"Lola" - WreckDiver1321's 2005 Frontier CC/SB Nismo Build and Adventure Thread

[richard310]

Quite a busy upcoming trip planning. Well let me know when you're swinging on down to Baja. Maybe we can link up for an overnighter before you hit the border. Maybe Anza Borrego or further back towards Mojave/Joshua Tree to get some desert camping in to get a taste for your 2018 Mojave Rd trip. I'd definitely put Death Valley on your Mojave trip as it'd make it even more worth it.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Holy cow. That is some epic trip planning.

First Canada, now Mexico? Following Expedition Overland a little, are we?

If you guys ever make it to my little corner of the northeast, we will gladly accompany you. MI, PA, NY, VT, Ontario. We're in.

I like to plan ahead

Haha not really following them. More taking inspiration. After our experiment with Canada last summer, we knew we were ready to take this overlanding thing a little further afield. We want to see stuff way different than we get at home. Where better to go then than Mexico? Baja will be our first look at cultures that are vastly different from our own. And that's the kind of travel I'm really itching for.

I'd love to explore out that way. I'd really like the UP or northern Michigan. My whole family is from the Twin Cities, so I've been up to Duluth/Superior a bunch of times and I really enjoy it out that way. I'd love to do more exploring around the Great Lakes.

Quite a busy upcoming trip planning. Well let me know when you're swinging on down to Baja. Maybe we can link up for an overnighter before you hit the border. Maybe Anza Borrego or further back towards Mojave/Joshua Tree to get some desert camping in to get a taste for your 2018 Mojave Rd trip. I'd definitely put Death Valley on your Mojave trip as it'd make it even more worth it.

I will definitely let you know! I'd love to link up with some of you SoCal boys. I'm still really jealous that you get to run around as part of Dave Bennett's posse so much. I need some more desert time! Actually, I'm planning to take a day trip to some of the Wyoming/Montana high desert on Saturday. There's all kind of things to explore down there, and I'd like to see it. I don't spend enough time out in those areas.

I'm really thinking about doing Death Valley as well. I really like the idea of desert exploring. Don't get me wrong, I love my mountains, and I will not leave them, but deserts are something I need some more time in. I love exploring really varied and different landscapes. I like "expanding my horizons" as it were.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Holy crap. I've just seen this thread is now over 100 pages and over 1000 posts long. Cool!

I've also realized that Lola has been with me now for over a year and a half. In honor of this achievement, let's take a look at where Lola and I have traveled in our time together.

2014

June
Brought home from Yakima, WA
Backroads of Seeley Lake, MT
Boulder River Valley and a section of Independence Mine Trail
Northern Bighorn Grasslands, the Pryor Mountains, and the Big Ice Cave
Beartooth Highway and nearby backroads outside Red Lodge, MT

July
Back up to the Pryor Mountain Ice Caves, the Bighorn high desert in WY, and the Bighorn Canyon
Fourth of July in the Beartooths, Hellroaring Plateau
Beartooth Highway, Daisy Pass off road route, Lulu Pass off road route, and part of Goose Lake Jeep Trail

August
Explored the backroads of Seeley Lake, MT
Holland Lake, MT

September
Backroads outside Coeur d'Alene, ID

December
Beartooth Mountains

2015

February
Beartooth Mountains
Paradise Valley and Chico Hot Springs

March
Holland Lake
Seeley Lake to Bigfork, MT
Seeley Lake to Glacier NP
Beartooth Mountains, Roscoe, and East Rosebud Lake

April
Crazy Mountains

May
East Rosebud Lake

June
Sundance, WY
Badlands NP
Black Hills, SD
Wall, SD
Needles Highway, SD
Devil's Tower, WY
Beartooth Highway to Cooke City and side roads
BEGIN NW OVERLAND RALLY
Seeley Lake, MT
Seeley to Kellogg, ID
Kellogg, ID, Spokane, Plain
NW Overland Rally Event
Hole-in-the-Wall Trail, Liberty, WA
Upper Mill Creek Trail, Plain, WA
Backroads from Plain to Spokane
END NW OVERLAND RALLY

July
Beartooth Mountains and Hellroaring Plateau
Beartooth Highway to Cooke City, Fantan Lake Trail, Daisy Pass, Lulu Pass, and Goose Lake Jeep Trail
Yellowstone NP - Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, and Midway Geyser Basin

August
Beartooth Highway off road routes
Boulder River Valley and Independence Mine Trail to Blue Lake and Monument Peak
BEGIN CANADA/NORTHERN MT TRIP
Seeley Lake, MT
Seeley to Glacier NP
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Logan Pass, to St. Mary, MT
St. Mary to Babb to Swiftcurrent Lake
Going-to-the-Sun Road to Whitefish, MT
Whitefish to Tally Lake, MT
Tally Lake, Eureka, and Canadian border
Canadian Border to Fernie, BC, Canada
Fernie to Radium Hot Springs, BC, Canada
Radium to Kootenay NP, BC
Kootenay to Banff NP to Banff, Alberta, Canada
Banff to Lake Louise
Bow Valley Parkway
Two Jack Lake
Banff, AB
Moraine Lake
Peyto Lake and part of the Icefields Parkway
Lake Louise to Yoho NP, Takkakaw Falls, and Field, BC
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Banff to Calgary
Banff to Cochrane
Cochrane to Waiparous Village
Waiparous Village to Waiparous Falls off road route
Waiparous to Forestry Trunk overland road
Forestry Trunk Road to Nordegg
Forestry Trunk Road to Hinton, AB
Hinton to Jasper, AB
Jasper to the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise
Lake Louise to Radium Hot Springs
Radium to US border
US border to Kalispell, MT
Kalispell to Seeley Lake, MT
Seeley Lake to Whitefish, MT
Seeley Lake, Garnet Ghost Town, Phillipsburg, Granite Ghost town
END CANADA/NORTHERN MT TRIP

September
Nye, Fishtail, West Rosebud Lake to Mystic Lake
Red Lodge to Cooke City, Beartooth Highway, Hellroaring Road

December
Benbow Mine, East Rosebud Lake, and Roscoe, MT
Seeley Lake, MT

2016

January
Seeley Lake, MT

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Since I'm doing a whole lot of nothing today, I did some research on spare parts and what to pack in what Monte likes to call his OSK (Oh ******* Kit). Now I figure I can be sort of light with mine, I don't do as much heavy wheeling, mostly lighter stuff with moderate stuff being pretty common as well. I rarely wheel super heavy, so this list is mostly for covering the most common trail repairs and potential damage. Anything outside of basic fixes is going to require me to drive into town anyway, so I'm trying to be realistic. Anyway, here's my list:

Supplies
Oils and fluids
Brake cleaner
JB Weld
RTV
Tire repair kit
Duct tape
Zip ties
Gloves
Smallish tarp
Short block o'wood

Spares
Inner tie rod end (L and R)
Outer tie rod end (Land R)
Front U-joint (x2)
Rear U-joint (x2)
Serpentine belt
Upper rad hose
Lower rad hose
Fuses

The tool kit will be pretty comprehensive, with a full set of metric sockets, wrenches, etc. But that will be in another bag.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Don't forget all the tools to change out those spares (c-clamp for ujoints, hammer to free tie rod ends, and sockets the right size....)

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Don't forget all the tools to change out those spares (c-clamp for ujoints, hammer to free tie rod ends, and sockets the right size....)

Yessir!

I have a separate list of the tools I will be carrying, but that's a pretty big list. It includes all that, channel locks, vise-grips, hammer, c-clamp, 6.5mm to 30mm sockets and wrenches, picks, etc. I'm hoping to pick up the Blue Ridge tool bag, but I may just use a couple tool rolls.

I will be carrying double of everything 10mm and 14mm. With those two sizes, you can nearly disassemble this entire truck.

 

[ExplorerTom]

You've got JB weld and zip ties but you may want to add bailing wire and a 2 part epoxy.

I've used my bailing wire on the trail.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

You've got JB weld and zip ties but you may want to add bailing wire and a 2 part epoxy.

I've used my bailing wire on the trail.

I'll add them to the list!

 

[Blackdawg]

Ye old OSK...very important. Mine i huge now...haha For...reasons.

But always good to have one and lots of tools!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Ye old OSK...very important. Mine i huge now...haha For...reasons.

But always good to have one and lots of tools!

Haha indeed!

Man, I keep thinking I gotta poke my head in on your thread on TW. Then I get distracted haha.

 

[Blackdawg]

Haha indeed!

Man, I keep thinking I gotta poke my head in on your thread on TW. Then I get distracted haha.

haha for what? Not much has been happening, im in St louis for school. Planning my lighting redo/make over and rear shocks. Thats about it though.

Ive been updating my build here though, been fun to go back through it. Crazy how much ive done.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

haha for what? Not much has been happening, im in St louis for school. Planning my lighting redo/make over and rear shocks. Thats about it though.

Ive been updating my build here though, been fun to go back through it. Crazy how much ive done.

Just to keep in touch. But I've got the same stuff going on. School, HW, etc. I have a couple things in the works as well.

Haha yeah I read through it this morning. Frank has come a really long way. I was just going back through my thread, seeing where Lola came from. Wow.

 

[Scott H Murray]

Great write up and it looks like a great spot for long weekends and exploring

 

[Blackdawg]

Just to keep in touch. But I've got the same stuff going on. School, HW, etc. I have a couple things in the works as well.

Haha yeah I read through it this morning. Frank has come a really long way. I was just going back through my thread, seeing where Lola came from. Wow.

Haha yea always fun to look back on where you came from

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Great write up and it looks like a great spot for long weekends and exploring

Haha thanks Scott! Looks like you got to my write-up before I took it down. I wasn't super happy with my photo edits, so I'm going to redo them. It will come back soon though!

Haha yea always fun to look back on where you came from

Most definitely. Especially when you've modified as much as I have. Or even more so when you consider Frank.