Az Newbie-2012 always something build

[dsmless]

Hello, Tucson newbie here. Have had my ex border patrol raptor for 3 years now and just found this site recently. Heres my scab- all the work done myself. I think I have given it a even harder life than when it was a duty truck.

 

[Nex]

Welcome to FRF.

Is the SCAB behind that SCREW?

 

[mtnghost]

Nice truck, are the boarder patrol raptors priced really well? Regardless, nice to have a government maintained vehicle!

 

[P4SHOCAT]

Nice Gen 1. Good luck with the truck.

 

[mprice1234]

Welcome to the forum, can't wait to see pictures of your scab, who's screw is that?

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

morning..........

 

[MurderedOutSVT]

Welcome to FRF

 

[dsmless]

Well I messed it up- I have the Screw you see pictured. So much for making a good first impression. The other vehicle there is a expedition I use for hunting/camping.

 

[dsmless]

Nice truck, are the boarder patrol raptors priced really well? Regardless, nice to have a government maintained vehicle!

It was $18k when I got it in april 2021. For this price I knew it was gonna be far from perfect. It was only factory required servicing at the factory intervals. The first year I had it I replaced the shocks and all the fluids.
Then I replaced the following items just to hold up to the desert here.
- OEM radiator for an aluminum 3 core radiator
- all front suspension bushings and tie rods along and stop cam kit
-methods 17” rims an cooper 35” tires
-painted the front/rear bumper and trim with black bed coating paint, really like the way it came out.
- replaced the factory basic radio with a 9” touchscreen amazon special (been going good for 2 years)
-added a back up camera

The interior is cloth and it does not come with a sync or trailer break nor the aux outfitter swicth bank. And also no sunroof. Given that this truck lived alot in the desert, there was dust everywhere I had to vacuum out.
The biggest issue I had when I go it was that the evap core was clogged to the point that I had very little airflow out the vents. So instead of dropping the dash I just cut a piece out of the HVAC plenum behind the glove box and scrapped a thick layer of soot from the evap core and clean it so I could get airflow back in the cabin, plastic welded the section back on and airflow is good.

 

[dsmless]

Welcome to the forum, can't wait to see pictures of you scab, who's screw is that?

No scab here, I messed up on the pitch. Heres more pics of my screw, all the work done is in my garage shop. I do aluminum welding so I always wanted to make a kinda baja chase vehicle.
Made aluminum bed cap toppers with a grab handle and a headache rack that the roof rack attaches too. Installed a front and rear winches (have used the rear one often to get out atvs) and alot of other stuff. Being that its not pretty and shiny anymore I can add stiff to it as I need them. I just made/added front fog lights this week. Im gonna coat /paint it with white bedliner once all done. I have done the tailgate and like the results.