Blue Ribbon 4x4 Build Thread

Yep! That’s the plan!

 

Here’s the final flyer for our SoCal Tundras 7th Annual Anniversary Meet. We raised 17K for Camp Ronald McDonald, and had over 130 trucks. I’m proud to be a part of a club like this since it’s beginning. Good people, I’ve meet some of my best friends here. The charities that we promote are a supreme cherry on top.
My truck is middle left on the bottom picture.

 

2nd coat. Holy shit this blue uses a lot of paint.

 

Wet sanding. Still needs another pass at 400g. Forgot to take a clear coat pic
Then will be the design phase. I got a couple ideas but still not 100% sure about it. It’s always tough when you haven’t seen anyone else do the same design. Not saying I’m the first, just haven’t seen it.

 

A little hood work interrupt.
Yesterday I had the privilege to tour the Camp Ronald McDonald and present the $17K donation check from the SoCal Tundra Outlaws.
These kids are amazing. We played camp games, showed off the trucks, ate some grub. The hospitality from the counselors and kids was killer. All the kids are just there to have fun and be kids, and I was proud to be a part of it.

 

That's awesome, congrats and God bless you all!

 

Thanks! It was a great time with the kids.

 

Ok, here’s the design I’m going with. The black is gone from the hood bulge and surround. So this may look dramatic at first. But with the blue pearl over the black to match the mirrors and lights, I think I got it.
Second pic is the matte black.

 

hmmmm, patience is waring thin, anticipation is growing

 

So I won’t know for sure until it’s in the sun. My first impression is that there’s a little too much pearl over the black when the light hits. But the design idea definitely comes through, and redoing the pearl isn’t too big of a deal.

 

Well if y’all like hearing about my failures, it your day! The blue pearl over the black is indeed too heavy. It almost overpowers the blue ribbon. I really wanted more of the black to come through and just a light pearl. This is tough to do in the shop since I don’t really have good even daylight in there.
So I’ll do it again, more practice, more experience. On a positive note, spraying the clear when it was a little cooler solved my finish issue, and the hood looks great. Let’s sand it and do it again.
I’m definitely ok with this do-over. I really need this to be the way I want it for something so bold on the hood. So I’ll so a couple practice passes with my cup premixed first, then hit the hood.
Learning, learning, learning.

 

Still looks fricken awesome

 

Thanks Robert! I wish I didn’t have a heavy hand for the pearl, but live and learn. Trying to get the same pearl coverage as the mirrors.

 

FINALLY installed the Coachbuilder tie rods. I racked my back a couple months ago and finally got the ok to do some heavy wrenching. They’re really breeze. Old ones came off and new ones on without a problem.

 

Got an alignment and the damn truck drives straight! Haha. The steering feels tight again and the slop is gone. Haven’t taken her offroad yet. Also, my boss was driving by the alignment shop and saw my truck. He stopped and paid my bill!! What a guy!

 

I’m surprised your coil springs aren’t color matched

what’s the point of the heim joint tie rods? Keeps boots from tearing when lifted? The outer sleeve is for strength I gather

 

Installed, but not color matched?

Who are you, and what have you done with Geno?!

 

What part are you looking at? The tie rods are color matched. Pretty sure you even commented on his post where he painted them

 

@GODZILLA

Okay.... you seemed to have missed the Tie Rods but commented on the mirrors. Here's the painted tie rods.

 

Haha! Yeah I got these coilovers used/rebuilt. They came red, and I didn’t want to go through the work of redoing everything to change the color. When the shocks need rebuilding again, the springs will be changed. Many people have asked for the red 700 lb springs.
The new tie rods are just stronger than the OEM. They’re supposed to eliminate bump steer and the joints are rebuildable. I haven’t driven them enough yet, but both my old tie rods were shot. So I went with something expensive, I guess.

 

Like Robert said, tie rods are blue, dude!! Hard to see under the truck though.

 

Well, shit.

It looked black until I zoomed in.

 

I’ve seen the “more travel” claim from CB but hadn’t heard about the bump steer correction. Interested to see what you find on that front, though I got rid of almost all of mine when I pulled the sway bar.

 

Sway bar is long gone. I only have bump steer on crazy stuff, just stuff you would expect it.

 

Most beautiful failure ever.

 

Right? I wish I failed this well.

 

thanks fellas!

 

Back in the saddle! Matte black done on the hood. Slow hardener for the damn heat here. Taking care of the pearl and first coat of clear as early as I can today.

 

Tough to get a pic, but the black is at the forefront, the blue pearl is popping through, we’re in business. When the sun hits it, it should come alive.