BT17R

I feel like a celebrity. I just tried keeping it straight while everyone else was bobbing and weaving all over to get a better look. One guy in a muddy Taco came flying up behind, then over and paced on the left so he could take a picture while driving down the freeway at 65. He faded my way and came way too close so I changed lanes to avoid a wreck with 5 miles on the odo.

My first stop was at my favorite tire store, America's Tire Co. in Gresham. Those guys are the best. Great deals, great service and almost all of them drive Tacos or 4Runners. They came running out and swarmed the FJ. I swapped the OEM Dunlop Grantrek AT20's (can there be a worse tire?) for same sized Nitto Terra Grappler AT's.

Too early to have any impressions yet other than this rig gets more attention than any Porsche I've ever owned. Of course this is truck, SUV and Toyota country, but it's unexpected when my guys at the tire shop are all shaking my hand and congratulating me as if I'd just invented the thing. When I told them the reasonable price, I think two of them were headed for the dealerships tonight.

OK, you've seen enough of these already, so here are a few shots that are a little different that I hope you like. FJ action shots to follow:

Cliff here is finishing up an ATV job. This man is a US Marine who fought in Mogadishu, Somalia, recovering the surviving crew members of a helicopter. His mission became part of the movie "Blackhawk Down".



Nitto mounted to optional 17" OEM alloy wheel. They balanced up with minimal weights added.



Front suspension and brake assembly. Check out the twin piston calipers.



Rear suspension and brake assembly. Single piston vented discs.



Rock rails installed at the port, reflecting raindrops. 2" tubes throughout. Tidy arrangement, the fully boxed frame rails have weldnuts in place already so you can buy them later or go aftermarket, it should be easy. The fuel tank is contoured to be above the highest break over angle point and is protected by a skid plate.



8" RR Locking Diff.



Obligatory center stack shot. Lots of switches I need to figure out.



Edit: Some shots from this morning:

PPO bling (rear door storage, cargo cover, cargo tote, cargo mat, emergency assist kit, first aid kit) and powered subwoofer. Don't buy any of this stuff yourself (except the sub), but come resale time buyers love it all.







Consider convex mirror add-ons a requirement. I settled on adjustable rounds on both sides, $4/pair at Bi-Mart, $12/pair for the same ones at Schucks.









It'll be a fun Summer!

Edit: It was an awesome FJ Summer, and still gets as much attention as it did last March. Just today I 'had' to do a walk around for a guy waiting for me in the Fred Meyer parking lot, and another couple in the Home Depot lot. Looking forward to playing in the snow!

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