21 y/o m, bought my 97 cruiser back in May of this year. $6k, 255,000 miles, good condition (usual minor body flaws, interior wear, but no mechanical issues or rust), trustworthy seller who gives me tips when I text him, seller regularly comes into the coffee shop that I work at, came w custom rims and 37" tires, custom NWTI front bumper, sony head unit w aftermarket speakers, 'yota rack removed and gutter mounted rack added, turn signals and running lights/brights were swapped for clear housings (? haven't seen this on any other cruiser so idrk), no spare , old man emu stabilizer, no 3rd-row seats (I would've just sold 'em when I got the truck so seller saved me the hassle of getting on craigslist), factory locking dif, lifted by prev owner but idk how much - I'm guessing 2-3".
so far all I've done is change the fluids, new battery, new alt, new starter, working on replacing the bearing in the ac pulley (having trouble getting the snap ring out since I can't see into the pulley from above), working on installing subwoofer (need to get started on my toolbox/bed platform before I wire that bish in and secure it).
for my toolbox/bed, I'm doing that myself; I'm capable enough at woodworking to handle a simple box. I can add my plan details for that in another post. but basically I plan on either ripping out the passenger-side second-row seat or figuring out a way for it to fold and work as the head of the bed. wide drawer under bed-side of box (passenger-side). area behind the driver's-side second-row seat will be taller for 2 drawers and I'll put the sub up against that seatback. I'll cut off the inside panel of the tailgate for another storage compartment.
want to get a metal rear bumper for spare that I also need to get. could also mount jerry cans and hi-lift jack there. a ladder would be a plus, but not a necessity since I'm 6'2" so if I add running boards I'd easily be able to reach the middle of the roof basket (below).
will also get a winch (for the front, duh) at some point, I'm not going down any big trails anytime soon so it's not the most necessary accessory at this point.
plan on setting up a second battery (I've done light research, blog post said to get a marine/boat battery for the secondary since it's better built to drain to 0. that's about all I know).
not really interested in getting an air compressor anytime soon, but I could be convinced otherwise if there's something I don't know.
will get a light bar when I get a basket. need to find a good pair of small led's for the ports on the bumper. (damn lights are stupid expensive; I get the prices of most things, but why are lights still so expensive in 2020?! people build gaming pc's for the price of those lightbulbs)
want to get a rooftop basket and mount a homemade shower (plumbing pipe painted black ya know).
I don't want a rooftop tent cause I'd like a basket for storage. I like camping but I hate setting up tent poles, so I had the idea of making my truck into a tent for solo (maybe duo w a lady) adventures (since there'll be a bed inside). my idea was a custom tent that would store in a box up in the rooftop basket; it would ideally be able to be set up in under 2 minutes. the tent would encase the entire truck (w 20" give-or-take ground clearance the wind going under the truck would make it very cold inside very quickly I imagine). I plan on moving to the CO Rockies around march of '21 so I'm worried about how cold the inside of the cruiser may get while camping in the Rockies in the winter. basically, imagine one of those portable tent garage things that would store in the basket. would not have any poles, would be supported by the truck beneath. would include a tube to fit around the exhaust and direct the gases outside the tent, would also have a couple of carbon monoxide detectors in the cruiser and tent for extra caution (though I don't plan on running the truck while under the tent much, I'd just like the option to do so). this idea is on the back burner for me, I'm more focused on the toolbox and general restoration of the truck (again good condition, but much to be improved). maybe this is a stupid idea, again I'm new to the industry but it seems cool and useful to me. again I could be wrong tho.
I expect/hope the engine lasts another 10 years. open to getting a healthier, less driven fz-fe once this one dies, not big on the idea of an American LS in my Japanese truck. found a turbo kit from wits' end for $6k for this engine. hopefully my current engine will have enough life left in it for that turbo by the time I have the money for the kit. otherwise I'll have to get a new engine at the same time, less than ideal imo but maybe a blessing in disguise? I expect it'll be at least a year or two before I have the money for the turbo.
I'm new to driving a truck, only ever driven sedans daily (learned to drive on an Expedition tho so the cruisers nothing new, I'm a good driver). this is my only vehicle though so it's best I keep it available for daily driving since I work most days, however for mechanical issues I'm obviously able to figure out a ride should the truck need work over multiple days. I have some experience in woodworking and general handiness. I'm fairly smart and a quick learner so I'm more than willing to dive into the guts of the truck. OKC has CruiserCorps so I plan on going by there and getting some advice from those guys sometime. I enjoy the outdoors, but I'm not a huge trailhead. so I don't anticipate going on any intense trails anytime soon, definitely not going rock crawling soon (a financial burden I don't care to bear for something that doesn't excite me nearly as much as a light trail to a scenic view) also not huge into muddin' (though I did some light mudding this past summer, I'm not building a farm truck is the point). this is my daily driver that I want to be overland-capable. Camping and hunting are much more my speed as opposed to rock crawling, muddin', or intense trail climbing.
sorry if that's a lot, I'm new and just being thorough. please lmk any mechanical issues I should watch out for, any accessories/projects I should look into, any ideas you have about anything I've talked about above. I'm new to the cruiser family and need guidance; I greatly appreciate any advice/tips/wisdom you guys have to share!
so far all I've done is change the fluids, new battery, new alt, new starter, working on replacing the bearing in the ac pulley (having trouble getting the snap ring out since I can't see into the pulley from above), working on installing subwoofer (need to get started on my toolbox/bed platform before I wire that bish in and secure it).
for my toolbox/bed, I'm doing that myself; I'm capable enough at woodworking to handle a simple box. I can add my plan details for that in another post. but basically I plan on either ripping out the passenger-side second-row seat or figuring out a way for it to fold and work as the head of the bed. wide drawer under bed-side of box (passenger-side). area behind the driver's-side second-row seat will be taller for 2 drawers and I'll put the sub up against that seatback. I'll cut off the inside panel of the tailgate for another storage compartment.
want to get a metal rear bumper for spare that I also need to get. could also mount jerry cans and hi-lift jack there. a ladder would be a plus, but not a necessity since I'm 6'2" so if I add running boards I'd easily be able to reach the middle of the roof basket (below).
will also get a winch (for the front, duh) at some point, I'm not going down any big trails anytime soon so it's not the most necessary accessory at this point.
plan on setting up a second battery (I've done light research, blog post said to get a marine/boat battery for the secondary since it's better built to drain to 0. that's about all I know).
not really interested in getting an air compressor anytime soon, but I could be convinced otherwise if there's something I don't know.
will get a light bar when I get a basket. need to find a good pair of small led's for the ports on the bumper. (damn lights are stupid expensive; I get the prices of most things, but why are lights still so expensive in 2020?! people build gaming pc's for the price of those lightbulbs)
want to get a rooftop basket and mount a homemade shower (plumbing pipe painted black ya know).
I don't want a rooftop tent cause I'd like a basket for storage. I like camping but I hate setting up tent poles, so I had the idea of making my truck into a tent for solo (maybe duo w a lady) adventures (since there'll be a bed inside). my idea was a custom tent that would store in a box up in the rooftop basket; it would ideally be able to be set up in under 2 minutes. the tent would encase the entire truck (w 20" give-or-take ground clearance the wind going under the truck would make it very cold inside very quickly I imagine). I plan on moving to the CO Rockies around march of '21 so I'm worried about how cold the inside of the cruiser may get while camping in the Rockies in the winter. basically, imagine one of those portable tent garage things that would store in the basket. would not have any poles, would be supported by the truck beneath. would include a tube to fit around the exhaust and direct the gases outside the tent, would also have a couple of carbon monoxide detectors in the cruiser and tent for extra caution (though I don't plan on running the truck while under the tent much, I'd just like the option to do so). this idea is on the back burner for me, I'm more focused on the toolbox and general restoration of the truck (again good condition, but much to be improved). maybe this is a stupid idea, again I'm new to the industry but it seems cool and useful to me. again I could be wrong tho.
I expect/hope the engine lasts another 10 years. open to getting a healthier, less driven fz-fe once this one dies, not big on the idea of an American LS in my Japanese truck. found a turbo kit from wits' end for $6k for this engine. hopefully my current engine will have enough life left in it for that turbo by the time I have the money for the kit. otherwise I'll have to get a new engine at the same time, less than ideal imo but maybe a blessing in disguise? I expect it'll be at least a year or two before I have the money for the turbo.
I'm new to driving a truck, only ever driven sedans daily (learned to drive on an Expedition tho so the cruisers nothing new, I'm a good driver). this is my only vehicle though so it's best I keep it available for daily driving since I work most days, however for mechanical issues I'm obviously able to figure out a ride should the truck need work over multiple days. I have some experience in woodworking and general handiness. I'm fairly smart and a quick learner so I'm more than willing to dive into the guts of the truck. OKC has CruiserCorps so I plan on going by there and getting some advice from those guys sometime. I enjoy the outdoors, but I'm not a huge trailhead. so I don't anticipate going on any intense trails anytime soon, definitely not going rock crawling soon (a financial burden I don't care to bear for something that doesn't excite me nearly as much as a light trail to a scenic view) also not huge into muddin' (though I did some light mudding this past summer, I'm not building a farm truck is the point). this is my daily driver that I want to be overland-capable. Camping and hunting are much more my speed as opposed to rock crawling, muddin', or intense trail climbing.
sorry if that's a lot, I'm new and just being thorough. please lmk any mechanical issues I should watch out for, any accessories/projects I should look into, any ideas you have about anything I've talked about above. I'm new to the cruiser family and need guidance; I greatly appreciate any advice/tips/wisdom you guys have to share!
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