Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum banner

FJ Camel's Evolution

57K views 113 replies 55 participants last post by  Maximus 
#1 · (Edited)
Camel Evolution (FJCamel's Build Up)

** Work In Progress **
Table of Contents
Post #1:
- Intro
- The Name
- The Base
- The Mods
- Future Mods
- The Tally
- The Camel in Action
**Post #2: The Mods Continued...
**Post #26 & #: Pictures & Media Posts
**Post #27: Purpose of Build & Choice of equipment
**Post #28: Interesting & DIYs & Goodies
Hi Everyone,
My name is Abdul and i am an international student studying up here in WI. As the rest of you i have been infected with the ' FJ ' disease. This FJ is the second car i owned but first to fall in love with, and i have no intention on selling it, so once i leave all the nice people i met here, its going with me.
I also want to thank everyone who helped in making this possible:
First of all, i would like to thank all of the forum members and moderators for this amazing research library. You guys :rocker:
Chris and Charity @ CTR Automotive
Ben @ Rough Country
Terry @ All Pro
David (Forum Name: dbbd1)
and many more... :)


The Name

When i joined the forum, i had absolutely no idea what my theme is, until i looked where i come from. Being from the Middle East and a desert person i guess it sounded right. But please don't ask me how in hell are camels Voodoo Blue?? :eek:

The Base

I decided to purchase the car in August of 2007 and i have heard that the '08's are coming. So i ordered a 2008 Black MT and with the lowest packages to make it easier to mod. August 27th came and i arrived here in the states with no car. :worried: So i drop my bags home, head to the dealer and see what going on down there ?!?! After talking and negotiating for 3 hours, I drove off the lot with a 2007 Voodoo Blue AT. Not even close to what i wanted :0Luckily, the sticker price was $31,999 and i managed to get it down to $27,500 using the angry customer and cash payment chips. :thefinger:
Believe it or not, i still do NOT have the dealer terminology of packages, but i know that i got everything except a roof rack (useless to me and parking lot problems) and rock rails.


The Mods

Ok, let me see if i can get everything down, chronologically:

1. Tint the windows with 5% all around.
2. Bring Down the Roof paint, and Paint Front Pillars Black
3. VSC Cancel Switch, and Turn off DRLs
4. TRD Cat-back and CAI
5. Place spare tire inside(for a while,then back out)
6. Decal here and there
7. Rough Country 6''
8. All Pro Rock Sliders
9. 315x75x16 Maxxis Bighorns
10. 16x8 AR Chamber teflons
11. 2'' JT Differential Wheel Spacers
The rest of these mods are in post #2
12. Tundra Black Door Handles
13. Doug Thorley Long Tubes Headers w/ O2 Simulator
14. URD Y-Pipe
15. URD MAF Sensor Calibrator
16. All Pro 3 pc. Front Bumper w/ small hoop
17. All Pro Rear Bumper
18. 2 PIAA 510 Driving Lights
19. 2 IPF 968 Lights
20. Voodoo Bud Built Skids
21. 4.56 Thick Gears by JT (second set)

The tinted windows
-I really think that tinting makes the car sexier :smokin:
Bring Down the Roof paint, and Paint Front Pillars Black
-All the credit goes to Air2air for inspiring me with this idea before i even buy the car. :cheers: Air




VSC Cancel Switch, and Turn off DRLs




TRD Cat-back and CAI





Spare tire inside
-I don't know if anyone realized but the car's rear looks too long , in other words ugly with a spare tire and a stock FRONT bumper.





Decals


I had to fill up that empty space :eek:




Rough Country 6'', All Pro Rock Sliders, 315x75x16 Maxxis Bighorns, 16x8 AR Chamber teflons, 2'' JT Differential Wheel Spacers










Future Mods
As i said earlier, this build should not stop anytime soon. Plus, i find it exciting to do the mods in stages so i can enjoy them.
1. Black out side Mirror. Just lazy :disgust:
2. CB Radio (Bill's Combo)
3. The Camel Mod
4.Hollandia Panoramic Sunroof. Hopefully before summit to enjoy the scenery.
5. TRD Supercharger. I will go with TRD unless URD and the pioneers in CA find a solution to overheating, could you imagine what would happen in the middle east ?? :confused:



The Tally ** Most people think about the cost because that's all what it comes down to with our disease. And i am sure that there are much more people who spent their dollar more wisely
** This is numbered to match the listed MODS.**
1. Tint: $285
2. Paint: $600
3. VSC & DRL: $10 (Thanks David-dbbd1 the switch)
4. TRD: $1200 w/ labor
5. Spare: $0
6. Decals: $50
7. RC 6": $1249 w/ shipping, Thanks Ben.
8. AP Rock Sliders: $500 (expedited shipment)
9. 5 Maxxis Tires: $875 thanks Chris(not-his-fj)
10. AR Chambers: : $750
11. 2" Wheel Spacer: $220
12. Tundra Handles: $45
13. DT Long Tubes w/ O2 Rear Sim: $544
14. URD Y-Pipe: $369
15. URD MAF Sensor: $228
16. AP Front Bumper: $818 (during sale)
17. AP Rear Bumper: $799
18. PIAA 510 Driving Lights: $250
19. IPF 968s: $189
20. Bud Skids: $1100
21. 4.56 Gears: $1400

Mods Grand Total: $13,500 with labor


The Camel in Action
YouTube - FJ Cruiser Snow Spray
YouTube - FJCamel Fun
This is with the RC 6" and 35"s.
YouTube - FJ Camel Drifts and Donuts RC 6"

Thanks for stopping by and hope i did not bore you did I ?? :wave:
 
See less See more
14
#2 · (Edited)
Tundra Black Handles

DT Long Tube Headers
You can see the L for Long tubes :)

URD Y-Pipe

This is a video of my headers/Y-pipe setup
YouTube - FJ Cruiser Headers Sound 1
All Pro Front Bumper
PIAA 510's Driving Lights
IPF 968's Driving Lights
Black Out Bezel




All Pro Rear Bumper



BudBuilt Skids





 
#3 ·
Nice videos! :) That's with the VSC switch off and in 2wd?
 
#6 ·
Nice build, looking forward to the next MOD's :)
 
#7 ·
I've gotta do that vsc switch. Can't you get the same result from just disconnecting the wire?
 
#11 ·
Thank everyone :) Imust have did it right :cheers:



Yes, because when you unplug the wire from the mass cylinder, you're disconnecting the VSC and its supplements and ALSO the ABS. That where you are advantaged with a switch. :rocker:

I like the paint scheme. Your truck looks so different without the spare tire mounted. Any plans to add something there?
Hmmmm, now i have the sticker and once i get my All Pro front bumper, i will probably whip out the 35'' on the mount :lol: Bumper in front+Spare Tire in rear= Balance the look
 
#8 ·
Yo Abdul....
I see your finally getting off your a$$ to do some big mods...can't wait to see the RC lift and of coarse see you at the next TOGA run/tech day.

BTW: Love the power slide video...I wish my wife would have had her video camera along last weekend, as I did some sliding my self and that in my 6MT.
I can believe I actually was drifting with my Manual...was lots of fun.

Keep the pics coming...looks like I'll have to get off my lazy a$$ and do a build page too ;)
 
#15 ·
Nice build dude i miss the spare tire on the rig tho. Also do know you can turn off the VSC by putting it in 4H and it goes of. Maybe im just missing the point of the switch?
 
#17 ·
FJ camel i would just say this is an awesome RIGGGG man. Love the build up love the pictures. Im just waiting for spring to come to play around with mine. Great job man....
 
#18 ·
Great build!
 
#22 ·
looking good and go pack!
 
#24 ·
The spare 35" doesn't fit in the back does it? maybe at an angle?
I can see two advantages to keeping the spare in the back,
You can see a lot better through the rear window
and you shed a bit of weight by taking off the steel part that holds up the plate.. though thats kind of minor. but if you shed a bit of weight here and a bit there, you will have a better off roader!
 
#27 · (Edited)
Purpose of Build:
As much as i love to travel and explore new places, this vehicle is not going to be built on that basis. I wanted a 4x4 to handle the rugged terrain of offroading and Wisconsin weather, and a Toyota to relax and not worry while i am driving, and a car that could turn some heads, and couple of chicks. Being a student with limited income means limited mods, or at least a slow process. This rig needs to be ready for anything i want to hit and at the same time i can travel those open Interstates freely. BTW i have put 12000 miles in 6 months proudly with no regrets :)

Explanations & Demonstrations:
Approach Angle:
With this setup, i have achieved a sweet and aggressive approach angle, i think. 56 degrees is pretty nice i think :cool:


Why All-Pro?
I have the All Pro front bumper, Rock sliders and hopefully i can get the rear bumper soon. All-Pro and Terry have treated me nicely and made my transactions with them as smooth as possible. What i like about them is that their products are truly Trail engineered; front bumper has the highest approach angles as i remember, and the rock sliders are sticking out to prevent bodily damage to the rig(Below). Also, their gear is fairly priced and and their whole crew is on this forum. Way 2 go All Pro and Keep up the good work :rocker:


Maxxis Tires
Honestly, those tires are not given enough credit because i have had them for 4,000 miles and i liked how they handle, especially for the price. I got them from Chris A.K.A Digger A.K.A forum: not-his-fj who was sponsored by them and he recommended them to me, which i am glad he did. Those tires allows you to choose when to spin out and when to grip which is also a plus for me :).


Underdog Racing Development
Well, well, well. Eversince i laid eyes on the FJ and googled performance, i have been getting slammed with the URD supercharger, which my brother strongly advocates too. Also, after i have seen Todd (air2air) happily enjoying his products, i decided to try them out. Brian at URD was real nice and helped getting the parts out ASAP. Hopefully, one day i will get to try their SC :D
 
#28 · (Edited)
Interesting DIYs & Goodies:
Express Detail:
So, after 6 months of continuous beating and mudding i decided to clean my rig a little before i head home. Surprisingly, i got a nice result for 20 mins of cleaning.
Before & After shots:






Bedroom Paintshop:
Living in an apartment can be tough especially when its 20 below outside :( So, i had to do my track bar and rock sliders ....










R/C FJ:
Here is my toy which i had to change to replicate my blue Camel. I mean FJCamel decal and blacked out front pillars and whited out rear pillar :lol:




Some Winter Gear:
This modding disease even got to my wardrobe :jawdrop: ridiculous?? Yes!!


 
#29 ·
A little more goodies installed :D

All Pro's Rock Jock Hy-pinion 60
BFG Km2 345/75 R16 which is about 36.5"
ARB Air Locker
All Pro Custom Upper control Arms ( 1" longer than stock)
All Pro Bumper Support
Custom Drive Shaft
AntiRock Sway Bar

To the pics:


























 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top