Name: Majed Al Adawi
Nationality: United Arab Emirates
Occupation: Accountant in Municipality of Abu Dhabi
Vehicle: Toyota FJ 2016
Tell us the background story of your car…
I purchased my FJ back in 2015 as the 2016 model. Until then I was using a Jeep Cherokee 1998 model and I had to give it a lot of credit as I learned how to desert drive in it at the beginning of this hobby but it had limited abilities. However, I decided to move to the next level of driving and to up the risk level for more excitement and pleasure. The J Cruiser has a lot of options that helped me to improve my driving and satisfy my needs and wants.
What modifications have been made, performance and cosmetic wise?
The FJ modification parts are not cheap and it is quite hard to find them. I wanted to find garages that could do the work safely as well, like the services Eurotechnik provides and this meant that I was checking online reviews and watching YouTube videos on different garages work and then travelling a lot between, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain to get the work done that I wanted. You can use your own garage as long as it’s well ventilated according to a garage repair company in Florida. What 4×4 do you dream of owning? I am living my dream right now and I cannot imagine something better but if any new editions of the FJ come out I might strongly consider upgrading to that new model!
Modifications in 2016:
• Rugged Ridge floor mats • Body stickers
• ARB Air Compressor • Front customized grill • 9.0mm metal skid plate • Flexi flag with mount • H&R 1.25 in spacers • OME roof rack • Shifter knob • Scan gauge • Fog lights • Towing base • LED lights bars; 50in ontop roof, 32in on front bumper, 10in on rare top, and 4x2in on the hood and front bumper
Modifications in 2017:
• ARB Oldman BP-51 adjustable shocks with body lifting 2.5 in • Transmission cooler
• Badel Box throttle control • Method rims 8.5 In • Kill switch to disconnect the traction control • Master craft tyres AXT 275/70/17
• Bushwhacker fenders • Sand rocks • Line X coating for some parts • Steering wheel and seats upholstery • Rock lights under the car and above the wheels, under the hood, at the back door • Wrangler barrier net for the trunk • TJM awning • Dual battery (factory and OPTIMA) • Garmin 276cx navigation unit • Portable radio • Snow metal chain for the spare tyre with 10 litres water tank
• GoPro 5 black action cam
Do you have something that you consider to be a ‘special feature’ of the car?
One word “Durability. This car can handle extreme use, shocks, harsh climate, unusual driving conditions and it will still will give satisfaction to its driver without breaking down easily.
What were your other options before you bought this car?
Three cars were in my mind to compare and choose: Jeep wrangler 4 door, Nissan patrol hard top and Toyota FJ. The categories of the comparison were:
1. Look
2. Price
3. Off-road mechanical features
4. Engine and transmission
5. Interior
6. Truck capacity
7. Fuel consumption
8. Varity of accessories
J has the answers to all the above! It looks aggressive and has the rugged shape that I was looking for and its price was reasonable for its capabilities and within my budget. It has an A-track which is the system for crawling itself out in case of getting stuck. In addition to the rare differential lock and 4H it also has 4L 4×4 drive. It is 270 horsepower with a 5-speed transmission and gives me the ability to choose which gear I want to keep driving in it and that is very essential for desert driving. Inside it is wide with comfortable seating and has front row multiple storage spaces and is very practical for mounting items. The trunk is quite big which is suitable for me because it can contain a lot of items as I am into camping a lot and it is easy to clean because it has full, hard plastic flooring there. Learn more from ADS automatic door specialists on best door options. It has a 159 litres fuel tank capacity that I can drive till 1000 km before I need to refuel.
How often do you use your car, and what activities do you take part in?
It is my daily use car, I use it to go to work in the morning and going across the city but I avoid taking it long distances like from a city to another unless it is for off-roading or for doing some mods on it as I have a Nissan Patrol Platinum that is more comfortable on long distances. Other than that I take it offroading all over the country, for example;
• Al Khatim • Faya in Sharjah • Kazna
• Ramah • Razeen • Liwa • Badayr • Nazwa
Sometimes I take it for fishing and camping in; Yas, Alaraym or Al Aqah. Also I take it outside the country with the club official trips like the last Annual Green Mountain trip to Oman. Here my FJ had to deal with mountain nature and it performed well especially with a trunk full of my camping gear and food!
Are you planning any future modifications?
Indeed, I am planning to increase and enhance the performance of the car as currently, it is all stock engine and transmission. I also want to give it a more aggressive attack look to distinguish it from other FJs and also to be able to compete in car shows. In 2018 I am planning to do the following:
• Computer programming • Air aid antic
• TRD catback • OME American design tail lights • Road armour front bumper • Warn winch • Redesigning the hood and more line X around the car
