BajaF250

[robertcrav]

How are you liking the 35/17s Tom?

[tcm glx]

Haven't posted here in a long time... so I'll just drop a couple of pics for fun... getting ready for the 2013 BajaHID Excursion run up the Mojave Road (we hope! )

Those lights look good!!

[yikes]

Lights look awesome!!

[BajaF250]

How are you liking the 35/17s Tom?

Hey Robert...

I really like them... they have done well by me so far. I've been running them for over a year now... the wheels are awesome, give great performance and they look great too! (As an aside, I can't tell you how many folks have admired and asked what they are and where to get them.) I've had no leak-down issues (not that I expected it) with the beadlocks and they are easy to mount, plus no extra maintenance issues at all. Couldn't be happier with them. They are a tab bit heavier than my 16" Centerlines, but not enough to notice. Just a couple of pounds. I'd do it again!

[BajaF250]

Those lights look good!!

Ok, so I did this for the performance gain. I'm not much for trusting the conventional marketing perspective and not having projectors on any of my other vehicles, I have no experience with the type of lighting and associated performance. So, I wanted to try them myself... see what I might gain, what the drawbacks, increased/decreased performance parameters associated with this lighting technology. They are new and I've not been able to run the lights through the operational gambit in my application.

But, my assessment thus far... first and foremost, they have the absolutely best lighting pattern of any light I've ever driven with. The cut line is definitive, provides light where needed and no light where it's not. The light pattern is well diffused in the lighted area, no shadow spots associated with cut lenses and the lighting is intense. My goal is to light the pathway providing a well lit area in front of the truck and not have to worry I'm missing something down range due to insufficient lighting... these seem to fit the bill, at least thus far. In traffic, the pattern is so good, you can adjust below oncoming driver's eyes avoiding blinding that traffic opposing you. Plus, they have terrific side pattern providing that cornering light fan out to the side (or, enough light to see that kitty on the side of the road ready to run in front of you, thus avoiding road kill). When you switch to the hi-beam, you throw a ton of light down range.

The areas still requiring assessment, off road performance. Both in lighting performance, sole use and in conjunction with the HELLA driving lights and in reliability... there are more moving parts in the projectors. Plus the added weight of the projector and lens themselves. That extra mass associated with bouncing around has the potential of coming apart... but time will tell form that perspective... will let you all know.

Bottom line here is that the investment in the lights is well worth the performance gains... I'm very impressed with the increased lighting performance! Very nice!

Then on top of it... they look pretty cool and they add just a tad of contemporary styling to the old "Brick Nose" look, if that's at all possible!!! (The door is open Steve... I know your chomping at the bit here! )

[SteveG]

Haven't posted here in a long time... so I'll just drop a couple of pics for fun... getting ready for the 2013 BajaHID Excursion run up the Mojave Road (we hope! )

I love it! I gotta say, I only bought a brick-nose because it came through the shop and was for sale. Had I been looking for one, I'm sure I would have searched for a late model but, damn it, do those bricks look good! If I was starting over, I'd buy a 95 or 96 and upgrade the front end to a brick!

[BajaF250]

I love it! I gotta say, I only bought a brick-nose because it came through the shop and was for sale. Had I been looking for one, I'm sure I would have searched for a late model but, damn it, do those bricks look good! If I was starting over, I'd buy a 95 or 96 and upgrade the front end to a brick!

Hehe... I LOVE it... "...upgrade the front end to a brick!..." Now that's what I'm talking about!!!!!! Awesome. Everyone should follow suit!

[BajaF250]

Great trip this last weekend. Spent the last three days with the most wonderful people, all with the same interest and passions. Minty got nice and dirty and I spend $20 in quarters cleaning and blasting JUST THE UNDERCARRAGE!!!! Man, what a mess... the caustic alkaline mud off of Soda Lake is really corrosive and I wanted to get every bit of it off... and, that pesky stuff made it's way into every nook and cranny underneath... but I was able to get almost everything blasted off. Most unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, but I left a MOUNTAIN of mud back on the car wash deck! I'm sure the guys there were cursing me as I drove away... I really should have offered to clean it up! But, they did earn a pretty penny!

I also failed to take many shots of my own truck this weekend... but there are a few...

[BajaF250]

As you can see, tucked in with all it's closest friends in the great outdoors...

As evidenced in he second picture down, the mirrors took some pretty good schwacks... it finally gave up the ghost and just hung limp on the mount. Quite annoying on the way home. It's amazing how much you rely on your mirrors!

[BajaF250]

So this started a few years ago when we were living back in northern Va. Since we were no where near any desert driving, I took the opportunity to refresh the driveline in the truck. This is before the engine and tranny update, I still had the 302 and NP435. So, I pulled and rebuilt the engine, pulled and rebuilt the tranny and since I was going through the driveline... I decided to pull and rebuild the transfer case. I'm running the BW1345... Since I had my hands full with the engine and tranny, I found a reputable, nationally known rebuilding house, I sent my transfer case off... they in turn sent me a fully, and newly rebuilt replacement transfer case. Ever since I put it in, I've had problems with it and those problems have really come to a head on this last trip, our 2013 BajaHID expedition. I couldn't get the darn thing engaged... wouldn't go into 4x4... So, It's time to replace it. I got a used transfer case from John at Border Parts... ordered all new and fresh working parts and tore into it. Full bearing set and thrust washer set, full seal set, new chain, new shift fork pads, new pump, new input shaft. I slapped it all together on Saturday and put a nice coat of paint on it (makes it easier to clean) and it's now ready to swap out... this coming weekend, I'll drop the forward fuel tank and then swap out the transfer case... and... i'll replace the tranny mounts, just for good measure. Can't wait to get an operational transfer case in and working... although I very rarely use it...

[SteveG]

Nice, Tom. Transfer cases should shift butter smooth. It'll be nice to have that again.

[guard]

Aewsome! You'll have a 4x4 again...

[tcm glx]

Preventive maintenance.... boring but good!!

[BajaF250]

Well, we preran the bottom section of the B1000 course this year... we ran from San Felipe to Catavina and we ran the course twice to ensure we got the "gotchas" clearly identified for the potential race run.

Logged about 400 off road miles. > Minty did great... no issues... except blew a tire on the way down south of Puertocitos on the highway. Didn't just get a puncture, but the tire blew all the air out in just seconds and ended up chewing up the sidewalls... bummer, fairly new tire. I chewed up the rest on the trail! Also, had an issue at the border crossing going INTO Mex... I inadvertently filled my 5-gal can in the back and they caught me... cost me about $100 and 1½-hours. What a pain...

We stayed the first night at Alfonsina's at Gonzaga Bay. Got up and departed at sunrise... preran down through Coco's, through Calamejue wash, cross the highway, up through the Boojum and Saguaro forest... absolutely gorgeous... then down the mountain to through the silt beds to the beach... we ran north up the beachline and then cut northeast back to highway 1 at the RM500 crossing... super fun. We ran south and then back to Gonzaga Bay through Coco's. We arrived early in the afternoon... we had a couple of beers and then headed back to Alfonsina's... did a quick look around the truck, checked fluids, inspected for any damage, etc... all good.

We got up early Saturday... departed for Coco's from Gonzaga at about 0445. We didn’t need to prerun through Calamejue wash again, so we headed south to the course crossing, got there just as the sky was turning light... there was a team there, unloading two identical big V-8 buggies... big $$. We just jumped directly on the course... I'm sure they thought they'd be the first on the course but the old grandpa rig was out in front making dust! I'm sure that just crapped in their Wheaties... So, as we're driving... I'm looking in the rear view mirror the whole way waiting for those buggies to eat us up... It was still, no wind. So the dust was hanging... we got to the silt beds and the first silt I hit, we got stuck... the rear pumpkin high-centered and the rear wheels just spun! Crap... so I jumped out and locked the hubs, engaged FWD and eased back... got the rear end back on solid ground and we went around the bed... the rest of the silt was messy but no problems. The rest of the second run went flawlessly.

So, we hit the highway and the buggies never caught up... I guess they had problems along the way and got delayed... We headed south into Catavina to leave a note on Brian Parkhouses truck/trailer... but we couldn't find it... so we headed back up and by the time we got to the course crossing at RM500 the buggies were just arriving... Old Minty kept pace and held off the high $$ buggies... they were about ½-hour behind us! Minty can do it! We got done at about 1130 and headed up to El Rosario, had lunch at Mama Espinosa's (had yummy Chile Relleno!) and then drove on up to Ensenada... got there about 1700... we got a room at Punta Morro and had a few margaritas. We then headed over to Sano's and had an absolutely stellar steak dinner... wow was it good! We got up early Sunday morning and headed for Tecate but it backfired on us... the line was over an hour... ugh!
All-in-all, a great time!

It's also appropriate to get some photos of the run... but of course I didn't bring the camera... plus we were driving the entire time... so photo-ops. But, the I did snap some of the post prerun clean...

[BajaF250]

mas post prerun clean

[BajaF250]

dos mas...

[tcm glx]

Tom....... Will you marry me. Hahahaha.

[cypher]

Thanks for the detailed prerun trip. Sounds like you had a great time. Love this old truck!

[yikes]

Tom - I think I would rather take a ride with you than one in a TT. Glad you had a solid prerun. More important...glad you smoked the buggies. Haha! You know? I was thinking the other day...you need a metal flake minty green open face helmet that says "eat my dust" in the that cool 70's style 3d font. Haha!

[guard]

That's awesome Tom, thanks for the detailed account of the trip! It allows us that can't go the ability to live vicariously through you:) I really want to go to one of these when the stars align!