Box Rocket - 2003 TRD Doublecab

Good news. Had a compression test done on the FZJ80 I've been looking at and the numbers looked good for a motor with almost 200K on it. That was the last piece that I needed before committing to the purchase so it looks like I'll have the truck a week from Saturday when I can finally go pick it up. Then the fun begins!

 

Sweet!

Over 300k on the old one is awesome!

 

Yeah, no complaints at all. And other than the routine maintenance stuff, I didn't have to do a single thing to my old 80 the entire time I owned it. Until now. So yeah, 300K with no issues is nothing to complain about. I'm looking forward to lots of trail miles in the new 80.

 

What's wrong with it now?

 

Not 100% positive but I'm almost certain its just electrical. There is part of the wiring harness that crosses over the trans at the back of the motor and can get really hot. The insulation on the wires can dry out from the heat and disintegrate and cause the wires to short out. Wouldn't surprise me on a 21 year old truck. It's also a possibility that the ECU died, but I have another ECU for it.

I just haven't dug into it much since I had plans to buy another one. But I'll probably be selling it cheap as is. I'm going to swap suspensions and bumpers with the new truck, but it would still have a lift when it gets sold. I think the suspension it will get from the new truck are Rancho coils. Approx 3" lift and brand new 285's on it. But it could make for a super cheap project truck for someone.

 

Is it drivable? How cheap is your cheap compared to mine?

 

At the moment it will turnover but not start, so I'd say not driveable as is. My cheap is pretty cheap.
I'm also considering just parting it out. I'll probably come out ahead doing it that way. I can probably recoup almost all the cost of the new truck by parting out my old one. I may already have a taker on the brand new tires. And I'm seriously looking at using the front bucket seats for the middle row in the new cruiser.

But if I sold it without tires and front seats it would make for an even cheaper project for someone.

 

I would be VERY interested in the axles.. I plan to come out to Moab within the next year or so.

 

OK, I'll let you know if I decide to part it out. Just so you know the front axle is open, the rear is a transition year semi-float axle with drum brakes and an Aussie locker.

 

Picked up a bedrug from a fellow TW'er and put it in last night.

 

Nice! How are those things for weather resistance? I typically only see themon trucks with shells or Tonneaus. Are they a marine type carpet?

 

how does that work with the snow and stuff? does it soak up?

 

From Bedrug's website they are weather resistant. The "carpet" is actually more plastic than regular carpet. It's still very soft, but it won't soak up moisture. The foam backing is also closed cell foam so it is designed not to soak up moisture either.






Directly from their website: What if the bedrug gets wet?
"Much like a life vest, BedRug's closed-cell polymer construction can't hold water - it runs right off. The paint in the bed of your truck is designed to shed water the same way the rest of the paint on your vehicle does. The BedRug works in conjunction with your factory drain holes to remove any residual moisture. Unlike spray-in liners which scuff the paint before application and drop-in liners that can scuff and scratch the bed with use, the BedRug's non-abrasive backing will not compromise the integrity of your paint and in turn will not cause your truck bed to rust."

 

Nice, I may have to look into one of these. I had no idea.

 

dang i always thought you could only use them under a shell.. nice, i bet its really nice on the knees crawling in the bed.

 

Trying out some orange filters on my HIDs. I had an old set of clear lens covers that we a little blurry that I replaced a while back. I decided to use them to test out some amber lenses. I used Duplicolor Metal Cast Orange paint to tint them. The Metal Cast paint is typically used to spray over metal surfaces to give it an anodized look. So it's a semi-transparent paint. Worked pretty well on the lenses.

Now I just need to get some time in the dirt with them and see if it changes anything with light performance in the dust. If it doesn't, no big deal, I still have my clear lenses I can go back to.

 

Looks dope too

 

I have heard the amber really helps in snow and fog as well. I have a amber lens for my light bar I am going to swap in at some point to try as well. I will be interested to hear your experience.

 

How do you like your GEAR seat covers so far? I really want to get some but all the negative reviews have me a little skeptical. I think I'm going to pick up a pair of the Rugged Ridge ones like you had before the GEAR covers.