Builds Trapper50's Build Thread - 99 UZJ100 "Penny" (3 Viewers)

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Side note: While we working on the last of the plugs/coils, we found that the hose for the PCV valve on the driver-side valve cover was cracked and leaking at both ends. I feel like once we replaced that, the idle smoothed out AND my brakes stopped doing that thing I reported on earlier where I needed to pump once to get full effect on the pedal feel. That seems to have gone away so I THINK it was just a vacuum leak.
But, but, our brakes are not vacuum operated at all. Out break booster is electric!
 
Well, I know it's electric, but I thought it was electric "assist" but still relied somewhat on engine vacuum...no?
No boss - none at all. Even if the engine dies, your battery just keep the brakes running. After the battery dies, you have about 20+ brake pushes left in the system!
 
Quite an adventurous Saturday this weekend, at least for me...
On the docket was a solo trip to Moab from Durango to go pick up my new hood that had "Mudshipped"
from Helena, MT to Bozeman, MT and then From Bozeman to SLC, and then from SLC to Moab, UT where I
was to go meet it/pick it up for the last leg to Durango, CO

Should be straight forward, right? Google Maps put it at aprox. 2hrs 38mins.

maprealroute.jpg


Problem #1 - Blizzard/Snowstorm starting just outside of Durango. (That didn't let up until a few miles outside Norwood)
Problem #2 - Laziness - Just taking quick phone pic of route instead of printing out w/ more detail
Problem #3 - This friggen sign...

misleadingsign.jpg


The whole point of this shortcut is to cut Cortez out of the equation by using the "hypotenuse" of the triangle...
So the arrow pointing towards Cortez makes it seem like the wrong way and the shortcut route is colloquially
known as the "Dolores route"

mistakeintersection.jpg


You're supposed to turn left here then right again after a couple hundred yards to continue northwest towards Utah.
Since I thought Cortez was what I was trying to circumvent, I turned right towards Dolores, thinking it was the correct route.

Here's what I ended up doing...
mapwrongroute.jpg


The first cell service I got was after Rico (All while in a blizzard with bad visibility and pack snow on the roads in tight mountain pass conditions)
And that was the first time I realized I wasn't where I had intended to be. So the decision was: Do I backtrack or forge forward with a new route?

I was supposed to meet Dave (@racerdave) at around 10:30 at the Maverick's in Moab, I didn't want to backtrack downhill on pack snow
to get all the way back to Dolores so I forged forward. Long story short...It was the wrong choice, at least as it related to the speeds I could travel,
the difficulty of the terrain (tight canyons with lots of winding two lane, with lots of people heading to Telluride going the opposite direction).

So having started at 6 in the morning, I got to Moab at a little before noon. Thanks for being so patient, Dave!

I got to see some amazing country and that was the trade off, that and some smelly/burny brakes.
Also, this was the first road trip of any size that I engaged in with the 100 since I purchased it so this
trip was operating as a test run to make sure nothing would fail on the truck prior to taking my wife
and kid to Moab for Cruise Moab 2025. I'd rather be busted in the boonies alone w/o having to think of
their needs.

Finally....
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moved the RTT's load bars out to sandwich the hood in between them, a little foam on all four corners, strap it down.
Super secure and didn't budge all the way home.

So glad I and it are home safe.

Moral of the story, if you know it's a possibility that cell service is going to be spotty, take the time to PRINT THE DIRECTIONS
both in textual and graphic format. At least if you don't want to add 2 hours to your trip.

But to be fair, that sign was very misleading and should include a "Turn left here and right in 300 yards to get to Moab".
 
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This is exactly why I still have a garmin GPS that I update before each major trip. Doesn't care about cell coverage and works great as a back up to Google maps. The other thing I find useful, is downloading offline maps on my Google maps app on my phone. That way I can still navigate using my phone even when there is no cell signal.

Looks like Penny did well on this trip! Can't wait to see the new hood on her.
 
This is how I picked it up...some wrecker's pencil (China Marker) a few scuffs and an insurance/yard sticker.

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After 5 minutes of SimpleGreen and some elbow grease...

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So, obviously in much better shape than...

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It's not 100% obvious but this hood has 25-30 hail dents in addition to the almost complete clear failure.

So the great thing about getting a hood that was sprayed the exact same color with in months of mine ( new hood '98 old hood
born in 10/98 as per VIN) 27 year ago is that it has had the same amount of time out in the world and has some fading but much better clear.
It wouldn't match as well as a fresh respray against a 27 year old paint job. No substitute for time.

Super happy, @3_puppies !!!
 
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This is how I picked it up...some wrecker's pencil (China Marker) a few scuffs and an insurance/yard sticker.

View attachment 3863147


View attachment 3863149

After 5 minutes of SimpleGreen and some elbow grease...

View attachment 3863150

View attachment 3863151

So, obviously in much better shape than...

View attachment 3863152

It's not 100% obvious but this hood has 25-30 hail dents in addition to the almost complete clear failure.

So the great thing about getting a hood that was sprayed the exact same color with in months of mine ( new hood '98 old hood
born in 10/98 as per VIN) 27 year ago is that it has had the same amount of time out in the world and has some fading but much better clear.
It wouldn't match as well as a fresh respray against a 27 year old paint job. No substitute for time.

Super happy, @3_puppies !!!
That’s way better!! Nice score.
 
nice to see it finally made it to its new home safe and sound
was it a 2 month journey?
 
New (to me) hood on :cool:

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Thanks to Trevor for coming over and helping me get it on, bonus: he took the old hood away for a project he's working on. So it's not sitting around waiting to get hauled off to the metal reclaimer.
 
That looks absolutely mint!! That cruiser is in such good hands now!
 
Saw your rig in TFL video - the new hood looks great, as does the rest of the rig.
How do you like the RTT so far?
 
Saw your rig in TFL video - the new hood looks great, as does the rest of the rig.
How do you like the RTT so far?

It's really nice to have 95% of a ROOFNEST for 50% the cost. It's held up real well and it deploys and closes really quick and easily.
The only tough part is getting the awning rods off without the rod straightening upon release and hitting the truck.
If the trucks paint was in perfect condition, I'd be pissed about scratching it but the way it is, it's no biggie.
Between the RTT and the Gazelle T3X, camp is set up really quick. It'll close with SOME extra bedding in there
but not a lot. We ended up just latching the hook of the hatches but not completely closing them a couple times
but they never came loose.

After doing Fins & Things, I've found that I trust the truck's durability even more than I already did. The armor is doing it's job
and the hits it took were jarring to say the least. But it's back home no worse for wear. I wish I had external video of what
Penny handled, it was impressive for an IFS rig.

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