Awesome Rig (Post #507) 7/31/2014

I’ve talked about JagGuy’s nasty hobby of bobbing deuce and a halfs. The picture is of his personal rig. It is simply awesome. The stance, the color, the massive 5 ply tires, it has “that look”.

While I waited for him to get back from lunch on Saturday I checked out his truck. I drove M54 the  5 ton version of this vehicle when I served in the Marine Corps Reserve. The summer of 1984’s Combined Arms Exercise found us driving the Wisconsin National Guard’s M35’s aka the deuce and a half. So I have a slight fondness for them.

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Everyone he builds he puts a different sign on. That’s his website, XM381.com. You can go there and see other examples of the trucks he has built.

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He has sources to vendors where he can get the replacement stickers. Ah….NBC…nuclear, chemical, and biologic warfare. Three of my absolute favorites!

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Kaiser Jeep built these trucks.

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Some views of the cab.

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Always a good idea no matter what you are driving.

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Danger! a slightly modified instrument cluster.

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Modified spring seats.

20140726_131300Waterproof radio with waterproof Mil-Spec speakers. That just looks bad ass.

I know you all are thinking how much? I actually have no idea. If you are interested give him an email. In our chat today we got to talking about his camper project. It’s still in the planning phase but I know its going to be awesome too.

Check out his page to see more about his trucks.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

 

3 Ply Tires are for Sissies* (Post #489) 4/24/2014

My good friend JagGuy, who you may know from his site XM381.com or my frequent mentions of his genius when it comes to automotive knowledge, has an interesting hobby. He has a business where he bobs the venerable Duece and a Half’s that were so prevalent in the last century with our military. I drove one at the 1984 Combined Arms Exercise at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Continue reading “3 Ply Tires are for Sissies* (Post #489) 4/24/2014”

Garage Day – August 2013 (Post #377) 8/14/2013

My good friend and resident evil scientist the +Evil German Dude (EGD) announced we were having a Garage Day at his house this past Saturday. For once I didn’t have anything Land Rover related for him to assist me with. I’m sure he and the former Titanium Hitch were quite surprised as we normally have something to do on the Range Rover. They both liked the Big White Bus’s new stance on fresh springs. I had to call it to their attention, but they responded with friendly comments after looking her over.

Inadequate alternator

The main goal of the day was to install a new alternator in EGD’s F-250 Super Truck 4×4 Beast. If you have been a frequent reader you know every thing EGD touches must be modified. His Chevy 1500 was highly modified. I could write an entire blog post listing the changes he made to the 1500. His F-250 is well on its way to being heavily modified.

EGD and the Former Titanium Hitch

More after the jump….

Today’s modification was to be a nuclear power reactor. He has the need to power small cities and in case of a disaster provide power to his evil lair. Sadly the Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied his permit for a mobile nuclear power reactor. They said his design was sound and the schematics were first rate. They just did not feel he rated one.

Beefy.

So he picked the next best thing and contacted the Russian’s for one of theirs installed a DC Power Engineering alternator. At maximum revolutions this monster will put out 300 amps. At idle it puts out 190 amps. Compare that to a stock Land Rover alternator and its 100 amps at max output. They will send it to you polished or one of 11 colors. Impressive.

Size comparison. New on the left and old on right.

The task was a simple one if you were content with using the existing wiring. But EGD is an evil mad scientist, so you know there has to be enhancements. First was replacing the cables to 1 aught. Yes, you read that correctly…1 aught. He is fond of his power conduit mechanisms. Three hundred amps is a lot, and to run it through stock wire is just silly.

One aught cable and in-line voltmeter.

He also installed an in-line volt meter. This is cool enough to warrant install on my Big White Bus. I will have to investigate this option further. One of my pet peeves about my Land Rover is the apparently inadequate wiring. Lots of Land Rover owners outfit their rigs with wenches winches, lots of lights, refrigerators,…etc. These are all power hungry devices in which dual batteries and beefy alternators are just the prescription to get the needed amperage to the devices. EGD’s beastly F-250 is no exception.

Installed.

The former Titanium Hitch and I mostly handed EGD tools and offered the “extra hand” every mechanic, at one time in their life, wishes God had given them. Working with EGD on his rigs over the years is truly entertaining. I’ve never seen him come up against something he hasn’t all ready anticipated.

His work is meticulous, precise, and clean. I have learned a lot from him over the last decade. I told the former Titanium Hitch that when I work on my Range Rover I think about what EGD would say if he saw my work. You’ve no doubt seen the W.W.J.D.? (What Would Jesus Do) and the many variations over the years. My own is W.W.E.G.D.D?

EGD then decided to manipulate the worldwide price of a barrel of crude by doing an oil change in the big diesel. The behemoth uses 13 quarts of oil. Since I have the smallest beer belly of the group, I was elected to ride the creeper under the truck to empty the oil. EGD has made this a simple process by installing a Fumoto valve. No more guessing which wrench you need. No more getting oil on your hands removing the plug. Easy peasy.

Once EGD was done with the alternator installation and oil change was completed, we had a great dinner of roast potatoes, hot dogs, and grilled vegetables prepared by EGB (Evil German Bitch). I know what you’re thinking. But I assure you that’s her own moniker, she picked it out. That’s even how I have them in my phone. She is a superb cook and I always love eating at their house.

After chow time was over, Titanium Hitch told us about the sound system woes in his newly acquired late nineties Ford F-150. The after market sound system had been butchered. EGD was keen to sort out his problems.

I fetched tools while EGD started extracting the radio from the dash. I was also tasked to find a wiring diagram for Ford pickups on the interwebs. That was no real challenge and I was back to handing them tools.

We found the problem, a blown speaker. The others were not in good nick and it was suggested he replace them all. Replacing them was a job for another day.

So we wrapped it all up. I said my goodbyes and headed home with a detour to drop the used oil off at JagGuy’s garage where he will undoubtedly use it in his Bobbed-Duece.

I received an email from an Art of Manliness reader who told me the visited link color on my OkieRover.com website was virtually unreadable in low light. So I swapped it to a red for high contrast.
Thanks Shawn.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering

He swears he’s not over compensating (Post #128) 2/15/2009


My best friend JagGuy recently bought a new toy. It’s an M35A2. 2.5 ton truck. As you can see in the picture to the left. He said he had been looking for one ever since he saw a picture of one a fellow had modified.

He said, “I just thought it was cool.” Secretly we all know he is just trying to compensate for a “lack” of something. He swears he isn’t with the email he sent me with the picture. He wrote,

I’m not compensating for anything! (copied 17 times and ended with)

But what guy doesn’t like a BIG truck!

He owns a 1991 Range Rover Classic, a dozen other Jaguars and assorted whatevers, a Mercedes 300 CD and is building two motorcycles.

He plans to set the 50cc and under world record for motorcycles. The other is a ridiculously crazy project involving a Jaguar V12 motor. To say JagGuy has issues would only scratch the surface.

So his latest foray into off-roading is this 6×6 monster he plans to modify into a 4×4 by dropping an axle. The result will I’m sure be fun for kids of all ages.

I drove M35s when I was serving in the United States Marines. We also drove the big brother to the M35, the M54 which was just a beefier version called “the 5 ton”. He has promised that I can take a metaphorical stroll (I will actually be driving) down memory lane and drive the M35, I fully intend to hold him to that.

The question is now does he plan to make it a “daily driver” as he is like to do with his new acquisitions? Or will this just be another toy in the ever in creasing toy box of excentricity? The jury is still out and with the number of projects he now has planned, I’m pretty sure I could petition him for a job being his “Edd China” for at least three years. Edd and JagGuy could quite possibly be brothers, more on that as I finish my interviews with JagGuy’s dad about his early exploits.