Coupi'S 1997 Lwb Rav4 -The Adventuremobile

[coupi]

People may not be interested in my RAV4, but I figured I'd post it up anyway. It's my only vehicle, use it every day, do about 250-400 miles a week. Suits me for all my needs, surfboards, canoes, BMXs etc.

This will all just be copied from a thread on another forum so it's upto date.

 

[coupi]

I was dead set of owning another Toyota, decided on the Rav4 as good clearance, storage space and 4wd were my main priorities.

Had been promised by a garage they wouldn't sell a '97 LWB with 54,000 miles on the clock for £1,850, but the buggers sold it, so I had to find another. This is where my little gem showed up; 69k cambelt done twice, once very recently, full service history, GX spec (minus air con), so pretty decent, and all for less than £1300! Needless to say I bought it.

I've already picked up a bullbar with a pair of spotlights (still need wire these to the car though), as well as a pair of genuine Toyota headlight protectors and put in a pair of brighter main beam headlight bulbs I had laying around, which were all fitted tonight. Photo in the light tomorrow!

 

[coupi]

Went and picked up some Thule roofbars today. Was going to get genuine Toyota ones but the mounting points for them are far too close together. Painted the bullbar and spotlamps black, still needs another coat or two, spotlamps won't be staying for long, can't stand the blue lenses, but will wire them in soon anyway. Headlight protectors fitted too.

 

[coupi]

Most of the update, pics are a bit here and there, sorry!

Switched the spots that came with the bullbar for some yellow lamps.





Did well in the snow for work



Bought a safari rack from a Pajero.



Removed the gutter mounts and mocked up four yellow lamps to be mounted under the rack at the front.







Saying bye to the Yaris.







Relocated the headlight level switch from below the storage slot (see last photo) to by the ignition (like in the Yaris)



Removed coin holder and relocated immobiliser LED and replaced with blanks



The messy fascia, soon to be JDM double din



New grille, from facelift Australian and American models. Looks a bit Subaru? Doing the grille badge matte black.



Watched the new Muppets film at the weekend, really want one of these...

 

[coupi]

Got a few bits and bobs I bought last week in the post today; genuine Toyota rear light guards (but the flipping guy hasn't send the clips!), Ritchie X21 dash mount compass, 52mm gauge holder and incliometer.

Will get them fitted up in the next few days. Both are illuminated, so I reckon they'll be wired to the sidelights.

Need to order a 2.5l of satin black Hammerite, some underseal and some strong trim tape. Then I cane get this safari rack modified to sit lower and fit on the roofbars, get it painted, paint wheels, grille badge and boot badges and stick them back on!

 

[coupi]

Not much of an update. First off, JDM tailgate trim doesn't fit UK boot lid

They made two completely different bootlids can you believe it! I'll probably get the soldering iron out and combine my UK one and the JDM on to fit my UK bootlid. I bought the import plates when I got the JDM tailgate trim, so fitted the front plate today, along with a bashguard which I got for free, came off a current shape Landrover Freelander, I'll fix the corners on better so it isn't pulled in at the centre as much sometime soon. Repainted the flaking spare wheel cover with some paint I had in the garage. Also, you can see my US/Australian facelift grille fitted.

 

[coupi]

So after being messed about by the breakers yard that I got the rear light guards from, they finally decided to tell me yesterday they don't have the fitting clips, which for the past fortnight they've being saying they did :/ Anyhow, I knocked a set up yesterday and got them fitted. The loops sticking out from the front wings I made yesterday too, for restraining canoes etc on the roof.

 

[coupi]

ear wheels have some winter tyres on, which there was no point in changing as there wasn't much tread left on them, and some cracking, so they're almost on the limit now. So £45 and a trip across to Bradford later, and I've got a pair of Rav4 steels with nearly new Yokohama Geolander A/T-S which are over £80 per tyre new! So a cracking deal, and saved probably £10 on getting two tyres swapped over!

These should raise the rear up a little too and make it look a little better

I decided against putting larger tyres on the stock wheels, they can wait until I get the new wheels

ordered a HUGE tin of satin black Hammerite the other day, and I have time off work until a week on Wednesday, so will be getting busy! Plan to mind is, ditch wheel trims, paint wheels black, not sure if I will get rid of spare wheel cover or not? Paint spare wheels, sills, bullbar, safari rack and a few other little bits. Paint grill badge and refit, and probably loads more.

Also, off to pick up a canoe from Chester this evening!

 

[coupi]

Leeds to Chester and then home!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/coupi/Adventuremobile/37_zps2ef5ba57.jpg

 

[coupi]

Old winter tyres

New tyres

They've barely been used, not bad for £45 for the pair already on RAV4 steelies

Intake resoantor chamber

Resonator removed and blocked off. Not going to boher replacing with a silicon corner piece, as I'm reworking the whole intake in the future.

Spare wheel canoe mounting strap

New rear tyres make it sit loads better

 

[coupi]

This sounds better now, we put a straight pipe and cone filter on to test and it sounds amazing, but that's no the plan!


A couple of photos from the maiden voyage of the canoe

 

[coupi]

Painted my wheels last week, accidently bought gloss instead of satin :/ I'll give them a top coat of satin. Spare wheel needed an angle grinder to clean it up, it was that rusty!

As we're moving house in the next month, the garage has to be sorted through, which prompted me to make a decision on the JDM tailgate trim. Choices were, bin it, try and sell it, buy a JDM bootlid or use my UK spec one and make a hybrid from the two of them.You all know how much I love plastic welding

So now I have the best of both worlds; import plate holder and rear fog

I've got a few bits and bobs on their way in the post, nothing major for now though.

 

[coupi]

Right, so after moving house, I finally have the internet again now! Not updated this in a while, so here goes!

Before I moved I swapped the sidelights from amber LEDs to white LEDs, as well as white LED interior lights for the front and back.









Test fitted the fourth roofbar on, but there isn't any way to fix it to the roof...







Few photos illustrating the interior





Seat bottoms are plastic, so when they're folded up you won't rip them



Bed anyone?



For starters I had removed the small resonator chamber off the airbox to throttle body pipe, then I found there was an even bigger resonator hiding under the bumper/behind the headlight, so I removed that too. Pics below shows the whole standard intake system.



Then came a BMC CDA (carbon dynamic airbox), along with a few bits of pipe and hoses, and a breather filter that kind of matches. In the long run this will be connected to a snorkel on the passenger side. A few people have said it sounds like a boxer engine now, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Either way it sounds lovely! I will get a few videos soon.



Bought some 100W Wipac spotlamps for the bullbar.





Bought some Raydyot 55W spotlamps for the rear of the safari rack.



Mocked up a mount for four of the yellow lamps for the front of the safari rack.



Photo of the new garage! It's a single and a half in length and width, as well as having a bonus garage door on the rear wall with a parking space in the back garden!

 

[coupi]

Tried out some 550 paracord on the bullbar crossbar, but I didn't like it, so it came off.





Been attacking the safari rack so it will fit on properly, here's where it is at now, along with lights fitted to it. It's stable enough with three bars on two have two people stood on it Now looking at roof tents...







Some inspiration for wheel width/offset. Theseare just stock 16x6 ET45 steels with 32mm and 38mm spacers on







A few random photos from out and about

 

[coupi]

Got a set of centre caps for the wheels, got another on the way for the spare too.

Fitted a set of dual Hella horns, much better sound and volume compared to stock

And a new air freshener

I think that brings the thread up to date! Got a tax rebate I need still need to send off for, then lift kit and suspension, and maybe even wheels!

 

[coupi]

Really liking the look of these 5 spoke ones at the moment, can get any width and any offset custom made, but £260 for four :/

 

[coupi]

Not a huge update. Re-did the grill badge black and refitted, did the RAV4 and Toyota badge on the rear black, and removed the GX badge. Made a non-slip mat for the dash. Tried the spot lamps without the grilles, but they look stupid! Gave it the first decent clean since I bought it (not that you can tell now!) and bought a genuine Safari snorkel from a 90 Land Cruiser













Here's how the snorkel will look.

 

[coupi]

Snorkel is fitted now. Battery has been relocated to original airbox position. Got a few little things vibrating to sort out, but I'll get a video soon Got my Toyota double din fascia fitted too, no pic though.

First pic is the entire stock intake system, below that is what I've replaced it with.



















Out in the Peak District



Got given a CB radio which is now fitted, with a rough aerial mount I made between the spare wheel and rear window.





What time is it?

 

[coupi]

Not updated in a while, not too much has happened, but things are going to move a bit quicker now, as I just got a tax rebate So all new shocks, springs and lift kit are going to be bought, and probably new front top mounts, dust boot and bumpstop kit for the front and rear bumpstops.

I've repainted the bullbar and the back of the spot lamps (previously chrome) matte black, started to tend to the underside of the car with stone chip shield. About to redo the wheels matte black too.

Found out about Carling switches, so bought a few of them, some surrounds for them and a few blanks.



Which came together to look like this.



The green LED were a bit bright at night, so I used some red tinting film between the LED and the switch to alter the shade of green a little and to reduce brightness.

Before.



After.



Headunit has been relocated to make room for the switch panel. Interior as it stands now.





Bought a towbar too, for £13! Came with towball, electrics and bolts too. Only problem is three of the captive nuts it should bolt too have no thread left due to rust So that stays off until I sort that. I refurbished the towbar myself.



I'm going to make a pair of brackets to hold the bullbar at a set angle soon. Just bought one of the rare Toyota armrests too Which should be on its way to me soon!

 

[coupi]

Right, so an update is long overdue.

Bougt new Monroe springs for front and rear, along with Monroe Adventure uprated shocks for front and rear.

Bought a pair of orange 5000kg TRS tow straps, a CNC stainless steel snorkel grill and a fulltime 4wd badge from an old Land Cruiser. Removed Toyota logo badge and moved the RAV4 logo badge too.

Bought the 2" lift spacer kit. Front spacers were actually 48mm and rear didn't fit inside the springs...

So I just fitted the new shocks and springs. Springs raised it up by 30mm, they were facelift model spec (slightly higher than pre-facelift and my old springs had sagged too).

Hub to strut knuckle looking like the creature from the black lagoon

New front springs weren't so easy to fit to the shocks, as they had a lot less coils than the stock ones :/