I've enjoyed reading this thread and I look forward to doing some of these mods on my new Hundy. thanks for sharing.
Builds 40 Guy Builds a 100 Series
- Thread starter REZARF
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #262
Got to play for a few hours... had a great time, its a good reminder our wheeling season is right around the corner and I gotta wrap up the mods I'm working on!
Thank you for the snorkel install writeup! I really dig the nutserts approach. Just breezed through my install thanks to you!
- Thread starter
- #264
I'm glad it helped man!
- Thread starter
- #265
I got the upper hoop mounted up on my roof rack. A few more final welds, and creating the sunroof panel attachments are all that remain. It's been a fun ride, but I am ready to start using the thing instead of making it. 
What do you guys think?
It is finally coming together. I am impressed with how light it still is. I bet its about 50ish pounds as it sits. The sunroof panel will add some more weight but by not adding a floor this thing is trim.
Have I mentioned I hate welding 16ga tubing yet? Man, you get a good bead moving and WHAM, I burn through, it is pretty fine line between solid weld beads and burning through... requiring building the weld back up and not doing it again. Good fit up is everything with this gauge tubing.
Here is a shot of the rear section, leaving two slots for low profile LED lights and a center section for add on's down the road.
What do you guys think?It is finally coming together. I am impressed with how light it still is. I bet its about 50ish pounds as it sits. The sunroof panel will add some more weight but by not adding a floor this thing is trim.
Have I mentioned I hate welding 16ga tubing yet? Man, you get a good bead moving and WHAM, I burn through, it is pretty fine line between solid weld beads and burning through... requiring building the weld back up and not doing it again. Good fit up is everything with this gauge tubing.
Here is a shot of the rear section, leaving two slots for low profile LED lights and a center section for add on's down the road.
That looks fantastic! Nice job!
- Thread starter
- #267
We also knocked out my buddies, we got his lights fit up and modified some custom brackets to get the dual LED lights in the right spot. I think it looks GREAT and the way he designed the lights to sit should eliminate a lot if not all of the hood glare. His is the same design as mine but we raised the front edge of the upper hoop to tuck the lights into that spot. I think it came out really nice. We threw it on top of his 100 just to look at the overall lines of the rack.
I think it is going to look great once it is lowered into its final position it is sitting nearly 2" high compared to where we figure it will land when bolted down.
Nice proportions from the side. We had planned on the top hoop "laying back" a bit compared to the more vertical orientation of how it is now. I guess the dimensions stayed pretty much the same as we bent the tubing but it didn't shrink too much in the overall look. I think we'd have liked the upper hoop leading edge another inch rearward, but honestly, it looks killer on the roof. I just got to weld up all the uprights and this one is done as well.
Another view...
I think it is going to look great once it is lowered into its final position it is sitting nearly 2" high compared to where we figure it will land when bolted down.
Nice proportions from the side. We had planned on the top hoop "laying back" a bit compared to the more vertical orientation of how it is now. I guess the dimensions stayed pretty much the same as we bent the tubing but it didn't shrink too much in the overall look. I think we'd have liked the upper hoop leading edge another inch rearward, but honestly, it looks killer on the roof. I just got to weld up all the uprights and this one is done as well.
Another view...
- Thread starter
- #268
Last week while the family was out shopping we came across this 10" sub box at the local Goodwill during half price Saturday, so for a whopping $5 bucks I brought this home and figured I could finally get off my duff and toss some gear I have had collecting dust on the shelf together and get some thump in my trunk.
The dual 4" subs in the 100 actually perform well for what they are. But they in no way compare to a proper sub. I used to install car audio as a hobby and side job (back in the day) but I haven't messed with it in a long time. I picked up this sub and amp a while ago for a great deal but making a simple 1 cubic foot box stalled me out... man three kids and a loving wife and my garage time goes to other things. Finding this box made this a plug and play... well almost. It was in grungy black carpet, that had to go.
Here is what I am starting with...
My el-cheap-o box. The Alpine Type R's can handle serious power and they hit really clean. They are a high value sub.
I started a thread here a long time ago looking for OEM color vinyl and Keystone Bros was recommended, sure enough the guy who helped me walked out to the 100 with a big swatch book of colors and bingo we were on to "Neutral Tan" I'll grab the factory part number but don't have it handy right now, but it is 100 percent dead on.
The dual 4" subs in the 100 actually perform well for what they are. But they in no way compare to a proper sub. I used to install car audio as a hobby and side job (back in the day) but I haven't messed with it in a long time. I picked up this sub and amp a while ago for a great deal but making a simple 1 cubic foot box stalled me out... man three kids and a loving wife and my garage time goes to other things. Finding this box made this a plug and play... well almost. It was in grungy black carpet, that had to go.
Here is what I am starting with...
- Alpine Type R 10" subwoofer (these are amazing for the price)
- Alpine MRP-M500 500 watt mono amp.
- Alpine Speaker grill for the sub
- Q-Logic 10" speaker box with .65 cu/ft sealed air space.
- 1 square yard of OEM Matched tan vinyl
My el-cheap-o box. The Alpine Type R's can handle serious power and they hit really clean. They are a high value sub.
I started a thread here a long time ago looking for OEM color vinyl and Keystone Bros was recommended, sure enough the guy who helped me walked out to the 100 with a big swatch book of colors and bingo we were on to "Neutral Tan" I'll grab the factory part number but don't have it handy right now, but it is 100 percent dead on.
- Thread starter
- #269
First up was to get the carpet off the box so I could apply the vinyl. This box was attractive since it has these cover panels covering all the seams of where the wood/carpet come together making it EASY to apply the vinyl. First up was pulling all the old panels and the speaker terminal cup out and remove them from the box.
Next I grabbed some pliers and yanked all the old carpet off the box. It came off in one big sheet. That was a big deal I didn't want to mess with picking at it all day. I used a heat gun to get the adhesive loosened up a bit then tugged. Easy.
You can see it came off in one big sheet plus both sides.
Here is the naked box, I took a sander to it to knock down the pattern left by the carpet and the glue. I just needed to get it back to bare wood.
Next I grabbed some pliers and yanked all the old carpet off the box. It came off in one big sheet. That was a big deal I didn't want to mess with picking at it all day. I used a heat gun to get the adhesive loosened up a bit then tugged. Easy.
You can see it came off in one big sheet plus both sides.
Here is the naked box, I took a sander to it to knock down the pattern left by the carpet and the glue. I just needed to get it back to bare wood.
- Thread starter
- #270
I started the wrap by laying the vinyl in the sun to loosen it up, this promotes good adhesion and it allows it to stretch a little better too. Tossing it in the dryer can accomplish the same thing but this is greener HA!
Box is sanded and ready to get wrapped. I started on the bottom, sprayed both side with contact cement and started to wrap it up like a big Christmas present. Just spray one panel and enough vinyl at a time and work your way around the box.
Yank each of the corners and use pressure to make it contact solidly. You'd want to stretch and pull over each corner to make it transition well from one panel to another.
And the finished result all put together with the sub, grill and trim ring. It came out great. I'll do a write up on the amp install when I get to it.
Box is sanded and ready to get wrapped. I started on the bottom, sprayed both side with contact cement and started to wrap it up like a big Christmas present. Just spray one panel and enough vinyl at a time and work your way around the box.
Yank each of the corners and use pressure to make it contact solidly. You'd want to stretch and pull over each corner to make it transition well from one panel to another.
And the finished result all put together with the sub, grill and trim ring. It came out great. I'll do a write up on the amp install when I get to it.
- Thread starter
- #271
I scored a used/unused Oz Tent Foxwing awning on CL the other day. I found a fella who was trying to mount this on top of a Sprinter van but the extendable poles wouldn't reach the ground and the awning... too tall. Good deal for me, I will get it mounted up soon for my Solar Eclipse run up to Wyoming next month to check out the full solar eclipse. I am really impressed with the "canvas" on this thing, it feels really nice and it drips quality. I was stoked to get it for just a little more than the ARB 2500 I was looking at buying.
- Thread starter
- #272
Also, I bought a used 100 series OME lift "kit" off a fellow Rising Sun 4x4 friend here in Denver. After adding the bumpers, sliders, roof rack, winch, dual batteries and a plan to add a full set of drawers and skids... the factory suspension is squishy, wobbly at speed and loose in the corners. My 
said "we need to do something about this!" I said "OK, but only for the children's safety." 
I need to put a call into Christo and the gang at Slee tomorrow to decide on which rear spring I want to run? Any preferences from the Mud crowd? I am looking at the OME 2.5" Heavies from ARB and the Slee 3" Heavies... I wish I could drive before I buy but the guys at Slee haven't let me down yet, and they're local so that's fun.
I'll need to add a diff drop and a set of upper control arms before being "done" with the suspension but I am excited to start getting it dialed in and bolted up. I'll likely fab a rear adjustable panhard bar if I find my axle getting off centered, and extend both the bump stops and sway bar mounts with home booty fabbed units.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this build. The 100 keeps on impressing me.
The torsion bars are PURE BEEF! Wow... they have got to be double the size of the factory bars. I am stoked to get them popped in.
said "we need to do something about this!" I said "OK, but only for the children's safety." I need to put a call into Christo and the gang at Slee tomorrow to decide on which rear spring I want to run? Any preferences from the Mud crowd? I am looking at the OME 2.5" Heavies from ARB and the Slee 3" Heavies... I wish I could drive before I buy but the guys at Slee haven't let me down yet, and they're local so that's fun.
I'll need to add a diff drop and a set of upper control arms before being "done" with the suspension but I am excited to start getting it dialed in and bolted up. I'll likely fab a rear adjustable panhard bar if I find my axle getting off centered, and extend both the bump stops and sway bar mounts with home booty fabbed units.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this build. The 100 keeps on impressing me.
The torsion bars are PURE BEEF! Wow... they have got to be double the size of the factory bars. I am stoked to get them popped in.
- Thread starter
- #274
I'll dump the factory t-bars for these OME units. I am only debating rear springs for height and rate.
Thank you for taking the time on sharing your build.....I just recently picked up a
100 series and definitely learned allot of good info. On your build thread.
You have a beautiful LC !
100 series and definitely learned allot of good info. On your build thread.
You have a beautiful LC !
- Thread starter
- #276
Thanks for the kind reply, it keeps me motivated to keep up with the thread. I see you have a 40 too! You'll love the 100 if you don't already. They are every bit Land Cruiser as the old iron but with all the bells and whistles.
Initially when I bought the 100 I had plans of building it up.....But since ive been driving it a lot lately I'm having second thoughts of modding it
it drives so nice,quiet,stops on a dime and I cant even here the tires... I guess I will enjoy the stockness of it for a while.
Great build thread! Ive been very happy with my OME 860s in back. Im running a Slee rear bumper, with a 35 and hi-lift attached to it.
- Thread starter
- #279
Thanks Layonnn I appreciate the real world feedback. Did you get the full advertised 2.5" of lift? Did they settle at all under the weight? Do you have drawers? I like the price at $75 less than the Slee option but I'd rather buy once cry once if I need to for the correct spring that will last. I appreciate your chiming in man! Also, your cruiser looks GREAT!
