Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (43 Viewers)

[theglobb]

Well, I'm up in the Appalachian Mountains for school now, with how the troopy's temps performed on the XC trip I was scared for how it would do here. Turns out I really don't have much to worry about. It's cool here, 70 degrees, and will just get colder, plus only 3,000ft up. Compared to 90f and 5000ft in Denver or 121f and 4900ft up in the Mojave Desert it's doing remarkably better. I can now really tell how much a difference the turbo has caused, hills I would be crawling up in 2nd blowing black smoke out i can now do in 4th or the high end of 3rd. Haven't had to go into 2nd gear yet and the water temps haven't even gone over 210f yet, when across the country they were usually chilling around 208-212f regulary in the desert or on hillclimbs and we would pull over whenever it would hit 220f. Haven't even needed to use the Rad-Cooler 9000™ (the windshield squirter I re-routed to the front of the radiator to cool it down). Bascially its going much better than I thought, with the turbo I can without a doubt daily it up here.

Now for the updates on whats happened with the troopy, really not too much. I've had a horrible exhaust leak that started a bit after I put the turbo on (and re-used the exhasut manifold gasket) Sounded like a horrible high picthed whistle, not like a normal sputtering exhaust leak. I kept imaginging it like when you put some grass and blow between it to create a whistle noise and I was correct. The gasket is MLS and the exhaust gases were just squeezing and whistleing thier way out of the gasket. So we made it all the way across the country sounding like a shreiking banshee until South Dakota where all the sudden it just became a normal exhasut leak. Sounded normalish finally. Well turns out the gasket just finally gave out. Ordered it from partsouq like 3 weeks ago but due to all thier shipping issues right now it only just arrived... at my house... 6 hours away. I'll get it at some point.




Also since I'm a freshman I have to park 2 miles away from my dorm, thus I bought a $60 Beach Cruiser, yes I know. A single speed beach cruiser wont be the best for the mountains, however I have also ordered a 2 stroke 80cc bike engine kit to strap to it. Should help out a bit, just will sound like I'm riding a chainsaw around campus.

 

[FJ73Texas]

The updates to this thread was a nice read this AM. Awesome trip.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Well, I'm up in the Appalachian Mountains for school now, with how the troopy's temps performed on the XC trip I was scared for how it would do here. Turns out I really don't have much to worry about. It's cool here, 70 degrees, and will just get colder, plus only 3,000ft up. Compared to 90f and 5000ft in Denver or 121f and 4900ft up in the Mojave Desert it's doing remarkably better. I can now really tell how much a difference the turbo has caused, hills I would be crawling up in 2nd blowing black smoke out i can now do in 4th or the high end of 3rd. Haven't had to go into 2nd gear yet and the water temps haven't even gone over 210f yet, when across the country they were usually chilling around 208-212f regulary in the desert or on hillclimbs and we would pull over whenever it would hit 220f. Haven't even needed to use the Rad-Cooler 9000™ (the windshield squirter I re-routed to the front of the radiator to cool it down). Bascially its going much better than I thought, with the turbo I can without a doubt daily it up here.

Now for the updates on whats happened with the troopy, really not too much. I've had a horrible exhaust leak that started a bit after I put the turbo on (and re-used the exhasut manifold gasket) Sounded like a horrible high picthed whistle, not like a normal sputtering exhaust leak. I kept imaginging it like when you put some grass and blow between it to create a whistle noise and I was correct. The gasket is MLS and the exhaust gases were just squeezing and whistleing thier way out of the gasket. So we made it all the way across the country sounding like a shreiking banshee until South Dakota where all the sudden it just became a normal exhasut leak. Sounded normalish finally. Well turns out the gasket just finally gave out. Ordered it from partsouq like 3 weeks ago but due to all thier shipping issues right now it only just arrived... at my house... 6 hours away. I'll get it at some point.




Also since I'm a freshman I have to park 2 miles away from my dorm, thus I bought a $60 Beach Cruiser, yes I know. A single speed beach cruiser wont be the best for the mountains, however I have also ordered a 2 stroke 80cc bike engine kit to strap to it. Should help out a bit, just will sound like I'm riding a chainsaw around campus.

View attachment 2757713View attachment 2757712

When I was a freshman in college (a period of time often referred to as the Stone Age) I had a Triumph (the crappy car, not the cool motorcycle) and I would venture a guess that your motorized bike is far more reliable than my Triumph.

 

[theglobb]

First week at Appalachian State was ok, what has been a flying success is the motorbike. It's so nice not having to rely on a bus to get me to my car and back, makes a 40-minute walk, 8 minutes. It's absolutely beautiful up here, a big deciding reason for why I actually came here. I promise I'll get some non-iPhone pictures sometime in the future.

Also met with the coolest professor ever, Frankie Flood. He is incredibly talented when it comes to metalworking, and just so happens to love Land Cruisers. Here's a homemade FJ-45, just cutting a 40 in half and extending it, then welding it back together. Such a cool person.

The updates to this thread was a nice read this AM. Awesome trip.

So glad to hear, and I've only wrote about the first week of my trip which was definitely the most uneventful part! Even though yes, it was still extremely eventful.

When I was a freshman in college (a period of time often referred to as the Stone Age) I had a Triumph (the crappy car, not the cool motorcycle) and I would venture a guess that your motorized bike is far more reliable than my Triumph.

There are few things in this world more unreliable than old British sports cars but this $70 Chinese 2stroke may take the cake. I had only ridden it for probably 10 miles when oil just started pouring out of the head. Turns out it's so crappy that the head studs just vibrate themselves out every now and then, and it's made out of such cheap aluminum that you can't tighten them down hard or else they will strip. Amazing design on behalf of the Chinese. Regardless it still rips. I get almost more stares on this thing than I do driving the Troopy around.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I assume that’s the only Troopy on campus.

 

[Pura Vida]

First week at Appalachian State was ok, what has been a flying success is the motorbike. It's so nice not having to rely on a bus to get me to my car and back, makes a 40-minute walk, 8 minutes. It's absolutely beautiful up here, a big deciding reason for why I actually came here. I promise I'll get some non-iPhone pictures sometime in the future.
View attachment 2767550

View attachment 2767549View attachment 2767548

Also met with the coolest professor ever, Frankie Flood. He is incredibly talented when it comes to metalworking, and just so happens to love Land Cruisers. Here's a homemade FJ-45, just cutting a 40 in half and extending it, then welding it back together. Such a cool person. View attachment 2767547


So glad to hear, and I've only wrote about the first week of my trip which was definitely the most uneventful part! Even though yes, it was still extremely eventful.

There are few things in this world more unreliable than old British sports cars but this $70 Chinese 2stroke may take the cake. I had only ridden it for probably 10 miles when oil just started pouring out of the head. Turns out it's so crappy that the head studs just vibrate themselves out every now and then, and it's made out of such cheap aluminum that you can't tighten them down hard or else they will strip. Amazing design on behalf of the Chinese. Regardless it still rips. I get almost more stares on this thing than I do driving the Troopy around.

Dang that 40/45 is absolutely epic.

I may need to drive up and meet this professor

 

[svsisu]

First week at Appalachian State was ok, what has been a flying success is the motorbike. It's so nice not having to rely on a bus to get me to my car and back, makes a 40-minute walk, 8 minutes. It's absolutely beautiful up here, a big deciding reason for why I actually came here. I promise I'll get some non-iPhone pictures sometime in the future.
View attachment 2767550

View attachment 2767549View attachment 2767548

Also met with the coolest professor ever, Frankie Flood. He is incredibly talented when it comes to metalworking, and just so happens to love Land Cruisers. Here's a homemade FJ-45, just cutting a 40 in half and extending it, then welding it back together. Such a cool person. View attachment 2767547


So glad to hear, and I've only wrote about the first week of my trip which was definitely the most uneventful part! Even though yes, it was still extremely eventful.

There are few things in this world more unreliable than old British sports cars but this $70 Chinese 2stroke may take the cake. I had only ridden it for probably 10 miles when oil just started pouring out of the head. Turns out it's so crappy that the head studs just vibrate themselves out every now and then, and it's made out of such cheap aluminum that you can't tighten them down hard or else they will strip. Amazing design on behalf of the Chinese. Regardless it still rips. I get almost more stares on this thing than I do driving the Troopy around.

What class is he teaching? I'm ready to go back to school! Looks like you are having a blast man, enjoy.

 

[Owyhee Jackass]

Get a rear wheel with an internally geared hub, ditch the engine and pedal.

 

[theglobb]

I assume that’s the only Troopy on campus.

Haven't seen any others yet!

Dang that 40/45 is absolutely epic.

I may need to drive up and meet this professor

He's a very cool guy, extremely nice.

What class is he teaching? I'm ready to go back to school! Looks like you are having a blast man, enjoy.

He's the head of the whole metalworking department up here. No clue what exactly he teaches, a lot of cool stuff.

Get a rear wheel with an internally geared hub, ditch the engine and pedal.

More money and time I don't have at the moment. Will get to that this winter or summer break.

 

[theglobb]

I can't wait for next weekend, been since last April 2020 (a month after I got the troopy) when I found out about the 70 Series Meet and Greet in Windrock Park, TN. Finally get to put some faces to these usernames

It just keeps getting colder and colder up here... better and better for the 3B's water temps. Now with the heater blowing full blast up a hill the water temp rarely goes over 205f, so refreshing compared to the 220f it was consistently holding through the Mojave. It's a great people hauler, practically every day after class we round up a group of people and go hiking somewhere new every day, it's very nice. There's just something about everyone going to some place 30 minutes away in the same car, hiking together, and then heading back together that you obviously just can't do with many other cars. I need to start taking more photos of the troopy but here's some I got while camping this weekend.

 

[theglobb]

Went back home on Labor Day, caught a ride with my friend so I drove the Prado around for the weekend. It was nice to have one last good weekend at the beach before it gets freezing.

Also went to cars and coffee while I was in Wilmington and wow... Wasn't expecting to see this. I have literally been drooling over this car for the past 3 years, especially when I had my 62. Made by the FJ Company, absolutely beautiful. Such a weird feeling to look over to my left and see a car I have looked at on the internet for the past 3 years. Here's the link to it on their site FJ Company 1986 FJ62. The guy dropped that he paid 207k for it... wow, just wow. Sadly, I knew 100x more about it than he did, just a really loaded guy with a cool car. Hopefully, he may turn into a cruiser head like everyone reading this

And last but not least, I saw a new Hilux on campus?!? I was just chewing on my burger with my friend and thought to myself "that's a weird-looking Tacoma... WAIT A SECOND" and behold, it was in fact a Hilux, manual too. My only guess is that it's an exchange student's personal vehicle he shipped overseas. Any other guesses?

 

[Pura Vida]

And last but not least, I saw a new Hilux on campus?!? I was just chewing on my burger with my friend and thought to myself "that's a weird-looking Tacoma... WAIT A SECOND" and behold, it was in fact a Hilux, manual too. My only guess is that it's an exchange student's personal vehicle he shipped overseas. Any other guesses?
View attachment 2784625

What the heck that’s crazy. Didn’t even know you could do that. Did it have US plates or foreign plates?

 

[theglobb]

What the heck that’s crazy. Didn’t even know you could do that. Did it have US plates or foreign plates?

US plates (edit: not US plates), App State Front plate, and Hilux all over it

it does say "Toyota of Angelópolis" on the back, from Columbia I guess

 

[cruiserdan]

US plates, App State Front plate, and Hilux all over itView attachment 2784648View attachment 2784649View attachment 2784647View attachment 2784646

it does say "Toyota of Angelópolis" on the back, from Columbia I guess
View attachment 2784650

That doesn't look like a US plate to me. Gota better pic?

 

[Pura Vida]

That doesn't look like a US plate to me. Gota better pic?

I’m asking a connection I have that is great with license plate recognition

 

[cruiserdan]

Looks Central/South American to me.

 

[theglobb]

That doesn't look like a US plate to me. Gota better pic?

You may be right, didn’t look at it that much haha.

 

[gilmorneau]

Didn’t even know you could do that.

He can do that, you can't. lol...

If it's a student's car, and he's Colombian, and he owns it in Colombia, and he's going to school in the USA, he can bring his car with him. Pretty sure he can't have it here for more than a year, and he can't sell it while he's here, but otherwise, he's good to go. Totally legit. See box 5 on the NHTSA HS-7 import form.

edit: same is true regardless of his home country, Mexico, Colombia, Turkmenistan, doesn't matter.

 

[Pura Vida]

Mexico it looks like I think

 

[Gun Runner 5]

@theglobb ….”The guy dropped that he paid 207k for it... wow, just wow. Sadly, I knew 100x more about it than he did, just a really loaded guy with a cool car. Hopefully, he may turn into a cruiser head” …….
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There will always be those guys that spend money simply because they can while others enjoy the attention which I guess is highly beneficial to the shops that build and sell unique vehicles.