Percy - 2003 GX Love

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Well I've been trawling through the posts here for long enough and capitalising on the advice and explanations of the other members I thought it was about time I started to show what I'm doing with all this info.

First off I'd like to say I know not much at all about cars or workshops so couldn't have done half of the mods to Percy without the fantastic explanations and encouragement of this forum - pradopoint rocks! Since I'm intending to head off on long tours with the family I think it's important that I understand how the car works, just in case I need to try and fix something. For me it's meant being determined and jumping in at the deep end (after engaging brain preferably) and reading heaps.

Percy is a white 2003 GX TD, here's a photo of how he looked when we purchased him second hand in Jan 2007. I think the previous owner was National Parks so already included 80K, Toyota bar, winch and heavy duty bash plate (plus a lot of dents, sticks and other rubbish under the car).



Not long after getting the car we decided to add a Jayco Outback Eagle to the package:



The van was excellent, towed well and provided heaps of comfort when on trips with the family. As per one of my other posts, we've since moved the van on to a new owner and we're waiting on delivery of our new Ultimate Xtrck in early November 2009.

Back to the car, things completed so far:

• Sovereign bull bar[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Superwinch[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Cargo barrier[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Drawer system for the rear[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Upgraded rims to steel 17x7.5" & Cooper S/T 245/70R17[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Airtec snorkel[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Icom 440 + GME antenna[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Bilsein & Ridepro suspension upgrade[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• Dual battery system[/*:m:3tfcvds5]
• IPF 900XS spot lights[/*:m:3tfcvds5]

A more recent photo of Percy:



Trying to figure out how to organise some of the other photos, I think I'll split the above list into a post for each install where I did it myself.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

looks sweet, mcgonical, we need a few more poverty paks on here :wink: mine was ex nat park as well, i got the bar, cargo barrier, dual batt and rhino rack when i bought mine, and its still bog std except for a few addons :lol: cheers samo

me and joey on our way to stocko

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Hey Samo, you're sure right. Most posts are the flared models, hence the GX love reference to stand out a little. Good point about the cargo barrier, that was included in ours too and I'd better add it to my inventory in the original post.

Working on a post about my drawers now. I've built up a bit of a photo debt and need to publish a bunch of stuff to catch up...

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Onto the drawer system build. Using instructions and ideas found on these forums I built a set of drawers from plywood and marine carpet. Basically built a box that would fit across the floor, added some support brackets for covers that would make the drawers fit to the very edge of the rear.



Used some cardboard to make a template for the cover plates.



Starting to look the goods.



Draws are just boxes. I probably didn't plan allowances for carpet properly when I decided on the dimensions - made for a very tight fit when opening and closing the carpeted drawers.



I purchased the drawer runners from eBay.



Hold down is by bold through the cargo barrier bolt hole. Can be a pain lining the barrier and drawers up, pretty easy when I have help and the drawers rarely leave the car.



Carpet added.



Supposed to be rated to 100KG, I know it can hold 12KG



Added little bits of rope to lift the side covers.



My wife did most of the carpet covering, did the inside of the drawers too.



Pretty happy with how they turned out. I don't have a photo to show it but I added heavy metal 90 brackets (shelving) to the ends of the box to reinforce the unit. Has proven pretty strong with no signs suffering from the loads over the past 18 months. Now we have a new engel fridge and my wife tells me we need to replace the drawers with a new set that provides space for the fridge down lower...

have ordered the new drawer runners from eBay.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

the more time you spend on here the more you want to do get it to where you want, but i suppose you have to draw the line in the sand, me ive got a few more thing i need, but the im done (i think) rear locker and electric brakes and then im done :wink: :lol: :lol:

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

drawers turned out a treat, mine r a bit more simple but they r functional and suit me, and yeah i used the same hole you did to hold mine own as well, here r mine if ya havent already seen them. cheers samo

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Rims and tyres update had me reading in circles; for every endorsement of a tyre there is someone else that says they're rubbish. When I first collected Percy I had Cooper ATRs fitted, I think they were 225/70R17. These performed well and that swayed my decision in the end to go with the Cooper S/T 245/70R17 over the Mickey Thompson 5 bar. Finding photos and endorsements from non-flared cars made it difficult as I wanted a larger tyre but not so wide as to cause problems with the law or flinging (too much) debris up the side of the car.

So here's the car with the Cooper ATRs on:



Before getting the new tyres I upgraded the rims to Toyota 17x7.5" for $120 a pop. We're buying another 3 rims for the camper and probably a second spare so the whole package will match once the camper trailer and roof rack arrive. Needless to say, with the price of all this rubber fresh in my mind I am taking it very easy around corners :?

Here's a shot of the car with the new rims and tyres.



and the side shot to show how far the tires stick out from my flareless guards.



The new tyres are noisier and have changed the driving feel of the car on the road. If they live up to their reputation off road then I'll be happy with the compromise. My wife isn't complaining about the noise and they pulled the car up sharply when she was driving and had to stop suddenly so that's a couple of big ticks for them.

Rear wheel is not so wide as to require spacers like with the mud terrains in the 265.



Here's a shot of them new on the car.

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Thanks Samo, I have been looking closely at your post on drawers since I'm planning a new set. Fridge slide will be at floor level, am thinking of going with either three full drawers or two big drawers and a thin slide out working space. The sliders have a lock in them so a slide out bench would be pretty stable.

I've added a tie down point to my current drawers to stop them flopping around at the rear on dirt roads and I think it might be best to use a few of the rear seat bolt points as extra hold down points for the new set. With all the ideas on this forum I'm also considering adding a spot for the air compressor and an inverter. Of course I need a rear light too...

Will definitely need a roof rack now to get the timber home!

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Thats a great write up mcgonical,

Fantastic work on the draws.

Curiosity...... The change in direction from the Jayco to a Ultimate Xtrck (very flash), was this because of the terrain you are looking at travelling?

[Sunday Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sunday]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Mcgonical, I've also enjoyed this write up & Samo's input. I (briefly) had a 2003 GX manul but recently traded it on a 2006 D4D GXL auto. The main temptation was the auto / D4D combo, not necessarily the GXL "goodies". I thought the GX was a fabulous rig & excellent value for money & still have a very strong streak of GX love! I was all set to start on several mods on the GX including wider rims / tyres, suspension etc. but the need for an auto prompted me to make the change now.

It's interesting, the GX rode & tracked very well on the standard "skinny" rubber, probably less of that steering vagueness that the GXL (with Grand Treks mind) displays. Another point I'll make is that the GX had fairly big mileage at 238,000 kms. This would have been largely highway miles with the orginal owner likely being government or regional industry and the owner immediately prior to me having driven it around Australaia towing a 19 foot van. All documented history & my own driving experiences suggested an excellent, reliable tight-driving rig with lots of miles still in store.

So my advice: keep setting it up to suit yourself & keep it with the confidence of a long reliable vehicle life ahead. I'm looking forward to further posts.

Regards,
Sunday

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Hi Rob,

We were looking for something that was smaller, lighter, less complicated and with better dust seals. We still wanted to be able to cook and escape the cold inside but many of the most rugged campers were outside kitchens only. The Ultimate seemed like a balance with us sacrificing Jayco living space and a very comfortable interior for a package that will follow the car wherever it goes. Time will tell though.

Since making the decision I've watched a lot of videos of remote trips and seen Jaycos pretty much everywhere - so it's very subjective, many have already taken their Jayco where I only hope to take the Xtrk.

The decision still sparks debate within the household and my wife has told me that when we've done our big trip(s) next year that she reserves the right to go back to a Jayco if she's not happy with the Xtrk :?

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Thanks for the feedback Sunday. We considered upgrading to a GXL but I figured that with 150K on the clock there were many miles left in Percy yet and if I were going to spend the dollars might as well spend them on touring accessories. Couldn't be happier now, had a ball doing all sorts of upgrades and learning heaps. My wife really enjoys working on the car too which is great,in fact, Nadine came along to supervise my spending at ARB this week and then started up a discussion with a salesman on the best price for a roof rack (while I stood there with my mouth hanging open). I'm not compaining :P

Now she's making noises about getting 100 series one day, so many of them on the magazine DVD's she being brain washed.

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Nadine's parents have had an Engel forever and so she was very determined that we should choose an Engel fridge. Visited the guys at Roof Rack City in Mitchel and ended up buying the fridge, snorkel and Icom 440. As much as I wanted to do most of the mods myself after reading other people's experiences with a snorkel install I figured I'd leave it to the pros. They installed the Icom too.

The fridge came at full price but with a bunch of freebies, fishing rod, chair, etc.



Then we drove down to the National 4X4 show in Melbourne and found an Engel fridge slide for a decent price so grabbed that. Slide installed onto the drawers very easily and we used the screw down tie down bits that came with the slide. Being the lazy sod I am that means the fridge stays in the car all the time.



Last weekend was fine and we headed up the Brindabella Valley and found the fridge rattled to buggery. A quick stop and some tightening of the tie downs fixed the problem. When I got home I added a tie down to the rear of the draws to help hold the whole lot down on bumpy roads.

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Icom 440 and Antenna installation. As I mentioned earlier the Icom 440 was installed by the guys at Roof Rack City / Haig Park Offroad - nice bunch of fellas. The Icom was matched to a 1.2m 4.5dB gain GME antenna (AE4705) - looked like a solid unit. A couple of problems with the set-up, first was that 1.2m was too high to fit under the garage door so Nadine had to hop-out and hold the antenna down when we drove into the garage. Second problem was the mounting point of the handset, I couldn't see the screen as it was mounted low and tilting downward slightly.

I had a look at the GME site to see if they had a shorter antenna to fit the AE4705 mount but nothing helpful on the site. I happened to be in ARB checking out their IPF clear covers and had a chance to talk to one of the blokes there about the GME antennas and he had a short unit in stock that would fit the mount. There's actually an internal thread that I hadn't noticed and this is where the smaller antenna screws in.

AE4705 mount on the sovereign bar.



Original 1.2m antenna on the right, new stumpy 2.1 dB unit to the left.



You can see the difference in the thread suits the different mounting option.



Stumpy mounted in the AE4705 mount.



You can see that GME have a drain hole in the antenna base so that when mounting these smaller antennas any material that falls into the gap can drain out.

So now I can leave the shorter antenna in place most trips around Canberra and it will suit the hilly country better than the larger 1.2m job. Not having a lot of experience with CBs I need to do some research on how to test them to make sure everything is working to its best.

Easily fits under the garage door even after the lift.



Next problem was the handset. There's a great post by PeteS that shows moving the head unit for the UHF higher so that you can see it just up and to the left of the steering wheel http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....&sd=a&start=40. So I basically followed this example, headed down to bunnings and picked up a few different sized and gauged pieces of gal plate, these were down in the ant capping, roof fixings section. One of the pieces I brought home had a 90 bend in it so I started with it and shortened one side with the hacksaw then filed it smooth. My bracket already had convenient holes I used to large bit to allow for countersinking of the screws. I used the mic holder to mark out the one hole I needed to drill in the bracket.



Luckily I had some tiny bolts that could be used to mount the mic holder to the bracket



Then I cut off the excess and filed it down.



Ready to go in. I had white spray paint, Nadine opted for gal but I think black would be best so will pick some up next time I'm at the store.



Now I just needed to get the dash apart. I followed instructions on this site and used a Tupperware plastic orange peeler to gently pry the bottom facia out (starting from the rear). To get the top facia out I started at the top of the silver plastic bit and gently forced the peeler into the gap - needed another plastic bit to hold one side open while I worked on the other, tyre-lever style. Pulled and the whole lot came out forwards.

I shortened some countersunk screws so they wouldn't go too far through the dash plastic / rubber.



You can see the surplus holes in my dash :cry:

Putting the dash pieces back together is very easy, just clips back in. I found that the rubber in the dash didn't provide a very solid fix for the bracket but once the facia pieces were installed they wedged in tightly and made the mounting bracket very solid.



With the Icom the viewing angle is important for screen clarity, I found this after I had put everything back together. The next photo shows that I have the handset on an angle and it made the screen difficult to read. I pulled it all back out and tilted the bracket into a more perpendicular position and that improved the screen visibility a lot. Update: Dash has since been cleaned ops:



Handset in the cradle with backlight on.

[mcgonical Member Find all posts View Profile Close mcgonical]

Re: Percy - 2003 GX Love

Interior air filter - add filter. My wife recently purchased a second hand Barina and it smelled a bit inside and that got us onto reading about interior air filters, of course I did my reading on Pradopoint :wink: Not much about Barina air filters but I was surprised to read that Toyota didn't put an air filter in my GX. Surely Toyota wouldn't treat me so mean. So I popped out the glove box and had a look.

There's a couple of lugs either side of the glove box that hold the unit in. When you pop the stoppers past the lugs and continue to open the glove box the opening assembly comes away and the whole lot falls on the floor of your car and stuff goes everywhere. If you hold onto it tight you could probably skip the last step.



There's the filter.



grab the side clips and pull the cassette out.



There you go, one empty interior air filter.



Following advice elsewhere here I included a couple of filter type things on my recent trip to bunnings, in the cleaning section. These cut down easily and were just the right thickness for the job.



Popped it back in no troubles but the glove box did fall out the first time my wife opened it - need to carefully line up the hinges and lugs when it all goes back together.

I can't believe that Toyota save a few bucks on a filter, even the GX is not a cheap car new. Will be interesting to see if the filter makes any difference to dust ingress on dirt road trips. The bunnings filter was fairly open compared to higher density sponge so I don't think there should be any dramas with air flow - when I turn the fan on air comes, that's a good sign.