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Rugged Baby Buggy Bumpers

Serious off-roading is rough on equipment. Only the toughest gear will stand up to the hardcore bashing and thrashing of rockcrawling, mudding and desert running. Even the toughest equipment, however will not last forever under these conditions. Once a part or component has been hammered on enough times, it must be replaced. Fortunately, with the rapid evolution of off-road engineering, the replacement is often much stronger and will withstand more abuse. In the case of the 1985 Toyota 4-runner in our story, we are replacing it’s fourth front bumper. Yeah, this rig has seen some serious trails from Moab to the Rubicon over the past ten years.

Bumper to Bumper

Poison Spyder has a reputation for building some of the most extreme crawler rigs out there, and when it comes to advice, Clifton is usually at the top of our list of guys to ask. We were looking for a bumper that would be able to hold up to any rock we could slide into, as well as a well placed winch mount. A good looking bumper would be an added bonus, but we were willing to compromise on that last option. As it turned out, Poison Spyder had recently released their Brawler Bumper for XJ Cherokee’s. Not only did it have everything we were looking for, it’s a lot easier on the eyes than you would think for a hardcore bumper.

SODA BLASTING

When starting any project that requires bodywork, rebuilding or even repainting, the first question is always, “What could possibly be lurking under the old paint that could come back and haunt us later?”

On Your Guard

Kilby Enterprises makes many cool products, such as their On Board Air systems, but they also produce some heavy duty skid plates that are designed to keep the rocks from inflicting pain on you and your rig.

Flare with Style

Arnold Hemedinger, a self-employed European auto mechanic and a die-hard Jeep lover, discovered an 88’ YJ Jeep Wrangler that had been stored in a barn and obviously seen better days. Arnie, being the visionary he is, instantly saw the jeep as a diamond in the rough and with a little tender care would polish out brilliantly. His wife on the other hand saw the jeep only as another mid-life crisis project that would sit among two and half acres of other would-be diamonds.

An Overview of Restoration Products

Gone are the days of struggling to find restoration chemicals and parts. The article highlights how the availability of reproduction parts and user-friendly chemical solutions has revolutionized car restoration. It introduces popular and effective chemicals like 3M Underseal Undercoating, Eastwood Self-Etching Primer, and OEM Paints React, highlighting their benefits and applications. It even delves into restoring cast-iron parts, suggesting solutions like OEM Paints’ Steering Gear Box Finish. Get ready to be amazed by the latest advancements in car restoration!

Extreme F-250

Stan Belcher didn’t start out like a man possessed when he bought his ’03 Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab truck. But it didn’t take long for him to turn into one. Initially, the plan was to lift the truck enough to run a set of 44-inch tires. Stan liked the Super Duty trucks because of the straight axle, which made lifting it 12 inches a snap. Three weeks later he had the body lifted three inches. He actually drove the truck with the 15-inch (total) lift and the stock wheel and 30-inch tires for about a month and a half. After installing the 44-inch tires the truck looked perfect. Everything was great, and Stan loved the truck… and then Swamper comes out with a set of 49-inch Irok tires!

STEALTH OPULENCE

Building a cool new truck to show off at SEMA is nothing new for Jim Lewis and his team at ProMotorsports in Edmond, Oklahoma, as that’s what they do. This stunning new ’07 Cadillac Escalade EXT is their most recent creation. Like so many other enthusiasts, Lewis used the latest generation Escalade because it was an immediate hit, especially among the urban lifestyle crowd, so team ProMotorsports thought one would make a great representative demo vehicle for their shop. Billy Lewis came up with the flat black concept, with tons of chrome and polished metal to contrast the flatness of the finish. While the paint may be the first item that attracts you to this truck, the crew at ProMotorsports actually started the build underneath it all by increasing the performance of the Escalade.

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How-to Get Shorty

This article dives into the unique modification of a 1967 Chevy Suburban by Mike Dempsey, who reimagined it into a shorter, Tahoe-styled version. It also features Ken Farrell’s Retro Tek company, which has revolutionized the EFI system to combine the aesthetics of classic cars with the efficiency of modern technology. The article covers various aspects of vehicle modification, including chassis adjustment, engine upgrades, and the integration of advanced fuel systems.

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SMOKIN’

Allen Cornelius wanted to make a statement that his shop, AC Customs in Shreve, Ohio, could blend old-school Ford muscle-car performance with a new style truck, giving it the performance and looks to match.

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