ROTW (lx450landcruiser)

[cc93cruiser]

hey that's cool... You fabricate your own armor for you cruiser, wish I had the skillz and tools do these kind of jobs... good luck and keep us posted!

 

[AnnoymousUser]

Since its ROTW, I'm really intrested in knowing more about your dual batt setup and your 450w stereo. I'm in the process of upgrading my stereo too and wondering how your dual batt is setup w/ everything else. Pics would be GREAT!

Love your ride! Thanks for being the first on ROTW!!!!

 

[ultimauk]

"I will also toy with some sliders, skid plates, i love to fab with metal and im notthe best with the mechanics of my truck however i have to say i pride myself on doing everying on my truck myself even if i dont know how. "

Utterly demoralizing!

Thanks!

BTW, what’s with the black metal thing with the bottle opener and padlock over it?

 

[best4x4xfar]

Did you consider...

Hey LX, Nice looking truck. I hate to sound negative, but in the interest of safety, have you considered the passenger side airbag deployment path, and that large monitor?? It sure looks like it would be hit by the deploying airbag, possibly sending the monitor toward a passenger at a high rate of speed, and possibly disrupting the deployment enough to degrade (if not nullify) the safety of an airbag for the passenger. Just something to carefully consider, as this could be a really bad situation in an accident.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Since its ROTW, I'm really intrested in knowing more about your dual batt setup and your 450w stereo. I'm in the process of upgrading my stereo too and wondering how your dual batt is setup w/ everything else. Pics would be GREAT!

Love your ride! Thanks for being the first on ROTW!!!!

ill post up some pics of the dual bat set up. i really like it and havent had a single problem with it since install. Its also really easy to set up even if you dont know much about wiring. The stereo as well was super easy. it was my first sub woofer install and since then i have installed about 4 different ones if friends trucks.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

BTW, what’s with the black metal thing with the bottle opener and padlock over it?[/QUOTE]

Its a flush mount-lockable storage box. its acctully an electrical box i found at home depo that was the right depth and size. i welded in some sheves and a bracket to mount to some of the stock holes and now i have a lockable box in the back for some tools.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Hey LX, Nice looking truck. I hate to sound negative, but in the interest of safety, have you considered the passenger side airbag deployment path, and that large monitor?? It sure looks like it would be hit by the deploying airbag, possibly sending the monitor toward a passenger at a high rate of speed, and possibly disrupting the deployment enough to degrade (if not nullify) the safety of an airbag for the passenger. Just something to carefully consider, as this could be a really bad situation in an accident.

I have thought about it, its rarly used at high speeds as its primarily for my GPS. i looked for several place to mount it and after some consideration i could see no different mounting it here then having a lap top mount in my truck? I will check the dimensions of the deployed air bag again and get the sats back but last time i checked it would come out over the screen.

mike

 

[Grouseman]

LX450,

Very nice rig, and great write-up. Question? You have the dual battery set-up for the purpose of using the heater when camping. That sounds like a great plan, but how long will your heater blow warm air, say when it is 30 or so degrees outside? Basically in your experiences how long does the engine stay warm enough to put warm air thru the heater system?
Just wondering because this would be an excellent way of heating the interior of the rig.

Thanks
SS

 

[lx450landcruiser]

LX450,

Very nice rig, and great write-up. Question? You have the dual battery set-up for the purpose of using the heater when camping. That sounds like a great plan, but how long will your heater blow warm air, say when it is 30 or so degrees outside? Basically in your experiences how long does the engine stay warm enough to put warm air thru the heater system?
Just wondering because this would be an excellent way of heating the interior of the rig.

Thanks
SS

well i acctully dont run the trucks heater. i bought a mid price range space heater. i took it apart and welded a bracket for it do that it fits in a slot where the rear sliding windows are when open. It has a build in thermostat so i can set the temp i want for the interior of the truck then go to sleep. the heater then will turn on and stay on ony when its colder then the set temp. It doesnt draw much power and usuly runs through out the night no problem, but even if it did completly kill the batter i always know i can get out by flipping the switch.

mike

 

[turbocruiser]

Basicaly if i run the truck on one battery (stock) i can run a heater int he truck at night to keep warm camping and not have to worrie about draining the battery to far. i can get up in the morning and if she doesnt turn over i can flip the switch and never have to get out.

mike

i have lots of fun ideas for the next one. One of my bigger ones is side steps to reach the roof that will double as tow points for recovery. I plane to build a few of them this summer for some of the guys here on the board.

mike

Its a flush mount-lockable storage box. its acctully an electrical box i found at home depo that was the right depth and size. i welded in some sheves and a bracket to mount to some of the stock holes and now i have a lockable box in the back for some tools.

Wow, too cool man, you really put a punch of creativity into everything in your rig; not only creativity but everything makes sense money-wise and function-wise! You got what i would term "hardware-store-ninja-skills" - you tend to see several awesome applications to things that most people cannot even comprehend the primary purpose for! Very .

so this summer it will prob be small stuff that i can afford such as make a new 3/4 rack, new rear bumper, i plane to build some rear drawers. I will also toy with some sliders, skid plates, i love to fab with metal and im notthe best with the mechanics of my truck however i have to say i pride myself on doing everying on my truck myself even if i dont know how.

Your approach is admirable and something i should remind myself about alot; for some reason shyness takes over whenever i think of fabbing stuff like this for my 80 - somehow it seems so much 'safer' to get the pro-made and pro-priced stuff - and yet i am constantly fabbing stuff up for my restoration projects as well as everything else possible from metal work to wood work all without any shyness at all, so what gives? You hit the spot with stating that pride in your work will often make something self-fabbed much more valuable and yet, much less expensive. Very indeed!

ill post up some pics of the dual bat set up. i really like it and havent had a single problem with it since install. Its also really easy to set up even if you dont know much about wiring. The stereo as well was super easy. it was my first sub woofer install and since then i have installed about 4 different ones if friends trucks.

I'd love to see as many pics as possible.

well i acctully dont run the trucks heater. i bought a mid price range space heater. i took it apart and welded a bracket for it do that it fits in a slot where the rear sliding windows are when open. It has a build in thermostat so i can set the temp i want for the interior of the truck then go to sleep. the heater then will turn on and stay on ony when its colder then the set temp. It doesnt draw much power and usuly runs through out the night no problem, but even if it did completly kill the batter i always know i can get out by flipping the switch.

mike

Again, I'd love to see as many pics as possible.


Wow, overall what a great way to open the ROTW! Notch my vote as very impressed with your rig as well as your rig-related-skills!

 

[lx450landcruiser]

thanks so much guys makes me feel better about my truck every time. I think my confidence in my stuff goes back to when i learned to weld. i started when i was 13 at the local college and since i passed arc 1, arc 2, and mig 1 with A's i felt confident that my welds werent going anywhere. I have a 40 as well which is where most my welding went into until i built up the courage to work on my lx450. I have to say with a newer truck like the lx i was worried i do something i really regretted to i made sure every mod i did was reversable if i screwed up. i never drilled a hole in the body or frame and i never cut anything off. Its kinda fun to look at a lace and say ok this is where i wanna mount this but what stock holes do i have to do this? I built a few things in the past 2 years and have ended up selling them with out trying (had a guy run up to my truck at a stop light and asked about my rack) Ill try and take some pics of the dual battery set up this weekend when i get back from canada on fri night. As for the heater its back in az so I'll have to post that up in a few months.

I almost forgot to mention this summer one of my big projects will be modding the tailgate in the lx to fit a electric grill that will fit in the deeper holes of the tailgate. ill have the carpet flip up on a piano hinge with sheet metal on the underside to block the greese when i cook burgers on it.

thanks again for all the compliments i cant wait to get back home and fab some more.

mike

 

[blupaddler]

This is great! The funny thing, you forget how much you have actually done to your rig!

So, where are the pics of the rack that's in your sig?
I also want pics/diagrams/etc of the dual battery set-up
Pics of the Heater too

BTW...the grill thing sounds like a good idea. Seems like it would be easy enough to disassemble a Coleman dual or single burner and fit it in that location.


Great rig!!!

 

[lx450landcruiser]

well i never took any finished pics of the rack with a digital how ever ill see if i can scan some of the hard copy ones i have. the heater ill post when i get home in a few months. The dual battery ill post this weekend. I did however find some shots of my exhaust and i forgot to mention for those of u looking to have your exhaust done cat back make sure you ask the guy doing it to do the cut and turn mod. its usuly only bout $20 bucks more (depending on the guy) the cats stock are perpendicular to the ground so if he cuts and turns them theres room under there for them to be flat. gives ya a bit more clearence.

mike

 

[reffug]

Very impressive Mike. Excellent write up and beautiful rig. Well done sir.

 

[LX_TREME]

Are those mandrel bent?

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Are those mandrel bent?

But of course nothing but the best!!!!

mike

 

[blupaddler]

With your Cat-back exhaust, is it the same size as stock? Or did you increase the tubing size?
If you increased the size, any noticeable changes in performance/mpg? Overall impression.

thanks again

 

[lx450landcruiser]

last i remeber its 2 1/2 inch slighly larger then stock i think. Not much difference in horse power other then maybe a bit faster off the line. It sounds bitchin but its quite loud so on lond trips its kinda anoying. Its the loudest at abour 2000rpm but theres no more whistle.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Ok heres the dual battery stuff if theres anything specific you want let me know.

the solinoid is mounted in the space infront of the stock battey theres plenty of room there. I moved the window washer fuild bottle up by the air filter.
And also theres a pic of the switch and the mounted aux fuse block.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

last pic is my hood if u have a bug deflector check under it, mine was cracked and this is what happens