Builds Thed's Mod Journal ('22 GX460)

[Thed351W]

First beach trip of the year, and probably the last time the Lexus takes it solo. The Bronco got built on Friday, which means that we share birthdays. So that's cool. Just waiting for it to be shipped. My girlfriend wants to take that little Bronco everywhere I take the Lexus so it looks like we get to be our own little convoy.

 

[r2m]

First beach trip of the year, and probably the last time the Lexus takes it solo. The Bronco got built on Friday, which means that we share birthdays. So that's cool. Just waiting for it to be shipped. My girlfriend wants to take that little Bronco everywhere I take the Lexus so it looks like we get to be our own little convoy.

View attachment 3307327

I'm sure you'll be enjoying the comfort of the GX way more than your girlfriend in the Bronco. On a long road trip, she'll be paying your to swap cars!

 

[Thed351W]

I'm sure you'll be enjoying the comfort of the GX way more than your girlfriend in the Bronco. On a long road trip, she'll be paying your to swap cars!

The Bronco is actually surprisingly comfy. Ford kills the Wrangler here. The seats are leagues better, the IFS is smoother and doesn't wander, and there's just a bit more cabin width. It's the whole reason she wanted a Bronco over a Jeep. After we rented a Wrangler for a weekend to go on a very similar beach trip we found out on the ride back that the long-term comfort just isn't there.

 

[Thed351W]

So, no big surprise here for many here, but I think that the factory taillights look absolutely terrible. I think that the Prado tails look a little bit better, but not much. The Sport Design "scarlet" tail lamps certainly look better, but I don't know if I want to spend ~$900 for new ones. Most aftermarket ones I've seen aren't particularly attractive to me either.

However, I was running across GX460Allen's thread and he had these taillights.

View attachment 2916652

Safe to say, I think that they're the best-looking tails that I've seen on a GX so far. This is the link he got them from, however I was able to find them cheaper on Alibaba. I'm VERY strongly considering getting these, however I'm told that around the '16 model year the connectors for the lamps changed. Does anyone have any solid insight on this? I've tried searching but haven't gotten a conclusive answer. I'd rather buy some adapters than cut up my harnesses for, let's be real, a product that is of questionable quality.

Pulled the trigger on these from Alibaba. I'm so tired at looking at the Prius tail lights. Time to start the timer and see how long it takes to cross the pond.

Also, had to take a 7 hour trip. Cruise was set to 72 (actual speed is 74) and was able to get 19.5 MPG and was able to hit 400 miles on one tank. Honestly, I was thoroughly impressed. If I took the cross bars off I know I could have gotten over 20 MPG. And screw you Florida and your cheap gas.

 

[r2m]

Pulled the trigger on these from Alibaba. I'm so tired at looking at the Prius tail lights. Time to start the timer and see how long it takes to cross the pond.

Also, had to take a 7 hour trip. Cruise was set to 72 (actual speed is 74) and was able to get 19.5 MPG and was able to hit 400 miles on one tank. Honestly, I was thoroughly impressed. If I took the cross bars off I know I could have gotten over 20 MPG. And screw you Florida and your cheap gas.

After we got east of the continental divide and gas octane went above 93, our jumped too! As built out as I am, we were getting around 18 MPG. Gas octane on the west sucks....

 

[Thed351W]

After we got east of the continental divide and gas octane went above 93, our jumped too! As built out as I am, we were getting around 18 MPG. Gas octane on the west sucks....

And it's the little details like that that remind me why I love living where I do.

 

[Thed351W]

My girlfriend and I picked up her new toy. This little thing is just so damn fun. Picked it up in West Virginia and noted two things. One, I absolutely need to come back here because my god it is a gorgeous state. Definitely planning some camping trips up here in the future. Two, holy crap the GX's transmission programming is so much worse than I originally thought. It HATED the mountains at highway speed. Someone really needs to make a fix for this.

Also, something that I've been kind of keeping a secret on. I quit college like three months after I started last year. I was NOT having a good time and it just was not as cool as I was imagining. SOOOOO I quit my job to go to flight school. That was the best move I've ever made. Flying is simply the best. Now I'm a flight instructor building hours until it's airline time. I can't believe I get paid to fly... I get giddy every time I think about it. Something I've never said before about any job. Also, I guarantee you my view at work is better than yours.

 

[jdam]

Also, something that I've been kind of keeping a secret on. I quit college like three months after I started last year. I was NOT having a good time and it just was not as cool as I was imagining. SOOOOO I quit my job to go to flight school. That was the best move I've ever made. Flying is simply the best. Now I'm a flight instructor building hours until it's airline time. I can't believe I get paid to fly... I get giddy every time I think about it. Something I've never said before about any job. Also, I guarantee you my view at work is better than yours.

Congrats dude! I went to school - I know it's not for everyone. And getting into aviation is where it's at now. Just gotta rack up those hours but you'll get there. I'm working slowly on a PPL myself but don't intend to go commercial. My buddy's at a charter building his hours too, flying a King Air/PC12, and I just sent him this.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

Two, holy crap the GX's transmission programming is so much worse than I originally thought. It HATED the mountains at highway speed. Someone really needs to make a fix for this.

Get a tune from YotaWerx. Once I got mine done it made an immediate difference in the mountains and high elevation.

Reach out to Joey from BomberTunes to see if he can get you taken care of. Tell 'em I sent you.

 

[Thed351W]

Congrats dude! I went to school - I know it's not for everyone. And getting into aviation is where it's at now. Just gotta rack up those hours but you'll get there. I'm working slowly on a PPL myself but don't intend to go commercial. My buddy's at a charter building his hours too, flying a King Air/PC12, and I just sent him this.

View attachment 3334742

Lol... It's hard to resist getting in the industry. The grind will be long but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

 

[Thed351W]

Get a tune from YotaWerx. Once I got mine done it made an immediate difference in the mountains and high elevation.

Reach out to Joey from BomberTunes to see if he can get you taken care of. Tell 'em I sent you.

They're not showing anything on the website for the 460, just for the 470. I was under the impression that there really isn't a good tune out there for the new 460s yet.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

They're not showing anything on the website for the 460, just for the 470. I was under the impression that there really isn't a good tune out there for the new 460s yet.

It may not be on their website but they do exist within the YotaWerx network.

 

[r2m]

My girlfriend and I picked up her new toy. This little thing is just so damn fun. Picked it up in West Virginia and noted two things. One, I absolutely need to come back here because my god it is a gorgeous state. Definitely planning some camping trips up here in the future. Two, holy crap the GX's transmission programming is so much worse than I originally thought. It HATED the mountains at highway speed. Someone really needs to make a fix for this.

View attachment 3334738

Also, something that I've been kind of keeping a secret on. I quit college like three months after I started last year. I was NOT having a good time and it just was not as cool as I was imagining. SOOOOO I quit my job to go to flight school. That was the best move I've ever made. Flying is simply the best. Now I'm a flight instructor building hours until it's airline time. I can't believe I get paid to fly... I get giddy every time I think about it. Something I've never said before about any job. Also, I guarantee you my view at work is better than yours.

When I was in high school, my Dad wanted me to get my pilots license before my drivers license. I told him, "I can't fly myself to school, but need to drive myself to school."
In hind site should have took him up on that pilots license.

 

[Thed351W]

Pulled the trigger on these from Alibaba. I'm so tired at looking at the Prius tail lights. Time to start the timer and see how long it takes to cross the pond.

Tail lights arrived today unscathed. Just a little over a month from order to doorstep.

 

[Thed351W]

 

[Thed351W]

My search for answers has revealed that JB Weld is not one of them.

 

[r2m]

To fit better, you can use a heat gun a reshape/bend that angle in a little. That should get you near a perfect fit.
Looking at your video, I can't really tell where the mating surfaces are, meaning, do you have two flat surfaces that can mate together?
Any place you can put a discrete screw or some 3M double sided tape?

 

[Thed351W]

To fit better, you can use a heat gun a reshape/bend that angle in a little. That should get you near a perfect fit.
Looking at your video, I can't really tell where the mating surfaces are, meaning, do you have two flat surfaces that can mate together?
Any place you can put a discrete screw or some 3M double sided tape?

This may be hard to believe, but this former mechanic has never owned a heat gun. I just used butane or acetylene when the time called.

The mating surface appears to be the bottom little ledge of the tail lamp. It's very small. I think the JB Weld would've worked fine if it weren't for the ridiculous bow outwards that the edge of the trim piece does. Otherwise the piece perfectly fits the contours and dimensions of the tail lights.

And no, there's no way to put a hidden fastener anywhere. I'd have it riveted in place by now.

 

[r2m]

This may be hard to believe, but this former mechanic has never owned a heat gun. I just used butane or acetylene when the time called.

The mating surface appears to be the bottom little ledge of the tail lamp. It's very small. I think the JB Weld would've worked fine if it weren't for the ridiculous bow outwards that the edge of the trim piece does. Otherwise the piece perfectly fits the contours and dimensions of the tail lights.

And no, there's no way to put a hidden fastener anywhere. I'd have it riveted in place by now.

They're pretty cheap and come in quite handy for a lot of applications:

Amazon.com : hot air gun

Especially if you do a lot of soldering with shrink tubing, having to reshape the front fender liners, etc.

 

[Thed351W]

Going to throw this up for sale. Don't want to, but kind of need to. Sad to see it go. The Miata, too.

PM me if anyone's interested.