Greetings all! Just dropping a line to say "Hi!" from a slightly warmer Arizona. I've had this '96 Limited for about 3 years now... alright, actually it's my wife's ride but she didn't want to drive it anymore with her taking up real estate stuff... didn't think it was very professional being a Realtor and showing up at clients homes in the JP. So, she handed it over to me.
The Explorer may not be screen accurate, but she's "As Seen on TV" as she's been featured on the local news after being spotted by an ADOT camera when we stopped to assist at an accident scene on the way home from picking it up after getting wrapped. ADOT tweeted our pic saying "A T-Rex in Tempe?" and after speaking up and claiming ownership, we got a 2 minute spot on the 6:00 news!
After being on TV, a member of the Jurassic Park Motor Pool contacted us and invited us to join... we had no idea they even existed up to that point. We'd wrapped it just for fun, honestly. After a few months, I pulled the local AZ members together and created the Desert Raptor Division, which I am currently the Leader of.
We've taken it off-roading quite a bit, even though the AWD isn't fully functional since the front shaft was removed. I'm awaiting being able to do the CV joints before reconnecting it, but the torque converter and transfer case are new. It's been the center of several birthday parties, a wedding getaway vehicle, and in the 4th of July Parade as well as the 2017 Fiesta Bowl Parade.
We're planning a massive JPMP convoy in June to meet-up in Branson, MO for the release of the new Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom release. Yep, I'll be driving the Explorer from AZ to MO, along with about 150 other members, mainly Jeeps.
That's about all for now. If you're interested, I'll post follow ups on the build (antenna install, lighting, upholstery update, guard replacement and tail light guard install, and the eventual roof conversion). You can also follow me on Instagram at JPExp04, and I've uploaded a few dozen pics from the last few years on this profile for you to browse.
Current maintenance projects include fixing the driver door handle, which just broke on me last week - the rod clip snapped, and the handle is in total freeplay at the moment - as well as getting the climate control running properly - replacing the blower fan, thermostat, and vent door actuator.
The Explorer may not be screen accurate, but she's "As Seen on TV" as she's been featured on the local news after being spotted by an ADOT camera when we stopped to assist at an accident scene on the way home from picking it up after getting wrapped. ADOT tweeted our pic saying "A T-Rex in Tempe?" and after speaking up and claiming ownership, we got a 2 minute spot on the 6:00 news!
After being on TV, a member of the Jurassic Park Motor Pool contacted us and invited us to join... we had no idea they even existed up to that point. We'd wrapped it just for fun, honestly. After a few months, I pulled the local AZ members together and created the Desert Raptor Division, which I am currently the Leader of.
We've taken it off-roading quite a bit, even though the AWD isn't fully functional since the front shaft was removed. I'm awaiting being able to do the CV joints before reconnecting it, but the torque converter and transfer case are new. It's been the center of several birthday parties, a wedding getaway vehicle, and in the 4th of July Parade as well as the 2017 Fiesta Bowl Parade.
We're planning a massive JPMP convoy in June to meet-up in Branson, MO for the release of the new Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom release. Yep, I'll be driving the Explorer from AZ to MO, along with about 150 other members, mainly Jeeps.
That's about all for now. If you're interested, I'll post follow ups on the build (antenna install, lighting, upholstery update, guard replacement and tail light guard install, and the eventual roof conversion). You can also follow me on Instagram at JPExp04, and I've uploaded a few dozen pics from the last few years on this profile for you to browse.
Current maintenance projects include fixing the driver door handle, which just broke on me last week - the rod clip snapped, and the handle is in total freeplay at the moment - as well as getting the climate control running properly - replacing the blower fan, thermostat, and vent door actuator.
