Sometimes in life things don't always go as plan. I never envisioned my beautiful Raptor sitting on the back of a trailer smashed up with flashing light bulbs around it. I never thought I would see the day, rain would drench the interior of my pride and joy, and never did I think 9 months later she would still be sitting lifeless, wishing for the day she was able to see dirt again. The past nine months have been a test of patience. I have been through hell and back with an insurance company that has never seen me miss a premium, and an insurance company that would routinely get positive referrals prior to that dark day last April. Well now, it's over. Insurance has failed to live up to their end of the bargain, forcing me to pay out of my own pocket to get her back up to her previous glory.
There is no doubt; she will come back stronger and more impressive than ever before. The game plan is simple; I will take what's left of my pride and joy, and turn into one of the most stunning Raptors around. Simple bolt on won't do it this time around. Stock parts won't suffice. Instead it will be transformed into a fully caged beast that will tear up the Mojave Desert, but still drive my two daughters to school and back five days a week.
First and foremost, the truck needs some serious attention. The frame is bent so bad we had two options. The first, cut the front and rear off and build it into a four linked truck that basically becomes a Raptor in name only. The second option, and our preferred route, is to replace the frame and go from there. The truck still needs to function as a truck. It needs to haul loads of shocks and springs to and from San Diego, but it needs to perform at the highest levels. As she sits now, the truck looks like a scrap heap, but after some long hours, some serious hard work and a good size chunk of cash, it's going to be stunning in both appearance and performance.
The first portion of the build will be stripping the cab down to the raw metal and begin fabrication of a full cage. The worn out seats will be replaced or restored and the search for a new driver side door will begin. I've spent many nights thinking about the game plan for my truck. The front will consist of a dual Fox Racing Shox 3.0" setup, with RPG upper and lower control arms, RPG Steering Tie Rods an engine cage with cross member support and a RPG power steering reservoir to keep things working for the long haul.
Working our way rearward, the cab will have a full roll cage, harnesses to keep the occupants comfy and supported over the long trails of the California and Nevada deserts. Both driver and passenger airbags need to be replaced as well as the entire driver side door interior.
The rear of the truck will see a transformation. Instead of the normal RPG Stage 4 suspension, it will feature a custom-built bed cage that supports a set of Fox Racing Shox 3.5" 4 tube bypass shocks and Fox Racing Shox 2.5" air bumps. The rear-end housing will be trussed for additional support and strength. Both the front and rear of the truck will feature RPG race line bumpers with full Vision X lighting to illuminate the night sky. Supporting the truck will be a set of Method -Double Standard 17-8.5" wheels wrapped in 37" BFGoodrich Baja T/A's.
Once the body is straight as an arrow, and the bulk of the work is done. RaptorAddict in Chatsworth, CA will impress the raptor world with his skills and paint the once lifeless scrap heap into a color that is a throwback to one of my favorite cars ever that was only available on the C5 Audi RS6.
I guess life has a tendency to throw us curveballs all the time. I never in my wildest dreams believed I would be stuck holding the bill for this, and I can assure you this fight isn't over. However, the good news is the uncertainty is over. Day in and day out I'm surrounded by some of the sickest Raptor around, and I'm always happy to see the smiles on our client’s faces. But no matter how big the build becomes, or how cool the end result is, a part of me has felt like and outsider looking in these past nine months. I've ridden shotgun more times than I care to count. I've filmed other trucks, photographed numerous groups of Raptors all having fun and I have seen the community progress far beyond what my truck was just 9 months ago. To say I'm giddy to get back in the saddle is the understatement of the year.
And I'm making it around that dam Texana Ranch this time come hell or high water...
The progress made today
As the build go on, I will keep everyone up to date with progress reports.
There is no doubt; she will come back stronger and more impressive than ever before. The game plan is simple; I will take what's left of my pride and joy, and turn into one of the most stunning Raptors around. Simple bolt on won't do it this time around. Stock parts won't suffice. Instead it will be transformed into a fully caged beast that will tear up the Mojave Desert, but still drive my two daughters to school and back five days a week.
First and foremost, the truck needs some serious attention. The frame is bent so bad we had two options. The first, cut the front and rear off and build it into a four linked truck that basically becomes a Raptor in name only. The second option, and our preferred route, is to replace the frame and go from there. The truck still needs to function as a truck. It needs to haul loads of shocks and springs to and from San Diego, but it needs to perform at the highest levels. As she sits now, the truck looks like a scrap heap, but after some long hours, some serious hard work and a good size chunk of cash, it's going to be stunning in both appearance and performance.
The first portion of the build will be stripping the cab down to the raw metal and begin fabrication of a full cage. The worn out seats will be replaced or restored and the search for a new driver side door will begin. I've spent many nights thinking about the game plan for my truck. The front will consist of a dual Fox Racing Shox 3.0" setup, with RPG upper and lower control arms, RPG Steering Tie Rods an engine cage with cross member support and a RPG power steering reservoir to keep things working for the long haul.
Working our way rearward, the cab will have a full roll cage, harnesses to keep the occupants comfy and supported over the long trails of the California and Nevada deserts. Both driver and passenger airbags need to be replaced as well as the entire driver side door interior.
The rear of the truck will see a transformation. Instead of the normal RPG Stage 4 suspension, it will feature a custom-built bed cage that supports a set of Fox Racing Shox 3.5" 4 tube bypass shocks and Fox Racing Shox 2.5" air bumps. The rear-end housing will be trussed for additional support and strength. Both the front and rear of the truck will feature RPG race line bumpers with full Vision X lighting to illuminate the night sky. Supporting the truck will be a set of Method -Double Standard 17-8.5" wheels wrapped in 37" BFGoodrich Baja T/A's.
Once the body is straight as an arrow, and the bulk of the work is done. RaptorAddict in Chatsworth, CA will impress the raptor world with his skills and paint the once lifeless scrap heap into a color that is a throwback to one of my favorite cars ever that was only available on the C5 Audi RS6.
I guess life has a tendency to throw us curveballs all the time. I never in my wildest dreams believed I would be stuck holding the bill for this, and I can assure you this fight isn't over. However, the good news is the uncertainty is over. Day in and day out I'm surrounded by some of the sickest Raptor around, and I'm always happy to see the smiles on our client’s faces. But no matter how big the build becomes, or how cool the end result is, a part of me has felt like and outsider looking in these past nine months. I've ridden shotgun more times than I care to count. I've filmed other trucks, photographed numerous groups of Raptors all having fun and I have seen the community progress far beyond what my truck was just 9 months ago. To say I'm giddy to get back in the saddle is the understatement of the year.
And I'm making it around that dam Texana Ranch this time come hell or high water...
The progress made today
As the build go on, I will keep everyone up to date with progress reports.
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