Build LX450: Baja surf trip build

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My wife and I got the 3rd/4th coat of Monstaliner applied yesterday. I think we got it dialed now! Here are some tips for creating the most even texture and pro looking job:
  • Go Slowly!
  • One person apply paint then another person with a cleaner roller smooth it out. Its hard to get good coverage if your roller doesn't have enough paint but then the loaded roller makes s***ty texture. We did one panel at a time this way and it came out way better
  • Make sure the final roll is in one direction and consistent for the entire truck. Looks weird otherwise.
  • Use one fresh roller per panel to avoid leaving behind bits of roller.
  • Take your time taping

Anyway here is the final product. Surf is firing here in SC today and I'm so glad to be done with this project!!

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We also spray painted our door handles, wiper arms, and side mirror black. In a week or so we plan on painting the trim stip down the length of the car black as well.

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Now that all the body work is done its time to start rebuilding the truck and adding all the good bits. Front bumper and roof rack is at the powder coaters. Should go on next weekend. Also going to paint up my sliders a bit. 4x4 labs rear bumper should go on in a week or so as well. They are making us a custom bracket to hold 3 gas cans and a 5lb propane tank. Tailgate storage drawer should get added this month too.

Next month were getting suspension to deal with all the weight. Thinking the best balance between cost and performance is 2.5 inch OME lift with ICON of Fox shocks. Hard to justify spending 3K on suspension when I really need a new surfboard for the trip!

Hopefully we get our RTT in December. Tepui has been pretty quiet about final specs and timing other than that they are not going to meet their original delivery date. Making me a bit nervous. Weird to spend almost 3K on something and not see it for 6 months.
 
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good work, glad you guys figured out all the details before we do mine. Color looks a little different from the first coats, is that just the photo or did it get darker?
 
what paint are you using for the black trim...SEM Black? And FWIW, i have the Icon shocks (non-reservoir) and they have been great for the last couple of years.
 
cavboy78 said:
what paint are you using for the black trim...SEM Black? And FWIW, i have the Icon shocks (non-reservoir) and they have been great for the last couple of years.
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We just went rattle can satin. Thank for the thoughts on the icons!
 
Tominhull said:
good work, glad you guys figured out all the details before we do mine. Color looks a little different from the first coats, is that just the photo or did it get darker?
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It might look a bit darker. I think its the flat light. Color is growing on my. Looks way more even now. Would look amazing if we new all the tricks in the beginning. We will nail it on the troopy.

Got the front bumper today and rear bumper goes on tomorrow!!
 
Big progress this week! I got my front ARB bumper and roof rack brackets back from the powder coaters. I think I'm going to have to get my sliders redone as well as they are way worse than I thought.

I made the long drive to grsss valley to visit 4x4 labs shop to get my rear bumper with dual swing out installed. Their shop was land cruiser paradise. So many cool old projects hanging around. Also a ton of bikes. Really impressed by the quality of their work. They created a custom bracket to fit a 1 gallon propane tank below my three can holder. Th shop was pretty stoked on how it turned out and might offer this for sale going forward. Another person has asked for the same set up just this week. The one bummer was that there was a communication mix up with my order. It was supposed to have a fold down tray to fit a two burner propane stove. They forgot to add it and will have to fab a whole new carrier to fit it in. Luke was cool about realizing the mistake and said I could use the one that was installed until they fab a new one. I'll have to swing by on my next Tahoe trip.

I also ran into Joe from Santa Cruz. He has a white 80 that is super modded. I have seen this truck for months around town and it was the inspiration to start building mine up. Great to meet another local 80 owner!

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Here is a pic of the from ARB. I still need to install the winch, lights, and most importantly a new "TEQ" sticker. Grissly powder coating did a great job. They are almost impossible to get on the phone but where great to work with once I reached them via email.

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After a few months of body work finally got to take the LX off road again! Met up with Joe and Chris, two 80 owners from Santa Cruz whom I met through this thread. So stoked to meet two guys with trucks built up pretty much exactly how I want to make mine. We took a cruise around the ranch. Fun times.

Rain has been hurting build progress. Hopefully get my sliders on this week. Also hope to get the tailgate storage from trail tailor installed. Getting nervous that about getting my tent from Tepui in time for the trip.

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DanMedeiros said:
My wife and I got the 3rd/4th coat of Monstaliner applied yesterday. I think we got it dialed now! Here are some tips for creating the most even texture and pro looking job:
  • Go Slowly!
  • One person apply paint then another person with a cleaner roller smooth it out. Its hard to get good coverage if your roller doesn't have enough paint but then the loaded roller makes s***ty texture. We did one panel at a time this way and it came out way better
  • Make sure the final roll is in one direction and consistent for the entire truck. Looks weird otherwise.
  • Use one fresh roller per panel to avoid leaving behind bits of roller.
  • Take your time taping

Anyway here is the final product. Surf is firing here in SC today and I'm so glad to be done with this project!!

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Hey your truck looks fantastic, on the pic without the rear bumper, you've got a 3inch receiver attached to the bolts in the cross member, do you know where you got it? There is a lot of back and forth on that thing, but I really only need it for a bike rack.
 
RiverCityDave said:
Hey your truck looks fantastic, on the pic without the rear bumper, you've got a 3inch receiver attached to the bolts in the cross member, do you know where you got it? There is a lot of back and forth on that thing, but I really only need it for a bike rack.
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I believe it was installed by SLEE offroad by the previous owner. It got cut out when the new bumper was put on.
 
Received my tailgate storage lid from @reevesci yesterday! Had the day off today so was able to get it installed. Really happy with it. Great excuse to buy a bosch jigsaw too. I will have to tweak things a tiny bit. The latch is hitting the frame and making it a bit difficult to operate it. A few passes with the grinder should fix it all up. I lined the inside with some cheep sound deadener from amazon

Awesome job @reevesci

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Could use some advice on the suspension refresh I'm planning before the trip. What springs and how high? Not planning on using OME shocks. Most likely going to go with icon.

I love the look of big tires and my 33s already look small. I'm pretty tempted to get some315/75/16s. Realistically however I'm not into rock crawling as a pursuit in and of itself. This truck is more about being able to go anywhere and then do something fun like ski/climb/ or surf and then camp in comfort. I also do a ton of hwy miles to and from the mountains. I was thinking about getting the OME heavy 2.5 inch coils but know there are newer options out there. In addition to springs, is it nessasary to refresh bushings? I imagine their still original.

Thanks!
 
That's a loaded question...!

~2" lift you can get away by just installing the springs and shocks and not really touching anything else... might need caster correction bushings.
~3" lift you'll want to get caster correction (either offset bushings, axle plates or drop brackets).
~4" lift you'll most likely need a double cardan front drive shaft, panhard drops or adjustable bars, extended brake lines, swaybar drop brackets, maybe some other things.

I'm already fully invested into having a 4" lift, but really for Baja you probably want to stick to being low. 2" would be fine and you can fit 315's. So many miles of roads with high winds. Getting blown over towards a semi truck going 65mph less than a foot away from you going the opposite direction is never fun. (I saw 2 RV's get their side view mirrors ripped off in 2 weeks last trip).

For tires, I'd stick to an AT. Baja seriously has gone "soft" the last few years. All the roads to the fishcamps (aka surf access roads..heh) are graded now. Hardly any mud anymore it seems. You're dealing mainly with long sections of washboard, then some soft sand and moon dust. AT's will be better at floating across the soft stuff rather than an MT digging.

I'd freshen up the bushings if you've got over 200k and might as well do the tie rod ends since they are easy. Tighten up your steering box set screw a bit as well.
 
@bajaphile Thanks! I'll likely get the 2.5 inch lift and stay with 285/75/16s. I'll be able to afford more boards and kites that way. Though I am envious of the 4 inch lift and 35d look
 
Bought a fridge today! @Shoredreamer hooked it up big time by letting me know about a sale 4x4 parts was having. Question now is how to secure it. Long term I'll end up getting the ARB slide but the budget is pretty tight at the moment. Any advice on Gheto Fabbing a slide?
 
DanMedeiros said:
Bought a fridge today! @Shoredreamer hooked it up big time by letting me know about a sale 4x4 parts was having. Question now is how to secure it. Long term I'll end up getting the ARB slide but the budget is pretty tight at the moment. Any advice on Gheto Fabbing a slide?
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I've always just taken a couple of heavy rubber bungees and secured it to the rear cargo hook and one of the recessed 3rd-row seat brackets. Mine's an older ARB metal fridge though.
 
DanMedeiros said:
My wife and I got the 3rd/4th coat of Monstaliner applied yesterday. I think we got it dialed now! Here are some tips for creating the most even texture and pro looking job:
  • Go Slowly!
  • One person apply paint then another person with a cleaner roller smooth it out. Its hard to get good coverage if your roller doesn't have enough paint but then the loaded roller makes s***ty texture. We did one panel at a time this way and it came out way better
  • Make sure the final roll is in one direction and consistent for the entire truck. Looks weird otherwise.
  • Use one fresh roller per panel to avoid leaving behind bits of roller.
  • Take your time taping

Anyway here is the final product. Surf is firing here in SC today and I'm so glad to be done with this project!!

View attachment 1347755

View attachment 1347756

View attachment 1347757
Click to expand...
I ordered a third Monstaliner kit in one gallon size because I was not satisfied with the finished product after two coats. What did you do to prepare the fully cured Monstaliner prior to applying coats 3 and 4?
 
@baldilocks I prepped it the same way as original paint. Lightly scuffed and wiped clean with acetone. We kinda rushed the first few coats cause we where nervous about pot life. Third and 4th coats came out way more even. I'm pretty happy with it now for what it is, an expo/trail truck. Also confident knowing I can always slap a new coat on if it starts looking bad. Wife and I are going to do a black trim strip when we can get some non rainy weather
 
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