MattJakobs Build Thread-2001 Stellar Blue Pearl

[MattJakobs]

If you need a sound sleep, stay at the sea-sound motel, right at the end of Sea Sound Rd. I have stayed there three times, very cool place.

I have stayed at the North Beach campground. Nice as well. I have heard good and bad things about the KOA site. Living in DC for 90% of the year doesn't allow me much freedom to surf anymore. But money doesn't grow on trees.

In lieu of Columbus Day, if Columbus would have sailed to NC during any of his three trips , the OBX would have been nothing more than a shallow sandbar to him at low tide.

I'll definitely check it out. I as well have heard some good and bad about KOA but from the outside, it definitely looks nice. We usually head all the way down to Frisco to camp though only because everything from then on out is North. We don't have to worry about choosing to go North or South. We were going to stay at the camp ground right by the light house, but it was closed for the season.
With you saying you live in DC for part of the year, I just got the Obamaville joke from your bio... haha I was a little slow on that one :withstupid:

Actually when we passed over the bridge on the new inlet, the South side of it was under about a foot or so of water that looked to span across the island, Atlantic to the Pamlico Sound.

 

[macgyver_ga]

Cape woods campground in Buxton isn't bad either. It's a private campground. We tent camped there in October a few years ago.

 

[MattJakobs]

Cape woods campground in Buxton isn't bad either. It's a private campground. We tent camped there in October a few years ago.

I don't think I've seen that one yet. There's dozens of camp grounds all over the place down there, just another thing that makes it so unique.

 

[MattJakobs]

On another note...

Heading home from school this afternoon and will try and take some pictures of the 4R with it's new brush guard. She failed inspection :ybrick: but we were expecting it. We only need rear license plate lights and 1 tire. The front two are in pretty rough shape so we will be replacing both. I saw the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tires were coming out November so I plan on picking up two of those sized 265/75/16. The back two tires are 265/75/16 Stampede Radial AS2s that are nearly brand new (came on the 4Runner). I plan on wearing those down until needed replacing and then grabbing 4 new tires in 285/75/16 and a lift.

The 4R is still running a little rough, we recently did the spark plugs, wires, air filter, cleaned the MAF, and replaced the master spark plug coils. Looks like what actually might need to be done is the head gaskets. With me not needed my car as a DD, I'm going to wait on doing this job. I'm hopefully getting it checked out soon by a retired Toyota Master Mechanic and getting his opinion on it. Depending on what he comes back with, I'd like to try and assist him in the job and hopefully learn a thing or two.

 

[sterbenlicht]

Yeah man, if you're having Mark take a look at it, I'm sure he'd be totally cool with that. He's an awesome guy and a wizard with these older Toyotas. I think he said you might be bringing it by sometime Friday? If so, there's a chance there'll be several of us around because that's when most of us hang out here. Mark is actually doing the head gaskets on a pretty awesome 2nd gen right now.

 

[MattJakobs]

Yeah man, if you're having Mark take a look at it, I'm sure he'd be totally cool with that. He's an awesome guy and a wizard with these older Toyotas. I think he said you might be bringing it by sometime Friday? If so, there's a chance there'll be several of us around because that's when most of us hang out here. Mark is actually doing the head gaskets on a pretty awesome 2nd gen right now.

He told me about the 2nd gen so I'd love to see what all that looks like, I've never done anything besides regular/semi regular maintenance. I talked to him the other day about coming and I get out of class at 11 on Friday. I have a failed inspection but I have 15 days to drive so Friday should be a go.

Just want to thank you in advance with the help so far. Case of Corona's on me for Friday?

 

[Duckman97]

Nice

Sick pics bro loving the blue. On the Koai camped there in April around the stormy time and it was fair little expensive but whatever. Anyway you do any beach drivin?

 

[MattJakobs]

Sick pics bro loving the blue. On the Koai camped there in April around the stormy time and it was fair little expensive but whatever. Anyway you do any beach drivin?

Do you mean the KOA campground in Rodanthe, it has the cool white cabins? I really want to stay in one of them but I think it also takes away from a lot of the joys of camping. I didn't do any beach driving my last two trips, the first was in my friends car and most recent was in mine (but I need two new tires) and didn't want to have to find someone to tow me out. I ended up going up and down the beach entrances, just no stopping on any deep, soft sand.

 

[Duckman97]

Yeah

Yeah I'm talking about koa in rodanthe and yeah I've stayed In the cabins but we took our camper that time. And those permits are outrageous bro!! I'm gonna buy one next hear tho. And on the tires check out Goodyear duratracs they are great tires and not as expensive as bfg a/t's. I'm getting duratracs I know that much they're a little more agressive then the bfg's but not quite a mud terrain

 

[MattJakobs]

Yeah I'm talking about koa in rodanthe and yeah I've stayed In the cabins but we took our camper that time. And those permits are outrageous bro!! I'm gonna buy one next hear tho. And on the tires check out Goodyear duratracs they are great tires and not as expensive as bfg a/t's. I'm getting duratracs I know that much they're a little more agressive then the bfg's but not quite a mud terrain

I really like the look of the aggressive look of the Duratracs, those were my second pick. I've had the All Terrains on all of our past vehicles and I know they last so just going for them for the time being. My uncle just but the Goodyears on his Taco so I'm waiting to see how they wear for him since he does a ton of driving, about 22k miles a year. This summer I'll be in the market for 4 bigger tires and will probably end up with the Duratracs.

And $120 for a yearly beach pass :wtf: I did find out that you can get a free permit for having campfires on the beach which I thought was very cool.

 

[Brian757]

Yeah man, if you're having Mark take a look at it, I'm sure he'd be totally cool with that. He's an awesome guy and a wizard with these older Toyotas. I think he said you might be bringing it by sometime Friday? If so, there's a chance there'll be several of us around because that's when most of us hang out here. Mark is actually doing the head gaskets on a pretty awesome 2nd gen right now.

Is this a shop that you guys are talking about? I'm actually on the hunt to find a decent Toyota mechanic in Virginia Beach/Norfolk area.

 

[MattJakobs]

[MENTION=68576]Brian757[/MENTION]
sterbenlicht Has a lift in his home garage and I'm hopefully taking it by tomorrow to get mine checked out since it seems like I've been having trouble with my head gaskets. As long as they don't mind, you're more than welcome to hitch a ride with me if you'd like, there's plenty of parking in front of my apartment complex. I'm giving Mark (retired Toyota master tech) a call this afternoon to work out a time for Friday.

Edit: Since I finally have my vehicle with me, I was planned on going on a hunt for yours tomorrow.

 

[MattJakobs]

Pictures of the Brush Guard

I purchased a brush guard the other week and just now got to talk some pictures of it. The bottom bar has a little dent in it, pushing it in but it didn't effect the way it mounted and with it being on the bottom, it's not very noticeable unless you're looking for it. This will only be on temporarily until I have the money for a new bumper. I also have tail light guards that I haven't put on but will hopefully get around to that later today.

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[sterbenlicht]

Is this a shop that you guys are talking about? I'm actually on the hunt to find a decent Toyota mechanic in Virginia Beach/Norfolk area.

It's a house I rent from a guy named Mark. He works with me at Priority on the weekends, but the rest of the time during the week he works on cars here at my house instead of being a full-time mechanic for the dealership. It's in Chesapeake near Military and Providence. He built the place to do most things short of having an alignment rack, so he's very well-equipped to handle nearly anything and he stays pretty busy. Anyone who wants to hitch a ride or come over is more than welcome.

 

[Duckman97]

Pics

Brush gaurd looks good bro. I'm diggin it.

 

[MattJakobs]

Brush gaurd looks good bro. I'm diggin it.

Thanks, it'll stay on for now. I've been looking at front bumpers and can't make my mind up. I jump from an ARB to a tube style, and everything in between.

 

[MattJakobs]

Finally got the tail light guards on. They took me so long partly because I was a little lazy. The screws that hold the tail light in were too short so I needed to go to the Hardware store and pick up 4 new ones with a longer extension.

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[Duckman97]

Thanks, it'll stay on for now. I've been looking at front bumpers and can't make my mind up. I jump from an ARB to a tube style, and everything in between.

Go with savage off-road hybrid or addicted off-road plate. Dude they are the best IMO the arb is tooooo big. And the tubes are show way to much but on the other hand if you get a tube front bumper it will go with your rear and save you money in the mean time you could totally pull off the black fender flares, plasti dipped emblems and gold/bronze wheels js

 

[MattJakobs]

Go with savage off-road hybrid or addicted off-road plate. Dude they are the best IMO the arb is tooooo big. And the tubes are show way to much but on the other hand if you get a tube front bumper it will go with your rear and save you money in the mean time you could totally pull off the black fender flares, plasti dipped emblems and gold/bronze wheels js

I think I am going to end up with a tube bumper to match the rear and I really don't need anything as big as an ARB up front. I've been checking out All-Pro's front tacoma bumper, it's really well priced and I haven't seen anyone on the forum running it so I'd have the unique factor playing in. As far as wheels go, I have black wheels on our other 4Runner and so does everyone else. Next time we rotate tires, I'm going to put the black on the Stellar Blue to see how it looks. I want something to really make the blue pop and look brighter so I've been looking at a couple silver sets.

The All Pro front bumper which would be painted black


The wheels I'm considering (but 6 lug of course)

 

[Duckman97]

You ever thought about the 17" spit spoke wheels for tundra? Then paint gun metal or black or even leave the stock color