Sorry if you think this is too much to read. My TV broke, I'm bored, so I'm making a to-do list for the trucks this winter.
Well, after holding off on another car since I sold the Galant, I've decided... I'm going to keep holding off on another car, and focus on my two trucks instead. I've got plans for the both of them, so I figured I would just make one thread out of it.
2011 Sierra
The Sierra will be having yet another easy winter. This truck has only seen snow 2-3 times in its life. When it snows, I usually drive my XJ because It handles the snow wonderfully. I also don't mind hooking a chain up and ripping someone out of a ditch with it, knowing if I slide into the same situation, I can get out without worry. It's going to be going in to storage in Lake Zurich where my parents keep their boat and the Cutlass. I'll be able to work on it there, just nothing dirty (oil, fluids, etc) which won't be a problem.
-Have the OEM 17" wheels powder coated semi-gloss black. As I do not want to cope with the mediocre duribility of the plasti-dip I just applied. I'll be pulling them all off come winter and putting the truck on jack stands, as my tires only have another 10,000 miles or so left in them.
-2.5" Rough Country suspension lift. I've already got a leveling kit on the truck, but, I want to go bigger. For the front, the kit has my "leveling kit" spacers, as well as a 1" upper strut mount spacer. In the rear, it simply has a 2" block with longer U-bolts. As I already have 1/3 of the kit in my leveling kit, I talked to RC, and they're going to knock some money off for not including the leveling spacers. Pretty cool IMO. With the discount, it puts the total cost of the kit under $100...
-Re-tint windows I already have 20% tint on my fronts, which matched my factory rear tint perfectly... But, the shop I had do it did not use 3M product, and has since gone out of business. I am going to remove the tint, and re-tint.
-Rear window and back side glass = 15% over factory
-Driver/ Passanger windows = 5%
-Windshield = 50%
I used to think this was stupid and unnecessairy, but... after driving in my friends trucks, I love it. I can drive without sunglasses, and feel very "private" so to speak lol
-Taillights/ Headlights
-Tails will be getting smoked. NOT completley blacked out, but will end up a very deep deep crimson red. I will leave the reverse lights un-tinted.
-Headlights will be left alone for now, as I have yet to find an aftermarket set that I like. I want to find something that looks OEM, but is blacked inside with a clear lens. HID's will be going in headlights and fog lights as well.
Bumpers
Unless I can find a set of denali take-offs in black, I will be getting steel bumpers and having them p/c'd gloss black.
Grille
Replacing with a billet grille, will still have GMC logo in center.
I may get around to installing a single 10" sub as well as a double din head unit. Want Navigation, bluetooth, and a DVD player/ AUX hookups.
Link to the Rough Country site. You can see the truck with the lift and 33's (same tires I'm getting) as well as a CAD screenshot of how the system works with the strut. I only need the triangular piece that goes on top, U shaped lower piece is what is sold as their leveling kit for these trucks.
Chevy/GMC 1500 Suspension Lift Kit
Here's an idea of what the grille and bumpers will look like.
1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ
As you've seen in my previous Jeep thread, I've had this thing come a long way. It's unfortunatley been sitting for the past two months as I've decided the route I'm going with it. The transmission is starting to act up, and is throwing a CEL, preventing me from passing emissions and renewing my registration (only reason it's sitting). I started messing with it today, and am going to try and figure out if it just needs a TCU or an entire trans. Either way, the build for the Jeep is going to be pretty simple.
4.5" Rusty's lift
Getting their complete 4.5" lift kit, new shocks, leaf packs, coils, t-case drop, slip yoke eliminator, sway bar quick disconnects, etc etc... I'm going to finally do what I've wanted since I got it. This will most likely not be happening until March/ April, but I will be doing it before the upcoming season. Reason being is that I'll be primarily driving it while the Sierra is torn apart in a seperate building. I'm getting a light duty truck (ranger/ S10) for work, but will still need something in case of a good snowfall.
I can't wait to start working on this stuff. God has been looking over me the past year, and I've been able to get alot of things back on track... With a new job and some good side work going, and full time school, I'm busy as shit again, but finally get to enjoy the hobby once again. Keeping my truck was hard enough for a while there, let alone modifying it... But the last couple months have gotten my head stirring with ideas, which one by one will slowly make their way into reality. Dis gon be fun
Well, after holding off on another car since I sold the Galant, I've decided... I'm going to keep holding off on another car, and focus on my two trucks instead. I've got plans for the both of them, so I figured I would just make one thread out of it.
2011 Sierra
The Sierra will be having yet another easy winter. This truck has only seen snow 2-3 times in its life. When it snows, I usually drive my XJ because It handles the snow wonderfully. I also don't mind hooking a chain up and ripping someone out of a ditch with it, knowing if I slide into the same situation, I can get out without worry. It's going to be going in to storage in Lake Zurich where my parents keep their boat and the Cutlass. I'll be able to work on it there, just nothing dirty (oil, fluids, etc) which won't be a problem.
-Have the OEM 17" wheels powder coated semi-gloss black. As I do not want to cope with the mediocre duribility of the plasti-dip I just applied. I'll be pulling them all off come winter and putting the truck on jack stands, as my tires only have another 10,000 miles or so left in them.
-2.5" Rough Country suspension lift. I've already got a leveling kit on the truck, but, I want to go bigger. For the front, the kit has my "leveling kit" spacers, as well as a 1" upper strut mount spacer. In the rear, it simply has a 2" block with longer U-bolts. As I already have 1/3 of the kit in my leveling kit, I talked to RC, and they're going to knock some money off for not including the leveling spacers. Pretty cool IMO. With the discount, it puts the total cost of the kit under $100...
-Re-tint windows I already have 20% tint on my fronts, which matched my factory rear tint perfectly... But, the shop I had do it did not use 3M product, and has since gone out of business. I am going to remove the tint, and re-tint.
-Rear window and back side glass = 15% over factory
-Driver/ Passanger windows = 5%
-Windshield = 50%
I used to think this was stupid and unnecessairy, but... after driving in my friends trucks, I love it. I can drive without sunglasses, and feel very "private" so to speak lol
-Taillights/ Headlights
-Tails will be getting smoked. NOT completley blacked out, but will end up a very deep deep crimson red. I will leave the reverse lights un-tinted.
-Headlights will be left alone for now, as I have yet to find an aftermarket set that I like. I want to find something that looks OEM, but is blacked inside with a clear lens. HID's will be going in headlights and fog lights as well.
Bumpers
Unless I can find a set of denali take-offs in black, I will be getting steel bumpers and having them p/c'd gloss black.
Grille
Replacing with a billet grille, will still have GMC logo in center.
I may get around to installing a single 10" sub as well as a double din head unit. Want Navigation, bluetooth, and a DVD player/ AUX hookups.
Link to the Rough Country site. You can see the truck with the lift and 33's (same tires I'm getting) as well as a CAD screenshot of how the system works with the strut. I only need the triangular piece that goes on top, U shaped lower piece is what is sold as their leveling kit for these trucks.
Chevy/GMC 1500 Suspension Lift Kit
Here's an idea of what the grille and bumpers will look like.
1998 Jeep Cherokee XJ
As you've seen in my previous Jeep thread, I've had this thing come a long way. It's unfortunatley been sitting for the past two months as I've decided the route I'm going with it. The transmission is starting to act up, and is throwing a CEL, preventing me from passing emissions and renewing my registration (only reason it's sitting). I started messing with it today, and am going to try and figure out if it just needs a TCU or an entire trans. Either way, the build for the Jeep is going to be pretty simple.
4.5" Rusty's lift
Getting their complete 4.5" lift kit, new shocks, leaf packs, coils, t-case drop, slip yoke eliminator, sway bar quick disconnects, etc etc... I'm going to finally do what I've wanted since I got it. This will most likely not be happening until March/ April, but I will be doing it before the upcoming season. Reason being is that I'll be primarily driving it while the Sierra is torn apart in a seperate building. I'm getting a light duty truck (ranger/ S10) for work, but will still need something in case of a good snowfall.
I can't wait to start working on this stuff. God has been looking over me the past year, and I've been able to get alot of things back on track... With a new job and some good side work going, and full time school, I'm busy as shit again, but finally get to enjoy the hobby once again. Keeping my truck was hard enough for a while there, let alone modifying it... But the last couple months have gotten my head stirring with ideas, which one by one will slowly make their way into reality. Dis gon be fun
