Build Purist Step away. Mint 400 2023 FJ45
- Thread starter landcrusher909
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- #382
Better than any Throphy. Will gave me this a few days before the race. Every morning it was the first thing I saw hanging in the camper
Behind the scenes of a 'Men of Desert Racing' calendar shoot. 
Yup. I thought I recognized the gloves.
The gloves or the handles?
It was an honor to pit for Rob and my Rusty Nail Racing family. That pit was pure Cruiserheads!
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- #385
Thank you Kurt @cruiseroutfit what an Epic pictures. The smiles and laughter. My son Will dumping fuel in the backround. I am so Blessed
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- #386
Pre shock tuning video. It was riding well after the shock tune I know we gained about 3-5 MPH YouTube - https://studio.youtube.com/video/3lxOiO_0sig/edit
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- #387
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- #389
Great catching up. Glad you made it out
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- #390
RACE RESULTS : Unless something changes it looks like we got 4th Place in our class T-4 Stock/OEM and 84th overall out of 120 cars/trucks. No Bad for an Ol Cruiser. So many Amaizing people helped make this happen. Our Sponsors and the Toyota Community. Thank you ! 16 years of adventures and I don't think were done yet.
Outstanding job Rob and team
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- #392
Race recap. Arriving a week early Patrick Jones helped me finish my number plates on the lake bed. When the course was released Runner at PCI spent 40 minutes helping get my Lowrance dialed in. Tech went really smooth, Fellow racers coming up and chacking out the 45 , Lots of media and fans.Prolog my co driver Mat Carpentier and myself were ready We ran on course arrows and GPS by the time we got to the big sand hill before backdoor the 45 was running like crap. Using the choke on the Carburator to lug us up the hill. Once back at camp I found the new fuel cell foam was crap and Georg EstererGarrett EstererWill TygartKurt WilliamsJosh &Andie Spitzer Fraiser spent 2 hours cleaning the fuel bladder. Once cleaned all the filters an lines were replaced. Race day we found ourselves waiting outside the fence when Bailey Cole parked next to us. Grinning ear to ear I didnt have time to feel nervous. We got staged and were 2 rows out from our start I could see the Jumbo tron just as Bailey hit that rock that took him out ( Giving me a wave as we passed still smiling ). All the Aussie vounteers were coming up " Get it Mate " We took the green flag and were off. Race strategy was simple run everything in 2nd and 3rd gear low range for more control through the slower parts of the course and high range in the desert. Finding our groove we just kept moving forward. Mat calling out the turns, woops and those trucks coming up to pass us. The 45 was running fantastic. Remote pit went smooth My son Will Tygart flying in from NC to dump fuel. They even took the time for a photo op LOL The next 60 mlles we were passed several times fellow racers giving us a thumbs up, cars broke as we passed standing on their rigs cheering us on. This was a tough race, woops, the nasty rock section, deep ruts in the caynons with mohawks so tall rocks and sand pushed over the bumper and into the cab with us. Mat was counting down the mile markers and checking our time.By now the lack of power steering was starting to set in getting a break in the long flat sections I could relax alittle, We needed to get in before the Throphy trucks got staged we were not getting pulled off the course. Mile marker 80 we had 13 miles and 34 minutes to finish. The last big hill before Backdoor is where we had issues the day before. We were all in, 1st gear low range I pinned it. 5000 RPM crawling through the soft dirt and sand we got to the top. Around back door and into the wash. We saw people running to the red fence yelling and cheering us on. Up Bronco hill was amaizing what a view as we hit the short course we did it. We pulled off and as they were removing the tracker nothing but smiles. 93 miles and the Best part was back in camp our team was beyond excited to see us. The next day i ran into a few other rookies and racers everyone's question was the same " Why didn't you take any of the stock by-passes ? " WHAT there were by-passes LOLOL They never got programed into our GPS. Thank you everyone for all the support. Courtney Prost Dave Cole Dont ride your bump stops and the 2024 KOH Rookie program. My fellow Rookies, my Family. Phil Licciardi for the amaizing shock tune and the Rusty Nail racing Team. Mat Carpentier ( Co-driver ) who got me to the finish. My RookieMentor Justin Reece
I am so Great full for this Team. From the start everyone has always supported me. The Local folks over the last year helping with the build Josh, Andie, Travis, Bob, Matt, Chris. Sponsors Valley Hybrids, Cruiser brothers, Cruiser Outfitters, Kortias tire, Summit Steel, Classic Cruisers, Ruffstuff, GY6 Off road, S&S Off road magazine, OPTIMA Battery.
Just how clogged was that fuel filter from the degrading tank foam? Fully clogged 
Wow is that brand new foam & cell since this thing has been converted to a race truck, or was the fuel cell used prior to going into service on the 45?Just how clogged was that fuel filter from the degrading tank foam? Fully clogged
View attachment 3552632
I have run a fuel cell with foam in my off-road car for 7 years, and never seen anything like that in my pre-pump filter, with my old cell or my new cell I put in a year ago. Looks like its time to upgrade to a larger serviceable 100 micron pre-pump filter!
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- #395
It was brand new. Everything was clogged pick up tube to the filter. It's the crappy California fuel
Sounds like you got through race day without any fuel issues? Great story, love the read, and enjoy following along on Social Media!
And coming to a State near you: glorious California greenie fuels ! That is until we're told to go all electric, or is it all solar, or is it all wind, all geothermal, all hydrogen, old French-fry oil? Gosh I'm confused !
Bear you are right on the money…
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- #399
Well now that the weather is clearing up we will be getting the 45 off the trailer this weekend. It will get a good cleaning and at some point replace the rear axle seals that blew out on our last 3 miles. After that its going to get parked for a while, its time to take a nice break. We still have a few more plans for the 45 those can wait. My nephew Liam keeps asking when I am going to pick him up from school in it ( I am going to make that happen ) Thank you everyone for sharing this Epic adventure.
Thank you Rob, for allowing the Cruiser Community to live vicariously through you.