Topic: New guy from Alabama!

[Dwill817]

Hey everybody 

I'm new to the Marlin Crawler forum, but I frequent other forums (mainly ExPo, they're all older than me and have deeper pockets). I was drawn here researching various things for my recently acquired pickup. I really like the atmosphere here, not real rowdy but plenty of fun going around and lots of good information. I also find it cool that BigMike and Marlin frequent the forum and get to know their customers!

My name is Drew. I live in N.Alabama. I work full-time for a furniture moving company and go to school full-time majoring in Geography with a minor in Environmental Science. I obviously love the outdoors and on my 3rd Toyota:
- 1st was a '99 Ext Cab Tacoma 4x4 - my parents and I split. Sold it because I was 16, drove everywhere, and 17mpg was no bueno for me! Even in stock form it was pretty capable, it made me love off-roading.
- Bought a 2001 Tacoma 5 lug - Drove the piss out of that thing! I want another one day for a toy so I can build the motor a little!
- And my current DD/Rig: A 1981 Toyota Pickup 4x4. I absolutely love this thing! Easily my favorite truck and its nice to finally be able to afford the 18mpg-20mpg! It will always be street driven and very mild. It is my DD for the next few years.

Plans are:
 - 79-83 medium OME front leafs.
 - 89-95 medium OME rear leafs.
 - 5-6" Shackles of some sort.
 - Bilstien shocks. (relocate them, shock hoops? I haven't really got to planning that part so they'll be in the stock location for now)
 - U-Bolt Flip
 - HySteer
 - 33x12.5s
 - 4.88s with a rear auto locker.
 - 4.7s in the ole transfer case.
 - Custom Rear bumper/swing out tire carrier (in the works)
 
That's just a base of what I hope to accomplish this year. I'll get a build thread up one of the days and really outline mods and reasons why. Hope to contribute to this forum a little! But I know I'm young and have a lot to learn so I hope to take a lot more away from it!

I'll add a picture tomorrow since all the one I have.. well, they suck. I suck at photography so don't get your hopes up that I'm gonna have amazing pictures show up on this forum. Unless I get lucky and somehow catch a good one, they will all suck. Lol

[toe]

 

[Rocksurfer]

  II  sounds like some good plans.

[Wainiha]

You're at 2 of the better forums IMO.  Welcome to Marlin.  Speak up and contribute, I want to here it.

I like Expo too, and decided that is the direction I will go w/ build. Starting with Marlin armor.

-Wainiha

[monyman]

  from Central CA.

[Dwill817 [OP]]

Thanks for welcome guys! I need to get to posting, I have a 22r I need to post up in the classifieds so I can finish up my lift! I should be ordering most of it this week! But then I got to save up for tires. I'm still stuck between 33x10.5s and 33x12.5s. It's a lot easier to find a little cheaper tire in the 33x12.5s.

[toughguylos]