Well, I figured I'd make a thread that has all my progress. No, it's not going to be anything insane or anything like some other member's awesome rigs, but there's some challenging stuff (at least for me) that I'd like to accomplish soon with my X.

Anywho, just a shout out to Creepy for the AMAZING decals I got today. It was pitch black out when I took the pics (thanks at least to the X's headlamps to give me light to put them on) so they're faded from the flash. The silver matches the paint on my X and the background is the same charcoal as the roof rack's :). I LOVE THEM. Also, while I didn't take a pic on, the Off Road decal is on the back window.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0393.jpg

Anywho, I have some plans for the future. I got a set of these for DIRT cheap and I'll be integrating them into my 05 X :). Can't wait!

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/Lights.jpg

Took off the mudflaps today. I'd seriously suggest everyone do this. There was surface rust under mine in the front, and the rest were broken anyway. Plus I like the look more without them. On top of that, the company my dealer hired to fix my paint and surface rust on the scratches came by today and fixed everything up. One scratch was just filled as it couldn't be buffed out, but meh.. it's a truck. The rest was taken care of :).

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0385.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0389.jpg

Anywho besides the lights, I'm thinking of other add ons, but we'll see. One step at a time. The roof rack's front four bolts are stripped and will be getting re-tapped. After that, I'll install the newer style Off Road edition roof rack lights.

I too am doing a modest build, so I understand. It's a great looking truck. I think I'm going to follow your lead and take the front mudflaps off too. Took the back ones off already.

Also, regarding the bolts on your roof rack:
The threads probably aren't stripped as much as the insert that is pressed into the body has broken loose. You won't be able to retap those. You can see them by pulling the headliner down in front and having someone turn the bolts to see if the inserts turn. If so, you can grab them with vise-grips to hold back-up while you undo the bolts for the rack. I believe Todd (Creepy Cruiser) knows how to replace them, but after looking through a bunch of threads, I couldn't find where it was talked about. You might want to shoot him a PM.

I too and doing a modest build, so I understand. It's a great looking truck. I think I'm going to follow your lead and take the front mudflaps off too. Took the back ones off already.

Also, regarding the bolts on your roof rack:
The threads probably aren't stripped as much as the insert that is pressed into the body has broken loose. you won't be able to retap those. You can see them by pulling the headliner down in front and having someone turn the bolts to see if the inserts turn. If so, you can grab them with vise-grips to hold back-up while you undo the bolts for the rack. I believe Todd (Creepy Cruiser) knows how to replace them, but after looking through a bunch of threads, I couldn't find where it was talked about. You might want to shoot him a PM.

Hey thanks man. Yea, I photoshopped the mud flaps off and didn't like it, but when I took off the mudflaps to get rid of the surface rust, I realized how much I liked the look without them.

Hmm.. well, I'm taking the X into Nissan this Saturday. Hopefully they're just stripped. I'm thinking it is, because the one on the driver's side is good but the other three are messed up. Either way... we'll see. I'm contacting the dealer tomorrow that sold me the X to see if they'll pay for the repair.


Thanks for the compliment though. I love the truck so far. I'm SO glad I got the Off Road edition. It's amazing. Can't wait to make it slightly more bad ass.

Btw, if anyone in the columbus, ohio area wants to help with a lift sometime, I'll buy the beer :).

Looks Nice !! No Need to get all crazy w/ it !! Take your time and do only what you like !!

Well, I have to say I am a bit lucky. Starting out with an Off Road model allows me to bypass a lot of upgrades since they're already done.

I do have a few questions though, like how the clutchless 1st gear button thing works so you can crawl off the road without worrying about going slow speeds in a manual's 1st gear.

Anywho, as a simple mod, there's one thing that's not performance related that I need to fix, and that's the lack of window tint in the front windows. I can do this lickity split and it would give the truck a more unified look (and keep the cabin cooler in the summer). Hopefully I can get that done within the next couple weeks.

My plan is to do the lights on the 25th with my friend. Hopefully I'll have all the info I need on how to do that mod by then. Fingers crossed!

I'm glad the rack stickers worked out good for you. The do look cool 2 tone.

On the rack bolts (like Jason said) it's the crimped on inserts that breaks loose, and it sucks, lol. You have to pull the headliner to get to them, (and some you can't get to at all without some metal cutting). I had like 4-5 break loose on mine, when I removed my rack for the body color change. They are not easily replaceable, because basically when they break loose, the hole is too big then, and another insert won't work. If you tried to put in a bigger insert, the bolt size would be to big, lol. I just got up in there (with a few strategically placed swear words) and a pair of small vice grips (with very light pressure) and tightened them up. If you have any questions let me know.

Crap.. man I hope this isn't true. Do you think the guys at the Nissan dealer can fix this.. this is WAY over my head.

Btw, if they do fix this, am I going to be able to put the new wind deflector/off road lights on the X without this happening again to me? Are these roof rack mounts made of paper or something?

Sigh.. here's to hoping it's not as bad as what you're describing. If you have any advice, PLEASE let me know.

You never know, they might have some cool sort of fix, but as a fabricator by trade, I don't know of any yet, lol. I hope they do though, and then you can tell us all about how it works. I would put on the deflector at the same time, so you don't have to do it twice. Luckily, it's the only thing on my X that has been disappointing so far. (and I've had mine all kinds of taken apart, lol)

Where in Columbus are you? and what lift are you thinking about? depending on timing I might be able to help with the lift.

On my buddy's Frontier, the dealer used vise-grips to tighten down the bolts/inserts, then epoxied around the inserts. Since then he's been able to undo the bolts a couple of times without the inserts breaking loose. Why he keeps needing to undo his roof rack is beyond me, but....

Nice looking X!

Looking great! Keep up the hard work!

Where in Columbus are you? and what lift are you thinking about? depending on timing I might be able to help with the lift.

I'm in Powell, which is just north of Columbus.. but it's not like I can't travel for some help :). Thanks for the offer... to be honest, I don't even know what I really need. Some guys tried telling me, and whoosh.. over my head haha.

I may not be terribly gifted when it comes to knowing my way around cars, but I'm not afraid to learn. Considering I didn't even know how to do an oil change before I got this Celica (which was in terrible shape), I think these before and after pics show I'm willing to listen and learn :). Restoring that thing was a huge lesson in cars and was one of the best experience I've ever had.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/JT2ST07N5S0024274_048_SM.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/JT2ST07N5S0024274_049_SM.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/photo-18.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/photo3-21.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/photo5-21.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/photo3-20.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/photo23-3.jpg

Sweet Celica! I always did love the four light Celicas. I still kinda want a GT-Four.

On my buddy's Frontier, the dealer used vise-grips to tighten down the bolts/inserts, then epoxied around the inserts. Since then he's been able to undo the bolts a couple of times without the inserts breaking loose. Why he keeps needing to undo his roof rack is beyond me, but....

Here's to praying it's not the inner structure that's screwed up. I called and they said if that's the case... they need to have the X for 2 business days straight since the headliner is such a bitch to take off. Considering I have no more sick/vaca time... I'd be screwed.

Sweet Celica! I always did love the four light Celicas. I still kinda want a GT-Four.



She was my baby.. I've wanted one since I was young, playing Sega Rally in the arcades (hence why I did her up in those decals).

I had to get rid of her though, sadly. Being as old as it was, she was more of a project car. Something went wrong almost weekly, and while that's ok for a toy car, I didn't have space for a commuter and a toy. :(

My plans were to drop a GT-Four block in it.. would have been VERY easy to do since everything matches up and you can use the existing tranny if it's a manual. That would have freakin rocked...

Looking great! Keep up the hard work!

Nice looking X!



Thanks! :)

Here's to praying it's not the inner structure that's screwed up. I called and they said if that's the case... they need to have the X for 2 business days straight since the headliner is such a bitch to take off. Considering I have no more sick/vaca time... I'd be screwed.

Yeah, the headliner is a cast iron bitch to remove and replace while trying not to mess it up. Just to get to the front four bolts and inserts isn't bad; you can just pop the headliner loose in the front and work around it, but it's way easier to get to everything else if you drop the whole thing. Hopefully they can get you sorted out without keeping your truck for two days.

Pulling the headliner is not the funnest job, but certainly not a 2 day project, lol. It should take about 20-30 min to pull it right. If you can unscrew some screws, take out a few bolts, you can remove it yourself (well, with the help of a friend to help take the huge thing out the rear hatch opening, without bending it, lol). Getting the rear side panels out is the hard part.

And loving the rally look Toy!

I work off of Sawmill, and the inlaws live in powell, and I live over near Hilliard so you are right in the hood, if you need help with something let me know.

If you see a Granite first gen, lifted with bumpers, lights and a winch that would be me.

I work off of Sawmill, and the inlaws live in powell, and I live over near Hilliard so you are right in the hood, if you need help with something let me know.

If you see a Granite first gen, lifted with bumpers, lights and a winch that would be me.

Hey that's awesome. I work right next to Hilliard (on Phillipi near the Westland Mall). Whatever is good for you. If you want to carry the convo on in PMs we can try to set up some time, and I can figure out what I should be buying to do this.

I bet your X looks amazing. You have parts I could only wish I could afford haha.

Figured I'd update the pic for the new decals. LOVING them, btw. If you want the Xterra ones for your 05+, contact Creepy and I'm sure he can reprint the ones he did for me. Having them two tone allowed me to cover up the silver paint behind it, and it looks fantastic!

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0395.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0396.jpg

Perfect.

those air dams SHOULD be interchangable...would be a good idea for first gens. anyone attempt a retrofit?

I just hope the guy at the dealer understood that I have the air damn with the lights on it. Cause when I described it, and asked if he could hook it up, he said "I can't imagine why not.. sure!". If they could hook up the lights for me, that would be freakin awesome. I'll know Saturday!

OK GUYS LISTEN UP

I'm wondering if there is a place where I can find the wires for the main headlamps under the dash or wherever they come out at. Is there a way to identify those wires?

Basically, me and my friend's plan is to basically hotwire the lights into the headlamp lights, so that they turn on when the headlamps turn on, without having to ghetto mod a wire across the engine bay and to the battery. So if anyone can help me out with finding these wires, it would be a HUGE help to us when we get this started.

Thanks guys!

You'll have problems that way, big time ticket if you have overhead lights turned on on the road. That is how I understand you plan on wiring, you could potentially splice a switch into a wire run from the headlight wires, but I would certainly recommend doing it correctly. I'm sure you can find a wiring diagram for the lights.

You also need a relay for the roof lights. But just wiring them so that they come on with the head lights is just a weeee bit illegal.

You'll need to go to the battery for your main power for the relays anyway.

OK, we'll do it that way. Btw, I seriously doubt I'll get a ticket for running stock lights that aren't anywhere near as bright as the ones on all your custom racks. Should be no different than my dad's old mid 80s ram that he had two lights mounted on. No one gave him any trouble with those (and they weren't really much brighter than a headlamp)

I don't know of any city that will allow you to run any off road light while driving. (that's why they are called off road light, lol)

Yeah, NC's law if no more than 4 lights (of any kind) on the front of you vehicle running while you're driving on state maintained roads.

I'm pretty sure that's everyone... no lights above your headlights are allowed to be used on legal roads, off road is fine but not on road... personally I'd wire them into your brights as when you use the brights the top lights would go on... just a thought good for people who cut you off too ha

i think its max 4 lights in my state

all the aftermarket lights anyone has USUALLY say "for off road use only" unless they are driving lights.

and as for the relays i have my aftermarket stock fogs hooked up to a relay to my runners so i could have just the fogs...you could do that and then ad a switch so that you could never leave them on by accident. the only thing you couldnt do would be to turn them on and have the headlights off...but why would you want to do that.

Called the local police. Here's the quote:

Vehicles in Ohio are allowed to have auxiliary lights installed along with headlights. When equipped with additional lights, the maximum number that can be turned on at the front of the vehicle while driving is 5. No max or min restrictions on any light's height. Max aux lights are 3. Cops said there is no Ohio law listed that mentions covers, so they can remain uncovered no matter the height. So as long as I don't have fogs on, I'm good to go with basic headlamps and off road lights.

Run down is:
Headlights 2 min.
Tail 1 min
Spot lights 1 max
Aux lights 3 max

why would you have an odd number of lights?

why would you have an odd number of lights?

Lol, I was wondering the same thing, but whatever :P

Shitty day:

The one bright spot is that the decals I designed for the two rear side window's, I was able to complete tonight. Good ol' Creepy will be printing them soon as soon as I decide on size. Here's a sneak peek. This btw is an old proof. The new one will fix the back rear window so it's up higher. That was my bad.. what happens when I draw in a rush lol:

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/atatrecoveryunit1Small.jpg

Well.. now that the good is out of the way, I took the X out to the Nissan dealer today. The good news is that 3 of the screws, while crooked, were able to be tightened down. The bad news is the second one in the front from the driver's side is bad. I think the nut that's welded on the underside broke, so the bolt is just spinning and won't come out since the nut is still on but the weld that held it down went bad.

The bastards at the dealer are con artists. In one conversation that was only 5 minutes long the guy said "we'll have to take out the head liner.. that'll be 2 hours of labor alone, then fixing it", then "yea, it'll be at least 3 hours of labor to take the head liner out", to "four hours will get the headliner out, then at least 2 hours to fix it".

Now.. the common sense man in me said "did I hear this right..did he just up the labor by at least 2 hours in one quick convo"? It also said to me "why would it take 2 hours to refasten a simple nut to a bar with a quick weld?"

The last nail on the coffin was his hourly quote......$110 an hour. Yea, F that.. seriously, bad economy or not, that's insane.

There's a really good shop that's trusted that's only 3 minutes from my house. All the commercial places like Goodyear and what not always recommend them. It beats the pants off going to the Nissan dealer which is 35 minutes away, and he's going to look at it Monday night for free to tell me what he thinks. The good news is that Nissan didn't charge me to look at it today (didn't have time to repair it, so they let me go without a bill), so I got the advice for free. Basically, I know what's wrong with the truck, so I was able to tell the guy at the local shop. He said it would be a handful of hours, which could be just a little quicker or the same speed... but his hourly rate was only $43 an hour. MUCH better. Just took a bill from over $660 to only $258 at the worst.

I guess that's good news that I'm saving money.. but it's a bill I honestly can't swallow easily right now. Shit's always got to run down river at the same time, and it's going to hurt this month. On top of that, the dealer I bought the truck from is refusing to pay for the repair. I understand it wasn't under warranty, but with all the boasting of their 100+ point inspections, you'd think they would have checked the god damn roof.

Anywho.. feel a bit better letting off that steam. It's pushed my install of my 09/10 off road aux lights off schedule now, and also out of my monthly budget. I'm just not happy. Great truck, don't get me wrong, but this is something the dealer should have noticed, and something the previous owner shouldn't have done if he didn't know what he was doing...

X gets repaired tomorrow (roof rack issue) and the 2010 aux lights/air dam are getting installed! Holding my breathe for a low bill from this repair, guys... wish me luck!

I hope it works out good for you.

Must have been Creepy's well wishes...

I took the truck to the shop today, and it turns out all that needed to be repaired was a simple plastic part the bolt screwed into (no tack welded nuts to speak of.. THANKS NISSAN >_> ..lying idiots..).

The guy got it done a little over an hour after I brought it in.
So basically, Nissan dealership = $110 an hour, all day job... total of at least $660
True 2 Form, local collision and repair shop = a little over an hour and a grand total of only $76!!!!!!

I literally feel like dancing on air! I'm so happy and it settled a lot of fears I had about being able to keep afloat this month :D. Happy day! Next up is getting the 2010 aux lights installed now that the bolts can be taken on and off. :)

do it yourself....right now.

do it yourself....right now.

Honestly man, my friend and I aren't too comfortable doing that by ourselves to be honest with you. Plus, the place I'm having it done is doing it for dirt cheap since I got my sound system done through them on my old Celica.

Only one thing that sucked is that the repair shop didn't put the old air dam back on.. so the X looks a bit naked. Good news is that it's at least repaired and I'm getting the new air dam on tomorrow.

its simple enough. but its your money. go for it

Ok guys, the Off Road lights are done! :D I had to get some bolts to hold down the top, but they look great and work perfectly. Heck, with the tornado warning, I got to use them today lol. The aux lights come on when the fogs are turned on, which eliminates the need for a cheesy toggle switch on my dash. I'm loving it!

I also had the front windows tinted to match the rest of the truck. You can see Creepy's XTerra decals here really well. Makes the truck look brand new. Here's some pics:

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0413.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0414.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0415.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0416.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0417.jpg

Nice.. I really wish they would have put 4 lights up there NISSAN that is

Looks just like mine... they came out looking like it came that way great job

Nice.. I really wish they would have put 4 lights up there NISSAN that is

I like the look of the two, but that's just my opinion. :)

Plus, I bet you they did this to ensure it's legal in all states. Ohio for instance does not allow more than 3 up there, and each state is different.

Looks just like mine... they came out looking like it came that way great job

Haha, yea they do look the same. Minus the grill there's not much of a difference. Thanks for the compliment, they turned out great and I'm loving it. They ended up drilling through the roof and running the wires down where the "dome" light is up front. They then led it across the headliner and down the A pillar. Freakin' loving it!

Like I said, the only difference are the bolts. But I found ones that fit perfectly, that were snug enough to not even need nuts to secure them. They're black and match the X perfectly.

Oh im sure your right...

Do you have any idea if i could buy the roof light kit for my 07 x? i really like the look and would love to put them on.

Do you have any idea if i could buy the roof light kit for my 07 x? i really like the look and would love to put them on.

As long as you have an 05 or higher, you're good to go. It'll fit where the old air dam was and you just have to wire it up and bolt down the top two holes. The problem is the set up is extremely expensive and it's usually cheaper to go a third party route. I got my lights though for a little over 100 so it was a no brainer for me :).

I forget the diameter of the bolts, but they have to be long. The ones I used were a hex head and were about 3 and a half inches long or so. They were really wide.. I'll see if I can get the dimensions for everyone. I got them at Advanced Auto Parts for about 3 dollars for a pack of two.

Pointless mod until I lift the X:

Zombie TK bobble head :P. Found it and it was the last one. Used some thick 3M double sided tape to secure it to the top tray, Sorry for the bad lighting.. on second thought instead of using the roof lights I probably should have turned on the headlamps for more light. Ah well, you get the gist.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0419.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0418.jpg

Can't wait to do our next troop for children's diabetes with the 501st on the 2nd of next month. Now my X can match me, haha.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/Stormtrooper2.jpg

Ok guys, quick question. If I get the X lifted 2 inches, what tires would you all recommend and what sizes should I be looking at? I'm thinking of getting retreads to save on cost in order to get what I want (and they're just as good as new ones).

Also, if I were to sell the set of tires I have now on my X (they've only seen max 150-200 miles), what could I get for them if I put them on Craigslist or something?

Thanks guys!

Don't know if anyone's still watching this, but doing a suspension lift semi soon.. probably next month when I have more funds once the wife gets her new job.

The X has officially become a recovery vehicle for AT-ATs though, haha. Here are the pics. Once again, a BIG thank you to Creepy!

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0423.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0424.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0425.jpg

I'm still following the thread. When did you get back from Hoth?

I'm still following the thread. When did you get back from Hoth?

Haha, had to be before last night. Doing the decal on the X was the last good memory I had. After that I got food poisoning. It's been hell for the last 24 hours, only now starting to remotely feel like myself.

Never would have thought the meat at Whole Foods would be bad. Seriously disappointed in them right now...

Been there done that, only from Ruby Tuesdays years ago. I will never forget how bad I felt with food poisoning. I think I threw up my spleen...not sure what it looks like, so it might have been something else. Hope you get better soon!

Well, I'm getting my X back today in about 50 minutes :D. I've been without it, stuck driving a 2010 rental Nissan Versa (blauuhghgh...) since the clutch blew out.

Luckily, thanks to the TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL :D people here at CX, I've been able to avoid putting in another crappy Nissan clutch (350Z clutch) in my X, and instead went with a Jim Wolf Technology high performance clutch!

Don't ask how I convinced my local dealer here to put in a clutch they didn't "support", but I was able to. Apparently one reason why is that the tech who worked on my X, also owns an X and off roads his, and he'd heard of the brand, and convinced the service manager to allow the install. The service manager just called me and said it's running great, and that the techs said it's like a whole new truck, and I'll "really really enjoy this clutch! We doubted you at first, but you really did make a good decision.". Seems like I changed a lot of minds there in the service department!

Anywho, can't wait to try it for myself. I know it'll be stiffer, which doesn't bother me as my MINI S was the hardest clutch I've ever used in my life and I was fine with that. Just the prospect of this clutch lasting for the life of the truck is making me happy. Luckily, I realized the small finicky nature of my failing clutch, and was able to take it into the service dept before it totally stopped working and burned my flywheel. So thank god for that.. saved myself another 1000 bucks because I was smart haha.

A BIG thanks again for all you great guys here at CX. If it weren't for you, I'd be cursing the previous owner thinking his driving skills were crap, and eventually buying a new clutch in 2 years once the OEM one would have blown again. You guys are great, and I can't ever thank you guys enough.

I'm afraid this will be the last post in this thread showing off new mods until next February, because the cost of the service and the part really set me back. All modifications are unfortunately on hold till me refund check comes in :).

Glad it worked out for you.

BTW, the little box around your stickers is just for installation (to help you get them centered and level), lol. Normally you remove them once installed, lol.

Glad it worked out for you.

BTW, the little box around your stickers is just for installation (to help you get them centered and level), lol. Normally you remove them once installed, lol.

Yea, I figured that since they weren't part of the original design, but once I laid it down, I quite liked the look so I kept it on. Makes it look like the Star Wars logo on the old classic line of toys they had :).

Hahaha, that's funny. No worries then.

I'm so glad that the clutch problem is all solved and it seems like you got a pretty good outcome despite the cost. You are set for the rest of your truck's life with that clutch now I suspect.

I'm so glad that the clutch problem is all solved and it seems like you got a pretty good outcome despite the cost. You are set for the rest of your truck's life with that clutch now I suspect.

Thanks man.

Btw, the truck feels completely new. I tell you, I'm loving every second of it. Because they had to disassemble a lot of the front end (and exhaust) in order to do this, everything got lubed and tightened. Steering is much easier, the clutch is VERY responsive... to the point I actually stalled on the way home once because I'm not used to it needing gas so early after releasing the clutch as it does now. Everything just feels smoother.

Also, I know it sounds weird, but I swear I have better acceleration now. It's probably because the clutch is made for this size of a vehicle, and allowing the changing of gears to be quicker and smoother. It felt like a new engine in the truck...totally surprised me! All in all, I'm SO happy. To anyone reading this, I'd seriously recommend buying this clutch if you own a 2nd gen X. In fact, If when I buy a new X in the future, and they're still using this POS clutch, I'll save enough money to not only put a down payment on the truck, but also enough to replace the clutch. Even though you could wait for the stock one to go, I can't describe to you all how much better the drive is without the OEM one inside. Even when it worked properly, the truck NEVER drove like this.

True, it's a big expense, but that's what tax refund checks are for, and that's what credit cards are for. It'll get paid off, and I got a better truck for my troubles. Couldn't be happier right now :).

JWT is a high quality brand that has been making stuff for Nissans for years. Great reputable and reliable brand. Good choice

I'm just happy you are so excited about things, especially after you were so down about the money issue. Seems like this has worked out very well, and was worth the money situation that came from it. Like you said, refunds are there for a reason, and like I said....the money will always find a way to work itself out.

Even if the OEM clutch isn't a problem, I can tell from the way you are talking that this was a worthwhile upgrade for you independent of everything else. That makes it worth it all on its own.

:brokenleg: Bringing the thread back from the dead.

Been a while! I have some minor mods to share with you all. First up is my lobo rack. I found a silver rack that was already the right size for the back, so it matched and fit.. perfect! I used electrical tape to pad the rings so they don't chatter while driving:

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0656.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0657.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/IMAG0658.jpg

I got a steal on a Revtek lift kit . I can't wait to install this thing! I got it new for 180 shipped. The stance of the X is going to be so much better, and now I can easily put on those 285s I wanted!

Today I went ahead and used claybar on the truck and waxed it. It eliminated some surface rust I was getting on the hatch from rail dust, and has made the paint so smooth and shiny, it just looks freakin fantastic:

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/SSPX0089.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/SSPX0087.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/SSPX0090.jpg

Before I did that though, I did a mod that's just been created on thenewx forums. I installed the D-ring tie downs in the cargo area with the clips that hold the rings down so they don't make noise when you're driving. They work great, are super strong (supported yanking and my whole body weight), and put the stock ones to shame. I deleted the stock ones and put ones over where the old ones used to be, and also put ones lower as most of the time I need to tie something down, it's not a foot up on the air where the stock height is. Here's some pics:

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/SSPX0085.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x290/TA3202/SSPX0086.jpg


So yea, I think I'm caught up now on my build thread. I'll have more pics up soon when the lift is done, and other goodies are installed.