Tweet
Figured it was time to post up some pics of my build up.
I spent a fair while looking for a good condition 90 series, something that had been used to ferry the kids to school & had not been taken of road.
3 months later, i found the vehicle i was after.
A completely stock 98 GXL. With 173k on the clock & a thorough service history, it didn't take long for a decision to be made...I'm buying a Prado...
A pretty standard GXL, with ABS, Air & sunroof. Mechanically all was pretty sound with my mechanic giving it the thumbs up.
The first real mod was to fit a GME TX3100 & then the planing of a set of rear drawers & rear table. I wanted these to easily installed & removed, & the plan actually worked. A few minutes to undo a couple of shackles & the drawers can be taken out if needed.
In the mix, i added a set of sheepskin seat covers, rubber mats, dual battery system with Redarc isolator, Roo Lights & one of my favourites, a 2.5inch sports exhaust. This has done wonders for both power & fuel economy with a rather nice note now letting everyone know I'm on the move. Thanks to the guys at Performance Exhaust in Ringwood for setting this up.
Tinting the windows removed the feeling of driving around in a glass house & i also added an additional immobiliser & alarm system...Key less entry kind of spoils you & opening the car with the key sucked big time.
The rear drawer build up was pretty simple, i used ply & some carpet from our mates at Bunnings & the entire process went pretty well. All joins have been glued & screwed & the unit is rock solid. I used shackles & attach the drawers to the rear seat mounting points, once done up, they don't move an inch....
The rear table has had a couple of uses already & would have to be one of the best ways to create additional work space when out bush.
Plenty of room for storing recovery gear & all the essentials required for a quick getaway..
Being somewhat safety conscience, a fire extinguisher was added & resides on the front floor on the passenger side.
The stock stereo was ditched when i discovered the CD player was crook & replaced with a Kenwood system. Its blue tooth for easy hands free & also has a USB port. Who needs a CD stacker when you can carry 16GB of music.
The dual battery system uses a Piranha Battery tray & a Redarc Isolator, cables were made up by my local Auto Elec & in addition, i have fitted a VDO volts gauge & a 6 blade fuse box under the bonnet. This powers the Hella Plug that runs the Waeco & also a couple of extra lighter plugs for the inverter & anything else i need to run..I also used a green LED next to the dash dimmer to show all is well with the Redarc......I scored a 120 watt solar panel Kit from eBay. The wiring was pretty shonky so an hour or so the wiring on it was replaced with heavier gauge & all joints soldered. My soldering iron has never seen so much use.......
A couple of 24 LED lights running from the Aux battery provide plenty of light for night time activities & these can be swiveled to either light up the back of the car, when your cooking or pointed out the back..makes it easer to set the tent up in the dark when you can see what your doing. The ever trusty Milford Cargo Barrier was installed to prevent being smacked in the back of the head by any loose flying gear.
Earlier this week, ARB took hold of the car & fitted the following
ARB Steel Bar & Warne 9000 winch. Safari Snorkel & OME re rated springs & Gas Shocks. The vehicle has been lifted about 30mm at the front & about 45mm at the rear, giving it a nice attitude.
Ive done a few trip with it so far & its been great. The ride is now so much better with the OME suspension & it soaks up the bumps with ease.
Plans for the future?
Well no doubt the bug to get this thing locked will rear its head soon with a rear ARB air locker on the horizon soon. Perhaps even a front locker too..
Love the beast.....
I spent a fair while looking for a good condition 90 series, something that had been used to ferry the kids to school & had not been taken of road.
3 months later, i found the vehicle i was after.
A completely stock 98 GXL. With 173k on the clock & a thorough service history, it didn't take long for a decision to be made...I'm buying a Prado...
A pretty standard GXL, with ABS, Air & sunroof. Mechanically all was pretty sound with my mechanic giving it the thumbs up.
The first real mod was to fit a GME TX3100 & then the planing of a set of rear drawers & rear table. I wanted these to easily installed & removed, & the plan actually worked. A few minutes to undo a couple of shackles & the drawers can be taken out if needed.
In the mix, i added a set of sheepskin seat covers, rubber mats, dual battery system with Redarc isolator, Roo Lights & one of my favourites, a 2.5inch sports exhaust. This has done wonders for both power & fuel economy with a rather nice note now letting everyone know I'm on the move. Thanks to the guys at Performance Exhaust in Ringwood for setting this up.
Tinting the windows removed the feeling of driving around in a glass house & i also added an additional immobiliser & alarm system...Key less entry kind of spoils you & opening the car with the key sucked big time.
The rear drawer build up was pretty simple, i used ply & some carpet from our mates at Bunnings & the entire process went pretty well. All joins have been glued & screwed & the unit is rock solid. I used shackles & attach the drawers to the rear seat mounting points, once done up, they don't move an inch....
The rear table has had a couple of uses already & would have to be one of the best ways to create additional work space when out bush.
Plenty of room for storing recovery gear & all the essentials required for a quick getaway..
Being somewhat safety conscience, a fire extinguisher was added & resides on the front floor on the passenger side.
The stock stereo was ditched when i discovered the CD player was crook & replaced with a Kenwood system. Its blue tooth for easy hands free & also has a USB port. Who needs a CD stacker when you can carry 16GB of music.
The dual battery system uses a Piranha Battery tray & a Redarc Isolator, cables were made up by my local Auto Elec & in addition, i have fitted a VDO volts gauge & a 6 blade fuse box under the bonnet. This powers the Hella Plug that runs the Waeco & also a couple of extra lighter plugs for the inverter & anything else i need to run..I also used a green LED next to the dash dimmer to show all is well with the Redarc......I scored a 120 watt solar panel Kit from eBay. The wiring was pretty shonky so an hour or so the wiring on it was replaced with heavier gauge & all joints soldered. My soldering iron has never seen so much use.......
A couple of 24 LED lights running from the Aux battery provide plenty of light for night time activities & these can be swiveled to either light up the back of the car, when your cooking or pointed out the back..makes it easer to set the tent up in the dark when you can see what your doing. The ever trusty Milford Cargo Barrier was installed to prevent being smacked in the back of the head by any loose flying gear.
Earlier this week, ARB took hold of the car & fitted the following
ARB Steel Bar & Warne 9000 winch. Safari Snorkel & OME re rated springs & Gas Shocks. The vehicle has been lifted about 30mm at the front & about 45mm at the rear, giving it a nice attitude.
Ive done a few trip with it so far & its been great. The ride is now so much better with the OME suspension & it soaks up the bumps with ease.
Plans for the future?
Well no doubt the bug to get this thing locked will rear its head soon with a rear ARB air locker on the horizon soon. Perhaps even a front locker too..
Love the beast.....
Comment