Fall 2015 | Volume 8 | Issue 4

One of the first things I did after getting my FJ back in 2012 was to install a pair of PIAA lights on my bumper. I of course wanted to test them out, so a friend and I planned for a night run up to our local mountain peak. It’s an easy trail ride to the top. On the way back it was pitch black and the PIAAs. We came to an unbeknownst blind corner and almost went over the edge if it weren’t for a row of shrubs.

When people discuss Oklahoma, they mention things like Big 12 Football, tornadoes, flyover state, Route 66, flat, and maybe even sing a few lines of Okie from Muskogee. The red dirt state isn’t exactly known for being an off-road expedition destination.

Houston Harvey embarked on an unusual journey for swapping the engine in his 1986 4Runner. Instead of a 22RE, he pursued another Toyota engine:  the 4.0 Liter V8, which was utilized in various 1990’s era Lexus vehicles, as well as the LeMans MR2.

It is hard to say how many times I have seen the movie, "Dante's Peak" in the 18 years since its release. While a bit on the cheesy side, the one thing that keeps me going back is the modified Suburban equipped with what I have come to refer to as, the Lava Snorkel. Watching Pierce Brosnan fumble around to get the rig into 4-wheel-drive while already floating down the river is hilarious. He finally engages it, and the big red Sub emerges from the river unscathed and running like a champ because, "it’s okay... this rig has a snorkel".