Builds Build thread: The Bruis3r (2 Viewers)

[Beanzermin]

I have been asked by a few members to make a build thread. This is not going to happen overnight. All the pictures I have of the rig are too big to upload to the site. I have to take screen shots on my phone and crop them to get them on here. At this point in time, I've had my rig for a year and a half. Hope you all enjoy it!

Here it is currently

 

[Beanzermin]

I started off roading in a 1990 Toyota 4Runner. Named it the Brodozr. It served me very well over the years. The more I wheeled it, the more I found it's weaknesses left me wanting something else. The 3.0 V6 is slow. No one makes anything for it. Everything on the truck was custom built. It's no good at rock crawling. It's a manual.

I needed a push to get me to change though. I've already got this rig where I can wheel and camp and do what I want. It just might take a long time to get to the destination. I didn't want to dump a ton of cash into another truck just to do what I can already do.

October in sand hollow. I'm running a trail called the maze. I'm with a bunch of friends who are all driving jeeps. I'm the only Toyota. I felt uncomfortable on this obstacle. I knew my skill set wasn't ready for this and I knew my rig was going to have a hard time. But I pushed it anyways. Broke the front 1/2 shaft when I came back down and had to disconnect the front hubs to get off the trail. The next morning we are leaving camp and the timing belt shreds. I rent a U Haul and drag the Brodozr back to Las Vegas.

Got it home, got it fixed, and started my search for a Land Cruiser. Do I want an 80 series or a 100 series. Inline 6 with a solid axle? Or a V8? So I don't get passed by semi's on the interstate.

 

[Beanzermin]

With all the traveling I was doing up into Utah, I decided the V8 and extra room was more important to me than the solid axle. My friend David was getting hounded by his wife to trim down his fleet of cars. I had been drooling over his LC for quite some time. He had a 200 series and the 100 series wasn't being driven anymore. I knew it was well maintained. He is a service advisor for Lexus. He had all the repairs and maintenance done at the dealership with oem parts. Another great thing about this rig was the TRD Supercharger. David had a friend at Toyota Corporate that was getting rid of his S/c'd Tundra. He asked David if he wanted the S/C on the 100. David drove the 100 to the corporate office in California and they installed the Supercharger there. David had already done his research about them leaning out. So when it was installed, they flashed the TRD ecu with a slightly richer tune. I knew this rig was solid. So we worked out a deal and I took it home!

 

[Beanzermin]

1st things 1st! Now that I have this new rig let's see what it can do. There is a tight overgrown trail here in Vegas. Called grapevine canyon. It leads you to another trail called angels peak. Angel's peak is the 1 trail I've always had a hard time with. I've never made it up without winching. So I figured this would be the place to try out the Bruis3r! She was doing just fine up to the point where I have to winch normally. I started smelling gas. Jumped out of the truck and noticed my fuel cap was leaking. So we let the pressure out and slowly worked our way to the climb. Right off the bat, I tear a sidewall. 100 plugs in the sidewall later, it's finally time to give it a go. This trail fights me every time and it isn't taking it easy on me this time either. But I finally make it to the top! No winching, no tow strap, on her own power! Accomplished!

I had the driver seat leather redone. It was torn apart and just trashed.

I take her on a trip to Utah and the passenger rear door moulding falls off. Someone had glued it all on. All of the clips were broken. Looks like I'm going to have to start putting money into it. I need a new spare and now little things need attention.

 

[Beanzermin]

It's now July. I've had the truck for about 3 months now. I get approached by a friend of mine. He owns a company called M2 Motoring. They build Sema Vehicles. He wants to start having more of a presence in the truck community and asks if I would build my truck to display at Sema 2017. It will be used as a feature vehicle for Rhino Rack. Of course I say yes. I wanted to take my time and build this rig slowly. I still have my 4runner to play with. But I can't turn this opportunity down. This is going to be a rough couple months. Sema is the first week of November. That leaves me 4 months to make this truck Sema worthy. So I have a rendering done real quick and get started!

Biggest issue with the rig, the paint work. The river rock green had seen better days. The hood & roof were flaking, scratches all over, dents everywhere. This was going to be the biggest obstacle! My 4runner had a Raptor Liner paint job on it and it looked great for the last couple years. This truck is going to be used and is much wider than my 4runner is. So it'll be in every tree branch and bush. Raptor is the only thing that's going to hold up. So that's what's I am doing!

Decided to make a custom Grille. So I cut out all the little slats in between the 3 bigger ones and all the support slats. Epoxied everything smooth, body worked it, and primed it.

 

[Beanzermin]

With the tear down of the rig, I started making a list of all the broken clips and parts I wanted to replace. New rubbers, new emblems, new clips, new interior pieces. Aftermarket parts are starting to come in as well!

Hutchinson wheels
Falken tires
Cobra Electronics - CB, Inverter, Dashcam, Radar Detector
Redarc - Dual Battery Charger, Trailer brake controller
Colby Valve - Valve stems
EBC Brakes - yellow stuff Front & rear pads & dimples & slotted rotors

 

[Beanzermin]

Golight - remote control spot light
Warn - Zeon Platinum 12-S, epic D-rings and Epic Hook
Trasharoo
Firestik - antenna and cables
GreyMan Tactical - Molle panels for the back of the seats

 

[Beanzermin]

Doug Thorley - Headers and Stainless Steel exhaust
Viper alarm
Overland Solar - 100 watt Solar panel
Hilift - Jack

 

[Beanzermin]

Wits End - console organizers and liner
Outer limit supply - first aid kit & mount
Odyssey battery - 34R PC-1500 batteries and aluminum battery boxes
Viair - 2 on 2 air compressor platform & inflation kit
Raptor Liner - Professional Liner gun and tintable bed liner kits

We had been waiting on the raptor Liner to get the rig painted. It had to be painted before we could start installing parts!

 

[Beanzermin]

While we were waiting we started painting items gloss black. The grille, taillights, 3rd brake light, trim around the door handles, plastic cowls under the wiper arms, the center stripe on the body mouldings, & the vents on the rear pillars. We also got the body fully sanded, primed and ready! It's time!

 

[Beanzermin]

I knew I wanted the bedliner to be a Metallic. The only way to accomplish the look I wanted was to paint over the top of the bedliner. So I bedlined the rig green first and shot the custom green I made over the top.

 

[100club]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. Drool worthy!

 

[Beanzermin]

Now that that's finally over I can start installing things!

Used the POR15 undercoating under the whole body. Just to clean up any overspray and make it look pretty again. Installed the Roadwire Leather Seat covers. Installed the White Knuckle Off Road Rock Sliders. Had my friend Jon come over and start the wiring of the Spod and the Viper alarm

 

[Beanzermin]

Exhaust system installed. No matter what I read on here I couldn't find anoyone who had the same issue I did. The O2 sensor wiring is not long enough on the driver's side. I call Doug Thorley and they tell me that it should plug right in. I'm missing like 4" of wire. So I try and make my own extension by soldering in a chunk of wire.
Depo headlights are back from HIDProjectors.com. They did a quad projector retrofit. Painted the housing black, painted the projector housings grey to match the Hutchinson wheels.
At this point in time we were waiting on the ARB bumpers to come in. I was hoping they would've been here by now so I could send them off to the powdercoaters to get the done the same grey as the wheels as well!
Redarc trailer brake controller installed

 

[Beanzermin]

The original CB I got was way to big to put anywhere. So I got the small handheld version from Cobra, the 18 WX ST II. I hung it from a Slee Off Road CB Mic holder and Switch panel.
Cobra dashcam and radar detector hard wired into the truck.
Greyman Tactical Molle seat back panels outfitted and installed
Lloyd Mats are in. You can see the speaker grilles in this picture. I thought the fabric was gross and outdated. So I peeled the fabric off. To my surprise there was a much nicer pattern underneath. So I painted the plastics to match the door panels using the SEM Color Coat.

 

[Beanzermin]

Had a custom bracket welded up to mount the odyssey battery, Redarc dual battery charger, and power steering fluid bottle. Where the old power steering fluid bottle used to be.
We were told by ARB they were completely out of stock for the other accessories for the rear bumper, Jerry can holder or rear cover. All they had were the swingouts for the left and right tire carriers. So we had to order a 6th Hutchinson wheel and a 6th Falken tire. Also needed to upgrade the springs to hold the weight. (Wish I would've read on this site before purchasing the Slee's)
Installed the Slee HD springs (which aren't very "HD")
Installed the EBC Brakes and painted the Calipers red, using the POR15 Caliper Kit.

 

[Beanzermin]

Finally the ARB pallet has arrived! We are 2 weeks away from Sema at this point! It is crunch time! When I ordered the rear bumper, ARB was out of stock of the passenger side filler panel and out of the gas can holder. The only thing they had in stock was the tire carriers. The only option they had was a dual tire carrier… So I had to get ahold of Hutchinson and Falken and get an extra tire and rim shipped out as fast as they could! It's too close to Sema to send out both bumpers to get powdercoated the grey to match the wheels. But the front bumper came in a grey Metallic. Rear bumper came satin black. So I sent the front bumper to the powdercoaters to get done in satin black while I worked on the rear bumper install.

 

[Beanzermin]

Spooling up the winch line
Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform installed. Along with the Overland Solar panel, Whelen lighting, Outer Limit supply 1st aid kit, Firestik antenna, Foxwing awning & Golight
Jon doing more wiring and installing! I think he was putting in my Pioneer AVH-4200 double din radio.

 

[Beanzermin]

I know I'm missing a ton of stuff and work inbetween the rendering and Sema. I was just so busy I forgot to take pictures. Part of me wishes I had started this build thread back then. At least it would've been a complete build and not a try and remember what happened in a 4 month span of non stop work.

 

[Beanzermin]

Finally! Sema is over! I take the rig through Sema ignited and hang out For a few hours. I have to be up early the next morning. Falken Tire wants to do a photo shoot with a few rigs and try and catch the sunrise.