AEV Highline Kit sitting in my shop, waiting for paint. Other than that, it's a Rubicon. Future plans are for installation of Highline Kit, 1" body lift, Rokmen Skid and engine skid, 5.13's, I have a stock front locker that will go in the rear when the gears are done, Metal Cloak Control Arms, custom built rear bumper, RCV's for the front axle and mounting my HAM radio.
Up by Gold Lakes.
On the Rubicon this year:
Really liking our current setups. That is only the offroad rigs, that doesn't even come close to the other vehicles/motorcycles that me and my wife have owned over the years. We have a problem. We are fond of saying that if we won the lottery, we would have a 1400 sq/ft house and a 30k sq/ft garage filled with all of our vehicles. We are both car people...bad. :brows:
Looking forward to getting out and doing a run with everyone. As you can see, my wife and I realy enjoy getting out and have done a lot of exploring through out the west.
Jack
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