'She's Gonna Kill Me' - Build and Existential/Financial Crisis Thread

I love it. I have the DNX 695s in my FJ Cruiser, and this one is similar, just feels more responsive and the interface is slicker, definitely an upgrade over the 695. The 3D maps with Garmin are really cool. Kenwood have just released the 697s, so the 696s has really dropped in price.

 

I appreciate it! You guys make a top shelf product!

 

How have I missed your build thread!!!! Glad to finally read up on the story of everything and see this thing come into perspective as well as be able to taken inventory of all the stuffs that will leaving your garage and into my rig. And don’t feel bad about the name I still haven’t named mine but I really like that pig name. I may borrow it since mine never stops eating money.

 

Hell yeah I needed somewhere else to chronicle all my bad choices

Speaking of which...
So that sunk FJ I bought at auction showed up last night. It doesn’t start but I hear it did run and drive after it’s ‘event’ so I feel pretty good that I can get it running. May just be a starter solenoid or relay. I hope. I spent more than I should have. I really need to get this running and sell it. It’s probably too nice and too heavily invested in(by me) to part out. The wheels are nice though. They have brand new ko2s on 16” trd wheels but they are only 32s. So if I swap out those and sell it I will feel like I came out ahead? I may swap out the rear end with my blue fj as this is a 2010 with the 8.2 rear, and mine is the 8.0. My girl says .2 inches would be a hell of an upgrade and I believe her.

So yeah if you want to come see those wheels and tires off the pig, I guess I’m ready to talk. Also think about if there is any recovery gear you might need, as I have a few redundant items. It’s all spread out between 3 vehicles, and really what I should do is compress down to one kit I move around as needed. But 50 lbs of crap in each vehicle evens out my mpgs so no one vehicle can excel at fuel economy and make the others feel bad.

said fj:

 

a little elf told me mid-summer on that sale..

 

Spent the weekend replacing the clutch on the kids 4x4 Ranger. What a bitch that was. Got that done, then helped him do his rear brakes yesterday and put a torsion key lift in the front today. That went south on us as we were using a gear puller to load the keys. Got the driver side done, but the frame started to bend on passenger side and we thought the puller was gonna shoot off, so i ordered a proper torsion key tool. We have a pry bar holding the key up for now, and he's grounded so he's not going to be driving it anyways.

Took a break from the flooded FJ project, but did talk to a buddy who is a semi retired Toyota Master mechanic, and he gave me some great advice and i am reinvigorated to get that thing running soon. The kid’s Ranger is out of my ‘garage’ so now i can get some toyota work done, which is what i wish i had been doing.

i did wash the PIG today, and got the wheels cleaned up. Also got the AC charged on the Taco yesterday as it was blowing hot. Hopefully i dont have a leak.

the weirdest shit happened with the AC charge. They finished up, drove my truck around, and when i got in and drove off my speakers didn't work. My subwoofer was bumping, but no audio out of any speakers.

i did a uturn and went back in and we looked around, but i couldn't see anything they could have done that would cause this, so i figured a plug came loose on back of head unit when they closed the hood or something. Decided i would look in the morning. Ran out of beer later and decided to make a run, and the radio worked. Go figure.

Hers the kid helping wash the pig:

 

@Aardvark13, nice rig! did you use the GPS antenna that came with the head unit? in process of installing my own and annoyed by the different connector

 

Thanks

I did but i haven't permanently mounted it yet. Its just laying up on the dash near the defrost vents. Im still debating about whether to keep it there or run it outside. So i figure i will test it this way and if i have no problems just keep it inside.

 

Not much going on for '2014 Magnetic Gray Mica Double Cab Short Bed Tacoma with Off Road Package' except been stockpiling parts to rebuild front end. I plan to rebuild LCAs, but bought a set of Moog LCAs so I am not in a time crunch there. New Whiteline LCA Bushings, New LBJs, new UCA balljoints, new xAxis bushings for SPC UCAs. Only thing left to order is the LBJs, Mevotech makes a 'Terrain Tough' I might take a chance on, the only other real option is Moog, so idk. Reviews are mixed on both. I think I am going to throw in gusseted spindles while I am at it, and get the Marlin LCA tab reinforcements. Then I am done with front suspension work for a while.

Also bought the first part of my Supercharger swap over: a install package from URD, which is mostly just all the add on stickers for intercooler routing, and belt routing, etc, and install docs. I think I sleep purchased that.. Next will be the kit from LCE performance with a new intercooler, wiring harnesses, etc. Seemed like a good idea to get a new intercooler pump, but only found OEM, and they aren't giving those away so I may reuse my old one until it goes tits..

My real project that has been taking up my time is the flooded FJ I have been working on. Spent last weekend cleaning the ECU, but haven't put it back in. It just like not going to the DR, as long as you don't go they cant tell you you're dying. As long as I don't put this ecu in, it might not be fried, lol. So tomorrow I will find out for sure, then I will need to make a decision. Which really there is no decision I guess, just drop the $600 on a replacement.

 

So they say if you dont document the milestones of your babies you'll regret it later so here is one from memorial day..

 

Also installed the spod and some ditch lights.. also put a new cord on my Cobra 75.. hope i didnt screw up the soldering.

 

Status update: While doing my weekly search of kitten pics I came across this beauty of a space kitten shooting lasers out of his eyes while trying to catch a taco on a string.

 

and, I got the flooded FJ running. This has been a great week. The flooded FJ needed a new ECU. Once I installed that it started right up. I have since been doing a major trans flush which is great except I bought out all the transmission fluid at one Walmart, and someone else got the other, so I am waiting to finish that up before I go for a drive. I have new idler pulleys on order for it, and new headlight housings, and a taillight housing. All the other fluids are already changed, and I also put in new plugs, and a new air filter. Then its a major detailing to get her shiny, and she will be put up for sale. I plan to drive it for a month or so to make sure there isn't any other surprises, but damn I am feeling good about this!

 

you do a weekly search of kitten pics??? also this is awesome so i won't judge

 

also for what it's worth, dunno if you mounted your GPS antenna yet, but i mounted mine on the underside of the dash, works perfectly.

 

hell yeah... I recommend narrowing to kittens in sombreros, you wont regret it..

Good to know about the gps antenna.. I haven't done anything with it yet.

 

hah! somewhere buried in my phone photos is a picture of our kitten with a sombrero

 

See, you know what I am talking about..

 

Had a pretty good week. Rebuilt the front end a bit:
New Moog LCAs,
Rebuilt the SPC UCAs with greaseable ball joints and the new xAxis bushings
Painted and installed @glorifiedwelder gusseted spindles
and got an alignment.
Also installed some window vent shades which I don't know why I waited so long to do as they are such an awesome easy thing to do esp if you have a dog who goes with you places..

 

Truck looks great man! I think I may have seen you around Knox a time or 2 before.