Ricel's Build Thread

2002 SE, Auto, 4WD, Black
Ghost

Body:
Plastics
Hitch Flip with custom stock bumper How-to
Reshaped Front Bumper
Plastic Dipped Wheels


On Board Air:
10# Air tank /w regulator and 25' air compressor hose.
Power Tank Bottle Mount
Bumper QD soon to come*


Front Suspension:
AC UCA's
Sway-a-way torsion bars
3" extended Bilsteins HD's


Rear Suspension:
Sway bar delete
AC Shackles
AC 3 pack AAL's smalles leaf*
3" extended Bilsteins HD's


Steering:
AC IAB
New Steering Gear
AC HD TRA's pending install*
Deeza TRE's pending install*


Drivetrain:
Baffles Removed
Airbox Mod
SC Radiator Upgrade
K&N Drop in
Custom snorkel
Straight pipe exhaust (ok... ok... the muff rusted off) emissions Fail
50$ DIY muffler job, clamps and all
Replaced original 2002 engine with engine from 2003 X that had rolled
Replaced Starter
Quest Alternator Upgrade

Armor:
Skid-Row Engine Skid
Skid-Row Front Skid
Calmini Gastank Skid
Schrock T-Case Skid
Custom sliders

Recovery:
Block and Tackle/Spare Shackles for off angle recoveries
Hi-Lift 48" Jack, Shovel
3' x 30' Snatch Strap
3" x 10' Tree Strap
1 Front Bumper Recovery hook
Rear Bumper Recovery hitch

Structural Mods:
2" Body Lift

Brakes and Wheels:
Stock Alloy Wheels
265/75/16 Goodyear Duratracs
Centric Calipers and Rotors

Lighting:
B&M Low Profile Light Bar (Removable / Waterproof Plug) How-to
2 X Hella 500 Driving lights
2 X Hella 500ff Fog Lights
XOskel Rear Low Pro Light Bar
2 X Optronics Lowproile
LED Engine Lighting How-to
Grill lights
2 X Optronics fog lights

Entertainment:
Kenwood KAC 7202 490 watt Amp *removed*
Kenwood 12" KFC-W3005 Sub in enclosed box *removed*
Fusion 2000 iPod, AmFM, Satellite, VHF
Rubber ducky antenna
XM Satellite radio
Uniden PC68XL CB with Firering and Firestik 4' Tuneable Hatch mounted Antenna
iPad Mounted with RAM Mount
Apps
Landmeter
Rev with PLX (OBD-2 scanner and logger)
Motion X GPS map tracker

Electrical Other:
Duracel AGM Dry Deepcycle Battery in Battery Box
BlueSea Fuse Box in Glove Compartment
1000w Power Inverter (on order*)

Other:
Yakima Load Warrior Tob Rack

Day one:




Now:





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pics restored 10/2017

Picked up a set of AC shackles and did the PML. Pretty much the first mod for all of us here with a first gen.


That winter, I needed a new set of tires badly! If you look at my first day pic above, you can see those racing slicks probably wouldn't do too good here in the NE with our winters and Ice. As soon as I could, I threw on a set of 265/75/16's duratracks. Prob should have done the BL and then the 33" but hey you live and learn. right? hehe


So the grill was so faded it was driving me crazy. I picked up a couple cans of Krylon fusion and prepped and painted the nice thing. I also picked up a can of 'hammered aluminum' and painted the accent bar across the middle. Really liked how that came out.




I had recently tried to drive into a parking garage (big mistake), and well my truck cleared the bar but had a huge scare with a exit sign. Thought I tore off my lights. So working in a marine store has its perks. Found a waterproof 5 pin connector and began drilling. I think it came out real good!





Found out tree branches win when it comes to your antenna. Well a little drilling and tapping allowed me to toss on this rubber Duck FM antenna of of a hand held VHF radio. I don't' use the FM radio much with my XM so this gets the job done when I need it.



Finally got rid of the free Baha lights and installed the Hella 500's and 500ffs'


April fools run, This was probably the 2nd alternator I destroyed. Mud likes to do that to me.
Yeah got a little in there.


Yeah that needed washing out!


Picked up my Xoskel rear lowpro rack and threw on some optronics lowpro lights as well. following my idea of being able to remove everything above my roof, I added a waterproof plug to it as well.


removable plug



Ordered up some bare skidplates, but AC gave me a call and told me that they were out of them. instead, I went with the black power coated ones and Installed them. Skidrow front and engine. These things have saved my bacon so many times I can't even count, until I look under there and see the long gouges.



Some sweet profile pics




I picked up a marine radio from work. It allows you to plug in an iphone/ipad and run your music directly from that, but it was too small to fit into a normal din space. Custom work came into play.
a little fiberglass work, works wonders.

Had to start painting up my plastics, Haha kinda hard to do this much and not have done this yet!




Body Lift, Complete!


woops

Oh well, good think I replaced that!

without the bumper


Cleaned up the center console



Update profile pics



Fedex guy liked me I guess!


Picked up a set of UCAs and IAB from AC, and some SAW Torsions

Then hit up the hitch flip from chuck. This allowed me to get rid of my rear recovery point getting in the way of my approach angle.




Problem was, I didn't like the exposed rear end, soooooo lets get some free mods. Cut up my existing stock bumper, raised it 2 inches and made that piece of $&*(& work!

Got all the bolts to line up without any drilling (making sure I used the frame stiffener)

Cutting up the rear bumper


hooraah




And of course I had to paint it!




The north east can do a real number on your frame so I wanted to protect it as much as possible. grind painted and cleaned. Came out great.






Got a sweet shipment from Kuma! He picked up a 2nd gen and didn't need em any more.



Painting the shocks with a sweet white accent

Should be installing all the new stuff in a week or two! Cant wait

Now i cant leave the taste of mall crawler after all that, so let me use this one to share some of my favorite trail shots. Its cool, you can watch the seasons change as you follow the pics.

Northern Exposure Run with Nexterra '11

The girls first real trail






April Fools Run with Nexterra '11




Back2School Run with Nexterra '11








Members Only Run with Nexterra '11


Northern exposure 2012


Dipper Hill video


GG ledge climb

Looking good man. I love how you did your rear bumper.

Thanks Mac! yeah took a chance with it and it worked out really well

Awesome build.

It's been done!

All those parts sitting in my family room are now officially on!

Started installing the rear AC 3 pack and shocks at 11 done at 5.

Got cold, called a buddy and moved the project into his heated garage with lift. Very nice!




Shocks out


Spring and axle attached


Something's missing


Suspension out!


Garbage


A buddy with a garage is a friend in deed!




Nice white accents.


Replacing the torsion bars


The UCAs were seized.. As usual, but we broke then saw... When in doubt, torch it out!





Arms are in shocks as well.

Alignment done today. Pica of the lift in the am!

Nice man...

Nice, real nice!

Teaser shot. Yesterday when I dropped my baby off at the shop for alignment... Bye bye see you when you track straight!

Now your X is screaming for some 33's!!

Your rig is sick man. Looks real good. I love the stealth fighter look a lot.

Nice dude! And good choice on the CB! Just put that same one in

Morning pics.



New arms and 5100 shocks






Torsions with white accents


New AC 3pack, brand new factory shackles, and 5100 long shocks




Glammor shots

Looks good!!! Man it looks so much taller with the SL...

That lasted long....

Went to a fun little trail with the girl, best friend and his girl. Had a great time till i though I had it between a nice drop and the tree... Boy did i judge wrong.







Seriously. Every time I hit this trail (its not even that difficult, its a unmaintained road!!) I let my guard down and do something stupid. Lost the bumper twice, bent the fubar outa my exhaust tip and now dented my door. haha. Least the window didn't break.


What should be my next step? Put two bandaids on er and touch up the pain cracks with fingernail polish? New door? repair shop?
Poll starts now

Bummer man... Id say it depends on how much you love your X... Id sure look at getting it fixed..

I hate that you bent your door.. What does the X handle like now that it is lifted 5" do you feel very top heavy?

Road: x feels great. Removed the front sway bar as well and just have to be aware of on ramps and such. But its so much nicer of a ride with the stiffer springs and torsions. The shocks make such a difference! She's screaming for larger tires though. hehe

Dave: gobble how can I not love my X! shes getting the full treatment sooner or later. Might make me actually suck it up and give her a professional paint job with a new door. Cant be driving around with a black ops edition and a forrest green door! haha. Getting a couple appraisals today. one from down the street another from the Highschool girlfriends fathers shop who does such amazing work (reasons why you never burn bridges after a breakup!)

Ricel said:

the Highschool girlfriends fathers shop who does such amazing work (reasons why you never burn bridges after a breakup!)

Click to expand...

Well there are other reasons too

that tere are!

Sucks about your door... Good luck on the fix.

Are you going to go with wheel that has less backspacing? to get a slightly wider stance? or are you going to continue to run stocks?

going with a little less. looking at getting 33x12.5s next year and a complimenting wheel set with 4.75 BS. Don't want to go any lower than that. Metal cutting is not my idea of fun. haha

Metal cutting is easy

Haha didn't say hard to do... Herm I think that might have been a challenge to a duel! I might have to accept your offer. As I am a gentleman, I will allow you the first pick of wheels, I prefer black with silver accents... We will meet at dawn.

I have 3.75" of BS. Didn't have to cut that much. Then again, I only have 32's right now but I do love the wider stance.

<-- Jealous. Excellent, keep it up man! Bummer about the door.

So since I beat her up a little, I fet the need to give her a little more edge on the trail.

Painted most of her plastics with the rustolium bed liner. A spray on black paint with micro grit mixed in. Did it on the rear quater plastics and Hitch Flip bumper and loved it.

Painted the grill, light bezels, front mudflapps and wheel well trim as well as the wiper cowl. Ill do up the pinstripe plastics soon, and I think Im doing the roof rack as well. (prob with a smooth paint though). Then getting some Xterra roof rack vinyl cut from creepy in white.

Starting to really like the subtle white accents!

My buddy caught me ripping off the grill and laughing at me.


Fink inspired me to do a little cowl accents










overall I really liked it. Fitting nicely with my black out look too.

No doubt about it, black out black Xterras look mean.

So the last steps to getting that little windshield sticker!

Had AAA come and replace the winshield right in the parkinglot



Now just had to get rid of the code.
Out with the old...




And in with the new




Didnt have any trouble with rust, a really good thimg with these NE winters.


My window cowels came in, and were also threw on today.

Nice X sir.

I don't know why I never checked out your build...Black 1.5 Gens FTW!

Haha thanks Nismo!

BTW, we need to start XNFD...

False repesentation! My buddy who sold me the X is a FF. just hadnt taken the stickers off in thoes pics. Now living with him and he keeps kicking him self for selling me the truck.

Traitor!

Haha if I wasn't behind a desk all day, would have been the FF route. When I get the time I'll be hooking up with a volly for one of the towns around here.