Starting some upgrades (1 Viewer)

[lovemylc]

Hello fellow enthusiasts -

Wife and I have a 96 GX470, and my DD, a 97 LX450 (insert pink panties here). My LX has 235xxx miles on it and we had a few new shakes and knocks. We were afraid it may be time to try out a new (to us) LX470. Unfortunately, anything in good shape with 100 - 125,000 miles was over $25,000, more than we wanted to spend. After a few discussions and crunching numbers, we agreed we love the truck too much to part with it. It'll be cheaper to take care of the maintenance and keep a DD we really enjoy.

So, while we have knocked out some of the maintenance, we also had to do some, uh hum, upgrades.... I'll keep you posted as they come along, but here is this weeks afternoon fun...

First off - off with the old bumper!

So, got it taped up (wouldn't want any scratches) and just a few turns of the wrench...

 

[lovemylc]

Now that we got that off, let's see what Slee sent us to mount this up with... be sure to hold on to those old bolts! It says so an the instructions (and that would be the last useful piece of information in the instructions...)

 

[lovemylc]

You'll need a friend or two

So, I climbed under the truck, two buddies hoisted up the bumper and on it went! Easy-peazy as they say in second grade.

Tighten the bolts, spend the next thirty minutes lowering one side, raising the other, tightening, loosening, retighten....

Looking good....

 

[lovemylc]

But it looks so empty in the middle

If only Slee was having a special in TJM parts that included something to fill that big gaping hole in front of the grill....

Oh, look, TJM 160 driving lights!!!

 

[lovemylc]

Those look nice, but can you get them in blue?

You bet!

A little something to brighten those rainy misty Charleston days and afternoon thunderstorms

 

[lovemylc]

Finished project tonight

Got the TJM marker lights wired into the markers on the corner.

The driving lights are wired into the high beams and controlled via Slee's OE fog light switch I placed in the dash to the left of the steering wheel.

BTW, also got the Slee upgraded wiring harness (big difference with the high beams!) and for plug and play fun, Slee's auxiliary lighting harness to wire up the new TJM 160s.

Overall, bumper install and hooking up the lights took longer than expected (we soldered the wires and took along time running them tight and clean). Slee's directions were awesome, although I had to call Ben twice (Thanks Ben ). the directions only work if you don't throw them away. TJM's directions were weak - nothing about the AC Dryer skid plate or wiring the lights... But it went fine.

Here is the finished bumper! Big thanks to Terry McIntosh at McIntosh Imports for his time, tools, knowledge and patience with me as I crowded the back of his work bay trying to do all this on my own (didn't happen).

 

[lovemylc]

Hey Guys -

So got a few more goodies in the mail last week and had a chance to get them installed over the weekend. The first is probably something we have all struggled with but only some have gotten around to fixing. The roadrunner horn.

It really started bothering me traveling down the hwy one day when an 18-wheeled decided he wanted to be in my lane right where I was. I saw his face in his side view mirror, and it was clear he just assumed I would slow down to give him room to come over (ih8bigrigs) (I was about even with the middle of his trailer). Anyway, I commenced to blast my horn (that'll show him) and after a second or two of him continuing to come over it dawned on me between hwy noise, wind noise, and truck noise, I was wasting my time. He wasn't hearing my little horn going "meep meep"

I have pretty thoroughly looked over Mud for a louder plug and play horn. Then I found the thread of 200 series horns that were JDM only. Even CDan had chimed in saying he couldn't get them. One quick google search of the part number landed me at Cruiser Addicts in Canada. $80 and a few day sin the mail and voila!

 

[lovemylc]

So, anyway, what do the sound like? Sorry I haven't gotten around to posting a video, but simply, it sound like a big American car horn. Very typical sounding big car horn. I don't know if it'll stop any 18-wheelers, but at least it is definitely louder.

 

[lovemylc]

Now the other box was even more anticipated! For a 17 year old car. I would say my steering wheel has held up pretty well. I've seen pics of yours that are much worse of and I feel your pain. Twice, i have used a local company that refurbished leather seats and steering wheels. For the steering wheels, they custom blend the color in a textured spray on paint. They do a[ thorough cleaning, spray, wait, spray, wait, and spray again. Both time it lasted about 4 weeks and then started coming off like a bad sunburn

Imagine my thrill when I see Metric TLC sells refurbished wheels! I save my nickels and dimes and get online to pull the trigger only to see "Out of Stock"

So, while looking for some other cruiser parts at CruiserParts.net, imagine my suprise to see they sell....... refurbished steering wheels. I was, like, all over again. So, 3 weeks late a box shows up....

 

[lovemylc]

her's what's in the box....

getting very exciting.... ooohhhh, pretty....

out the box....

 

[lovemylc]

30 minutes to install. Unsnap, disconnect, unscrew; screw, connect, snap.

The wheel feels amazing! it has texture as opposed to being worn smooth. It is "spongey" (not sure if that is a word) between 10:00 - 2:00 and 4:00 - 8:00, solid but squeezable. It really provides the feel of a new ride without that annoying new car smell...

 

[lovemylc]

Hey Folks - doesn't it seem like it takes forever for stuff to come in? You fret over what to get for your rig, and when you finally bight the bullet, its hurry up and wait.... That said, I was pretty stoked to get this!

The roof rack from Diamond Rax. Previously I had a home made Moose Rack, but wasn't happy with the wind noise or losing sunroof access...
Here's the Moose. let me know if you are interested in buying it.

Back to the Diamond Rax!

Mounted on Gamivita mounts...

 

[lovemylc]

I used to have a 97 Landcruiser that came from the factory with the CDL switch. I was always a little bummed that the Lexus didn't come with one. When installing the stereo I noticed the wiring harness behind the dash, dusty and longing to be used. Sadly, I had a hard time parting with the money they want for OEM CDL switch . Enter Hitit66 and his cool parts he is making. $30 through Paypal and three days later I'm CDL'ed! True plug and play and green color is very close to factory. Sadly, while the CDL switch engages, the solenoid has gone bad, so no lights on the dash confirming its engaged. Mr Toyota has them in stock and should be here in a day or two

 

[lovemylc]

Pic of the CDL switch from Hitit66

 

[half k cruiser]

You used a friend to help you put the bumper on ? That's cheating. Next time lay underneath of it and hold it up with your knees and one arm whilst threading the bolts in with the other hand. That's how a man puts his bumper on

 

[UnderDawg]

You used a friend to help you put the bumper on ? That's cheating. Next time lay underneath of it and hold it up with your knees and one arm whilst threading the bolts in with the other hand. That's how a man puts his bumper on

Ha damn right dude.

 

[lovemylc]

If it makes you feel better, I did drop a big ole socket wrench on my face while under the bumper. Fat lip for a week.

 

[WillT]

You used a friend to help you put the bumper on ? That's cheating. Next time lay underneath of it and hold it up with your knees and one arm whilst threading the bolts in with the other hand. That's how a man puts his bumper on

With 5 broken ribs, that's how Chuck Norris does it

 

[Danimal92sport]

Truck looks good! I love seeing someone decide that keeping a car and freshening it up is better than buying something else.

 

[lovemylc]

Thanks, Danimal. I am afraid to admit that the cost of the mods now exceeds the NADA value of the truck... Is that a bad problem?