Builds Big Red Toy (12 Viewers)

[The Phoenician]

Big Red passed inspection and the turbos are loving this weather.

I keep finding birds nests. I need some minor electrical work, the radio keeps turning off. But otherwise this thing runs strong.

 

[meatloaf]

Ordered a few parts for the 85 pick up to work on with my son over the Christmas holiday break.

Enjoy the time with your son Mike…. Is he wheeling the truck at RO?

 

[The Phoenician]

Enjoy the time with your son Mike…. Is he wheeling the truck at RO?

Thanks, trying to work with him on his pick up, but this weather is keeping us indoors for now. I got him a sniper efi for Christmas, if I like the results I might do it to the 40.
I head back soon, so this might have to wait until I'm back for good. I don't think he'll wheel at RO yet, but might let him drive in the field a bit.

 

[davegonz]

Go ahead and order the Sniper. Damn thing works great in my 40.

 

[The Phoenician]

Go ahead and order the Sniper. Damn thing works great in my 40.

Which model do you have? I'm going to need one for a GM 350.

 

[The Phoenician]

Full floating axles, rear sliding windows. I couldn't get the guy to pull over.

This is so far the oldest Land Cruiser I've seen in country.

 

[Zjohnsonua]

Seeing the chat around the heat concerns - how big is this unshrouded area, and are there others of similar size? That space isn't getting put to work.

 

[The Phoenician]

Been traveling quite a bit in the middle east as I close out my tour. I landed in my village which I left roughly 23 years ago. I saw some of the things that made me fall in love with off roading and wanted to share. I didn't start as a toyota fan but experience showed me it was the way to go. I still have a fondness for rovers though. I'll be back soon and can't wait to start wheeling again.

The view from my bedroom. This is what I spent my teenage years looking at.

 

[The Phoenician]

 

[The Phoenician]

Sphinx

Sphinxter

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Wow. I'd love to see petra in person. Did you do your best indiana jones impression while there?

Love reading about your adventures.

 

[The Phoenician]

Wow. I'd love to see petra in person. Did you do your best indiana jones impression while there?

Love reading about your adventures.

Thanks, Petra was fun but tons of walking. I recommend you pay a guide to drive you to the end of the trail and start backward. This way you can take your time and only walk half the distance. Walking miles in the desert is no fun and in my case (10 pins in the leg and a plate) it's painful after a while. If you make it to Jordan, I highly recommend the Baptism site on the Jordan River, the Dead Sea to say you were there and make time for a night in Aqaba and Wadi Rum. Egypt was not as fun as I thought it would be, but I'm there for work, I just happened to make time for some touristy stuff. And at all costs, avoid sushi on the Nile. I was nearly dead for days.

 

[LETSROLLEM]

@The Phoenician thank you for taking the time (from what I can only imagine are full days) to post some great photos of areas of your travels. I’m a huge geek about Egyptian history. The photo with you holding The Great Pyramid with your fingers is incredible. I can’t imagine what they look like up close. Also the Petra photo is amazing. That area of the world has so much ancient history. Beautiful. Be safe

 

[The Phoenician]

@The Phoenician thank you for taking the time (from what I can only imagine are full days) to post some great photos of areas of your travels. I’m a huge geek about Egyptian history. The photo with you holding The Great Pyramid with your fingers is incredible. I can’t imagine what they look like up close. Also the Petra photo is amazing. That area of the world has so much ancient history. Beautiful. Be safe

Thanks for the kind words. I've tried to post up more pics, but the wifi is not strong here. I'll have to post up when I get to Europe or back home stateside if you remind me.

On the Egypt thing, it was very educational, not just for the pyramids, but also for walking the Coptic Christian churches areas. So much history and influence that the Copts brought to Egypt that is slowly being relegated to ruins. In fact, Egypt was named after the Copts by the Greeks ( according to the tour guide). I also enjoyed going through the neighborhoods in independence square that brought life to the Arab Spring in Egypt. Sadly not much has changed and I assess another coup attempt in the next three years. Estimating inflation to hit over 30% next year alone.

On the pyramid end, I did not realize there were roughly 120 of them. The ones in Giza are the largest, but modest on the inside. Some of the fanciest ones I've seen in Saqara were nothing more than sand hills on the outside. You can see the evolution of how they learned to build these structures. Some looked like steps, others sand hills and one had a curve to it because they designed it wrong.

I just finished up a tour of Byblos in Lebanon where the alphabet was invented and standardized by the ancient Phoenicians. I'll post up the pics when I get better internet connectivity. I'm still amazed at how they pioneered sailing by stars and were the first in the world to navigate away from the sea shore and just use the north star.

On the offroading end, I saw the old Nissan Patrol I was in love with when I was in high school. It was built and I'm glad to see it still running strong. I was not able to take a photo of it as I was driving and it was coming in the opposite direction. I've seen a few old School G wagens and a ton of Land and Range Rovers that are also built up. All of these things have had some kind of influence on how I built Big Red. Many laughed at what my vision was for it, they told me it was a waste of money or couldn't be done. But I had seen it done, all it took was passion for wheeling and the outdoors. I also had tons of encouragement from this forum, which I am eternally grateful for. I wish I had more time in Lebanon, I'd have loved to set up an overlanding trip from Mount Kneisseh starting from my village all the way up to the Ancient Cedars like I had done roughly 25 years ago with a few of my Venture Scout buddies.

I'm itching to be back and start working on Big Red, Penelope Cruiser (the FJ40) and my son's 85 pick up temporarily named the Dirty Avocado as Marty was way too cliche.
PS: I forgot about Ron Burgundy our tacoma, but that's been fully built and the wife has forbidden me from making any more mods to it. She claims it as hers now.

 

[The Phoenician]

 

[The Phoenician]

 

[The Phoenician]

Been back about a week or so. Already going stir crazy and thinking of going overlanding somewhere. Mostly been working on the 40 and the 911, but Big Red is up next for some serious cleaning and maintenance.

Thinking of taking the tacoma camping because it has a strong AC

I'll post up some progress later in the week when I'm back home.

 

[Zjohnsonua]

Great updates. I always enjoy seeing the travel photos you post.

 

[The Phoenician]

Great updates. I always enjoy seeing the travel photos you post.

Thanks, I've debated adding some of the German historical sites pictures or the kayaking with the dolphins stuff, but they had no relevance to Big Red and I've already strayed from the purpose of this thread a few times

 

[davegonz]

Mike, how's that hood-mounted solar panel working out? Looks pretty stealthy.