Post up your other toys or hobbies ..... AGAIN

[RadioguyJ]

Toys are my weakness. I have too many toys, not enough time (or money!)

 

[Bobby Bass]

I’ve been busy this off season. Set for the boat to hit the water in May.

 

[Cletus]

Bought the streetglide special to retire with , its been a trip

 

[Potomacbassin’]

That's Awesome! I've been on that LST before. There's also a Submarine in Muskegon, the USS Silversides.
Semper Fi

Little did-you-know, post WWII they sent an LST on exhibit through the heartland, up the Mississippi and into the Great Lakes. They had a Marine detachment aboard and at stops they would simulate beach assaults in front of spectators and then let them on to explore the ship. They even created a jungle scene inside to show crowds what it was like to fight the Japanese.

My Marine uncle was part of this exhibit after his Pacific tour. This LST apparently was the only one to return back to the shipyard where she was built.

LST-512

Tank Landing Ship LST-512

 

[Vikingstaff]

In my never ending quest to find a bit more back pain relief, we upgraded my vehicle yesterday. So far, it does help significantly, and is a sharp ride as well. This Lincoln Aviator Black Label is impressive!

 

[NCLakeGuy]

Beside my track toy earlier, my street toy

 

[BigKahuna]

In my never ending quest to find a bit more back pain relief, we upgraded my vehicle yesterday. So far, it does help significantly, and is a sharp ride as well. This Lincoln Aviator Black Label is impressive!

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Very nice! The funny thing is my wife has had her eye on the Aviator for awhile now but her Cadillac still looks and feels new so......She likes the Genesis model also!!!

 

[Vikingstaff]

Very nice! The funny thing is my wife has had her eye on the Aviator for awhile now but her Cadillac still looks and feels new so......She likes the Genesis model also!!!

I did not try the Genesis, but they look very sharp! I was almost set on a Q7 which was a decent comfort upgrade and still a practical all purpose option. My heart wanted a SQ7. There was a black one locally. Brown’ish interior, red calibers and 500HP of twin turbo V8 joy. The sound was intoxicating!

However, the Aviator was SIGNIFICANTLY better in the comfort department IF one goes with BOTH the Dynamic handling package (still an option even on the Black Label trim) and with the top of the lines seats (30 way adjustable with 5 more different massage functions). That combination really elevated the Aviator. Helping bring it home is it still has 400HP & 415 ft-lb torque, so the Aviator still has some good Zoom for what it is.

 

[M Jay Farr]

When not boating around Smight Mountain Lake, I have found a way to fly over the lake, low and slow.

 

[Potomacbassin’]

I could be misremembering but I've seen on SML some of those ultralights flying around low to the water. It was years ago.

 

[M Jay Farr]

Hi, yes there are a couple others around the lake. This is new to me, looking forward to a different view this summer. Cheers

 

[mtudb24]

My alma mater (Michigan Tech) is having a 50th anniversary of the MTU four-wheeler organization weekend of May 31st / June 1st. and they want all the past presidents of that club to be present. Well, at 55K miles on my current tires, I was about ready for new tires anyways for the Gladiator and how fitting it would be to run the logging trails in the UP of Michigan again on new rubber!
Best thing is that Mopar was offering a buy 3 get 1 for $1 deal through May 1st. Discount tire matched that, gave me another 5% off and threw in the lifetime certificates for free.
So I upgraded the 35" to 37" BFG AT KO2's and saved over $400 bucks off the asking price of Discount tires website.

Funny how the gladiator dwarfs my sons 2003 S10 crew cab on 31" tires

This was my K5 Jimmy when i was president of the club in 1995/1996

 

[FIRE UP]

Well Gang,
Toys, yeah we got a couple. Nothing like wazoo Porches or Vettes but stuff that makes us (me) happy to play with in retirement. We have a motorhome for traveling. And, we have two, what are called "toads". Those that are unaware, a "Toad" is whatever you tow behind your motorhome to get around once you've setup on a camp spot or RV park or whatever. We tow a 2015 Jeep JK Unlimited Rubicon and, we tow a 2021 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie 4x4 Ecodiesel. And when we tow the Ram, the Ram carries a 2018 Honda Goldwing Tour DCT Airbag.

WE also have a 2020 Honda NC750 DCT as a run-a-round smaller motorcycle. I can carry that on the back of the motorhome AND still tow one or the other vehicles. And then there's my little "Tractor bike". It's an '07 Yamaha TW200. It's not a very fast little machine but it will always get you there.

When we're not boating with our '14 Bennington 25RCL with the Yamaha 350HP 5.3L V-8, we're potentially running the Jeep outback someplace, or riding mostly the Honda Goldwing because it's just a dream to ride. I also have a Sailrite Fabricator commercial compound walking foot sewing machine that I really like to tinker with and get into trouble and sew my fingers together. I also dabble in painting. That is, automotive paint. Stuff like single and two stage paints, Acrylic Enamels and Urethane Enamels. That's a ton of fun to me. I also have my own little POWDER COATING system. I've done a few things and it also is a ton of fun. Yeah, I keep myself and the both of us busy, if desired.
Scott

 

[mtudb24]

We had our Michigan Tech University 50th Anniversary of the 4 Wheelers club this past weekend. 1975 through 2025. Had 18 past presidents show up and about 170 former / current members and their family show up for the event. A couple wheeling adventures and a bbq event at the end of the day.
Sadly I was the oldest person in the room (except for my wife whos 18 months older then me) and the oldest president from the group. Makes you feel real old.
It was a two-for trip for us since my daughter will be attending in the fall and has never seen the campus. 9 hour trip each way. Put 1200 plus miles and 25 hours of drive time in the 3 day trip but averaged almost 18mpg on the Gladiator with 37' BFG AT KO2's with 4:10 gears which I was very happy with. The front and rear lockers came as a blessing at times (sadly the wheeling videos are too large to upload). I'll try to condense them later. to post.

Got to show Shelby things like Brockway mountain, Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Eagle River, Hungarian falls, Jacob's falls, McLain State park, Cliff drive and other points in the Keweenaw peninsula. I felt small on my 37's with some of the guys running 38's and 40's and all LS swapped Jeeps but held our own.

 

[FIRE UP]

Ya know, while we as stated still have our Jeep, we don't really do a whole lot of hard core stuff anymore. Been there, done that, way too many times. Moab Easter Jeep Safari for 14 years in a row. Colorados Ouray/Silverton mountains for several years, Arizona's trails all over the place, Utah's Sand Hollow several times, and a whole lot more. After 9 different Jeeps, all built in various extremes, and about 40 years of Jeeping, we're just into very mild exploration. WE just don't get a big thrill out of conquering any and all tough to extreme rock crawling and edge running and all that. Not to mention, the PHENOMENAL amount of money one needs to DUMP into a Jeep to make it do whatever you think you need to do to impress people. It's still just fun to explore back roads and back countryside though. Out here in the west and southwest sections of AZ, the junk side x sides have torn up practically every inch of every trail and have made them soooooo washboard, it's just not fun anymore to venture out anywhere in this area.
Scott

 

[mtudb24]

Ya know, while we as stated still have our Jeep, we don't really do a whole lot of hard core stuff anymore. Been there, done that, way too many times. Moab Easter Jeep Safari for 14 years in a row. Colorados Ouray/Silverton mountains for several years, Arizona's trails all over the place, Utah's Sand Hollow several times, and a whole lot more. After 9 different Jeeps, all built in various extremes, and about 40 years of Jeeping, we're just into very mild exploration. WE just don't get a big thrill out of conquering any and all tough to extreme rock crawling and edge running and all that. Not to mention, the PHENOMENAL amount of money one needs to DUMP into a Jeep to make it do whatever you think you need to do to impress people. It's still just fun to explore back roads and back countryside though. Out here in the west and southwest sections of AZ, the junk side x sides have torn up practically every inch of every trail and have made them soooooo washboard, it's just not fun anymore to venture out anywhere in this area.
Scott

Totally agree with you. Back when I was in the club, I had a K5 blazer and wheeling was my hobby. Dana 60's and 14 bolt full floaters etc. Fast forward to today, its something that we'll do ever once and while. The guys I went to school with still have building jeeps / trucks as their main form of hobby. No kids and their rigs are all LS 500-600hp swapped vehicles running 1 ton running gear with 38's and 40's etc. Priorities changed for me over the years, but still nice to be able to get out on the trails once and a while and flex the daily driver Gladiator's capabilities.

 

[69jbjohn]

We had our Michigan Tech University 50th Anniversary of the 4 Wheelers club this past weekend. 1975 through 2025. Had 18 past presidents show up and about 170 former / current members and their family show up for the event. A couple wheeling adventures and a bbq event at the end of the day.
Sadly I was the oldest person in the room (except for my wife whos 18 months older then me) and the oldest president from the group. Makes you feel real old.
It was a two-for trip for us since my daughter will be attending in the fall and has never seen the campus. 9 hour trip each way. Put 1200 plus miles and 25 hours of drive time in the 3 day trip but averaged almost 18mpg on the Gladiator with 37' BFG AT KO2's with 4:10 gears which I was very happy with. The front and rear lockers came as a blessing at times (sadly the wheeling videos are too large to upload). I'll try to condense them later. to post.

Got to show Shelby things like Brockway mountain, Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Eagle River, Hungarian falls, Jacob's falls, McLain State park, Cliff drive and other points in the Keweenaw peninsula. I felt small on my 37's with some of the guys running 38's and 40's and all LS swapped Jeeps but held our own.

You forgot to show her the Dog House, Ambassador , and Downtowner !

 

[mtudb24]

You forgot to show her the Dog House, Ambassador , and Downtowner !

Oh we had a tostada pizza and the wife and i had a couple fishbowls. Brought back some good memories there. JD's boathouse was our to go place back in the day.

 

[mtudb24]

One thing the club surprised me with was pictures I hadn't seen in almost 30 years of my 1996 total lower end rebuild on my 87 K5. I had lost oil pressure 1 day during a wheeling event and we decided to change my crankshaft, main bearings, and install a HV oil pump, Pete Jackson noisy gear drive, and waterpump etc through the bottom of the oil pan.

After 17 hours in the middle of March, we finished up and the Houghton Police kicked us out of the parking deck and asked us who is going to pay the City for the electricity we used? HAHAH. Nothing every came from it, but it was funny.

We went wheeling the next day and the only problem I had was, I didn't fasten the positive battery cable for the dual batteries across the fan shroud and it got caught up in the fan. A few sparks here or there but we resolved the issue

The things you do as college students to get by...

 

[mtudb24]

And today was the wrap on my daughters HS career.