Project T100: "Baja Explorer Ver. 2"
- Thread starter G100
- Start date
thecriscokid
Explorer
Nicely Done!
BajaRunner
Bandito
Wow! Thats insane!
I think it would have been a lot easier to just ditch the longboards...
...and start shortboarding!!! :sombrero:
I think it would have been a lot easier to just ditch the longboards...
...and start shortboarding!!! :sombrero:
Petrolburner
Explorer
Absolutely amazing work :Wow1:
MotoDave
Explorer
Hey, did you see this one for sale locally?
http://ventura.craigslist.org/pts/1668888707.html
I'm tempted to pick it up, but really should spend the money on other priorities right now.
http://ventura.craigslist.org/pts/1668888707.html
I'm tempted to pick it up, but really should spend the money on other priorities right now.
G100
Adventurer
In my quest to eliminate chrome, while I was painting things for the window black I decided I needed to paint my grill and mirrors black. I did some research on here and saw that others have de-chromed their grills by taking it to a plating company to have them soak it in sulfiric acid. I think some of them said it only cost them less then $10 and the after pictures looked amazing. So I removed my grill and took it in didn't ask for a quote figuring it wasn't going to be too much. Came back a few hours later, and the guy wanted $80 :yikes: and this is what it looked like.
After a while I talked him down to $60, but still if I would have known I wouldn't have done it. It took off all the chrome, but left some of the nickle and copper which is not that big of a deal. But the pain of it all, is that it pitted the plastic so i had to sand the crap out of it and use some bondo to get it smooth again before painting. So for the side mirror covers I just heated it until it bubbled up and then peeled the chrome off with a razor blade leaving the pastic perfect. This method worked pretty good on the mirrors but couldn't have been done on the grill because of the complex shape. You just have to be carefull not to heat it up to much or you'll melt the plastic.
Anyway my plan was to paint it flat black with the epoxy primer I used before. I painted my bug guard with the little I had left over from the window project and it looked great so I figured why not its pretty cheap and works great. So I went to the same autobody supply shop, evidently I bought that stuff right before it was banned in california. I called around to some different shops, same story everywhere. So I ended up have to buy some $70 hot rod flat black paint and $20 in primer. In the end, it turned out nice, but for all the work and money, I could have just bought a new black grill off of E-bay, sold mine and probably would've broke even.
Before
After
I think it looks a little strange with the chrome bumper, so I did a quick photochop of what it would look like with a black bumper. I eventually would like a bumper like the TJM T-17, but my chances of getting one of those is slim to none.
After a while I talked him down to $60, but still if I would have known I wouldn't have done it. It took off all the chrome, but left some of the nickle and copper which is not that big of a deal. But the pain of it all, is that it pitted the plastic so i had to sand the crap out of it and use some bondo to get it smooth again before painting. So for the side mirror covers I just heated it until it bubbled up and then peeled the chrome off with a razor blade leaving the pastic perfect. This method worked pretty good on the mirrors but couldn't have been done on the grill because of the complex shape. You just have to be carefull not to heat it up to much or you'll melt the plastic.
Anyway my plan was to paint it flat black with the epoxy primer I used before. I painted my bug guard with the little I had left over from the window project and it looked great so I figured why not its pretty cheap and works great. So I went to the same autobody supply shop, evidently I bought that stuff right before it was banned in california. I called around to some different shops, same story everywhere. So I ended up have to buy some $70 hot rod flat black paint and $20 in primer. In the end, it turned out nice, but for all the work and money, I could have just bought a new black grill off of E-bay, sold mine and probably would've broke even.
Before
After
I think it looks a little strange with the chrome bumper, so I did a quick photochop of what it would look like with a black bumper. I eventually would like a bumper like the TJM T-17, but my chances of getting one of those is slim to none.
G100
Adventurer
Now A Camper
Well, what once was just a pick-up truck is now a "Camper", not quite a expeditionary camper, but I'm working on it.
I special ordered this aluminium shell from Access Manufacturing, aka Tradesman truck tops. This is the company that used to make (maybe still does) the "Journeyman" line for Leer, which is what I had on my old truck. After doing a lot research and calling around I went with these guys. I looked at the ARE, Lifetime, and others. I needed a company that would do some custom adaptations, and I wanted quality work. Most of the salesmen that I talked to agreed that Tradesman Tops where a little higher in quality of craftsmanship then the others, a little more pricey though also.
As for the custom adaptations that I needed. First I needed a rear window hole with custom dimensions for the roll down rear window. Second I didn't like any of the door handles that any of the companies offered. I wanted a paddle handle that I could lock and unlock from inside the shell, also I like to be able to lock the door and then shut it, like a normal door. I don't like having to shut the door and then have to use the key to lock it. So I found this handle from Trimark a door system company that makes stuff for RVs and commerical vehicles.
I picked this handle for the locking reasons above and I also like that the handle free floats when its locked, giving you no leverage to yank the door open when locked, as a stiff handle would. Also it is able to accept an power actuator, which would be really cool to hook up to the power door lock switch one day.
I can say I was very happy with my purchase, the quality has definately improved from my last shell. It has gas shocks on each door so they spring and stay open, a very nice touch, the hole lined up perfectly with my rear window, I really like the look of the square windows on the doors, and the matte finish I requested on the paint job looks great. The guys at Access Mfg. really hooked me up by not charging me extra for having to figure out how to and installing the after-market paddle handle I sent to them. The paddle handle works great, I am glad I went through the extra trouble and cost to upgrade.
Well, what once was just a pick-up truck is now a "Camper", not quite a expeditionary camper, but I'm working on it.
I special ordered this aluminium shell from Access Manufacturing, aka Tradesman truck tops. This is the company that used to make (maybe still does) the "Journeyman" line for Leer, which is what I had on my old truck. After doing a lot research and calling around I went with these guys. I looked at the ARE, Lifetime, and others. I needed a company that would do some custom adaptations, and I wanted quality work. Most of the salesmen that I talked to agreed that Tradesman Tops where a little higher in quality of craftsmanship then the others, a little more pricey though also.
As for the custom adaptations that I needed. First I needed a rear window hole with custom dimensions for the roll down rear window. Second I didn't like any of the door handles that any of the companies offered. I wanted a paddle handle that I could lock and unlock from inside the shell, also I like to be able to lock the door and then shut it, like a normal door. I don't like having to shut the door and then have to use the key to lock it. So I found this handle from Trimark a door system company that makes stuff for RVs and commerical vehicles.
I picked this handle for the locking reasons above and I also like that the handle free floats when its locked, giving you no leverage to yank the door open when locked, as a stiff handle would. Also it is able to accept an power actuator, which would be really cool to hook up to the power door lock switch one day.
I can say I was very happy with my purchase, the quality has definately improved from my last shell. It has gas shocks on each door so they spring and stay open, a very nice touch, the hole lined up perfectly with my rear window, I really like the look of the square windows on the doors, and the matte finish I requested on the paint job looks great. The guys at Access Mfg. really hooked me up by not charging me extra for having to figure out how to and installing the after-market paddle handle I sent to them. The paddle handle works great, I am glad I went through the extra trouble and cost to upgrade.
sn0wspyder
Observer
looking good!
G100
Adventurer
Maiden Baja Voyage
So here are some pics from "Baja Mission Numero Uno"
I had to go down and test out the truck since I got the camper shell. We just went down for a few days and got some waves. I built some temporary surf racks, unfortunately they ended up scratching the heck out of my shell . . . not using them again. The truck handled great, we drove in some real soft, deep sand and it drove through it perfectly, something I used to get stuck in with my last truck. I made a mattress (post some pics of it later) for the back that has 1.5" of memory foam on top of 2" of firm evlon foam. . . ahh, my wife and I slept like babies, plus this bed is around 6" wider then my last truck, so nice. All in all the trip went great.:costumed-smiley-007
Here is a close up of the racks, I thought I would be using them for a while until I make my roof rack, so I spent a little time making them nice, well that was a big waste of time. They are made of 2x4s that I cut to the contour of the shell, then I put a big eye bolts on the sides pointing down. I covered the sides with some scraps of black formica that I had, as sort of a water proofer. I cut up one of those cheap blue foam sleeping pads and glued it on the bottom used as the padding between the shell and the racks, obviously that didn't hold up. I then cut up a water noodle pool toy to use as the padding for the top that the boards sit on. I covered this with strips of that black gorrilla tape. The racks were then held on to the shell with ratching tie down straps that went from the frame up to the eye bolts. I then just used some bungees and some little eye screws to hold the boards down. I must say they worked very well . . . if you don't mind some scratches on your roof. You may also notice my truck boot mexican style: a rolled up mexican wool blanket . . . worked great, way better then I had expected, stayed in the whole time and did its job, But a truck boot is next on my list of things to make.
So here are some pics from "Baja Mission Numero Uno"
I had to go down and test out the truck since I got the camper shell. We just went down for a few days and got some waves. I built some temporary surf racks, unfortunately they ended up scratching the heck out of my shell . . . not using them again. The truck handled great, we drove in some real soft, deep sand and it drove through it perfectly, something I used to get stuck in with my last truck. I made a mattress (post some pics of it later) for the back that has 1.5" of memory foam on top of 2" of firm evlon foam. . . ahh, my wife and I slept like babies, plus this bed is around 6" wider then my last truck, so nice. All in all the trip went great.:costumed-smiley-007
Here is a close up of the racks, I thought I would be using them for a while until I make my roof rack, so I spent a little time making them nice, well that was a big waste of time. They are made of 2x4s that I cut to the contour of the shell, then I put a big eye bolts on the sides pointing down. I covered the sides with some scraps of black formica that I had, as sort of a water proofer. I cut up one of those cheap blue foam sleeping pads and glued it on the bottom used as the padding between the shell and the racks, obviously that didn't hold up. I then cut up a water noodle pool toy to use as the padding for the top that the boards sit on. I covered this with strips of that black gorrilla tape. The racks were then held on to the shell with ratching tie down straps that went from the frame up to the eye bolts. I then just used some bungees and some little eye screws to hold the boards down. I must say they worked very well . . . if you don't mind some scratches on your roof. You may also notice my truck boot mexican style: a rolled up mexican wool blanket . . . worked great, way better then I had expected, stayed in the whole time and did its job, But a truck boot is next on my list of things to make.
G100
Adventurer
Welcome to the portal wyotoyo, I would love to see what your doing to your T. I love to see T100s on here, you'll get tons of ideas looking around, hope some of mine help.
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G100
Adventurer
So my buddy who went down to baja with me with the black xterra is running the 285/75 r 16s. While standing around our trucks drinking one night I realized that it has the same bolt pattern. So he let me pull one of his tires off to see how it fit on my truck. I put it on the front pass. side. It looked a little tight on clearence in the front, it was really close to metal bracket thing holding the window washer reservoir. It doesn't look like the other side would have a problem at all, just the passenger side. I haven't seen anything on here about moving it to fit bigger tires.
? ? ? So I was wondering if anyone running bigger tires on a T100 has had to relocate or shift that reservoir forward or up higher? ? ? ?
I really like the looks of the 285s I am pretty sure thats what I will be getting someday soon.
here is a pic, makes me shake my head every time I look at my woosie tires.
So he let me pull one of his tires off to see how it fit on my truck. I put it on the front pass. side. It looked a little tight on clearence in the front, it was really close to metal bracket thing holding the window washer reservoir. It doesn't look like the other side would have a problem at all, just the passenger side. I haven't seen anything on here about moving it to fit bigger tires. ? ? ? So I was wondering if anyone running bigger tires on a T100 has had to relocate or shift that reservoir forward or up higher? ? ? ?
I really like the looks of the 285s I am pretty sure thats what I will be getting someday soon.
here is a pic, makes me shake my head every time I look at my woosie tires.