Oct 23, 2017

LandCruiser 200 build up stage 2

Its been a while but finally i had some more modifications done to my 200. Im no longer the guy who can crawl under cars and do the stuff i want, so it falls to the after market mobs and the one who has been responsible for my build up is Ultimate 4WD in Bibra Lake WA. The Outback Accessories Rear Bar and Dual wheel carriers, i choose OA because i liked the strength of the one piece bar and the ease of removing a carrier if i want to only run around with one. The LED lights and tow points built in are also a neat feature.

 
 
I liked the look of the later model Sahara Rims so i bought six and had them powder coated in Graphite instead of the common black most owners are fitting, DBA slotted brake rotors and QFM 4WD pads were also fitted. 

I have been quite happy with the Cruisers quiet cruising mode and did not want to ruin that with a loud exhaust but i did want something that breathed better than the stock exhaust. Plus if i was going to pay thousands of dollars for a pipe i wanted it to be the best pipe i could get, so i went for the Genie Legendex stainless steel twin 3" to a single 3.5" tail pipe. It fits extremely well tucked up higher than the factory exhaust, all mounts are solidly built, the dump pipes are ceramic coated. It has a nice burble under a light throttle and a grunty sound under accelleration. 


ARB Frontier 185lt long range poly tank, ive had a Long Ranger steel tank on a previous Cruiser but this time i went for the poly tank, i believe it is just as strong as the steel without any future problems of rust or cracking plus its around 30kg lighter. It fits up nice and high and no worries about losing ground clearance. The other benefit i am told is they fill faster with a better breather system than the smaller factory sub tank. My only criticism is they don't come with a drain plug. The car now has 280lt fuel capacity



A new 12v platform was fitted to replace the one i had due to the build requiring more fuse holders and circuit breakers fitted, this also meant the HPD catch can had to be moved slightly to a new accessible position. I also had a set of Kevlar protective covers fitted to the rear airbag.



BRC breather kit for diffs & transmission, insurance for water crossings

Lights were another addition, i did experiment by buying a set of Illuminator LED lights but they were not going to fit on the Sahara Bar with hoop so i sold them on. Having had HID lights on my 79 series and knowing how great they light up the road i was keen to have another set, i choose the Lighforce Genesis 50w HID lights for the bullbar along with a Lightforce 40" LED dual watt single row light bar fitted to the Rhino rack, at the rear i have a 10" lightforce LED light bar for reversing and lightening up the campsite. Inside the tailgate i have had a Lighforce flush mounted LED light fitted into the top section of the tailgate, this puts out a tremendous amount of light which will be great for camping and fishing. I also carry two portable LED magnetic lights for additional lighting. A 170w Solar Panel mounted onto the Pioneer platform with the wiring for the paneland lights neatly hidden away utilising the factory rubber covers and grommets. A set of Max Trax and a Darche awning are also fitted, along with the Aero Bars which have the Hullavator Brackets attached for the Kayak Loaders & Carriers.
 










Jun 15, 2017

NINGALOO again

Another visit to South Lefroy Bay, Ningaloo Homestead has been and gone. This year the Billy's had their new JB Scorpion off road caravan and GX 200 series TTD, It sure was a change from the Jayco Swan and 100 series they had for many years.

On the road north
Billys new rig

Ningaloo Homestead

The Ningaloo Road, recently graded

Ningaloo Homestead, 1st port of call when arriving
 We had our usual camp sites and arrived when the weather was hot, we got the vans positioned, awnings out and hit the water for our 1st of many swims to keep cool. The next few days were spent getting our camps finished with plenty of shade walls and floors. 

Never get tired of the sunsets


Full moon
Kayaks off, fishing rods set up and we were ready for our stay. I had a slow start on the squid but by week two I was pulling in an average of 6 a day for the next two weeks. Vickie & Dave started to get in on the act and catch them as well, we had more than we needed so started sharing them with other campers.

One mornings effort

Another day
Calamari YUM
 Another day we went for a drive over the dunes for Dave and Brett to get more experience with their 200 series Landcruiser's and the girls to do some Beach fossicking.


Boys and their toys

Girls with the boys toys

Brett getting ready for the hill
Maybe this time?

Brett looking relaxed



I'm the King of the Castle






 We took our Kayaks up to Yardie Creek with some other campers we know and had a lovely time paddling and peddling up the gorge spotting rock wallaby's and birds.




Rock Wallaby






Gamma Hole on the track to Yardie Creek
Billys Fish and Chips
Our Roast Lamb night
 The weather was lovely for the first month, our daily routine can become very similar and Vickie had enough by then and she flew home to spend time with our eldest granddaughters. I had a mate coming across from Victoria for a couple of weeks, Mal has visited Ningaloo with us a couple of times before with his wife Lynne but this time it was a solo trip to test out his new Camper trailer.



Mally in his happy place


Typical Sunsets at Ningaloo

Mally and Mick


During his time with me we Beach fished most days and nights but our catch was dismal to say the least, a few shovel nose rays, some thread fin salmon, a spangled emperor and giant Trevally and some unstoppable sharks. With news reaching Mal that his wife wasn't well and me with my mojo struggling we choose to pull the pin early. It was a disappointing end to our stay but family comes first.




At least he caught something for all his effort :-)


They are getting bigger Mally :-)

Dave working out what to do next 
I'll admit that i am starting to lose interest in updating our blog via the clunky blogger on laptop, I have tried using my iPad with the blogger app and its not as simple to upload photos, i have started to use Face Book for any NIKNOFF updates so if your a face book user and you want to check it out just do a search for NIKNOFF Facebook ...Until next time, Safe Travels

Caiguna to Boondi Rock and Home

 Arrived back home in Safety Bay WA after battling the worst head winds we have encountered for many years, rain and wind, wind & rain ....