Halfords Dog-Taxi

Hi everyone, thought it's about time I introduced myself and my girls.

Hello from South Tyneside .... that place where the Great North Run ends and that "nice boy" Joe Mcelderry (X-Factor) resides.

Girl No.2 - The Gris


Girl No.3 - The Gris Wagon


and not forgetting Girl No.1's wheels .... The Rav4 Reebok


As many know already, I'm not an off-roader .... currently a Dog Taxi, have taken out the back seats and laid some marine ply.


The first thing I did was to change the front speakers - has made the sound good enough for me.

Have also fitted an alarm with ultrasonics and linked the alarm remote to work the central locking.

Replaced the standard toot-toot horn with 2 horns - one high, one low, a bit more scary now :evil:

The studs that held the rear seat backs are quite handy


when I'm passing an electrical trade supplier, I'll pick up a couple of elec cable steel conduit fittings like this, as they look ideal for sliding over those bolts. In case you're wondering, it's so I can bungee strap the weekly shop down.


I've stuck on rear bumper protectors and a hairdresser's bar .... I'm sure I'll get some stick for this, but at the time I was concerned that some of the "pond life" that live in my cul-de-sac would scuff the back end (like they did on my last ride)


so I did the front as well


and the sides


and yes .. I did get carried away and added some bling ... I'm so sorry, I really don't know what I was thinking, but I'm OK now. :sick:


I stuck on some Wispa Bars


then some wind deflectors ... but I got the girlie ones by mistake, wanted the big ones.


and I put some bolt-on pedal plates ... anyone with long legs will be aware of the problem of driving with your legs wide-open and after doggy walking, my wet boots kept slipping of the little pedal rubbers. Note, I had to put the clutch pedal on upside down as the surface is a bit too grippy.


and finally, here's the spare :blink:


Have placed a forward order for the new General Grabber AT 205/75R15's - coming at the end of July.

Very nice, we have no problem with shiny bling, all Jimnys are welcome here!

bumper protectors are nice - not seen them before

Very nice

That spare looks familiar... is the wear on the outside edge ? My left hand front wore in exactly the same way, killed the outer edge and the rest were OK. Tracking was fine, I think it had spent all it's life in town going round roundabouts before I had it ! Might be worth getting the little rubber inserts for your pedals that push into the holes for MOT time; some testers seem to think it's a fail if there's no rubber on the pedals :huh: Found that one out the hard way when I had them in my Subaru a few years back...

Our Ridgeback would be jealous of that, he makes do with (all) of the backseat :laugh: Me + Girlfriend + dog x weekly shop = domestic usually. Maybe should do something similar :laugh:

We'll need to know how you get on with the new AT's when you get them.

Thanks

Yes the wear is on the outside edge - after reading somewhere .........

you can't adjust the alignment of wheels on a rigid axis. From the factory, they're perfectly set, but if the beam gets even slightly distorted, you can't adjust the wheels to compensate

. I'm a little concerned as I'd guess they would have kept the "best" old front tyre as the spare !

Didn't know that about the pedals needing rubber :pinch: could stick a bit of cut-up dueler on, but that could be dangerous in the wet.

Male Rigdeback, nice .... so I guess you don't need an alarm
Only one domestic a week ...... what's your secret :huh:

I'd take the chance going for the test mate or just ask them first , I might of just got a muppet when the Subaru was tested The same guy also failed someone else with a XR2 mk2 that had just been rebuilt for a petrol leak because he could "smell petrol" but there wasn't an actual leak i.e. not a fail... He didn't answer when asked if it was maybe from the tank breather pipe

Def no need for an alarm, anyone about outside the house where it sits gets shouted at from the living room window :laugh: and nobody goes near it when paked up with him in it :laugh: Mates got 2 female Ridgebacks, some muppet tried to break into his house... you can imagine what happened next :woohoo: The guy was last seen bolting up the street with the 2 of them hot on his heels :laugh: The dogs came back looking rather please with themselves

Anymore plans for your Gris Wagon ?