soonenough said:
Sweet pic, Dragon. I'd put your FJ towards the top of the list of Cruisers that I've seen. I like that you picked a theme, stuck with it, finished it, and said "ok, I'm done for now" when it was tastefully completed. It seems like a lot of people bitten by the mod bug can never stop, and they start putting stuff on their trucks just because its something else to have.
Somewhat off-topic, but how long does it take you to clean your FJ after you've been through some nasty stuff like that? I ask only because I'm really hesitant to take my truck through any mud, since back in my younger days I used to go "mudding" with friends, and I remember what an absolute nightmare it was to clean my truck up afterwards. Not to mention it seemed like no matter how much you cleaned it, you could never get it totally clean.
You're right about the mud, and thanks for the compliment
. I continually tell myself that I am finished with mud, but sometimes I guess my craving for off-roading and the fact that I live in flat land get the better of me.
So far, since I took this photo yesterday morning, I have spent $9 in quarters at a high pressure spray do-it-yourself carwash, spraying out the suspension, spraying out the engine bay, spraying the chasis/diff/trans etc from all of the cabbage, and taking a layer of grime off of the exterior. I then spent another $9 taking it through an automatic (but touchless) car wash. I then spent this entire morning cleaning the engine and then using a vinyl cleaner/protectant on all of the hoses I could reach. I used the same vinyl protectant on the black trim on the exterior. I washed and put protectant on the wheels and tires. It's "ok" right now, but it will take another $10 or so of quarters to get it to the cleanliness that I am so anal about. ...and in two weeks I'll be in Harlan, KY at an off-road event. ...but I plan on staying out of the mud :smilies27
The bottom line is this; if you play in the mud it will always be with you. I've had the cab filled with muddy water higher than the gas pedal and it took me 6 months to get the interior decent enough to go out on a date
If you want to dance, you have to pay the DJ. If you want to mud, you have to be willing to use some elbow grease to get it clean. Mud and grit are very very harmfull to any bearings, pulleys, hoses, transmissions, differentials, etc etc etc.
