Builds Deer Slayer - KCJAZ's Build/Re-Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[kcjaz]

Day 2:

More good progress but bit slower today

1. Got tranny/transfer installed in the 2015.
2. Swapped front diffs.
3. Swapped UPC and got BP51s installed on the 2015.
4. Finished rear axle swap
5. Swapped resonator from 2015 to the 203 and the straight pipe to the 2015.
6. Completed removal of Dissent rear bumper and wiring harness
7. Reinstalled spare tire carrier on 2013
8. Completed LRA uninstall on 2013 and plumbed the OEM filler neck back to OEM tank. Prepped 2015 for LRA install tomorrow.

 

[clrussell]

What did you decide to go with the 2013? Is insurance getting it back? Just curious.

Huge amount of work but glad to see you guys are getting it done

 

[kcjaz]

What did you decide to go with the 2013? Is insurance getting it back? Just curious.

Huge amount of work but glad to see you guys are getting it done

I bought the wreck from insurance. Plan to auction it at Copart once I have all the stuff off of it.

 

[Sandroad]

Day 2:

More good progress but bit slower today

1. Got tranny/transfer installed in the 2015.
2. Swapped front diffs.
3. Swapped UPC and got BP51s installed on the 2015.
4. Finished rear axle swap
5. Swapped resonator from 2015 to the 203 and the straight pipe to the 2015.
6. Completed removal of Dissent rear bumper and wiring harness
7. Reinstalled spare tire carrier on 2013
8. Completed LRA uninstall on 2013 and plumbed the OEM filler neck back to OEM tank. Prepped 2015 for LRA install tomorrow.

All in one day!

 

[clrussell]

I bought the wreck from insurance. Plan to auction it at Copart once I have all the stuff off of it.

Good Plan. I wish I was in a situation to try and buy.

 

[kcjaz]

All in one day!

It felt like we slowed down from the first day but yeah, still a lot done. Its amazing what 5 guys and two lifts can do. I am definitely buying a lift. After this week I am not interested in rolling around on a creeper anymore!

 

[tbisaacs]

This is so fun to watch!

 

[kcjaz]

Day 3:

Another good day. 3 of us this morning and added a 4th after lunch.

1. Reinstalled OEM plastic bumper on 2013 and installed spare tire underneath.
2. Installed diff breather extensions in 2015
3. Completed BP-51 install and Bud Built lower shock guards on 2015
4. Moved RLCA guards to 205
5. Completed LRA install on 2015
6. Installed new parking brake pads on 2015 and reconnected brake lines and bled system.
7. Started engine baseline swapping radiators (2015 had the crack starting), alternators, PS pumps, fan bracket/bearing, water pumps, tensioner, idler, etc. I had done all of that on the 2013 only 25k miles ago. Got everything all pulled off each truck and 1/2 reinstalled.

During engine baseline work discovered water pump on 2015 was weeping and bearing was about to give it up. Also discovered AC compressor or part of the AC is leaking and decided to get get a new compressor. This will slow us down as we won’t get the compressor until Monday but finding these kind of issues is why I’m baselining in the first place. I’m also glad I did the tranny swap as the tranny fluid from the 2015 is pretty dark and is almost certainly the original fluid.

 

[kcjaz]

Day 4:

Completed the “unbuild” of the 2013 and back running with the swapped components from the 2013. Just a few minor things like throwing the third row seats back in and extracting the Kaon shelf captive nuts and she’s ready for the trailer to go to Copart. I’ll send it to the Springfield MO Copart location. I could actually drive it down there but I don’t want to hassle with it anymore. I want done.

From:

To:

Will finish up the 2015 next week when the AC compressor comes in. After we got it all apart, it looks like the leak may have just been the o-rings on the oil cooler. Since I’ve already bought the new AC compressor and I’m right there, I’m going to replace it regardless.

 

[kcjaz]

Said good bye to the 2013 today. On its way to Copart for auction.

While I’m glad be close to getting all this behind me, it’s sad seeing her go. Funny how we get attached to machines.

Still have stuff to do on the 2015 but it’s down to:

1. Front bumper (power coating done this week)
2. Rear bumper and wiring, including camera relo
3. BB skids install
4. Snorkel (yeah, I get to cut a giant hole in a fender again)
5. Kaon shelf
6. Rear seat delete
7. Dissent roof rack install (when it arrives)
8. Rhinohide armor install
9. Some electrical wiring clean up

 

[TomEf]

Someone's gonna get a great deal on a 200, a fender, a hood, and some glass and roll off into the sunset

 

[linuxgod]

Your auction truck would be perfect for someone who wrecked their driver's side. Just cut the two trucks in half and weld them together. Problem solved!

 

[kcjaz]

The 2013 sold at auction today. I was very fortunate as it sold for a little more than I paid the insurance co for the salvage vehicle. I’ve watched every Copart auction of 200s for the last couple months and still do not understand what drives the value of totaled 200s so high but whatever it is, I’m grateful for it. I’ve only seen one go for under $20K and it had damage on all body panels from what looked like a roll over, air bags deployed and it didn’t run with “mechanical” secondary damage noted. Still, that one sold for $15K.

While I still would rather have had none of this happen, in the end I’m ending up with a rig that is what I had before the accident but 2MYs newer, plus a few upgrades like the Dissent RR and Rhinohide armor and maybe drawers and actually be money ahead (ignoring all the time I’ve put into this). Given the overall situation, I really couldn’t have ended up better.

 

[TeCKis300]

That was quite the journey. Glad you're back in the saddle ready to rock.

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

So? High water mark trail in the spring? And do you know where your wallet is? Too soon? Having actually watched this vehicle exit the road in front of me and then many months later exit the shop I work at it has been an amazing journey. So glad everyone was safe and now you can relax again. Congrats on a chapter closed.

 

[kcjaz]

So? High water mark trail in the spring? And do you know where your wallet is? Too soon? Having actually watched this vehicle exit the road in front of me and then many months later exit the shop I work at it has been an amazing journey. So glad everyone was safe and now you can relax again. Congrats on a chapter closed.

oh I'm in on HWM! I'm just going to have you carry my wallet until I get the wallet proximity sensor ignition interlock wired up.

 

[kcjaz]

Completed commemorative art project.

Signatories are the crew who pulled me out and took care of me. I could not have run with a better crowd.

Shout out to: @tornadoalleycruiser, @1994pd, @2fpower, @kc_chevota, and @StucknKS.

 

[kcjaz]

Installed rear bumper and swingouts (mostly). Need to finish wiring harness for lights (ugh, hate wiring which is why I keep putting it off). Also need to build new accessory tray for my Roam Box as the old one was destroyed in the wreck.

As a note to self next time I pull it off, the plug for the parking sensor harness unlocks by pushing on the unlocking tab on the bottom of the plug:

Also re-installed my BH3D Toyota emblem on my TJM:

 

[kcjaz]

Finished up the rear bumper swing arms and adjusted the overall bumper position a bit. I also swapped out the old grade 8 thin washers for double thick ones. The thin ones had deformed even doubled up. Still doubled up with one thick and one thin.

I went to put the inner fender on the passenger side and ran into an issue with the charcoal filter hose interfering with the liner. The hose from the evap canister to the charcoal filter has to be in back of the filler hose and it’s pretty tight to get it routed that way. I thought I was going to have to drop the tank but I was able to get it in there. I added a sleeve to help protect the hose where it touched the frame.

Trimmed and install mud flap. Cut it longer this time to better protect the LRA pump and components but didn’t like how the mud flap wouldn’t lay flat.

So I drilled and taped a 6mm hole and pined it to the bumper with SS 6mm button head.

I got lucky drilling the hole and just missed a stiffener. I should have looked behind first.

I may need to slot the hole in the mud flap to allow relative movement between the body and the bumper wing.

 

[kcjaz]

A beautiful Sunday evening here in KC and I’m two bourbons in, relaxing on the patio, fire pit going and thinking philosophically about my build. Usually I hit my philosophical peak at about 4 bourbons but I have to work in the morning so it’s two for tonight.

I had a good day today. Spent most of it in my shop working on my 200. Life’s good. I really like building and making stuff. If I’m honest, I like building things to do things as much, and sometimes more than, than doing the things themselves.

While today was fun, and I enjoy the build, spending all my shop time redoing things I had done in the last couple years has made me wonder a bit about what I’m doing. I had got my 2013 pretty close to done and was starting to dial in the overlanding mods when I wrecked it last May. I’m almost back to where I was but it has taken 11 months. Redoing things is not as fun as the first time. I should be using my 200 not rebuilding it.

Insurance treated me well from a cost perspective so I can’t complain. I’ve actually made money on this ordeal.

It’s the time it takes to do the build that is getting me. Insurance has paid for everything but it’s is essentially going to be a year of time to get back to where I was. You can’t just go replace your custom built rig by writing a check. It’s really made me think about the risks I am willing to take with the 200. And it’s not even really the risk of wheeling. Just a traffic accident can total your rig. I didn’t think about that before. I just figured if a broke something I’d just fix it. I never thought about what if I totaled it and how long a DYI build takes.

I know, compared to the spectrum of bad things that can happen, having to rebuild a 200 doesn’t really even register. I don’t have to rebuild a 200, I get to. I should therefore be very thankful. Sometimes you have to smack yourself (or write a rambling MUD post) to remember that.