Vehicle Features | Shop Features | Event Coverage | More!
JANUARY 2019 - ISSUE 7
INSIDE Hollywood Cars Museum | Import Face Off | A day to remember
Support our advertisers!
3
Brought to you by
Automotive Media and Marketing that works.
No fancy tricks or gimmicks, just real services by real enthusiasts.
WWW.BRAKRINDUSTRIES.COM
Advertising Ads@vegasautomag.com 702-550-2558 Ideas Editor@vegasautomag.com Rides Rides@vegasautomag.com #702VAMFAM Brakr Industries LLC (Vegas Automotive Magazine) features information and content that is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. Brakr Industries LLC assumes no responsibility for the advertisements within this publication. Although a sincere effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published, Brakr Industries LLC cannot be held responsible for any consequences which arise due to error. Copyright Š 2018 by Brakr Industries LLC All rights reserved. Printed in the USA
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/BRAKRTV
@vegasautomag @brakrindustries
W
Published By Brakr Industries LLC Editor-In-Chief Adrian Mirabal Editor Alexis Solorzano Brakr Media Jimmy Crook Shayna Wright Clinton Rowley Adrian Mirabal Writers Clinton Rowley Alexis Solorzano Adrian Mirabal Layout Adrian Mirabal BRAKR INDUSTRIES LLC PO BOX 363016 NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89036
A word from the Editor
elcome to 2019 everyone! We hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a happy new year! We are super excited to be celebrating our 1 year anniversary publishing Vegas Automotive Magazine. For our first year we had a very successful year publishing every other month, launching our YouTube channel and much more. We learned a lot last year and we are ready to go into 2019 and bring you more content. This year we will be putting out a new magazine EVERY MONTH! We hope you subscribe for free via our email list and check out every issue. We will be featuring more cars, shops and events! Be sure to stay up to date with all the things happening in the Las Vegas car scene. For our first issue we knew we had to come in with a bang for 2019 so we wanted something wild for our cover. The FJ45 prerunner was a perfect fit. This thing is one of a kind! Honestly, all the cars we featured this issue are cover material. We checked out a 1965 Chevrolet Impala that has been completely restored and in the same family since 1986. We took the trip out to Nelson's Ghost Town for this one and it was well worth it. We also got to shoot with a one of a kind BMW E92 M3. This thing is crazy! It is wide bodied, bagged and much more. Be sure to check these all out. We also attended some shows we are highlighting and went to check out a local car museum. If you are having a show or have something cool for us to check out. Reach out to Editor@vegasautomag.com
Editor Alexis Solorzano
Contents
12
6- Events calendar 8- Import Face Off 12-65 IMPALA 16-FJ45 PRERUNNER 20-Hollwood Car Museum 22-WIDE BODIED M3 26-A day to remember 28-prerunner breakdown 30-#702vamfam
16
22
26
8 JANUARY 2019 >>>>>> ISSUE #7
5
JANUARY 2019
Event Schedule
For more details visit www.brakrindustries.com/events
Always verify event details prior to attending, details can change.
Date
Event Name
Location
Type
Cost
January 12-13
CES Showdown 2019
Texas Station Casino
Stereo Comp/Show
Free to attend
January 18
Midnight Mayhem #1
LVMS Drag Strip
Drag Racing
$
January 18-20
Mesquite Motor Mania 2018
Casa Blanca, Mesquite, NV
Festival/Show
Free to attend
January 19
Police Chase LV Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
Police Chase LV
Grand Opening
NA
January 27 @10am-4pm
Vegas Drift
LVMS Outside Road Course
Drift Event
$
February 2 @10am-2pm
Red Car Show
Nostalgia Street Rods
Car Show
Free to attend
February 9 @2pm-8pm
Elite Tuner Las Vegas
Royalty Exotics
Car Show
$$
Recurring Events
Caffeine & Chrome Last Saturday of the month 9am-12pm Gateway Classic Cars of LV Las Vegas Car Meets (Free) Every Wednesday Locations vary Follow @Lasvegascarmeets
Cars & Coffee Las Vegas (Free) Every Saturday Morning, 7am-10am Speed Vegas Race Track Follow @speedvegas
Espresso and Exotics (Free) Second Sunday of every month 8am-11am Boca Park Espressosandexotics.com Gears and Grinds (Free) First & third Sunday of the month 8am-11am Baguette Cafe Gearsandgrindsvegas.com Cars und Kaffee (Free) Last Sunday of every month 8am-11am Vesta Coffee Roaster Follow @Carsundkaffee
Village Square Car Show + Art Festival Third Thursday of the month 5:30pm-8:30pm 9400 W Sahara Ave Vegas Meets Every Wednesday Locations vary Follow @vegasmeets Car Show on Eastern Every Saturday morning 7am-10am 9500 S. Eastern Ave
First Friday @Findlays VW meet up Every First Friday of the month 6pm-9pm Findlay VW Henderson 983 Auto Show Dr Cars and Coffee Every Sunday morning 7am-10am Rancho and Craig
Send your event to events@vegasautomag.com to be included.
Support our advertisers!
7
O
riginating in 2001, Import Face Off is a brand we all recognize. It is one of the largest and continually running national import show and race series in the US. They run 40+ events from coast to coast every year. This event is more than just a race and show. They consider it a full lifestyle event with a little of everything to keep your vibe going. When we arrived at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway we were immediately in a line to get in full of show cars, drift cars, drag cars and everything in between. Of course this is an import heavy event. (I mean it’s in the name) but it was awesome to see some American cars there to compete. Getting to see some Import VS Domestic challenges going on is always a good time. The line to get in moved at a decent speed and we were in. It is always hard to park and get our gear setup because there is already so much going on around us. First thing we did was walk the entire line of vehicles getting setup in the show n shine section and pits. People were detailing their cars, doing last minute tuning changes, removing body panels and some were just chilling bumping their stereos. The first area we checked out was the Show N Shine. IFO does parking, judging and awards all in one day. There is a tailgate atmosphere where you can bring drinks, grills, coolers, chairs and canopy tents. There were a ton of familiar cars and clubs out there representing for the local scene including Team Hybrid, Team Elevate, Sloyotas, Team RS702 and more. When we walked around to get some shots off this area we felt right at home among other enthusiasts just having a good time. We also ran into Mike de Guzman from Team Hybrid who hooked us all up with some sandwiches, chips and water. It is things like this that show us the love is real in the local automotive community. Thanks Mike!
Check out the video!
Import Face Off WORDS Adrian Mirabal IMAGES Jimmy Crook / Adrian Mirabal
#IFO2018
As we got to the end of the Show N Shine section there was a stage area with vendors and a DJ setup. They had music, models and other contests going on. While we were there they were doing car limbo. Just in case you don’t know what car limbo is or can’t figure it out from the name, it is where people take turns driving their cars underneath a stick and seeing which car is or can go the lowest. You will see people airing out, adding weight and all sorts of tricks to win this one. The entire time we were making our way through the show you could hear engines roaring, burnouts and see smoke in the sky from the drag strip. We finally made our way to the strip. IFO has multiple categories for its drag racing. They have Bracket, All Motor, Forced Induction, FWD and a few others so there is a class for people of all skill levels. We spent a while just watching the runs from the sideline. Definitely glad Jimmy brought us some ear plugs to rock. It was a mix of full drag cars and street driven daily drivers making their passes all competing to move to the next level. Some contestants are there competing for overall points so they traveled from all over just to keep their standings. The last section we went to was the drifting! This section was being organized and ran by our local drift series, Vegas Drift. It is always good to see some cars sliding sideways no matter what day or time it is. High horsepower, low horsepower, whatever works. We were watching people make multiple runs and fine tuning their run over and over. The cool thing is seeing people mess up and laugh it off. At the end of the day people are having a good time while doing what they love.
10
Full Photo Album at www.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
Cars jam packed full of people to get their ride height lower in order to make it to the next round in car limbo.
Domestic cars came out to go head to head with imports on the drag strip.
Not everyone was lucky enough to run all day. This is sometimes part of racing.
Humble Beginnings A car full of family history WORDS Clinton Rowley IMAGES Jimmy Crook / shayna wright
12
Check out the video! 13
W
e often get asked “What do I need to be in the magazine?”Looks will catch our eye of course, but a ride with history, meaning, and love is what will really get you noticed. Harry Windhorst III drives this beautiful 1965 Chevrolet Impala that covers all of that and then some. The Impala was purchased in 1986 by his father Harry Windhorst II out of Utah, naturally there was rust, body filler and fresh paint to hide the shame. Growing up Harry lived on Mt. Charleston and rode to school in Indian Springs with all 5 of his siblings crammed in the Impala. Being the family car it was taken on road trips, buried under tons of snow on the mountain, multiple trips to the lake with the trunk stuffed to the gills with ice and a keg of beer, and it was the car everyone in his family learned to drive in. Harry mentions leaving a dog in the car for about half a day and coming back to a completely eaten interior and another incident with a horse but he didn’t have any details. I’m worried about that one. His first ride was an ’82 C10 that he got when he was 19, he met a friend who convinced him to lower the pick-up and it’s been downhill since. Between the C-10 and the Impala Harry has owned a few vehicles including, a 1988 K5, a 1965 Biscayne Wagon, and a 1965 4-Door Impala. I guess he has a thing for Chevys. We asked what Harry’s favorite memory with the car was and he said, “The look on the Police Officer’s face when he pulled me over with three of my buddies in the car for doing 100 mph, in the middle of winter, all of us dressed in snow-gear and with the windows busted out.”
Driver Specs:
Name: Harry Windhorst III Instagram: @vegascarshows Occupation: Materials Testing Technician Favorite Food: Pizza
Vehicle SPECS:
1965 Chevrolet Impala 2 door hardtop Engine: 454 with mild cam Suspension: Air Ride, Hotchkis 4 Link
Wheels/Tires/Brakes:
American Racing Torque Thrust II / 18/20, Stainless Steel Brake Corp Force 10 Disc Brake Kit Body: All stock Audio: Retro Auto Sound System Interior: SS Interior with modified T-Bird Split bench, Custom Console, Dakota Digital Gauges Thanks: My Dad. My buddies Curtis, Jason and Derek. And last but not least my wife for being an awesome support and always being there to do the things I couldn’t get done due to frustration.
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
After a car show in 2001 Harry saw a restored ’65 Impala and convinced his dad to let him have the old family car. He hauled it off the mountain into the valley to start working. At this point the old car had been through the wringer with a rotted out trunk, the quarter panels were toast, interior was nonexistent, and the original TurboFire 283ci V8 was blown. The entire rebuild process took around 15 years so clearly patience was a major factor in the way this car looks today. The suspension was upgraded to air and a Hotchkis 4 link in the rear, while sitting on American Racing Torque Thrust II’s. The interior is off of an SS Impala of the same year, with a modified Thunderbird split bench, and a Retro Audio Sound stereo. Harry had originally planned to rebuild the original motor but his wife said “bigger is better” and he threw in a 454 big block with a mild cam setup instead. As they say, “there is no replacement for displacement.” Harry says his favorite part of the car is the original glove box door, which hangs at his father’s house.
His vision was to restore it by himself, and did just that with help from friends in necessary parts of the build. He even painted the thing on his own, and learned what metallic paint does to the walls of your garage. Now that it is complete he takes it to cruises and enjoys driving around town for sweet treats with his kids. From the family daily to the family cruiser, this car has seen it all and it looks like it will see a lot more.
15
fj45 prerunner 50% Tundra, 50% FJ, 100% bad ass WORDS Adrian Mirabal IMAGES Jimmy Crook / shayna wright
W
e knew we wanted to start 2019 with a bang. Our readers like things that are new, fast and custom. This one of a kind 1972 Toyota FJ45 is all of those and more. You may recognize this truck from our social media. We had the pleasure of seeing the truck before it was completed while visiting Nefarious Kustoms, an offroad fabrication shop in Vegas. We learned that it would be done for SEMA. At this time it was a roller with body/paint, seats, wiring and a long list of odds and ends left to do before SEMA. Talk about SEMA crunch! After a few jam packed weeks the truck made it and Cameron even drove it from his shop right into the Raceline Wheels Booth. Cameron Chin is the owner of the truck and Nefarious Kustoms. Cameron has always been into cars. At the age of 6 he was already able to recognize makes, models of any car from the 50’s to present. His first car was a 1967 Mustang Fastback he picked up for $2,000. While he was in high school he would spend every dollar he earned on the car. When he went off to college he needed something a little more reliable to travel in. He sold his Mustang and picked up a Wrangler. While Cameron was attending college at the University of Texas he started the Longhorn Off-road Club with friends. The club turned into a fraternity and this is ultimately what led him to the off-road lifestyle. After college he worked at a few off-road shops to make contacts and understand the business before opening Krawltex Motorsports in 2006. When an opportunity opened in Las Vegas for his wife, they decided to move here and that is when he opened Nefarious Kustoms in 2012. Cameron wanted to own something super unique. The Toyota FJ series is already one of the most reliable, long lasting vehicles that can get you anywhere you need to be but the plan was for much more. A friend of his had the cleanest FJ40 with a 4.7 Tundra swap and that got him interested in the body style. He bought a Toyota and chopped it up into a pickup. The plan was to build a beater FJ45 rock crawler. In 2016 he took his Ultra 4 solid axle race car and a bone stock Yamaha YXZ down to Mexico for the Baja 1000 pre run. That was a wakeup call that 4wd IFS was the only thing his money should go towards. He came home, sold his Ultra 4 and bought a 2007 Tundra 4x4 to build the Landcruiser off of. This is not just any old restored FJ45. This was built to be a prerunner. He imagined to himself, “What would Ivan Stewart drive in the 60’s and 70’s if he had today’s technology?” With that vision in mind he took the 2007 Tundra 4x4 Chassis and the FJ40 wagon and got to work.
17
The FJ40 wagon was hand formed into an FJ45 pick up cab with a 4” extension. The rear bedsides came off a Datsun. The front half of the frame/chassis is from the donor Tundra. This made things a little easier when it came time for suspension and also powertrain. Cameron was able to run an LSK Tundra 4x4 Long Travel Race Kit. The kit is strapped and bumped at 19.25” of travel with King Race Series shocks. He is running the 5.7L i-force V8 with a Magnuson supercharger. The rear of the truck is completely back halfed, meaning the frame was chopped after the cab and is running a tube chassis. All the cage work ties the entire thing together. The rear suspension is a 4 link setup strapped at 24” of travel. The build took 2 years in his “free time”. Literally every inch of this has had to be touched to make the entire build work. The entire build was done in house at Nefarious Kustoms including the 2018 BMW M5 Snapper Rocks Blue Paint by Matthew Miller. I know there is still some confused faces when it comes to prerunners and people are not sure what they are looking at. If you check out part 2 to this feature on page 28 and 29 you can learn a little more about them.
18
Driver Specs:
Name: Cameron Chin Instagram: @Nefariouskustoms Occupation: Owner/Fabricator/Racer Favorite Food: Texas BBQ, street tacos and chili dogs
Vehicle SPECS:
1972 Toyota FJ45 Engine: 2007 Tundra 5.7 I-Force V8 550 hp with Magnuson Supercharger Travel Race Kit Suspension: Front 2007 Tundra 4x4 chassis, LSK Tundra 4x4 Long Travel Race Kit strapped and bumped at 19.25" of travel, King Race Series 10" 2.5 Coilover and 3.5 Triple Bypass shocks with finned reservoirs and Swift Springs. Rear suspension is trailing armed triangulated 4 link strapped at 24" of travel with King Shocks 14" 2.5 Coilover with remote reservoir and 3.0 Quadruple Bypass shocks with piggyback reservoir.
Wheels/Tires/Brakes:
37" BFG Baja TA's on 17x17.5 Raceline Avenger Beadlocks, Powerstop slotted and drilled rotors and pads Body: FJ40 Wagon hand formed into an FJ45 pickup cab with 4" extension, Datsun rear bedsides, 2018 BMW M5 Snapper Rocks Blue paint and body work done by Matthew Miller of Nefarious Kustoms, Campbell Racing hood Interior: Fiberwerx dash, 4x4 Spod Source, custom tilt column with NRG quick release and MPI suede wheel, PRP heated suede Podium seats, Crowe 5 point harness, Holley EFI touchscreen display Misc: 4.88 Nitro Gears, UMP air intake, , Jamar cutting brake, Derale trans cooler, 31x19� Race Radiator with dual fans, dual Bosch 044 fuel pumps, dual Total Power batteries, long tube headers, cat delete, Magnaflow race mufflers with handmade exhaust tips, LED headlights, 32 gallon Jaz Fuel Cell, gold powder coating by 6651 Customs Thanks: LSK Suspenison, King Shocks, Swift Springs, Liquimoly Oil, Raceline Wheels and BF Goodrich
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
19
Hollywood cars museum
We check out Cars From the movies and TV WORDS Alexis solorzano IMAGES Jimmy Crook / shayna wright
I
t’s no secret that Las Vegas is home to many hidden gems. The Hollywood Cars Museum is what I would consider to be one of these gems. This museum is 30,000 square feet of famous cars that we all know and love. It is located at 5115 Dean Martin Dr #905, right behind the strip. Tickets are twenty dollars and children under sixteen get in free with a paid adult! It is a fun family friendly place that people of all ages can enjoy. Our team had the pleasure of checking out this awesome spot. We pulled up and the first thing that we noticed was a crazy looking car. As we got closer we realized it was a Fred Flintstone Car! Of course we were all stoked because it was bringing back some very nostalgic vibes from our childhood. Then we headed towards the front door where a red 1954 Ford Skyliner glass top was parked. (This is actually owned by an employee there) This car was featured in the made for T.V. production of the Temptations, and this was all before we even got in the door! As we walked in we were greeted by so many cool car trinkets and toys to look at. One of my favorite things in the lobby were these chairs that looked like seats from an old restored car.
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
It is a walk through tour so we headed into the first room excited to see what was next. The first thing that the car lover in all of us notice are the tuner cars from the very first Fast and The Furious movie. Including my personal favorite from the movie Brian O’Conners green 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. We then checked out a stretched pink Mercedes from the hit T.V. show Life Styles of The Rich and Famous. Complete with a heart shaped hot tub in the back, yep that’s right I said HOT TUB! The next thing that caught my eye was a crazy roller skate car that, to my surprise it was designed by the famous fashion designer Marc Jacobs to use as a promotional tool at events. There was also a recreation 1934 ford model 40 sedan death car that was used in a movie about a very infamous couple. You could probably guess the couple was none other then Bonnie and Clyde. The car still wearing the bullet holes from the scene where they get caught. A little thing you might not notice is the bullet holes were actually shot out from the inside to make sure no damage was done to the interior because the car actually runs still! The 1969 Dodge Charger stunt car, Bat Mobile, Flying Matador Coupe from a James Bond movie, and the ultimate ride the Back To The Future Delorean were just some of the cars that rounded out the tour. The other awesome space in the museum was the Liberace room. Filled with entertainers wild crystal encrusted cars and clothes, and for anyone that likes a little something else they also have a showroom dedicated to Vespas! Overall this museum was so entertaining. Some of the best movies of all time accompanied by the awesome cars that helped make them iconic, doesn’t get better than that. So if you are ever looking to do something fun a different in your spare time you should check this place out. There were so many unique rides I couldn't mention them all, so you will just have to take a trip down there and see for yourself!
Visit their website or Facebook page for a $5 off coupon!
Suprem e M3 WORDS IMAGES Clinton Rowley Jimmy Crook / shay
na wright
Nothing is h olding back Francesco i his hand co n ntrolled, w ide bodied M 3
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
T
he BMW M3 is a racing icon, the E30 M3 was mass produced to pass homologation in the Group A racing series. Intended to be lightweight and quick as hell, it won countless races and even more hearts. The M3 today is still a racing machine treasured by many including Francesco Iovino, who’s 2013 BMW E92 M3 we shot for this issue. 31 year old Francesco Iovino is a Las Vegas native who works construction by day and drives a wild M3 by night. His uncle always had nice cars while he was growing up, and just having them around is usually all it takes to make someone into a gear head. After a motocross incident that put Francesco into a wheelchair he decided he wasn’t going to be restricted to anything he didn’t want. “I told myself when I became injured that I didn’t want to drive a mini van around so I did some research and found out I could drive any car I wanted.” says Francesco. He purchased a BMW 550, threw hand controls in it, then started to hit the local car scene and really got into it. Francesco then decided he needed something else, getting rid of the 550 and picking up his current M3 at a dealer in California. With the intention of having a wild show car he got started on making his ride like no one else’s. For suspension he installed Airlift Performance 3 piece struts and an Accuair management system. Riding pretty on custom Rolloface 3 piece wheels wrapped in some Pirelli P-Zeros. The stance on this car is hard to ignore with the wide body kit that was produced by the same manufacturer as his wheels, Rolloface. Adding to how sleek the whole car looks is a Dinmann aero kit, and a slew of Carbon fiber from nose to tail. Inside keeping him comfortable is a pair of Braum Racing seats, while Braum harnesses keep him safe cruising to the car shows. There is even more carbon fiber in the interior with trim pieces and a Dinmann steering wheel. With a Menox hand controls system to get him going, and an Evasive roll cage to protect everything inside. The best part happens to be in the trunk, inside is some stacks of cash, a pair of Jordan 5 Supremes, and the piece de resistance is his Accuair tank with an insane paint job themed around our magnificent city Las Vegas. As far as engine mods go, he has an Evolve tune for a bump in HP and some M Performance brakes to stop this monster. Including the car, the estimated build cost is around $90,000, that is a serious chunk of change. The build took a whole two years to get where it is at now and Francesco says the biggest problem was how difficult it was to be patient for parts to be installed. Since it’s been finished he has taken home hardware from Stance Nation this year, and hopes to get into SEMA. Francesco says he has plans to install a supercharger next, and we can only imagine what could come after that.
24
Driver Specs:
Name: Francesco Iovino Instagram: @Sincitym3 Occupation: Construction Favorite Food: Pizza!
Vehicle SPECS: 2013 BMW E92 M3
Engine: 420 hp Suspension: Airlift performance 3 piece struts
& Accuair management with accuair endo cvt tank Wheels/Tires/Brakes: Rolloface custom 3 piece wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tires Body: Rolloface widebody kit, Dinmann areo kit, Dinmann Carbon Fiber air vents, CS-II Carbon Fiber trunk, Carbon Fiber Roof Interior: Braum Racing Seats, Braum Racing Harnesses, Evassive Roll Cage, Dinmann Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel, Carbon Fiber interior trim Misc: Custom Race Livery/Wrap, M Performance brakes, Carbon Fiber Eyelids, Custon trunk set up w/ custompainted tank, menox hand controls, tire stickers, motorsports hardware lug nuts. Thanks: Formula Autohaus, Rolloface, Braum Racing, Motorsporthardware, Evolve, Tire Stickers, 13twenty & Eurosquad
A Day To Remember WORDS AND IMAGES ADRIAN MIRABAL
B
efore it got too cold we were able to make it out to a few shows back to back. Some shows are just shows and others have a story or meaning behind it. This is one of the ones with a meaning. A Day To Remember Car, Truck and Bike Show or sometimes referred to as the Chubbs Memorial Car Show was held at Buffalo Bills Casino in Primm, NV and is hosted by the Las Vegas Freaks of Nature chapter. This is a short drive outside of town that is well worth it to get away for a day or the entire weekend. The show has evolved to celebrate the lives of the many friends and family we have lost in the car community but it originally started to celebrate the life of James “Chubbs� McKittrick. Chubbs was a member of the Las Vegas Freaks of Nature Chapter and a true member of the car/ truck community. Unfortunately, Chubbs passed unexpectedly in 2010 leaving behind his mother and three daughters. Every year a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the daughters he left behind.
This is a commemorative show that is meant to celebrate lives. The show is held in the large parking lot behind the Buffalo Bills Casino. The area was packed! There were trucks and cars being driven in, some coming in on trailers. There were cars and trucks of all styles here. There was a TON of mini trucks but also classics, hot rods and lifted trucks all mixed together. The show had a DJ, raffles, games, trophies and tons of food and refreshments. On top of that you have the roller coaster and casino right there which makes it easy to jump over there for some more fun. We went around checking out all the vendors and rides. The show is very inclusive. There were builds of all levels. Some were complete back halfs, frame off builds and some running bolt on upgrades. Everyone is at different stages of building their ride. This show happens once a year and is definitely worth checking out.
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
27
LETS BREAK IT DOWN
This issue we featured a crazy FJ45 build. There was so much custom fabrication and so many parts that we decided to take it back to the shop for a closer look. A build like this is referred to as a prerunner. The word prerunner originally came from vehicles used to pre run an off-road race course that was not the actual race vehicle. This could be a UTV, Buggy, Truck etc. It has evolved to refer to long traveled trucks that are also street legal. As a matter of fact most "prerunners" are not even owned by race teams but by hobbyist looking to build their truck to be able to take on the same environment trophy trucks and other off-road race vehicles do. Take a closer look and get to know a little more about what makes this truck a prerunner.
WORDS AND IMAGES ADRIAN MIRABAL
What Is A Prerunner?
Long travel suspension is defined by having more suspension travel than a stock truck. This is accomplished by replacing the factory components with custom control arms, spindles, tie rods, and shocks. Every long travel kit is different although they all carry the same concept. Some may have bushings vs uniballs, boxed arms vs tubed arms etc. This particular kit has boxed upper control arms, boxed lower control arms, a fabricated spindle, full heimed steering and a custom shock mount to fit the longer stroke shocks. All of this together allows for the truck to use all the extra travel. Here are a few parts explained. Heims are spherical joints that typically replace ball joints. They last longer, are stronger and provide more movement to cycle suspension than ball joints. Uniballs are spherical joints that sit in a cup that typically replace ball joints or bushings. They also provide more angle, last longer and are stronger. All hardware is replaced with Grade 8 nut/bolt combos.
28
The rear suspension on this truck is often referred to back halfed/4 linked. This refers to the amount of links going from the chassis to the rear end. If you look at the photo to the left you can see the two lower links that have shocks attached to them and the two upper links coming off the axle going to the chassis. These links move up and down to cycle the full wheel travel of the rear suspension. Paired with the right shocks, bump stops and limit strap setup this is one of the most proven and well known offroad suspension setup. If you take a look at most trophy trucks you will recognize this setup.
Full Photo Album atwww.Facebook.com/Vegasautomag
Every nut and bolt is typically swapped with a grade 8 replacement. These trucks are built for long hours going through some of the roughest terrains so you have to touch every nut/bolt meaning you check to make sure they are tight. It is common practice to mark bolts with a paint pen so you can ensure they are not coming loose. If the lines start to not match up, then something is moving. If you look to the right you can see just how much wheel travel can be achieved out of a 4 link suspension setup. This setup is at 24" of wheel travel. Wheel travel is the amount of travel the suspension can cycle from full droop to full bump. These are setup during the build process. A strap is in place to catch the suspension before it droops out too far to prevent damage and a hydraulic bump stop is mounted to the chassis to stop the suspension from coming up to far and causing damage.
Larger tires help get you through the bumps, holes and rough patches. The larger a tire the bigger stuff it can get through. You do sacrifice some things as well so how much clearance, hp and $$ you have will play a role in this. This FJ 45 is running 37" BFG Baja TA's.
Ultimately there is just too much to list here. Pictured are custom battery trays to hold multiple batteries, custom LED headlights, custom fabricated seat brackets, radiator fans with custom mounts, finned reservoirs to keep shock fluid temperature down, a fuel cell with custom filler setup. I hope this gave you a better idea of what a prerunner is or what some of the terms you hear when talking about them mean. Let us know if you liked this and if you want us to do a full video breakdown on builds like this.
Readers' rides! Use#702VAMFAM
@vegasautomag
Want to see your ride here? Be sure to follow us on social media and use our tag, #702VAMFAM on your car/truck/ motorcycle related posts! TAG US TO BE FEATURED!
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/BRAKRTV
31