Best Extreme 4x4 Custom Fabricator?

[Mr. Leary]

Benders Off Road Fab out of California. He has done the rock crawling stuff but has also done his fair share of overland expedition travel. He has the knowledge base to be able to help you reach the compromise that works best for your needs. Tell him I said hi, btw.

He was the "Ringer" in our Beginner 4wd class out in Hollister this year (He was teaching his gal). He is very talented and has a very good grasp of the factors involved.

To the OP, you said that you are new to this. Without experience you will have to rely on the knowledge of someone who has done both before, IMO.

Hope this helps,

Leary

On & Off Road Metal Fabrication - *Benders 4Wheel & Fabrication

 

[KokaneeRanger]

Something like this?

If so, give me a call. I'm in Northern Colorado.

Yes very much like that.. I will send you a pm

 

[KokaneeRanger]

OP- it depends on what you are really looking for. I know of two shops that would be good starting points as far as full custom fab, to include link suspension, roll-cage, bumpers. I am also sure that if you needed additional work such as motor or electric(additional expo type accessories) they could either handle the job or use their network to satisfy your build requirements.

Addicted Off-road in Colorado as posted by Scotty- skilled fabricator with great reputation.

Outdoorlogic in Riverside, CA- they are a fab shop I am working with and confident in their ability to handle any project that comes their way.

CBI-Offroad would be a 3rd option but only know they have made some nice bumpers for Tacomas and now offer a rear bumper.

wicked, thanks. I will contact them and get a quote aswell
Thanks!

 

[KokaneeRanger]

the unimog guy might have said the same thing about you guys if you were following him through Afghanistan or china. i've had a few friends who've traveled unimogs as well and have actually done the around the world drive with them.

they did it in a vw bus, proof that any vehicle can do it, just a question on where your planning on going route and a million of other things...
fyi the unimog is not a trail rig, it is a expedition vehicle , that is what it was made to do. and is pretty much the stand support vehicle for around the world trips and races in the most remote places in the world, why is it the support vehicle? because it can go everywhere the race trucks go, because it has livability for the crew, the size and weight to carry enough gear for a small army, and it's a bloody tank/basically indestructible. sure gets there slowly but it always makes it......


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like i said in my original post i was only going to mention it once,


all of that aside, guy can do whatever he wants but i do think asking for a fabricator before he even has a truck might be a little out there.....

and really he should be considering the route and the places he wants to go before getting so dead set on a platform, as the route will make a world of difference to how,what,and type of truck he should get, then get out there and start looking at fabricators...

but yeah i'm done with this and trying to be reasonable, dude wants a world wide 4runner, cool can't wait to see it all i have to say on this thread, is go to expo and find who the best fabricator there is and at least find one that is specialized in expedition world travel rigs, as it is a different world to the trail rig.

sorry guys, done being grump and sorry for the hijack.
:roadkill:

Thanks for the tips, you are correct,
The reason why I am contacting fabricators is because I am only going to buy the 4runner IF I can do the mods I want... If this is possible/reasonable and shops can easily undertake this project with my help of course. then I will go forth and buy the 4runner. I dont want to buy a stock 4 runner and find out after I can do the things I wanted, then im stuck with an under modded truck or nothing at all. then it will be a waste of time and money..

Big John- The OP has started another thread asking for input on Ideas for an expedition build up a few days ago.

I do agree with IZZ that he needs to really decide on realistic usage if he hasn't already and that way when he talks to the Fab shop he can better communicate his final outcome/goal for his vehicle. However it did get sidetracked from the original question of Fab shop recommendations.

Ive made it pretty clear what my usage will be on page 2 in my "4x4 newbie" thread..

Mr Leary and others aswell as Izzard have made it very clear, that making this rig is NOT the most efficient and practical way for my intended use.

My reasoning for this "crazy" project:

1. Im doing it for my enjoyment passion
2. I will end up spending more money for something that in the end would be less capable than ie: land cruiser. OF COURSE I WILL
3. Will I have weak parts duje to the mods? YES
4. Will I spend alot more money and time upgrading these parts? YES
5. WILL REASON NUMBER 1 BE SATISFIED IF I GO THROUGH WITH THIS??? DEFINITELY

if reason number 1 is not met, then there is no point in my mind to go through with this project at all. in the end you have to be happy with it. The vehicle has to get me to remote locations, and satisfy my passion for upgrading/modding my truck.. (I am sure you all understand that joy you get..) I understand meeting both of those requirements (functionality/enjoyment) is a balancing act, but as many ppl have already stated, with money anything is possible, I am willing to spend more, to achieve both of these requirements....

I understand what mostly everyone is saying about the reliability vs modding aspect and you are all very right.

the enjoyment I get out of the vehicle is a very important factor to me, in order to satisfy that, ill go with a 4runner that is pretty heavily modded and rebuilt from ground up...

 

[AddictedOffroad]

Call me. We specialize in building extremely capable Toyotas. We know the ins and outs of what you are trying to accomplish. 970-420-4198

 

[KokaneeRanger]

uummmmm...not in this thread....
his other six threads about buying and building an expedition rig to go around the world....
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...ds-help-expedition-4runner-project-plans.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/80685-3-4l-5vz-fe-v6-vs-4-0-1uz-fe-v8.html


and you do realize he doesn't even have a truck yet? right, not trying to be a jerk, but i've been watching these threads for days now, and while all well and fun, i think he's getting extremely far in front of himself.
i've just plenty of kids like this who get all apmed on this sort of thing and end up with a civic, by god i hope i'm wrong, i just think he's lacking a bit of foresight...

first plan your route, then acquire the vehicle, then mod mod mod, the go go go have fun

but each step above should really be moths of work on each, not just jumping into fabricators and engine swaps before you even have a truck or know where in the heck your going.
like i said that's just imo, and really hope this guys get 'er done, that would be sweet!!!! no b.s. sweet!

like i said i could just be being grumpy about it, but i've just seen alot of kids who dream big but don't follow through.

so yeah, just ignore me, i'm not posting in his threads anymore until he gets a truck and start working on it, i'll be alot less skeptical once he's started i think....

sorry op, not trying to be a jerk, just trying to give ya a light to look at things another way and maybe trying to get you to rethink about how your going about this.

Its all good izzard. I was expecting replies like this when I joined the forum and started making my threads, I knew I would have to hear that sooner or later. and I understand your points and agree with where you are coming from.
You are right, but what you dont know about me is, Im a determined Nut bag when it comes to a project. I made all these posts/threads and started contacting fab shops to get a very good idea of the POSSIBILITY of this.

I now know it is possible and I can now go and look for a 4runner. I didnt want to go and buy a 4runner and then realize I couldnt make it the way I wanted, then I would be forced to settle with a half built 4runner. I think its extremely important that I get my questions answered first and get real quotes on the costs before i go out and spend 10K on a 4runner....

and pls do post on threads that i make, and give me replies and answers liek you have been, becuase it helps, it lets me know of things that can go wrong, and mistakes that I can make. If you make it clear enough for me and prove me wrong that I cant go through with this project, then I wont, and you will have saved me the time, money, and trouble of going through with this.

so pls criticize. if you are right, and i am wrong, the only outcome of that is me saving the headache and the money.

but I think the possibility of a sweet a s s 4runner is very close. I just want real quotes and real estimates from companies that are out there and do this sort of thing.... once i get the ok, and I feel i am convinced, that this job is doable under a 50K budget. Then I will go forth and dedicate all my energy and time to this until its done.

and there will be threads of it. if something goes wrong and i dont end up buying it, you will read a thread of it in the future. but id say as of rite now the chances for that are slim as ive gotten most of the questions in my mind answered. and im happy as of now with the project going forward..

 

[theizzardking]

Cool glad your not taking it as an attack.

And it's possible, very possible , I just think before you get to many quotes you need a route as that will help determine what sort of mods will be needed , like I said people have done this old vw buses, subarus, heck even heard of an camry making it , so depends on which way you go, a good idea as well would be a trailer like leary has , but again that will limit you as to where you can go when teethered.

Why
How
What

Is the logic I'm suggesting as opposed to
Why
What
How

Figure out how you plan to move , sleep, and survive , then start building the rig as right now there are far to many variables to determine what is needed and what will be just another part to break .

I'll keep on posting , I really just meant I'll stop being an a s s about it , lol

I hope my ramblings above give you something to think about even if poorly formed .

 

[KokaneeRanger]

Why
How
What

Is the logic I'm suggesting as opposed to
Why
What
How

Figure out how you plan to move , sleep, and survive , then start building the rig as right now there are far to many variables to determine what is needed and what will be just another part to break .

I'll keep on posting , I really just meant I'll stop being an a s s about it , lol

I hope my ramblings above give you something to think about even if poorly formed .

Yup Yup ur not being an as s. I warranted replies like this in the manner of my posts./threads. no problem at all.

the Why I have figured out
the What i havent figured out (the parts on my wishlist are a base starting point)
the How will be figured out when i get the runner
then the EXACT WHAT will be figured out when it comes down to choosing a shop and going forth with the plans....


i plan on doing it this way:

1) WHY (done)
2) 1/2 What (done)
3) How (figuring that out through fab shops now and the ultimate HOW will be set in stone when I get the runner)
4) 1/2 What

 

[Big John]

Seems to me that your biggest hurdle has been overcome and that's setting a realistic budget. I see so many people start into much simpler builds than yours and don't take into account all the incidental things that come up.

 

[Jamacee]

If I had the cash for a build like this. I would either try and convince Scotty to sell me his rig or find one and then take a extended vacation and pay Scotty to teach me how to build one like his.

Just sayin.

Cause it sounds like you want to expo to a place and then go crawlin and then expo yourself back home.

 

[KokaneeRanger]

Seems to me that your biggest hurdle has been overcome and that's setting a realistic budget. I see so many people start into much simpler builds than yours and don't take into account all the incidental things that come up.

Yes, thanks for understanding that. Others may think im making "false claims" and getting excited over a project that will never happen. they see my posts/threads.... and draw conclusions.. i dont blame anybody, but i disagree. they dont know me...

 

[jsmarine]

but I think the possibility of a sweet a s s 4runner is very close. I just want real quotes and real estimates from companies that are out there and do this sort of thing.... once i get the ok, and I feel i am convinced, that this job is doable under a 50K budget. Then I will go forth and dedicate all my energy and time to this until its done.

That is a very nice budget you have for this project, :wow: whatever company you end up using to complete the transformation, make sure they start a build thread on here and take lots of pictures, I would really like to see what $50k could do to a 3rd Gen!!

 

[KokaneeRanger]

That is a very nice budget you have for this project, :wow: whatever company you end up using to complete the transformation, make sure they start a build thread on here and take lots of pictures, I would really like to see what $50k could do to a 3rd Gen!!

there will most definitely be build threads when the project materializes.. I want to do this project sometime this year. Preferably around summer..