Builds GCRad1's 1992 ADV80 LAND CRUISER (2 Viewers)

[GCRad1]

Hello NM Frontier!

GREAT EYE!
That is AWESOME that you actually spotted and recognized the ADV80!

Massive thank you for sharing that! We (Axial R/C) will have a blog up on it soon as well and yea, I can not complain at all about the "job" i have. While you guys only see the outward fun stuff, I do have the desk and paperwork aspect of my job, but yea, can NOT complain!

You must have a true dream job! Just saw your rig and assuming you to in this:

All In The Name Of Fun - Video - Pinkbike

Looks like a hell of a weekend!

 

[82much]

Just read through your whole thread, so great! I am down in San Clemente so if you're ever looking for someone to tag along give me a shout, would love to get out and explore...especially with someone who knows the areas well. Cheers!

Christian

Me too. Im down in Fullerton.

 

[schradec]

Me too. Im down in Fullerton.

Epic would love to get a day and hit some local areas or the local mtns in Big Bear or the likes!

 

[SUMMIT CRUISERS Jr]

Hello SUMMIT CRUISERS JR! 380,000!!!! MASSIVE! LOVE IT!!!
I'm not really planning, ie: collecting parts, just mentally preparing for the "big if." Maybe it will just be a big re-fresh such as head gasket replacement and such. Have you done any major engine work so far?

Ah that makes sense especially as pets become NLA. The only big thing I've done to the engine is replace the injectors. I only did that because one started to leak fuel over the exhaust and figured I might get a little bit of a performance boost going with the newer 4 hole style Osidetiger injectors. Besides oil changes, a valve cover gasket change, and new spark plugs and wires nothing else engine wise has been touched and I intend to keep it that way as I want to see just how far the 3FE will go. At the same time though I am curious as to if anything would be gained by a refresh.

 

[GCRad1]

Hey schradec,
Massive thank you for going through the ADV80's thread here! I don't claim to know the area well,
I just know my little bits, but same time I've never been afraid to explore.

There is no such thing as lost, just temporarily displaced.
You are always on the map somewhere! hehehe

PM sent! hit me!

Just read through your whole thread, so great! I am down in San Clemente so if you're ever looking for someone to tag along give me a shout, would love to get out and explore...especially with someone who knows the areas well. Cheers!

Christian

 

[NM Frontier]

Always fun to see hobbies get crossed; Mountain Bikes, Cruisers and RC is about as cool as it gets.

Mark Weir is defiantly one of my heroes!

 

[GCRad1]

Continuing with the 2015 DEATH VALLEY TRIP:

And getting close to the one tricky spot of our whole trip.

Getting closer to our campsite for the night:

We call it camp it this cool dead end canyon. You totally feel "the cowboy" in this little canyon, so remote...

 

[GCRad1]

I'm perched up on this little embankment amongst our crew. Yea, no tent to set up as I have my pad and bag rolled out in the back of the ADV80.

Gives me time...

Time to set up my chair! Of which I set it up once and just tossed it into the back of rig and never took it down until I got home!

Which allows for...

More time to sit back, take it all in... and enjoy it all!

And to walk around camp and spy...

Little gems like this!

We get breakfasted'up and a few details sorted and we are ready!

Dan of B&B Tank & Trailer Repair gives us the thumbs up - ready to GO!

And we are off and do our normal stretch out and radio chatter. "Brake check!"

I tend to lead off the back of the back...

I like to what the crew make its way across the big views imagining they are covered wagons.
It's also dust free air or what I like to call "free air."

And then there are times I will leapfrog up front:

For the rowdy-crowdy shots!

My roof rack gets used like a tree stand for a hunter.

I like traveling with this group!

The can get as rowdy as they want because they are equipped!
When we get to town for fuel'up, there is service to be performed!

 

[GCRad1]

Hello 82much, Do you pedal as well?
FULLERTON LOOP!!! Use to be my daily spot!!

Me too. Im down in Fullerton.

 

[82much]

Hello 82much, Do you pedal as well?
FULLERTON LOOP!!! Use to be my daily spot!!

Not an avid rider but I rode the loop years ago. My bike is an old Giant. To old and heavy now. I am also to old and heavy to ride the loop.

 

[GCRad1]

Continuing with the 2015 BB500 Death Valley Trip:

Do you know? MOTUS

Yes, more touch-up welding work. Dan did a little stitching on three different rigs!

We gassed up and got ready to get back in the dirt!

The Falken Wild Peaks on the ADV80 have been awesome!!!

Picture time! a-g-a-i-a-n!

The crew!

While shooting Eric's portrait...

Dan did the accidental photobomb and you can see by his jester he was pulled back at the moment he saw we were shooting photos.
He was just a bit deep into the image and just a wee bit late in seeing what we were doing, so his lean back was funny!
SO, he obliged Eric with a simulated..

a simulated pants down.
This prompted:

the girls to go into action!

And I do my best to keep the finger on the trigger while laughing!

All of this was great distraction to put a smile on Eric's face!

This is Eric, owner of YOTAMASTERS and his 4Runner.
Yes, I have the honor of rolling with quite the fun bunch!

 

[GCRad1]

Continuing with the 2015 BB500 Death Valley Trip:

We've Fuel'ed and "tarmacing" our way in route to TITUS CANYON from Rhyolite.
The road through Titus Canyon is a one-way road going east to west traveling from the Daylight Pass Road / Nevada Highway 374 on the east, over a pass and down to the mouth of the canyon in Death Valley on the west.

The canyon is just spectacular! And out of the corner of my eye, I see something a bit strange.

You can see just the strangest nature has to offer! THis cactus was just hanging out like a rock climber!

Titus Canyon is easily transited even in street tires and is just spectacular!

Met up with a couple that were riding 2up on a rather small bike, but they were getting out there!

The exit of Titus Canyon looking out onto Death Valley.

It's worth the trip!
• gov/deva/planyourvisit/titus-canyon.htm
• Titus Canyon Death Valley - DesertUSA

 

[GCRad1]

Continuing with the 2015 BB500 Death Valley Trip:

In route to Racetrack Valley Road.

Time to test these Falken Wild Peak tires on the road that is known for eating tires.
The big question, is The Racetrack road really as bad as everyone says? There is actually a thread called,
"The Racetrack - is the road really as bad as it sounds?" on TripAdvisor.
The Racetrack - is the road really as bad as it sounds? - Death Valley National Park Forum - TripAdvisor
Why TripAdvisor? The amount of INTERNATIONAL tourist to Death Valley exceeds US-visitors. Death Valley really is a magical place in our backyard that most of us take for granite.

HA!

You are going to see people completely ignoring this sign! I think we saw a Honda Civic
doing 2MPH yes, two snail tracks per hour, down Racetrack Valley Road. But they are on a mission
and are committed!

Spectacular views and a very bump littered road, not just sporadic, its literally covered head
to toe in these little whoops aka WASHBOARD!

Its like little micro-whoops and the moment you pull onto them, you know instantly this is going to test
every nut, bolt and washer in your vehicle. Your poor shocks are about to get test of their life
as it about 20-micro whoops per vehicle length for 17-miles!!! I know I have the suspension for this
in the ICON Vehicle Dynamics shocks, but I am worries about the rest of my 23-year old rig!!!

On thing I know about whoops… you are either slow or

Here is what we came for and the namesake of the road…

The racetrack looks like El Mirage and or any other dirt surface dry lake. But this one has some very strange activity happening on the south end's surface. I didn't go down and witness the rocks myself on this trip as I am saving that for when
I have the family in tow and we can come out and be official tourist!
Read more on the Racetrack: The Racetrack - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

I did walk out onto the lakebed and over to the Grandstand of the racetrack.

Saw Mr. Lizard in his natural surrounding looking all pre-historic!

From the Grandstand looking back at our rigs. The road runs along the side of the lake bead.

I head out before the group:

You can really see the definition of wash board - micro whoops in these images.

The sun is setting but we make one more stop before camp.

Dan being in the tanker truck service and repair business shows us this old abandoned tanker,
just past a campground area at Lippincott Pass.

I take a few detail shots and save some overall images for a later trip.

Time to head out and get to our camp location hopefully with a little sunlight left.

The Falken Wild Peak tires have been CHAMP!!

 

[ZA80]

Was a long read. Nice build and lots of memorable trips.

Spend 2 hours for the transfer case and 2 hours for the lockers and they are done.

 

[GCRad1]

THANK YOU ZA80 for reading my collective history and adventures of the ADV80!

Was a long read. Nice build and lots of memorable trips.

Spend 2 hours for the transfer case and 2 hours for the lockers and they are done.

 

[GCRad1]

Continuing the B&B500 2015 YOTAMASTERS DEATH VALLEY TOUR

Gotta'ove this sign!
Lippincott Pass to Salina Valley Hot Springs
• 4X4 •
HIGH CLEARANCE
NO TOW SERVICE
CAUTION
ADV80

We make our way down the pass in hopes to make it to Salina Hot Springs by nightfall.

You can barely make out the valley floor and around further to the right is our evenings destination.

it was a doubly awesome sight as it was my first experience into Death Valley and seeing
my troops kicking up dust across the desert floor.

First order of business upon arriving at camp:

Dan quickly gets to work so we are not disturbing the back-lot
campers as we made our way and made camp at the very back
upper most portion of the camp. One of our rigs lost a brake caliper bolt.

The star show was EPIC!

Next morning was a different view.

I get to peek a shiny hair drier!

 

[GCRad1]

Salinas Hot Springs has some interesting characters hanging around.. especially this ass.

On the road or rather on the washboard again and heading westwardly!

Making our way up off the desert floor towards Cerro Gordo.

Layers and layers of desert and varying terrain.

This is when you know we ARE OUT THERE! 10-gallon on tap!

We ascend up into this canyon wash for what seems like hours. It was SIMPLY SPECTACULAR!

Almost to the summit. I will remember that section for a long time to come!

Dan Cerchio hand-guiding his troops up the mountain!

We take a moment to celebrate:

But we have more fun ahead!

 

[GCRad1]

Next stop of our trip is AMERICAN HOTEL of 1871

Here is some cool history on the hotel: SCVHistory.com LW2377a | Mojave Desert | American Hotel at Cerro Gordo

You can see the valley floor and the mountains in the background
are the Sierra Nevada's with HWY395 sitting at the base.

We know our trip is coming to a close, so we procrastinate moving on and rather pull into this
old mining camp, hitch our horses and got the grand tour of the American Hotel of 1871.

The hotel "director" gave us the full tour of the hotel and surrounding buildings.

He also has a little make-shift gift shop and Eric of Yotamasters spotted these Toyota Manuals.
Come to find out, before the director retired to overseeing the hotel, he was a Toyota mechanic.
He lives on-site full time to look after the place and this is his trusty Toyota pickup truck.

Once we finished our hotel grounds tour, we got another special treat from the hotel keeper.
With chain removed, we traverse out on this little used road the edge of the hill.

The location of what we came for. We get to go down into this old mine!

Yea, thats sketchy… what happens if we pull these pieces of wood out of the rocks?

And we are outta' here!

It was a somber and overcast drive down. The feeling that the trip is about to end was creeping up.

 

[rblain82]

@GCRad1 dude, love the rig.. From a fellow '92 guy.. I might have missed it, but which SPod did you go with? you still happy with it?

 

[RiFF RaFF]

Awesome! Man I so want to get out west, and explore more.

Thanks for the write-up and pictures.