An Appraisal Of The Day
First off, we were going into today's wheeling session with an untried, untested beast. Sure, me and my boy had done some light wheeling around the place we live...but today marked a departure from all of that.
The chosen area is called Rawat, which is a short distance from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It's quite famous for its rough terrain; which can range from dry, dusty and gravelly in the dry season to the finest, siltiest slush in the wet! Gullies, gulches, gorges, riverbeds, ravines...this place has it all.
The Phantom was put through its paces through 3-4 feet of standing water (read: slushy ponds), some slippery slopes and some river-crossings, where I'm happy to report that the beast performed exceptionally well. I DID manage to get it stuck belly deep in a mud-spur on the river bank, though (a considerable feat to say the least, given the fact that it's so freakishly tall AND wears 42 inch tyres!)...and was very obligingly inertia-strap-towed out by a 100 Series friend.
The Phantom's first "battle scar": a "de-eyed" front right shock. Yes, Mum...our little boy has finally come of age!
The rest of the time was spent towing out some friends (if we do NOT retrieve every vehicle from some drift, or gulch, or mud-pit at least once, we all go home mumbling "we didn't have any fun, today". Yes...we're somewhat weird, like that
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Now...this rig needs differential locks. There's no doubt left in my mind about that. Torue is exceptional. Power is sublime. Traction; not so much. The encounter in the mud-pit tends to confirm that. And given its extreme origins, and the grievous bodily harm I'm likely to inflict upon it in the days to come...the very nature of the beast demands that the rig be fitted with diff locks. This is a bit of a dilemma, since the Series 60 axles, once fitted with a 7:37 crown/pinion do NOT take conventional Toyota diff locks. And the very performance of the 7:37 ratios is so incredibly satisfying in terms of grunt, acceleration, economy, and takeoff, that the question of a return to 10:41 or 9:37 or 10:37 diffs can be ruled out as a no-brainer.
ARB air lockers might be the way to go. In fact...they might be the ONLY way to go. And despite the (very) steep price they will cost...I think the beast NEEDS them, in order to stay on top of things (LITERALLY!).
Hmmm. Why am I salivating at the thought of lockable differentials with a 5.29 diff ratio setup? Pavlovian Reflex much, Fouad?
she had much the same reaction as I had. "That really looks cool but what's that thing there? Exhaust? Other than that I really like it!". To each their own but I find that semi-truck exhaust a distraction from the exquisite lines of the Phantom. Just my $.02 but this is truly an inspiration to us all. Keep it up and keep the pics coming.
......... I always thought of it was Rustic green.
...this group of philanthropists, enthusiasts, and generally cool bunch of madcap individuals is very much a cross-section of HOW we Pakistanis ARE. In some subsequent posts, I hope to be able to showcase the charitable work and humanitarian angle to this terrific bunch of people...and also highlight some of the weird off-road activities we engage in!
