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 Current project:
OnBoard 2.5 Gal Air Tank Mounted on the roll cage.

Some recent home made decals

2007 San Antonio Poker Run Video

 http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rrodriguez4x4&search_type=&aq=f

My car is a 1989 Dodge Raider 4 cyl. 2.6 Carb 5 spd. 4X4.
I got it all stock and i have made a lot of mods on it.

These are the stock photos.

Recent stuff

Transmission, oil pan and front driveshaft skid plate made out of 1/8" steel plate.

Koolatron 38 quarts 12V Fridge keeps beverages and food cold, it's fastened to a base so it stays in place.

Smaller First Aid Kit in a more handy location.

GI 3-fold shovel with cover on the rear door.

Removing the rear seat and the box between the seats give enough space for a sleeping pad

The body was raised 3" with a Performance Accesories body lift kit for a Toyota 4Runner and some trimming on the front fenders had to be done, the front has 2" torsion bar lift and 2" add a leaf on the rear.
The shock absorbers where replaced with Explorer ProComp ES3000 and ES2000 steering stabilizer was also added.

The clutch was replaced with a Centerforce II to handle the slip from the bigger tires, 33X12.50 R15 Super Swampers TSL mounted on 15X8 Eagle Alloys model 102 rims.

To keep the wheels inside the fenders a Bushwacker Cut-Out flares set for a Cherokee 2Dr. Was trimmed to fit the Raider's body, polyurethane hood security pins prevent sudden surprises.

bolted custom made (by me) rock sliders/steps provide easy access to the vehicle/rack, lift points and protect the body from damage.

The entire exhaust system was removed (muffler, catalyzer, tubing and exhaust manifold) and installed custom made headers, flowmaster and 2.5" tubing with a tall exhaust pipe for water crossing.

A safari snorkel was installed, the antifreezer container had to be moved to the front, the air filter housing shortened and the hot air intake cancelled, for more air flow a K&N air filter was added, Bosch 4 point spark plugs, MSD 8.5 mm spark plug wires for more insulation, the electrical system was sealed with silicone and water sealant spray, distributor, differential and power steering have extended hose breathers.

The front and rear bumpers where replaced with custom made ones that match the 3" body lift, the front includes tubular grille guard, tow hooks, D shackles and a winch mount to hold a Warn X8000i.

The rear bumper holds a 2" receiver hitch, D shackles, worklight and a custom made removable dual 5 Gal jerry cans and full size spare wheel holder with door holder to keep it open on angled situations, custom tail light guards where also added.

i made a 3/16" bolted differential and transfer case guards to protect it from rocks and impacts, also fabricated the winch anchor wich provides a self recovery attaching point in sand, mud, silt, etc, the jerry can carrier also stores the anchor spade.

2 auxiliary 430CCA Exide batteries in parallel installed between the skid plate and the radiator (providing power for the winch, accesories and arc welding) and main Optima Deep Cycle battery, to charge all batteries a battery isolator was installed, it allows to operate devices without draining your main battery.

This switch provides in cab self jumpstart from the auxiliary system in case you drain the main battery, the solenoid is dual purpose, it also controls the current applied to the battery powered welder.

On the passenger side a 800W power Inverter Provides Energy to operate worklights, angle Grinder, drill, jig saw, in case of trail repairs.

The main lights where replaced with Hella 80W/100W Halogen lights with rock guards and at the top for night offroading there is a removable Baja style light bar, with 2 Hella Xenon HID pencil lights at the middle for long range, and a pair of Rallye 4000 100W Halogen euro beam lights for closer range, this light bar is fastened to a Con-Ferr 4'X 5' roof rack, it has 3 work lights, amber light, a 48" Hi-Lift jack, winch anchor and 2 sand tracks for recovery.

For safety a full custom roll cage was installed with foam covers, 2 fire extinguishers, Smittybilt Outland Handle bars, a switch panel to control all lights and internal rack to hold arc welding kit, torch kit, tray, spare parts and jumper cables.

For off-roading equipment Garmin Etrex legend GPS, D shackles, 19000 lbs. snatch block, tree trunk protector, recovery strap, shovels, metal stake anchor with sledge hammer, homemade Winch Anchor, Quick Air 2 compressor with pressure switch to prevent high pressure buildup, besides airing up tires it can also reseat beads, Staun tire deflators and pressure gauge.

A set of 5 tool boxes keep everything in place, tools, spares, fluids, etc.

Between the frame and body is a 3" body lift gap, perfect to fasten a spare rear driveshaft

A Cobra 19 PLUS CB is mounted on the roll cage with a dual antenna selector, firestik II for close range and 1/4 wave 102" wip for long range.

Only the driver's seat remains in place to reduce weight and gain more cargo space for a second spare, a cushion seat cover helps reduce impacts, the carpeting was removed and the floor covered with Rhino Lining so you can clean the interior with a garden hose.

A breather aparatus provides clean air and removes fog from the helmet's visor.

Oil pan, transmission and front driveshaft skid plate made out of 1/8" steel plate with 3/4" x 1/8" square tubing reinforcements.

Recent plans:

Extend the computer to a higher place and water seal the connector.
Air tank with pressure regulator.

Future Plans:

Add a bigger engine to handle all the weight on the vehicle, modify the suspension to SAS with coil overs to get more flex and adjust ride height, lockers front and rear, racing seat with 5 point harness and a racing fuel cell with more capacity inside to remove the lower gas tank and keep it out of harm's way.

Most of the job was done by Rivas Racing Remodeling located in Ensenada, Baja California Mexico, the rock sliders, tail pipe heat shield, winch anchor, diff guard and some other modifications are personal upgrades.

Raul Rodriguez De los santos

4x4survivors.org
baja4x4.org
rrodriguez@ensenada.net

OFFROADERS.COM