Vehicle

                   
                     2007 Toyota 

Engine :              4.0 Liter 239 HP V6 Horsepower:      239 @ 5200 RPM Torque( Lb-Ft )  278 @ 3700 RPM Transmission:    5 Speed Automatic with Overdrive                             4 Wheel Drive                             Limited Slip Differential                              Traction Control                             Locking Differential   After a decade of desert excursions in our 1997 Jeep Wrangler we began looking for a more spacious climate controlled off road capable equal.  Hands down the Toyota FJ topped the charts for all of the above reasons as well as the Toyota's reputation of reliability.I must admit I was sad when I traded in the Jeep. I had put a lot of hard work into it and was about to trade it in for a completely stock unproven replacement.   We purchased our FJ bone stock, with 18k miles. It did not even have the eye catching and useful roof rack seen on most of these vehicles.How ever it did come with a upgraded sound system package. I knew right of the bat, the factory tires and running boards had to go. The windows diffidently were going to have to be tinted. To aid the deflecting of the southwest's piercing sun rays.  Let the " MODS " begin !!!                    Modifications   I am a firm believer in the saying " Real Vehicles Are Built,     Not Bought. " There is also a great sense of accomplishment         I have knowing I installed & or designed a good or useful piece of equipment myself.   I removed the running boards which are basically just cosmetic take away needed inches of clearance involved with off-roading. Next we purchased 5 aggressive tread, durable All-Terrain, 32" tires. Our choice the Nitto Terra Grappler A/T as a result of customer reviews, snow & mud ratings, tread wear & appearance. I then installed a ProComp 2 1/2" Leveling kit. This lifts the body to allow for larger tires, alot more articulation of the axles and removes the front downward pitch most trucks have as a result of factory suspension. This lift according to the instructions only takes a couple of hours to install. LIE's !!!! Took me 3 days, I am slower then most. The windshield then had a Garmin Nuvi 500 GPS unit stuck to it. Like all Nuvi models it came with a up to date map of North American streets. The Nuvi 500 however is also water proof and has preloaded Topographic maps of North America. Great for back roads,   trails and 4 wheeling. Next was the ARB Roof Rack. I personally believe   this to be the best roof rack available for the FJ Cruiser. Solid one piece construction and the 87" x 44" area. Make for plenty of cargo room for extended excursions. The rack allows us to have more room inside for both us and the pups, with less interior storage items. I installed a ARB roof rack shovel & Hi-Lift Jack mount. Two 55w low profile back up lights make for a bright path of which to back down. To further assist in the reverse driving. I custom fabricated a camera mount and camera to the rear center of the roof rack. This camera wired to the back up lights, comes on the moment the transmission is put in reverse. Giving us a full color view about 30ft back from the rear bumper on a 3"    monitor mounted to the dash. With it's position on top we have     a better approach view then if it was mounted to view straight back. The All-Pro front bumper completely change the lines and appearance of our FJ. The steel bumper replaced the original plastic one offering us a sense of insurance from any damaging obstacles we may encounter while traveling the sometimes harsh desert terrain. At the core of the bumper lies a Warn 8,000lbs.  4.8 Horsepower winch. With 100ft of 5/16th steel recovery   cable and a 12' lead remote control. This makes for a easy recovery of your vehicle when it gets stuck :) The Bumper is    then topped with it's grill and head light protecting brush        guard. Mounted to the Brush guard are two 130w Long       Range KC slimlites which make the desert at night become       day again. I wanted the interior to be    as comfortable as possible    for both us, our dogs and   any guest we might bring along. So I had to come up with a way to use as much space as possible without infringing on personal space. As I studied the layout with the rear seats laid down, i really did not like the slope up they created from the cargo area to the back of the front seats. My  Lab is getting older and her hips aren't as strong as they use to   be. So she most of all needed a practical, level, padded living space.   The answer was simple, I just needed some ply wood and   some 2 x 4's. I removed the rear tie down hooks to bolt the   trunk I made down. By bolting it to the frame with strong bolts  and fender washers I hope to avoid having it become a    projectile in the event of a accident. Topped it off with a       hinged lid, Factory cargo carpet, tie down hooks, 2 small     master locks and latches to keep the lid closed and secure.   Inside the trunk I made custom sized compartments for most have items while driving in the middle of no where. Things like :  Basic Mechanics Tools, Fuses, Extra Fan Belt, some Vehicle Fluids( oil, brake, transmission, ect.) Fire Extinguisher, Flash  Light, Tow straps, Zip ties, Radiator hose repair kit, Tire plugs, Fix-a-Flat, Duct tape, Ect.....  I also added a First Aid Kit which is mounted to the drivers side of  cargo area wall. The kit has a pretty good selection of medical equipment, Scalpel, Surgical Clamps, Skin stapler, ect.. The bag the kit is in is a M.O.L.L.E ( MO dular , L ightweight, L oad-carrying, E quipment) used by the military. I  can remove it from the FJ and attach it to my M.O.L.L.E gear back pack. The kit has a smaller pouch attached to the front of     it which contains, Emergency blankets, Rain ponchos, & various small survival items.    Next to the 1st Aid Kit is a Emergency Jump Starter which    can be used a couple of times before needing to be charged. It also has a built in emergency Tire Inflater built in. Great to have when there is no one around to get a Jump from. I added a charging station to the Top of my Sub Woofer.  It charges two Motorola 17-mile radius Walkie talkies. It receives it power from the house hold electrical socket that comes standard in  Toyota FJ Cruisers. I just push a button on the dash to begin charging.   That's it so far, but I do have a list of things I would love to eventually add.......