I love the shop cat

@JanelleVocate-Ames

10 ай бұрын

YES!!!! They got a "cat scan"

@markverloop8787

10 ай бұрын

Dido

@daviddollard3845

10 ай бұрын

The cats official name should be Inspector.

@naomilemen1859

10 ай бұрын

Everyone has a dog it's nice to c a cat

@SB-vt9tz

10 ай бұрын

Looks like it may have some Maine Coon in it. Very chill cats 😎

Don't forget to get a quaga mussel check first 😂

@jasonbecker4997

10 ай бұрын

This comment deserves more likes!

The rig should do great. The 24 hour time frame is what I would worry about. Staying awake, energized, focused, and comfortable is a big part of the challenge. Can't wait!

The FJ is not gonna have any problem whatsoever. The shopcat really rocks! The teamwork that is shown is superb!Thank you for sharing!

@tomparker9966

10 ай бұрын

Your cat needs some monthly Flea and Tick like Advantage 2. I saw him scratching. I started putting it on my my cat It works. Nice work on the FJ exhaust. 27:09

Looks like the FJ is in great shape. It passed the "CAT-SCAN" test...

That Firebird sure looks good in the background keeping an eye on things!

Some tips from a custom chopper shop: (1) Soak the wrap good and apply it soaking wet. (2) Stretch it like Scrooge McDuck stretches a penny. (3) Fasten it with safety wire. (4) Start the engine and let it cook off all the water. This shrinks it, too. (5) Hit it with a light coat of VHT header paint. This seals the wrap and prevents the fuzzies.

Old guy tip ; put a gob of RVT/ silicone or thick grease on the end of the drill bit to collect the shavings as you drill. Originally used to prevent shavings from going into motor when removing broken bolts.

For drilling holes in metal overhead I use a shallow plastic container and drill a hole through the center of the bottom with the bit and then leave it on to catch the chips. Works like a charm.

@johnhenryholiday4964

10 ай бұрын

Great idea..... sure saves from getting metal chips in your eyes.... then making a quick trip to the Emergency Room....

@nicholascooper1193

10 ай бұрын

spray paint lids for long drills, and electrical tape containers (or snuff cans) for short drills.

@mikethetinner

10 ай бұрын

At work I use the container our grinder blades (zip discs) come in. Walter is the brand and they come in a stack in a plastic container. The main body for long bits and the lid for short ones. The bottom cut off of a paper coffee cup will work too. Anything to catch those chips LoL.

@tylermallory2504

10 ай бұрын

@@johnhenryholiday4964 safety glasses work for that too!

Paul I suggest greasing all the ujoints , check for any cracks. Check the lockers. Then the fluids.

HAHAHA, never saw a vehicle get a "cat scan" before! Great job and thanks for sharing with us! J.R.

This Fab Rats team is so awesome and come together to get these last minute things fabricated and installed. Made the frame work for the skid plate, Ben installed the lights, Sean is the expert with the headers now and Grandma Lolly approves of it all! I saw a sneak preview of the Firebird, be nice to see the '42 pickup again too!

@andrewbeach9894

10 ай бұрын

Paul you guy's have this.

My experience with headers cracks and collector leeks is to install the braided flex tube. This will allow your engine to move at the motor mounts and your exhaust to move separately from one another. When the two are attached without a point for them to flex, something has to give and it is usually somewhere around the headers. This fix has worked very well for me when playing in the mud and here in South Dakota.

@Chongy28

10 ай бұрын

This is sound advice!

@tylermallory2504

10 ай бұрын

your exhaust should all be mounted with rubber on the hangers to take up that movement...

@CORNDODGER

10 ай бұрын

SANDERSEN SAYS DO NOT WRAP OUR HEADERS PERIOD AND NEVER USE GASKETS WITH THEM Thats what happens when you Wrap them !

@joelduhaime4882

10 ай бұрын

Absolutely correct. Had the very same problem on my Jeep. You have to install the flex pipe. Good catch

Your header is cracked cause of that wrap. It holds too much heat in and the metal fatigues from the heat cycles. We learned this on the race car many years ago. A better option is ceramic coated headers.

We really enjoy watching Paul and the Crew, that includes Grandma and Inspector Cat, create, repair, improve, learn, perfect, approve and have fun in the shop! It is a fascinating journey watching the FJ come together. It is an awesome machine and will do great in the competition. With the master driver Paul at the wheel, it will succeed!

Paul and Fab Rats crew, WOW! You guys are killin’ it! What can I say? Good luck on your “To Hell and Back” experience! You will do great!

Paul the rig is looking ready as can be. From what I’ve seen on the Hell and Back shows the main thing you’ll need is spare parts at the parked trailer someone can go get for you if break and of course have the normal trail tools. Good luck brother!

@jh1867

10 ай бұрын

Y👀😉🎉

I honestly have to say. You'll guys work hard, play harder and have more fun than anybody I've ever seen.

@DC-rl4rp

10 ай бұрын

Agreed. He almost has that Derby Anticipation smile going😎👊😎

@ripvanrevs

10 ай бұрын

I went to Hell and back on a 2 mile trail. My Hell is in Michigan.

@mikethompson2137

10 ай бұрын

You need to fix that loose nut behind the wheel. LoL jk

@ourlifeinwashington4114

10 ай бұрын

You should learn about a man called Johnny Cash. He'd really blow your mind.

@ourlifeinwashington4114

10 ай бұрын

​@@ripvanrevsthats 100% believable. Let me guess you only stay because of family?

I had 4 of the Halogen KC lights on my old K10 shortbed back in the 80's. 36 amps of current draw. #8 marine grade wiring and even that wire got warm. These new lights are great. I am well beyond my fab days, thank you for taking us all along down your fabrication trail.

Paul you have no worries on the FJ dude! She is one sweet ride. You on the other hand are looking a bit tired. So send me directions and I’ll come drive her for ya!

After looking at your lights on in the dark. I believe you should add some windshield piller lights. Between your mirrors and the hood. Point them out and down. It would really help with outside the tire lighting. You could probably build a bracket to mount on the windshield hinge and could be out far enough for hood clearance when it's open.

Awesome work boys , that rig is gunna do just fine it’s a weapon 👍🏻

If the cat starts bringing mice and rats to you then it is definitely a keeper!

@tylermallory2504

10 ай бұрын

better yet if it eats all the rats and mice it catches. less cost in cat food, super healthy diet, and no presents for you to accidentally step in... we deliberately give very little food to encourage the behavior from our barn cats!

Add 1 on each rear tire under body rock light and that thing is perfect. Love it!!!!!

If you will put red Loctite on the end of the rib nuts, when you install them, they tend to do better about not releasing and spinning. Love you guys work. We used to do that when I worked in the machine shop to make sure they didn’t spin out

@stevemartin1164

10 ай бұрын

Also anti seize on the bolts!

@joshuabaker5712

10 ай бұрын

I've found if you do a second crush by tightening the tool a little it makes them damn near part of the metal.

Idea for the editor: First off, GREAT WORK! For the time lapse parts [that aren't split screen], rather than having music have some of the actual mechanic-y audio of them working on the vehicle(s). Or switch every now and then. It keeps it fresh. :)

@Buffalodani1

10 ай бұрын

Thanks and noted

I have no idea what you need, but check with Hollie @ Mischief Maker. She can’t compete this year because of her broken back, but she’s done it before. Great resource 😊

the only suggestion would be to put some lights up high on the side of the cage so you can have some general area lighting so if you want to do a trail repair off the truck you have some light to work with or to use while camping.

I feel your pain Sean, some jobs take 4 hours and 3 of those hours are spent on one bolt lol

@timothycarey3883

10 ай бұрын

Thats the truth, i changed the oil pump and pickup o ring on my ls1 camaro with out dropping the pan cause i didnt want it to take long. 8 hours of fiddling with 1 10mm bolt with wire to fish the bolt in and a custom ground down and bent 10 mm wrench and it was done a 1/16 of a turn at a time.

@_CryptoNoob_

10 ай бұрын

@@timothycarey3883 I had the same issue doing a waterpump on a Subaru a while back... Literally took me 2 days to get it done ahahha

@timothycarey3883

10 ай бұрын

@@_CryptoNoob_ freaking engineers.

@_CryptoNoob_

10 ай бұрын

@@timothycarey3883 they do it on purpose, just to spite us lol

@timothycarey3883

10 ай бұрын

@@_CryptoNoob_ tell your kids not to bully nerds cause one day they will become engineers and design your cars.

There's a loose nut behind the wheel and it has a lead foot.

Always love when I've got everything set up to weld, under the car... and boom forgot to turn on the welder. At least you have a lift, I'm usually alone under the car on jack stands when it happens to me. They really should make that remote controlled LOL.

Make those rear lights switchable, The times I have needed rear lights but couldn't have the truck in Reverse has been a game changer.

After working with diesels, that V-band clamp is so tiny and cute! But you are right they seal like nothing else. I've never liked those 3 bolt clamps. I tried stainless hardware so they stopped rusting, but then I'd lose the nuts every week. I left the stainless bolt and ran a mild steel nut which rusted just the right amount to hold it on. That was on my old MGB manifold. Wish I knew about V-bands back then!

@DB-yj3qc

10 ай бұрын

I started to install them on my XJ years back after trying to stop leaks and cracks, I did put in S.S. flex pipe section.

Good work Paul. There’s one thing that trailmater has that I really like. It has a drive shaft protector on hiems that moves with the drive shaft. I think it even has the name trailmater cut out in it. I think you can make one that will really help. Good luck crew

@patvirgin8822

10 ай бұрын

I believe what that is is a torque arm to stop axle wrap, as Trailmater is on leaf springs.

@TheGoldenEagle14

10 ай бұрын

This is correct. It is called a traction bar. It is designed to prevent axle wrap as well as provide more traction to the ground. As more forward force is applied by the engine, the more force is applied to the ground by the wheels.@@patvirgin8822

@Lucas12v

10 ай бұрын

​@@patvirgin8822Correct. It probably does offer some protection as well but that's not it's main purpose.

Glad to see the firebird is still around. Can't wait for hell and back. Good luck!

Have you guys ever looked at ceramic coating some of your stuff? Really helps, wont keep you from needing wrap on some of those super tight things but totally worth the heat reduction.

Good to see that the crew uses chrome impact sockets like the rest of us.

@davestevens4263

10 ай бұрын

Ohhh the wrong way . All good till they decinerate . Lol Me guilty also .

@AH.135

10 ай бұрын

Matt black rattle can should give more tensility 😂

@Lexidezi225

10 ай бұрын

I don’t care if I break sockets Snapon warranty is gold. You want the impact sockets cuz their heavier you get more torque it’s not just about the strength of the socket itself. I have every socket you can think of and I use impact sockets the most at work

@AH.135

10 ай бұрын

@@Lexidezi225 cool story sock cooker

It's always great to see a Fab Rats video. This FJ is a lifelong project. Absolutely love it. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon my friends. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friends. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.

Seeing the epoxy floor being done made me pretty happy. I work for Rhino Linings of Auburn in Washington, and we do the same floors. I have done quite a few of them but my main gig is doing the deck waterproofing , water features and vehicle sprays.

The war wagon is almost battle worthy 💛💛💛 Thxs Fab Rats

The rig is looken good, great job on the lighting Ben. The whole rig came together at the end there. The Inspector [shop cat] had to look over the engine I see. As for how the Rock Crawler will do ~ maybe first but a solid third at the least. Wishing luck to the whole gang.

Goooood morning everybody and thumbs UP to Fab Rats! 👍

@JanelleVocate-Ames

10 ай бұрын

YAY!!!!!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

@JanelleVocate-Ames

10 ай бұрын

You know what!

You have to have the coolest cat on KZread. No extra special skill, no unique quirk, not super crazy. Just being a very atypical cat, makes him the best cat on KZread.

I recommend having a lot of lights pointing downward and not visible from the side, this will help glow the underbody better for night crawling!

My husband and I watch every episode and he's definitely made me a car gal with all of your adventures...but I'm making a first comment because...I LOVE that you have that beautiful shop cat! So precious, you have a fan for life now in this consummate cat lover!❤❤❤

Things are looking good for the FJ . The kitty seems to be settling in quite nicely as your QC inspector. Just make sure fluids are topped off , bolts are all tight and toque sealed , you have enough juice to run all the electrical including winch , winch rope is good , lockers are working. With Paul’s ability as a driver and the FJ setup I think your chances are pretty good at winning this thing . Cant wait to see what happens. Thanks for taking us along for the ride .

@godsmack113

10 ай бұрын

You should name you cat socks cause he got four white socks on his feet that’s a fitting name for a cat

You could build some spare links to “mount” on the roll cage. Spare wheels and tires as well. Oh and a pack of sealants and fluids.

Anybody who loves kitties is A number one in my book! Good job guys!

The kitten is laid back and friendly, but the best is that she knows her job as Mouser In Chief!

Im glad Shawn joined the crew he know alot and makes me laugh. Ben is crazy he always has a smile and does funny stuff and makes me laugh also. Hunter gets us all the shots so without him we wouldn't get as good of videos because we know Ben always forgets to film what hebis doing lol. Perfect crew and the best crew and i love this Channel. I wish we had more video thow. I wonder how Randal is doing with his taxidermy and i wonder why Papa Dar hasn't been around much. We haven't seen Michelle around either andni miss them all.

@tdc9136

10 ай бұрын

Shawn is like a sleeper station wagon, cruises the streets all quiet then ZING, throws that funny comment out.

@RhinoRider2006

10 ай бұрын

Dar was there the other day when they were working on the Dakota

Bring innertubes in case of a tire tear. Ask Matt about it. Also, the skid plate did not fit because you welded it off the vehicle, and the metal warped. Next time, tack everything in place before finishing welding. Add lights to the roof that show the surrounding terrain.

I've seen that rap turn stainless in the glass. It keeps to heat it and doesn't let it cool down, it's crystallized.

Repairs, repairs, well there’s a loose nut behind the wheel, but I kind of like it that way

The FJ got a cat scan

MORE SHOP KITTY!!! Cannot get enough shots of that cute little cat. 🙂

Well, FabRats crew...I think you've got a chance. Have Fun!!!

Everything just gets better when you all work on it. I think the shop cat has decided you all are 100% home which is awesome because you all are great people and it should have a good one. Plus animals are like kids, one of the only places left in the world where we can get unconditional love. Thanks for the countless hours of amazing content. I appreciate each of you.

I’m betting you do just fine with that rig. I really wanna see if it’ll make it up the sand chute instead of your wrecker. I think it’ll make the other fellas look bad

@saschaeuler7883

10 ай бұрын

Oh ...I would love to see that to!!!

Take extra parts, bearings, ujoints, knuckles, shafts, etc. The most common stuff that breaks. Brake lines, etc. Double check all welds that will have the most stress. Extra gas cans, brake fluid, transmission fluid, radiator fluid. Do not know how long this trip is, but a word he'll, there is going to be damage. Don't forget spare radiator hoses.

🎉 thanks for the video guys really appreciate it can't wait to see hell and back episode🎉....JJ.... Jonjon.....

not sure about hell and back but i think you will do good if you keep self control. what i am really interested in is the sand shoot with the wrecker i posted on Matts site you will climb it on the 2nd attempt with the wrecker. the advantage i see with your wrecker is HP and RPM i think you if you get a good start you can get on top of the sand and go to the top

We’ve seen all of Paul’s toys and the kids along with Ben and Sean all benefitting from the Channel. Let’s see Michelle’s toys now!!

Thats a pretty good helper kitty you have there!😸

future reference, clip your corners on the inset skid plate panels. That will leave drain holes and save the drilling.

Paul I have faith in you when ot comes to 24hrs to Hell and back. You probably will break something, but you'll finish. Shawn looks so comfortable on camera now. He looks like he's been on the channel forever. Now that he's comfortable, he's a wonderful addition to the team.

I have no doubt that what Paul makes is going to be AWESOME!!! Do what you do best, Paul,build awesome stuff, and do awesome things.

Well you pretty much summed it up for what needed to be done only think you’ll need is spare parts drive shafts, fluids, and maybe someone who could do a drawing of Picasso’s painting’s on that puzzle “skid plates “ 🤭, spare axles, front n rear upper/ lower links and especially tools to replace what ever or if ever breaks. Oh and one more make sure the welder is working properly cuz you’ll never know what will crack or break… 🎶I love what you do for me Toyota 🎶🎤

Love the FJ and how you’ve made it the baddest thing on 4 wheels. Y’all work hard and play harder love y’all’s channel.

I can't wait for more of the 49 Chevy flatbed truck to get finished up

The thing that's really vulnerable on these rigs are rocks cutting the side walls of the tires. Make up some kind of emergency kit like Matt needed on the wbw rescue that robbie sent him on to get hillbilly's rig.

Love the length of the videos. I know its alot of work to get all this footage to us, thank you

Shop cats are great. I have 2 of the neighbor cats that keep me company. Skit plates. Great protection. I have a 73 square body spring ride Scottsdale. I put a skid plate on mine and did not account for the weight lowering my rig. We don't have to much in the way of rocks here but we do have trees to deal with. The next problem I had was heat. The plate seems to keep the engine heat and transmission heat trapped in that area. Gave my trans cooler a run for its money.

Engine bay lights Cab lights Bed light The skid plate will not go back in place on the trail so be prepared to strap it somewhere Always worried about overheating

The interactions between y'all makes me chuckle. "Can you hold that straight? If you don't touch me." 😅

Good to see a lot of things getting finished up, cuz you’ll need them! 🤪. Spare driveshafts, u-joints, maybe complete front axle shafts? (Or at least stubs, joints, hubs). Gonna be a trip of a lifetime 👍

"I got a little more welding I forgot to weld those washers in, but we'll do that at a later date. Probably never" LOOOOOL😂😂

From 'Eyecrometer',to a final 'Catscan' inspection.It's going to do just fine.(Hell Michigan is about 45 miles south of me,and I went there once during winter to see it frozen over ;) ).

You may use a flex tube on the output of the header, it absorb lot of vibrations and prevent the header to break

The Arc Droid can make drain holes while cutting the shape out. See grind hard pluming for inspiration he puts octagon’s in every think “weight reduction” love the channel

In Oz we have fridge mounts that slide out and down. Swag rack, gun rack and fishing rod rack. it's a ute so you need toolboxes. And then you need to build that LS for Boost! Twin screw supercharger! But first you need a 24volt setup for winching. Over here we have 4x4 racing with winch sections in it. Dual motor 24v winch.

I have to say you guys do some really nice and great work on fabrication and building from scratch and I enjoy your guy's channel keep up the good hard work

Got to appreciate all the fabrication!

Maybe you should add some lights to the top so the lights up on either side of the vehicle you know when you're trying to see rocks and stuff like that or just to have light beside you

A tip for whoever reads this, if you're tapping a hole like Ben was doing in a tight spot, instead of using a Cresent wrench find a socket that fits the tap and use a 1/4" ratchet.

The epoxy floor covering is awesome, but with one drawback. If you drop a small nut, or washer, you’ll have a difficult time finding it. One hint, is to lay a bright flashlight on the floor and the shadow & shine of the part will help find it. Also, be careful about Jack stands cutting into the coating. Use ones with pads welded on them. Your buddies at Harbor Freight, have pads on their heavy duty ones.

I do believe you guys built a solid capable truck!! The only concern is that fearless, gas seeking right foot Paul has!!!! 😂😂 SEND IT!!

Paul I love your Cad Design and the plasm cutter low teck and high tech for the win. Love the design of the skid plate and all the lights is sweet safe travels on this run

Honestly, the fj and you Paul will do great! Double check fluids in transfer case and differentials while it's up , throw some greese in the zerks too! Good luck man have fun ! Nice job

Prep: How about a quick coat of flat black paint on the bottom surfaces to show tell tale marks where you actually grind the undercarriage. Some thin cheap(dollar store variety) Teflon cutting boards on the skid plates to ease you over hang-ups. I have not seen the course, but some waterproofing might prevent a Trail Mater hydro-locking. Do you carry any tiny fire extinguishers?

Note about Epoxy floors in auto shop. Do not spill or drip brake fluid on it because it eats right through Epoxy. Just thought you should know.

She built! Good luck guys!

We used to have a cat that sat on the engine for warmth. One day I got in the JEEP and started it up, not knowing Calico the cat was peacefully sleeping on the nice warm engine. The cat was so spooked it sounded like it nearly just about clawed it's way through the bonnet!

Ohhhh, that's Satisfied Jerky! That stuff is pretty freakin amazing, I've got a few bags on my desk as I type this out.

When my twin grandsons were 4 years old , came in my shop hollering we need a HAMMER. still cracks me up. 🎉😂

Dang ! Dude, with all those new lights you should be able to spot an ant on the trail 40 yards out in any direction ! And, with all those skid plates and rock sliders, you should be able to slide over any obstacle ! Smart move modifying those headers; should solve those exhaust leaks for good. Well done, Boys !!! Go Git 'Em !!!

I like the scene where shop-cat did a CAT-SCAN on the FJ.

Keeping the v band clamp clamped together while u weld it on will prevent it from warping and leaking. Welding on the end by itself can sumtimes distort it and cause it not to seal.

This family rocks. Ben where is your shop shirts Hunter I haven’t seen a new vid from you and the ol man. Am I missing it? Paul Mitchell Great work as always. Whenever this all ends I hope you cherish how you built a family of strangers By bringing yours closer together Love you all❤

Armchair fabricator here. 😆 You have that sweet arcdroid. Why not cut out the drain holes when you cut out the plates?

That welding comment at the end, was a classic... We'll weld it in a later day, probably never... lmao !!!