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Mike, did you do the timing belt and other mechanicals yourself? If not, can I ask where you took it? That's crazy you painted your skid plates! But I guess with how high your lift is, you have half a chance of someone looking under there.Quote:
Originally Posted by mhill
Ah, I remember when I cared about how my truck looked. Now I'll be lucky if I wash it before heading to Moab.
Whatcha workin' on there Dub?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ldub
Hey Kirk glad to here you are goin to Moab.
I did all the work in my garage. I used the write up on here for the timing belt and had no problems. I printed out about 40 of the 50 pages if you want them (no parts pictures). Timing belts can be intimidating so I was "just gonna get it started" takin it nice and slow. If I had tried I could have finished the whole thing in a day. Just know you need a special tool or impact to get the big pully off. And an impact may not put it back on tight enough. Some have made their own tool for this, the write up tells you how. If you want to put it off till after Moab maybe we can schedule a time we can tackle it together.
I love breakin.. I mean fixin stuff! :smilewink
:naughty:Quote:
Originally Posted by vt_maverick
It'll be later in the summer before I get around tuit.
Think heavy gauge perforated stainless sheet...:yesgray:
Won't cover the whole headlight, just the top part that's crazed & dull looking.
The headlight "horns" will protrude through the cover.
Will cover the whole taillight.
Already have the mounting worked out, the templates made, & the material in hand.
It's as much, if not more, about appearance as it is about protection..
All I need now is some ambition...:_confused
X2Quote:
Originally Posted by Ldub
Boy & I washed & waxed the VX last night, polished the rims, polished the hazed headlights, applied tire shine (Yuk), added fresh B2B, ... Still gotta paint the wiper arms.
He is entering it into a car show on Saturday for Children's Miracle Network. He prolly won't win anything tho since he's got to pull out early for Prom. Unfortunately I can't go since I'll be in Lynchburg for Daughter's graduation.
Good luck at the show! I had really good attention at a show when I took my vx half covered in mud and half polished up to showroom quality. See my gallery for some photos
I remember. Haven't you had it in 2 Hooters car shows ... & placed both times.Quote:
Originally Posted by etlsport
yeppers, I placed at both hooters shows last year. Had the VX squeaky clean for both of them thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
Just went to pick up my horse from the body shop :dance:
The guy did a great job.
Now is time to clean & wash,my horse looks homeless,nasty & dusty
Next tasks to do :
Steering stabilizer job and anti rust treatment.
Not to be outdone by Tom, I detailed my VX today.Quote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
http://home.comcast.net/~gregg.north/VX_20110514.jpg
1) Vacuum the interior and wipe dust off all panels.
2) Polish and wax exterior with Meguiar's orbital polisher, #6 Swirl Remover, and #26 Hit-Tech Yellow Wax.
3) Turtle Wax Ice on all cladding and hood insert.
4) 303 Protectant on the tires.
5) Rain-X on windshield.
6) Silicon spray on window channels.
7) Even checked the tire pressures (35psi) and oil level (perfect.)
No car show, and it's a nasty day outside, so I don't even get to show it off before driving to work in the rain on Monday. :(
I thought you worked from home in your jammies.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobrajet
or
is this the 'once every other month' day in the office?
Boy got a trophie for entering but had to pull out before the judging.
Parts are all in for the half shafts. Gotta get it in for the re-build so's I can have 4WD again.
My VX got a good break this weekend. Saturday, the STi got a much needed tune and I just couldn't stop driving it afterwards with all that fresh new torque and hp. Enabled launch control in Sport# mode and flat foot shifting. Heck, and I still have more mods coming for it.... the poor VX might very well end up just getting a cover put on it in the garage very soon, heh.
I had a busy week with the VX. I took off the bumper, took out the headlights, rewired my hell micro de hid projector fog lights so that now I have a relay per bulb, seems to be working better. Also rewired all my non stock grounds to a better location and cleaned up the install.
Then I stuck the headlights in the oven to loosen the glue, separated the different parts, painted them all black (including the chrome housing), then I installed the new projector headlights and wired everything up with a new harness.
Then I installed a new a/c blower motor.
Then I removed the AEM dry flow 3" filter and cleaned it to like new with the k&n dry synthetic filter cleaner. Worked great it looks new.
What temp and how long in the oven? My passenger side light had moisture in it at some point, so even polished,its cloudy.Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleBeast
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...QWVQDCrCOuIlLwQuote:
Originally Posted by LittleBeast
And thennnnnnnnnn... I took pictures of my projector headlights. Hint hint. :p
Place headlights on a cookie sheet with a DAMP towel on top of the cookie sheet. You do not want the headlight touching metal when hot.
200 degrees for 5-6 minutes, remove and slowly start working your way around prying the headlight apart. I wore gloves during this whole process and used a screwdriver being careful not to scratch the plastic that would be seen.
On the first headlight I had to return it to the oven once more for another 3 minutes to get it totally loose, on the second one it just took the original 5 minutes. To get all the nasty old glue out I used Goo Gone pro power from home depot. It was the only adhesive remover I could find that was safe for plastics and it is not runny but more of a gel so i just let it sit in the grooves for 10 mins and then scraped out with screwdriver came out great. On the clear lens I used the goo gone as well but just sprayed on one section at a time let soak for a few seconds and then used a hand towel to wipe it clean. Got everything off the housings this way. Sealed them back up with the right stuff gasket maker.
On a side note I got a little moisture in the headlights when the seals on the back were not covered well. I think back then I just used some gorilla tape to cover the opening behind the headlight on the rubber seal. Seemed to work back then. Now I have a rubber grommet shoved in there for a pretty good fit.
Pictures are on their way..... I still am going to drop the front diff replace all axle seals, replace power steering pump, replace the starter, replace alternator, the passenger upper ball joint and steering link and then reinstall both cv's and front driveshaft, and then start on the interior remodel in the next week or so, so pictures will come when I am done.
I guess I could upload some pictures of just the new headlights after I clean the Little Beast up. I have them all on my phone and texted Lisa(VXCrazy) some already, but it is dirty so I won't upload those ;-). I did take pictures during the whole process if anyone else wants to do the mod i will probably do a how to shortly. It does look really mean now, and I think they match the Hella Micro DE projector fogs perfectly! I like this kit because it uses the factory alignment so no adjustments are necessary to line up the beams, they were perfect as soon as I installed them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobrajet
Some suit is in town, so my boss called a team meeting. Lucky for me, I was a week off, so I don't go in til NEXT week, and hopefully it will be dry. I did have one opportunity to show off on Sunday before the rains came through. Best looking VX in the whole parking lot!!Quote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
"once every other month" - I think it's been longer than that. I haven't bought gas for the VX since early February!
Quote:
Originally Posted by vt_maverick
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1039.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1031.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1077.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../IMG_10921.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1096.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1098.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../IMG_11591.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../IMG_12031.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da...6/IMG_1205.JPG
Hey sorry I haven't taken any photos of the Little Beast clean with them installed yet. I am trying to get everything done under the hood and with the drivetrain before I detail the VX :-)
Awesome work!!! That's how they should have came! I worked on.... well crap :( I don't have a VX anymore
Ha!
and I'm jealous of your headlights little beast!
Looks great! Thanks for pics!
New lights look great, nice work.
Spent today detailing my friends VX. Full wash, clay, polish and wax and cladding treatment. Used Meguiar's trim detailer for anyone who's curious. I know its not the best stuff and wont last long, but its all I had on hand and it looks great for now. Didn't have time to today but I'll be taking some pictures of it tomorrow and I'll put some in my gallery. Still gotta clean the engine bay and fix the loose steering on it tomorrow.
Also, he had a new windshield put in it this week and the glass shop told him that the windshields are very hard to come by now. There were only 2 on the west coast, and the next closest was one in Nebraska and another in Texas.
Well, my "Lilith" got a new fan clutch this weekend and a new sound system also. I've only had her a month and the previous owner blew all the original speakers and never replaced them. So now we've got new speakers in the front door, new ones in the back sides, and two 12" speakers in the back. With my freshly blacked out windows, I feel like a sexy beast in my loud VX. I live in northern Arkansas and NO ONE around here has even seen a VX. A state trooper pulled me over last week just to look at it. He's a big time off-roader with his Jeep and told me he's only ever seen one VX....it was in Texas, pulling out every single "off-road vehicle" that got stuck in the same swamp it had just plowed through. This cop was literally on his back under my VX looking at the suspension. I told him the next time he wanted to violate my VX he'd have to take me to dinner first. Gosh, I sure do love being the center of attention in this tiny country town.....
I hear ya'...I'd love to take mine back to Beebe, AR just to see the reaction in that small town of 4200...:bwgy::smilewink:bgwo::bgwb:Quote:
Originally Posted by VXobsession
Changed front and rear diff fluids with Royal Purple 75W-140.
Change the aftermarket light switch from the Hella Optilux 20/20 to OEM switches...now all of my electical mods have OEM switches...:bwgy::smilewink:bgwo::bgwb:
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN0426.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/da.../DSCN04271.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN0396.JPG
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSCN0428.JPG
I removed the passenger side half shaft (shop needed it to rebuild my spare set).
Installed Warn hubs.
Removed front axle breather tube and installed a bellows. Y'all who have installed the super flexy IFS kit may want to think about doing this. IIRC, the bellows was $30 (over priced but that's the law of supply & demand - I could only find one source) and it takes about 5 min to install. I'll try to snap a pic tonight.
Removed rear cladding so Welder Guy could get measurements for upgraded hidden hitch (more tongue weight capacity). Ended up removing the rear tube bumper & gave it to him as well so that he can replicate the lower cladding bolt features (the hitch will replace the tube bumper in the final product). We may end up losing the assembly line hoop thinggy on the passenger side too but he's going to try to retain that. Since you can get a receiver mounted Mr. Scary hook, I didn't think that would be too serious.
Did a little grinding on the hitch so that the cladding fits better.
Tried adjusting the rear door that is sagging - made it worse.:)
Today was battery day.
Yesterday I armed the alarm but couldn't turn it off. Luckily I knew about turning the key on-off-on because of this forum. :) (1) fob battery. I think it had been weak since I got the VX - never noticed the red LED on the fob before. :o
Today I switched cars during lunch. It started on the first try, but seemed to drag a bit. I barely had enough power to start after work. ScanGauge II said I was charging between 13.5v (stopped with AC on) & 13.9v - 14.1v while driving with AC off. Got home and the battery read 12.4v until I tried to crank it for a couple seconds and then it read 10.2v. (1) Duralast Gold (they were out of Victory White :p) from Autozone to replace the 3-year-old Bosch Platinum that came with it.
I also put on my new weatherstripping. The old pieces on the cargo door and the rain channel on the body around the driver's door had split. The rain channel really bugged me. A previous owner had used some yellow glue to try and put it back together so every time I opened the door I was greeted with something that looked like someone with a really bad cold had blown their nose on it. Eww. Plus, it was still split and fluttered annoyingly in the wind as I drove.
Next up... test out a speedometer calibrator and swap the springs on the back to see if the low side is a bad spring or if I have something else going on. Hopefully I can do that Sun & Mon if I'm not sore from helping a friend clean up her tornado damage. (Destroyed her house. :()
Sheet metal shims? :_wrench:Quote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
Installed Westin Bull Bar with Tones' (RIP) brackets. Fixed minor cladding mount issues.
Oh, and this is the first pic on the forum I've posted with the "Showroom New" cladding dye job, new "VX" badge and windows stripped and re-tinted.
http://1dl.us/kpw-l.jpg
I didn't do it, but I paid for it to be done...
bought some new tarz!!!
This is how it came to me when I first bought it
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...iCROSS/012.jpg
and this is how it looks today.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/IMAG0079.jpg
I'm still debating fitting the 3" body lift from indy4x4, but won't decide on that until we see if the up and coming cv's and half shafts are going to be as bulletproof as we hope. Then I could fit some nice big 'ole knobbies on there!
Thanks to Billy I now have the DDM Tuning HID kit installed (5K Bi-Xenon). No blue look whatsoever, and SO much brighter than before!
With any luck we'll get the brake light, reverse light, and turn signal LEDs done tonight... :D
Looks great Dub!
Good idea, I think I'll give that idea a try this weekend.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ldub
Maybe whilst I'm putzin around in the driveway, I'll also finally fab up that license plate mount for the SuperBumper.
Too much red for my taste Lbud (opinions are like AHs I rekin ... everyone has one). Nicely done though - dang near perfesh-nal lookin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ldub
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
Thanx Guys ...:thanx:Quote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
Quote:
Originally Posted by tom4bren
Says the man who drives a self described "obnoxious Proton"...:rotate:.:laughing:
:):):)I was quoting Meow.:):):)
Maybe it's time to replace/paint everything grey on my VX interior with YELLOW
... NOT!!!
Mile High, I love the OEM finished look. Can you point me in the right direction of what parts/vehicles you picked at? I'd love to do the same.
Last week for me were the three bike racks and general cleanup, this week the Thule 38" fairing went on, and I've ordered some easy aftermarket cosmetics like the WeatherTech wind deflectors and front and rear mats. I've ALSO ordered a set of OME913s to prep for the lift I'll be doing in July, along with bigger rims and tires. Shout out to Rickshaw for the detailed instructions in his thread and also the encouraging PM - thanks bud!
I may have taken her off the road for a few years, sure, but now that I've got her back, I'm going all out. She don't owe me a dime.
Cheers!
-V
I did the 3 button mod around the same time. My bezel came from a '96 Rodeo., '97 Rodeo is same.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vendetta
There's some slight differences in the footprint of the buttons, some are rocker switches which are slightly smaller footprint, instead of thes bulbous style push buttons.
Also, note, there's differences in the SWITCH and PIGTAIL you might find for the fog or rear gate release.
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpos...&postcount=624
These pics show the difference in the shape for the pigtail.
http://vehicross.info/forums/showpos...43&postcount=3
http://vehicross.info/forums/showthr...ht=pigtail+fog