So after owning only American cars, two Jeep Wranglers among them, I decided it was time for a change. My last particular Jeep had racked up an impressive repair resume, from going through five (5) radiators in three (3) months, to having oil pump drive assembly issues (Thanks for the distributorless engine, Jeep!), this particular Jeep had finally worn out its welcome. It was an awesome Jeep, but it wasn't a very good car. I needed something more reliable, something a bit more comfortable as well.
I'll miss its capability on the trails, as it had lockers front and rear, and a 4-1 transfer case, as well as 4.56 gears, full cage, and 35in mud terrains, but I wont miss wondering if I could make it where I was going when I started my drive.
A good friend of mine had a cousin who worked as a sales manager at Jim Barkley Toyota in Asheville, North Carolina, so I decided to take the plunge and pick one up. After initially wanting a Dual Cab Short Bed Tacoma, I settled on a Magnetic Grey metallic Trail Edition 4Runner, with KDSS. I can't say enough good things about the buying experience, as I picked it up for a few grand less than any dealer in Florida had it, and I was out of there in half an hour.
The same day I bought it, I drove it 840 miles from Asheville, NC to Miami, FL, stopping off in Pisgah National Forest to see a few of the waterfalls and enjoy the views.
I didn't waste much time before I was able to put it through its paces in Hernando, Florida.
The camping was great and there was some pretty varied wheeling, from some extreme stuff for the Jeeps of the group, to some mellow stuff for the stock, plastic bumpered, highway tired, 4Runner of the group.
As you can see, there was no shortage of built rigs, from an ARB's Ultimate Adventure rig to a Fully Built Land Cruiser 200 Series; as a result, mine is hard to miss.
I got to mess around some more at the grand opening of Autobruder down in Miami. Anyone looking for expedition or offroad stuff should check them out @ www.Autobruder.com
Of course, this thing is really impressive. Wheels pretty well considering it's stock and then jumps on the highway at 80 miles per hour a minute later. I'm sold!
Other than a set of WeatherTech floormats, it remains bone-stock. Now the battle is deciding which way to go with it.
UPGRADE PATH
I have a pretty long list of pending upgrades including:
Drawers - Outback/ARB
Fridge - IndelB or ARB
Roofrack - Baja or Eezi-Awn
Front bumper - Shrockworks or ARB
Sliders - BudBuilt or Shrockworks
Skids - ARB, BudBuilt, or RCI
Rear bumper - Probably CBI
Suspension - OME, Icon, or a Frankenlift
Tires - 255/80R17 Coopers or 285/70R17 BFG A/T?
I'll keep this thread updated as things come together, but I'm already really impressed with this thing's performance.
A good friend of mine had a cousin who worked as a sales manager at Jim Barkley Toyota in Asheville, North Carolina, so I decided to take the plunge and pick one up. After initially wanting a Dual Cab Short Bed Tacoma, I settled on a Magnetic Grey metallic Trail Edition 4Runner, with KDSS. I can't say enough good things about the buying experience, as I picked it up for a few grand less than any dealer in Florida had it, and I was out of there in half an hour.
The same day I bought it, I drove it 840 miles from Asheville, NC to Miami, FL, stopping off in Pisgah National Forest to see a few of the waterfalls and enjoy the views.
I didn't waste much time before I was able to put it through its paces in Hernando, Florida.
The camping was great and there was some pretty varied wheeling, from some extreme stuff for the Jeeps of the group, to some mellow stuff for the stock, plastic bumpered, highway tired, 4Runner of the group.
As you can see, there was no shortage of built rigs, from an ARB's Ultimate Adventure rig to a Fully Built Land Cruiser 200 Series; as a result, mine is hard to miss.
I got to mess around some more at the grand opening of Autobruder down in Miami. Anyone looking for expedition or offroad stuff should check them out @ www.Autobruder.com
Of course, this thing is really impressive. Wheels pretty well considering it's stock and then jumps on the highway at 80 miles per hour a minute later. I'm sold!
Other than a set of WeatherTech floormats, it remains bone-stock. Now the battle is deciding which way to go with it.
UPGRADE PATH
I have a pretty long list of pending upgrades including:
Drawers - Outback/ARB
Fridge - IndelB or ARB
Roofrack - Baja or Eezi-Awn
Front bumper - Shrockworks or ARB
Sliders - BudBuilt or Shrockworks
Skids - ARB, BudBuilt, or RCI
Rear bumper - Probably CBI
Suspension - OME, Icon, or a Frankenlift
Tires - 255/80R17 Coopers or 285/70R17 BFG A/T?
I'll keep this thread updated as things come together, but I'm already really impressed with this thing's performance.