Hello, this is my build thread.
I ordered my 2013 Raptor on July 4, 2012 through Redlands Ford. Then I waited till March 22, 2013 until it came. For better or worse, that gave me a lot of time to browse this forum and figure out what I wanted to do with this truck.
Here's the day I got it:
I was pretty pumped and didn't care that dealer lot pictures don't count. I took this picture of it 100% stock too:
I liked it a lot stock, was impressed with how comfortable it was as a daily driver and how fun it was. It stayed stock for about 5 days, before I ordered Method NV's and Toyos, put the factory beadlocks up for sale, and went to mid-perch:
Then Raptizzle did something evil. He put his "old" suspension for sale, and he made me a deal on the entire thing, including convincing RPG it would be fun to install it. I agreed to buy the set up from him (financing the ridiculousness his raptor is transforming into I presume), and got RPG to bolt on a few more goodies too, including their Raceline UCA's, front Fox 3.0 coilovers, and their fantastic rear bumper. You know, because my wallet was getting a little heavy.
Mad props to 'Tizzle for being cool as **** and making all this happen.
Before the truck went in for surgery, I made time to make a quick trip out to Barstow so that I could get a baseline for the stockish Raptor. I convinced a buddy to come out with me in his Bronco, but he broke down before he even made it out of LA. Whatever, still went out solo and had some fun:
Then I gave the truck to RPG:
Here are some in progress pictures from RPG that I sent to my girlfriend when she was trying to figure out where the hell I was:
I really can't say thank you enough to the guys at RPG and friends (that's you Raptizzle and bstoner59). I had to return the rental car I used while the truck was with them by 6, and didn't have another ride home, so they made sure things were finished before they themselves went home on a Friday night. This meant they were there working on my truck till just past midnight so that I was all set to go. Amazing, I can't thank them enough. I'm pretty sure the next time I'm there there will be some cases of **** beer from Colorado in my bed for them.
Added in a 40" M&R light bar behind the grill the next morning. The guys over at M&R are awesome too, and helped me pick out exactly what I wanted (something to blind the **** out of Prius driving idiots and the kabob eating people infesting my current town).
Here are some post-RPG pictures:
No dirt time with it yet because that Monday, I dropped the truck off at StickerCity for a full wrap in 3M Brushed Blue Steel Metallic with Satin Black fender flares. They had some issues with stretching the vinyl over the rear bed sides (the brushed steel blue and black have a problem where if it stretches too much, it'll look like a dent). The guy was not happy with the result, and offered to redo the bedsides for free, and I agreed. It came out much nicer than I expected.
RPG and associates were making fun of bstoner's blue-purple vinyl he chose for his truck, including calling it "Subaru Blue," that weird blue-purple color that Subaru pumps out on their WRX. I didn't have the heart to tell them I traded in this for the Raptor (you can see it in the very first picture I posted too):
I also didn't have the heart to confess I knew my wrap would look all blue-purply too lol
Here it is at StickerCity:
Coming home from a bar exam lecture today, I decided it would be fun to snap some more pictures of the truck. Of course, my battery was dying and I had the wrong lens with me, but minimal ***** were given.
Its really difficult to explain the color, or capture it with pictures. It almost doesn't look real, its strange the way it doesn't shine like paint, but doesn't look like a matte or satin finish. I'm really pleased with how it came out.
Anyway, thats how it came out. I'm still waiting on National Leaf Springs and RPG's tie rods to be installed to finish up the suspension for now, and ADD's Race Series front bumper to replace the stock. I've reaimed the headlights like 5 times now, as the truck keeps changing height, and the headlights came out for the vinyl wrap, heh.
I ordered my 2013 Raptor on July 4, 2012 through Redlands Ford. Then I waited till March 22, 2013 until it came. For better or worse, that gave me a lot of time to browse this forum and figure out what I wanted to do with this truck.
Here's the day I got it:
I was pretty pumped and didn't care that dealer lot pictures don't count. I took this picture of it 100% stock too:
I liked it a lot stock, was impressed with how comfortable it was as a daily driver and how fun it was. It stayed stock for about 5 days, before I ordered Method NV's and Toyos, put the factory beadlocks up for sale, and went to mid-perch:
Then Raptizzle did something evil. He put his "old" suspension for sale, and he made me a deal on the entire thing, including convincing RPG it would be fun to install it. I agreed to buy the set up from him (financing the ridiculousness his raptor is transforming into I presume), and got RPG to bolt on a few more goodies too, including their Raceline UCA's, front Fox 3.0 coilovers, and their fantastic rear bumper. You know, because my wallet was getting a little heavy.
Mad props to 'Tizzle for being cool as **** and making all this happen.
Before the truck went in for surgery, I made time to make a quick trip out to Barstow so that I could get a baseline for the stockish Raptor. I convinced a buddy to come out with me in his Bronco, but he broke down before he even made it out of LA. Whatever, still went out solo and had some fun:
Then I gave the truck to RPG:
Here are some in progress pictures from RPG that I sent to my girlfriend when she was trying to figure out where the hell I was:
I really can't say thank you enough to the guys at RPG and friends (that's you Raptizzle and bstoner59). I had to return the rental car I used while the truck was with them by 6, and didn't have another ride home, so they made sure things were finished before they themselves went home on a Friday night. This meant they were there working on my truck till just past midnight so that I was all set to go. Amazing, I can't thank them enough. I'm pretty sure the next time I'm there there will be some cases of **** beer from Colorado in my bed for them.
Added in a 40" M&R light bar behind the grill the next morning. The guys over at M&R are awesome too, and helped me pick out exactly what I wanted (something to blind the **** out of Prius driving idiots and the kabob eating people infesting my current town).
Here are some post-RPG pictures:
No dirt time with it yet because that Monday, I dropped the truck off at StickerCity for a full wrap in 3M Brushed Blue Steel Metallic with Satin Black fender flares. They had some issues with stretching the vinyl over the rear bed sides (the brushed steel blue and black have a problem where if it stretches too much, it'll look like a dent). The guy was not happy with the result, and offered to redo the bedsides for free, and I agreed. It came out much nicer than I expected.
RPG and associates were making fun of bstoner's blue-purple vinyl he chose for his truck, including calling it "Subaru Blue," that weird blue-purple color that Subaru pumps out on their WRX. I didn't have the heart to tell them I traded in this for the Raptor (you can see it in the very first picture I posted too):
I also didn't have the heart to confess I knew my wrap would look all blue-purply too lol
Here it is at StickerCity:
Coming home from a bar exam lecture today, I decided it would be fun to snap some more pictures of the truck. Of course, my battery was dying and I had the wrong lens with me, but minimal ***** were given.
Its really difficult to explain the color, or capture it with pictures. It almost doesn't look real, its strange the way it doesn't shine like paint, but doesn't look like a matte or satin finish. I'm really pleased with how it came out.
Anyway, thats how it came out. I'm still waiting on National Leaf Springs and RPG's tie rods to be installed to finish up the suspension for now, and ADD's Race Series front bumper to replace the stock. I've reaimed the headlights like 5 times now, as the truck keeps changing height, and the headlights came out for the vinyl wrap, heh.
