It's getting to be that time....

[eternal21]

....of the year to start (and finish) work on the VX. First, Rickshaw, I'd like to extend a hearty thanks to you. Your thread on lifts and tires/wheels helped me to get my sizes correct. Lots of work coming up in the next few months including:

-pushbar being made (from Hiredgoon's thread (http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18512). Thank you for the solidworks file:)) We'll be checking the scale next week, should have the parts cut in 2 weeks.
http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/pushbar1.jpg

I (with the help of friends, of couse) will be doing all the work. Going for a (mostly) murdered out theme. We'll see how that ends up working out *lol*.



-Monsterlining the cladding
-sunroof install (I think a rodeo s/r will work, so I'll be securing one from the junkyard and we'll find out what's what).
-rear door popper
-hood vent being added
-HID headlight conversion
-HID foglight conversion
-smoked tail lights and reflectors
and the biggie, the 5MT swap.

OMEs come in on Wednesday, so we'll be putting those on and cranking the torsion bars next weekend.

Picked these up this morning. Can't wait until it's clean to get some decent pics.

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/vx1.jpg

[Ldub]

:dance:.:thumbup:.:dance:

[VXorado]

Good luck with the mods. Gotta love a good "murdered out" rig.

[Robbomaz]

I do be need a VX.....not prepared to pay the asking price of the ones here though :(

[braaus]

I do be need a VX.....not prepared to pay the asking price of the ones here though :(

found one in Wangarattah for $7000! email me if you want photos! braaus@gmail.com Will

[PA-99]

Eternal21, I am interested in where you are having your push bar being made. I have been looking at different designs lately and thinking about trying to get my hands on one. I like what's shown above and Hiredgoon's page.

Thanks!
Jeff

[eternal21]

A friend of mine works in a pretty big machine shop and can get away with doing one offs. Looking @ Hiredgoon's thread, he mentioned that individuals may have fitment issues. We're looking at modifying the design slightly so that folks can bolt the 2 horizontal mounting portions of the bar to the main vertical part. That way they can then tighten them down as per their fitment, and take it to have it welded. Either that or using some grade 8 bolts so that those 3 pieces will attach. We'll see as things come together.

[eternal21]

Curt hitch, torsion bar crank and OME 913s installed:
http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/vxlift1.jpg

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/vxlift2.jpg

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/vxlift3.jpg

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/exterior/vxlift4.jpg

[Vendetta]

Lookin' great! Those wheels were on my "short list" of options, but my rig is silver and I feel that black wheels more nicely compliment darker VXs like yours.

[eternal21]

^I've been planning on getting those wheels for about the past year and a half, I just had to wait for things to fall into place. Regarding your choice, that's nothing a quick powdercoating wouldn't fix ;)

Regarding your assessment of color and complimenting....I can't agree with you more. I've never seen people stop and stare more at my truck in the past 18 months of ownership than they have in the past week or so of having those wheels and tires. I've had thumbs up, group stares as I pull into the parking garage, walk arounds in a couple parking lots, and tonight at dinner, some folks stopped to take pics :) I'll be the first to admit, however, that the mods over the past couples weeks make it look night and day different. I can't wait for the push bar to be finished!

[vt_maverick]

I'll be the first to admit, however, that the mods over the past couples weeks make it look night and day different.

+1 - IMHO, a tire and/or rim upgrade is the single most significant mod for changing the appearance of a VX. Looks great!

:thumbup:

[eternal21]

I've been looking for a DVR solution for awhile. A few of my requirements:

1) Has to be able to record from multiple inputs simultaneously
2) Has to be able to record even if the car isn't on (security purposes)
3) Has to be able to record for extended periods of time
4) CCD cameras, not CMOS
5) Needs to look rather OEMish, (covert, not overt)


Stumbled across this today:

http://www.carformance.com/hermes-mv...logy-12154553/

http://www.witnesstech.com/

Highlights: 2 adj. front-facing Sony CCD (not CMOS!) color cameras, multi-input recording (w/audio!) and the ability to add 3 add'l cameras.

Picked up one for today. Should be excellent for general use (security when parking in parking lots/parking garages, that kind of thing). The eventual plan is to pick up the other add'l cameras, and have one for rearview use, the other aimed inside the truck in an obscure location to record the cabin in event there's a break-in (the unit can be set for motion activation, as well).

Edit: found this pretty clean install on a Mazda3 w/actual camera footage:
http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/104334-post93.html

[VX crazy]

Truck looks great! I see your in Austin, we need to have a VX meet!

[eternal21]

A few weeks ago I picked up a 99 5MT Trooper that had been wrecked, but with an intact drive train.

I started working on taking the Trooper drive train apart last weekend, but I thought that I'd start with getting the interior stuff squared away since the interior is semi-apart for an alarm install. The goal was to get the slave cylinder, the clutch pedal and the brake pedal in. After some wailing and gnashing of teeth, it was done this past weekend.

http://infinitemotion.net/mp/vx/interior/pedals.jpg

Good news: the brake pedal is considerably smaller, so you're less inclined to step on it accidentally. The bad new: you'll be drilling and cutting the Trooper bracket to accommodate the VX b/c bolt holes don't line up, and b/c the Trooper bracket juts out too far past the dash support beam.

[LittleBeast]

Looking awesome!!!!!

[Etfren]

Nice, looks like more people are jumping on the 5-speed train. It sure is a nice place to be. :)

[eternal21]

Yee-haw. The header bolts look like they're going to be *fun* in a not nice kind of way :)

[vt_maverick]

The bad new: you'll be drilling and cutting the Trooper bracket to accommodate the VX b/c bolt holes don't line up, and b/c the Trooper bracket juts out too far past the dash support beam.

Hmmm... I thought Greg said he used a Rodeo brake pedal assembly on mine and it bolted right up. :confused:

[eternal21]

Hmmm... I thought Greg said he used a Rodeo brake pedal assembly on mine and it bolted right up. :confused:

I'm trying to use everything Trooper, I'm not planning on buying anything else. I'd like to see how far that mindset will get me. Looking at that pic he showed, it looks a bit different than the VX unit.

I got it to fit, but like I said, I had to mod it a bit. No harm, no foul, I like a challenge every now and again :)

[vt_maverick]

Pretty sure the Rodeo clutch and brake pedal assemblies were the only non-Trooper pieces Greg used. Hopefully he'll raise his head out from underneath that speed demon he's building to confirm. ;)

[eternal21]

Hmmmmm, that's interesting. The clutch assembly went in just fine, as did the corresponding slave cylinder. Both parts lined up perfectly on the VX.