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I Blame Covid. And My Toyota Experiences. What Was I Thinking?!!!

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by 68CJ-5, Apr 27, 2023.

  1. Apr 27, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Hey Guys and Gals.

    As noted in my intro, the bulk of my offroad experience was with the 4Runners I'd owned in the past. My first true off-roader was a Scout back in the early 80's. I lived in Northern California and it wasn't until I moved outside Yellowstone Park that I truly appreciated all of the places offroad that CA had to offer.

    In Wyoming you need a horse. :censored: :D :flag:

    So during COVID, all locked down, I first built myself a bass boat so we could get some serious fishing in, here in Eastern Washington. My dad and his buddies were boat builders.

    We buy and renovate historic homes and buildings, and COVID had shut that all down, so I had extra $$ and nothing but time, so started looking for another 4wd since it had been almost two decades since I'd done any serious wheeling. Lots of dirt and street bikes, hiking, bicycling, poker, and fishing, but not much wheeling.

    CJ-5's had me curious. All of those lavish and dedicated CJ owners couldn't be wrong, right? A buddy of mine was deeply into 7's, and he got me sold on the idea. I looked at 7's as well, but wanted the shorter wheelbase of the 5.

    So I found one near Tacoma, WA, 4 hours west of home, that had been deeply upgraded over the years by an assortment of previous owners. The price was right, but the seller suggested that I not attempt the freeway drive home. Once test-driving it I quickly figured out why. Scary as hell at most speeds above 25 mph.

    The steering was shot.

    I'll give an overlay of general progress, and then double back and get into more detail as this thread develops.

    Features:

    * 1968 CJ-5 with full soft top plus bikini top and diamond plate half-doors. I prefer the bikini year-round. Great heater in the CJ.
    * 225 Dauntless with 360 Offy Dual Port, came with a new Holley 4160 390 CFM but now with FiTech Go Street 400 HP EFI, new Hedman headers and custom exhaust, Delco HEI distributor.
    * Dana 19/20 trans and transfer case, can't recall exactly (offset rear driveline). 4 speed manual.
    * '83 Toyota axles, locking hubs, not sure which diff gearing. Front discs, new brake booster with a front/rear adjustable brake bias. Rear diff spiders have been welded up which essentially makes it a fulltime solid-axle locker rear-end. Beefed-up front diff cage structure.
    * Hybrid Toyota/Jeep leaf springs, suspension, and steering components (still guessing). Mostly new now.
    * New long travel shocks with custom extended mounts
    * Full roll cage, but not all of it is welded to the frame. Sliders.
    * 35" tires on 15" chromed steel wheels. No bead lockers.
    * Onboard air compressor under driver's seat
    * Engine compartment crossbar tube bracing
    * Braided stainless fuel tank rollover vent hose
    * Custom bucket seats with full 4-point harness belts plus lap belts
    * Two light bars plus LED lighting front and rear
    * Custom stereo with speakers in rear deck-mounted ammo boxes
    * CB radio
    * Old school Warn winch with remote and poly cable
    * Steering dampener shock
    * Custom Army-tribute paint scheme
    * 15 gallon aluminum fuel cell mounted on rear deck bed. No other tanks
    * Custom removable rear cargo deck with storage compartments which sets above the fuel tank, primarily for our Rottweiler but also for extra passengers and cargo storage.
    * Custom rear hitch welded directly to the frame, built by my exhaust specialist
    * Quick-release removable steering wheel
    * Dual electric radiator fans, front and rear. I'm going to remove one of them.

    The photo below is how it looked when I first picked it up. Needless to say, the U-Haul straps weren't long enough to strap over the tires. After that was in our alley behind our buildings on Day 1. Scroll down to the next post to see how it looks now.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2023
  2. Apr 27, 2023
    Dwins1

    Dwins1 Member

    Port Richey, Florida
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    Nice Jeep congratulations
     
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  3. Apr 27, 2023
    Rich M.

    Rich M. Shoe salesman 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Maryland
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    Love it!
     
  4. Apr 27, 2023
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
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  5. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Once getting under the sheet metal I began assessing what I'd just done. Did I really have the time and dedication needed to really make this something I wanted to own? The thing I loved about my 4Runners was that I could drive them anywhere, savage them offroad, and then drive them home, buff the paint, and plan my next outing. My immediate concern was whether I was going to have to tow this somewhere before getting offroad in a given location, and that just wasn't practical for my intentions. I wanted to drive it, have fun, and drive home. I'll still be doing that with shorter runs.

    However....

    That meant I'd be needing a tow bar or another trailer for the Jeep, using two vehicles, and I already have a utility trailer and a few boats on trailers that live in and around my buildings, and parking space is growing thin. But now, after watching tons of offroading on YouTube in the past year, I've grown accustomed to the practice of towing your rig to a chosen destination. A lot of rigs aren't street-legal to begin with so they have to be towed. And I absolutely cherish some of those custom builds. It's got me thinking.

    The other thing is that in the past I've virtually always had manual transmissions with my rigs, as with this CJ. But the serious rigs that I admire today are all automatics, for obvious reasons. That's shifted my thinking a bit. Will I be going to a Chevy 350 with a Turbo 400 transmission? Hmmm.

    So let's start with my initial assessment.

    * The mufflers, mounted directly to the headers, were blown out and sounding ratty-as-hell. The headers were rotting as well. A new set of headers came with the Jeep.
    * The steering was the worst-ever. EVERYTHING was shot. Virtually impossible to drive at highway speeds on country highways. Scary as hell.
    * The shocks were blown out. No fluid inside. Useless.
    * The Holley carb was almost worthless, though almost brand new. My tech completely disabled the choke after adjusting the floats. Still not good.
    * The paint was rusted through in a number of places.
    * The brakes, though new and working, had serious soft-pedal issues, as though the lines were filled with air.
    * The previous owner(s) knew nothing about wiring, and virtually all of the accessories were fed by a single 14 gauge wire to the fuse boxes.
    * No high beams, the switch was bypassed.
    * The fuel cell was mounted backwards, not allowing fuel to the outlet when climbing steep grades if the tank was below half filled. It was also leaking all around the fill cap due to loose nuts.
    * No horn.
    * No emergency brake.
    * The winch remote would only reel in but not out.
    * The lower radiator hose rubbed against the fan belt.
    * Due to the lousy wiring, the air compressor would immediately blow a fuse.

    FYI, here's closer to what the Jeep looks like today. This was last Spring.

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Let me wing it a bit when I think about how I got from Point A on Day 1 to Point E or so, where I'm at right now.

    Seems like I started with the paint. I was a professional painter about half-a-life back, so that tends to rise up my list. I liked the red, and could have buffed it out to make the paint pop, but the rust areas needed addressing and I didn't feel the red was an original color on this rig or for disappearing on hunting trips. As it turned out it was originally that teal/aqua-marine color that I also really like. I figured it would be easy to redo whatever I went with initially, so opted to go with a natural or camo type of theme for starters, just to make it look a bit more off-roady. Besides, I've already camo'd-out my bass boat.

    I put the basic olive drab on it and decided I should do more of an Army-tribute type of theme; a salute to the troops and the CJ's heritage. So I picked up some stencils from different online sites and began seeing what I could come up with. I opted to paint over the diamond plate as well.

    I went with a central star on the hood, a tattered flag on the right side, and the words you see on the side of the hood. This whole thing was 'just to get by' until I could get other problems fixed and drop back later for the permanent decision, whatever that might end up being, maybe even a full camo. Right now I pretty much like it as it is.

    Here are a few pics of the progression:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    After that I had to mix things up a bit while figuring out what parts I actually had and needed to replace, as well as other upgrades.

    The CJ came with a set of new headers so I threw those on. I had to figure out which mufflers I wanted, what sound, and then how to mount them. In the meantime I ordered up some headlights and a light bar to mount low up front. I then added twin horns for those special times I need to send a shout-out as it applies to a given scenario.

    The light bar below the windshield was already there, but I don't like it when my lighting floods the hood at night because it tends to blind you with brightness. If they're mounted behind and above the windshield, not flooding the hood, that's fine, or when mounted below, as shown here.

    [​IMG]
    The new exhaust made a massive difference in the sound of the Jeep. Grunt. I later had to upgrade and extend it to accommodate the o2 sensor included with the FiTech EFI system requirements. I'll get it up on a rack and shoot some pics another time. Now it sounds like a Honda Civic street racer.

    I'm getting used to it...

    In the meantime I assessed which shocks I needed for all four corners. I went with some Pro Comps, with around 11" of travel, or maybe even 13".

    I'd have to check.

    All the while I was sneaking up on the steering issues, one component at a time, starting with shocks. Each increment made a slight improvement. The challenge was not knowing exactly what I had as far as Toyota vs. Jeep CJ. The previous owner didn't know. Some parts were custom made and welded.

    A lot of measuring, and searching every offroad website on the planet, and I began to narrow it down. The Toyota hubs have extra holes on each side, so I opted to add the long strut between them that you see below. Also had to add ball joints, a custom idler bar, the steering stabilizer which involved more guesswork, and eventually the main steering rod U-joints between the steering shaft and steering box, as well as the outer bearing in the box itself.

    Power steering.

    [​IMG]
    These parts came in slowly, and with each addition I'd test drive it again. Not until I added that final steering shaft U-joint and bearings did it finally become safe and 'normal' to drive. Before that last U-joint, at highway speeds, I'd still be holding on with both hands with white knuckles in an extremely stressful situation. I felt that at any time something really odd could transpire and put me heading directly into oncoming traffic before I could even correct it. The rear-end in particular, with a full fuel cell and auxiliary fuel can, would at times begin to rock back and forth. I had to slow down to get it to correct, and then continue on.

    I should probably come up with some kind of sway bar for the rear axle.

    After that last U-joint and bearing went in, it was awesome. I now find myself driving with only one hand with only minor focus on steering fluctuations. It's still a CJ with old tires, but it would be very easy to take on a long trip without worrying about safety or driver fatigue. It's fun to drive, as opposed to being scary-as-hell before.

    Along this time we tweaked the carb as best we could, and it helped a bit. Topped-off all of the fluids, adjusted a radiator hose, replaced the oil pan gasket, and my mechanic pulled the right rear wheel to discover that the prior owner had installed the brake shoe incorrectly, causing the soft pedal condition that was happening prior to that.

    I had good brakes for the first time ever. Front discs, rear hubs, with new calipers and pads up front and shoes in the rear, installed by the prior owner.
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2023
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  8. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    I then installed and connected a new headlight foot switch, replaced the front blinker light covers, and ran a heavy supply wire under the dash for the electrical components. Still more work to do on that one, particularly for the air compressor.

    The old-school remote winch control had been wired incorrectly by the previous owner. Once corrected, it worked great.

    The transfer case shifter arm had lost its control pin, making it extremely difficult to switch high-low-2wd-4wd. Repaired that and it works great.

    I then removed the soft top and installed the bikini, which we really like, even in cold weather, because the below-dash center-mounted heater is awesome. The Jeep came with half-doors as well so I stuck those on there. The seller and his dad made the doors themselves.

    Added a custom antenna for the radio. Added new black mirrors on each side of the Jeep. It's always only had one on the drivers side. I highly recommend it. They'll fold either way on impact, and do it well.

    This CJ came with two more rear bumpers on the back, which I've since removed. A lot of weight there, but they also get hung up on various obstacles. Here's the (bad) pic from when I bought it:

    [​IMG]

    It had a tube bumper outside, and a flat receiver hitch bumper bolted on behind that, and a flat steel bumper welded to the frame behind that. I took it down to the steel plate and had my exhaust tech weld a custom hitch to that and the frame below.

    The Jeep came with the spare tire bolted directly to the tailgate, and it had to be removed to access the bed. He put a steel plate behind it all to bolt onto. Not the best, but it worked fine.

    But last winter I started making test runs to further shakedown the rig so I could see what I had. I wasn't used to having normal dry soil freeze rock-solid in the winter, so while running through a shallow ditch to climb a hill, I figured my hitch would just dig its way through if it touched the ground, but it didn't dig through. Not only did the hitch dig in, but the spare tire dropped down and hung me up as well. I was absolutely STUCK. Hadn't even brought my shovel along since I was so close to home.

    Normal dirt had become a virtual rock. You can see how the back end is hung up in the pics below. I had to walk a mile back to the shop to pickup the quad so I could haul some tools back to get myself unstuck. The motor had died as well, but maybe from fuel-starvation due to the fuel cell being mounted in reverse.

    As a result, I opted to pull that hitch bumper that still remained, and raise the spare several more inches to accommodate.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Here's what it looked like after I pulled the receiver hitch and raised the spare up several more inches.

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. Apr 28, 2023
    vtxtasy

    vtxtasy oldbee 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    Tucson, AZ
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    I like the CJ5 emblem.
     
  10. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Yeah those were on there. Are they stock? I opted to keep them clean when I painted it. I wanted to keep the CJ-5 heritage visible.
     
  11. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Shortly after this, having had the motor break down again due to electrical issues, one of my neighbors, who's a professional mechanic and fellow CJ owner, came over to chat with me. I told him about the carb float stall issues, and he suggested going to EFI. I wasn't sure I was convinced the Jeep was worth that upgrade yet, but thought about it and decided to move on it.

    I ordered the FiTech EFI and took more hours than I would have liked to switch everything over, including a ton of hours to make it run well after everything was in place. Not until I contacted the factory did I learn that the FiTech doesn't work with the Dauntless. That was a fiasco, on which I'm going to devote an entire thread. The biggest problem was the documentation provided, and NOT, with the system. What a mess.

    But you'll see that this CJ came with a fuel cell mounted on the rear bed deck. I thought the location was OK, but I thought I should at least move it to the right to help balance out my weight as the driver. Then I figured moving it forward would better balance the center of gravity forward, but more so it allowed for more storage room on the bed itself.

    It was that point that I realized the tank was mounted backwards, with the fuel outlets being on the front bottom of the tank. That meant that on steep climbs, with less than half a tank of fuel, there was literally NO FUEL supplied to the fuel line. It hadn't yet occurred to me that maybe that was the reason the motor was dying at the top of steep climbs. I just figured it was a problem with the floats in the carb. Maybe not!

    Well, for the EFI you have to install high pressure fuel line as well as a 58 psi inline fuel pump, the option I chose for my application. You also have to run a fuel return line into the tank.

    Here's a pic of the tank location before I moved and reversed the tank. Note the fuel seepage around the filler cap:

    [​IMG]
    I'd been designing a custom deck and storage compartment at this point, completely removable, so pulled it all out so I could pull and relocate the tank while I did the refit of the fuel lines and tightened up the filler assembly. Note the stainless braided rollover fuel line coming off the top of the tank, something else provided by the prior owners.

    [​IMG]
    After installing all of the fuel lines I was able to finish the deck, adding a fuel hatch up front. This pic was about half way through the process. I topped this off with a rubber pad for my Rottweiler's footing. I'll take more pics later for you guys who want to build some kind of deck of your own. This deck just floats, it's not attached to the Jeep at all. It lifts out in less than a minute IIRC. It's been a year since I last pulled it out. Separating the speaker wires adds a little time, now that I think about it.

    [​IMG]
    Before this I'd installed the safety harnesses on the seats, as shown here as well.
     
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  12. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    I redesigned the outside of one of our buildings on Main Ave. in the center of our small town, and most think it's a sports bar. I normally park the CJ right there in the center of the bridge section that serves as a walkway into the building. The wall will open up so I can drive the Jeep, boat, and other vehicles right inside the building. The Jeep's been DOA inside for nearly a full year, right where I left it after towing it home after the breakdown 10 miles from home last May of '22, so the other night after I repaired the issue I was so pumped that it was running again that I took a photo once I pulled it out.

    IT RUNS!!! I'm sure some of you can relate...

    The last pic is how it's normally displayed. We've had people out there at 3 AM pulling over to take pics of the building, as well as posting video online.

    I'll update this thread as I move ahead. The next plan is to build a bracket and install the crank trigger for the FiTech EFI. I think I'm going to pull the radiator assembly while I'm at it because I want to remove one of the two fans after consulting with a tech, and likely upgrade the radiator altogether to a 3 or 4 row aluminum system for better efficiency.

    If I can't resolve the EFI tach issues then I'll slap another Holley carb on there and move ahead.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  13. Apr 28, 2023
    vtxtasy

    vtxtasy oldbee 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    Tucson, AZ
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    I believe the CJ5 emblem is an intermediate jeep thing. A lot of work has been done on your Jeep. I kinda thought the fuel cell would be larger.
    Having it in the bed takes up a lot of room but you have managed to work around that. I really like your display case and yes it does look like a
    sports bar. Glad you got it running again and look forward to your thread on the fi-tech.
     
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  14. Apr 28, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Thanks for the support!

    The fuel cell holds 15 gallons, so not too bad when also considering the spare can. I can add more cans if needed.

    But I agree on the space it uses up there in the bed, plus no rear seat. Kids are gone, so likely only 1 or 2 onboard when offroad, and often just me, plus the dog out back at times. LOL, on some runs we may even put the cats back there with the dog. I'm going to be enclosing that rear space with some kind of netting.

    A prior owner must have added the CJ-5 badge.

    I did 'get it running again', but I was just going to pull it out to wash it and use the winch for a simple project, and then pull it inside the shop to start working on the crank trigger for the FiTech EFI, but suddenly it wouldn't start. No power from the FiTech to the fuel pump. Traced all the wires and it appears to be an internal relay in the FiTech.

    I shot an email off to them for a response, but I also just canceled my crank trigger sensor order and ordered up a Holley 450 CFM Street Slayer carb, despite the fact that my 4160 390 CFM that came with the Jeep is only a couple of years old.

    I want a clean start.

    I think I'll toss the 390 back on it and switch the plumbing back to the mechanical fuel pump for the moment, as well as pull the EFI wiring, o2 sensor, and the rest. I'll have to reconfigure the carb linkage and pull the FiTech-supplied high pressure electric fuel pump in favor of something smaller for the Holley 450. I'll keep it setup for both an electric fuel pump as well as the mechanical. I still have plenty of hose from the FiTech kit.

    I seriously just don't have time to be messing with fuel delivery any longer. Glad this latest failure didn't happen away from home. I bought this thing two years ago and have yet to have any intended-use out of it. I have made some fun shakedown test runs however.

    If I can't get the new Holley to perform offroad to my satisfaction, I'll be selling the Jeep. I need to be able to jump in it and go, and perform at least as well offroad as my 4Runners, or find something else. Maybe a Rubicon, dedicated rock crawler, or something similar.

    I will be posting a thread on the FiTech, but it won't be in the form of a recommendation, as much as it bothers me that it didn't work out. I'll be waiting to see what kind of response I get from the factory tech, but the EFI is gone. Going back to a carb. Holley and Howell EFI's are both too pricey for my tastes, not to mention the crank sensor scenario.

    I'll tackle the carb tomorrow, and hopefully get out for some wheeling shortly afterward...

    Lesson learned.
     
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  15. Apr 28, 2023
    52M38-73CJ5

    52M38-73CJ5 Member

    Wenatchee WA
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    Looks like a nice rig.
     
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  16. Apr 29, 2023
    vtxtasy

    vtxtasy oldbee 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

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    It sounds like you are really burned on the Fitech. Did you put any offroad goodies in the 390? Also, see my other post.
    http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/145810/page-6#post-1781636
     
  17. Apr 29, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    I posted a FiTech thread here:

    http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/155742/

    The Holley 390 came to me stock. The seller admitted he was very carb-illiterate after I'd inquired. I actually had no idea there was an offroad package for that carb, but it seemed to be having other issues as well.

    I'll head over to your other post and reply there.
     
  18. Apr 30, 2023
    68CJ-5

    68CJ-5 Had to get away

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    Here's a recent pic of my rear deck showing the storage below as well as the fuel tank relocation further forward.

    Still not complete; the speaker wires need to be finalized, the raw wood painted, and the compartment below organized with shovel, tow straps and related accessories, and more.

    The deck fuel hatch is that forward section where you see the mass of screws. The screws and collars are all stainless (will not rust).

    I'm researching the right kind of cargo netting that I can wrap completely around that rear cargo section, using the roll cage as structure. That'll help to hold cargo in, but make things a tad more secured when parking for groceries or similar while on an outing. But most important is to give my Rottweiler some parameters while we're on the road. I really don't want to see her tossed out on the highway, or over some mountain ledge while wheeling. She travels extremely well.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Apr 30, 2023
    vtxtasy

    vtxtasy oldbee 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

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    I sense some new motivation taking over! :D
     
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