A Tacoma Built for Business and Adventure

Jimahajer Garage’s Toyota Tacoma

There’s a reason more and more people are becoming entrepreneurs. The freedom, opportunity and self-satisfaction of paving your own road offers unparalleled highs. For Chris Ol, his dream was to open his own automotive shop after working for several years as the lead technician for other businesses. Due to his ambition and the help of his supporting partner, Felixx Cho, his dream became a reality.

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It’s not possible without a ton of sacrifice, skill and support. Thankfully, for Chris, he had this all going on, and he was ready to take some risks.

“I left my previous job because I support Chris,” Felixx said. “I had already achieved my dream of working in the film industry, but Chris was still looking up at the stars as if they were impossible to reach. I decided it was his turn to reach out and grab the stars, so I made a sacrifice to help him realize his dream.”

The couple have a background rooted in the automotive world that spans over ten years. Both had started by doing work with tuner/ street cars before Felixx went off to start her own career in the film industry. Chris’ experience on the mechanical side is well rounded, having performed general automotive maintenance on a variety of tuner vehicles, hot rods, and trucks. Yet, his technical skills and mechanical knowledge would only get him so far in this new venture.

This is where Felixx came into the picture: With a background in multimedia and marketing, the couple would combine their skills to develop their company, Jimahajer Garage. If that’s too much of a mouthful for you, you can call it JH Garage. Although they just opened their doors in January 2018, the La Habra, CA, based shop has made a name for themselves by specializing in the off-road and overland market.

Finding a Taco

The new business owners knew they needed something with a little more muscle than their Toyota RAV4 to travel in and represent their new endeavor. Originally, the plan was to purchase a truck to use as both a shop truck to haul parts during the week and go wheeling on the weekends. Chris considered Toyota Land Cruisers and 4Runners before spotting a 2011 Toyota TRD Off-Road Tacoma in a Toyota dealership near Vegas. The second-generation Tacoma had a bit of surface rust as the original owner lived near the ocean, but it was in great running condition and completely stock. They immediately knew they wanted the truck and purchased it on the spot. That’s when the fun began.

“THE FIRST SET OF MODIFICATIONS THEY PLANNED WOULD COVER THE ESSENTIALS BY OUTFITTING THE TRUCK WITH SUSPENSION, NEW TIRES AND SLIDERS.”

First Modifications

The first set of modifications they planned would cover the essentials by outfitting the truck with suspension, new tires and sliders. They elected for King suspension to handle the terrain they planned to travel through. The King 2.5 front remote reservoir coilovers with extended travel and adjuster are paired with King 2.5 rear remote reservoir shocks with extended travel and adjuster. They completed the suspension with SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms and a Denver Springs custom rear leaf springs pack.

A key goal for the Tacoma build was to allow the couple to venture out and see the world. As such, they knew they had to give the truck the proper components to handle future adventures. They opted to ditch the stock wheels and tires for the more capable duo of Nitto Trail Grapplers in 285/70-R17 paired with a set of 17×9-inch VTX beadlock wheels for confident grip on the trails. For more clearance to clear the new wheel and tire set up, Bushwacker fender flares and a body mount chop by Mixed Metal Work was added.

“THE SECONDGENERATION TACOMA HAD A BIT OF SURFACE RUST AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER LIVED NEAR THE OCEAN, BUT IT WAS IN GREAT RUNNING CONDITION AND COMPLETELY STOCK.”

Learning from Experience

On a trip to Anza-Borrego, the couple came uncomfortably close to running out of fuel with only a small can of gasoline helping to get them back to civilization. After that experience, they knew that a RotopaX was in order. For their excursions, which often run several days, they installed a Tepui Explorer Series Kukanam 3 roof top tent and Tepui awning attached with a Front Runner awning bracket. This meant they needed a bed rack to mount the tent to, which they found in a RCI unit.

Through trial and error, they learned that the loaded bed rack casted shadows and made it hard to see inside the bed at night while camping. So, they decided to install more lights to complete the lighting package on the truck, which now consists of Baja Designs Squadron sport fog lights, ditch lights mounted on Rago Fabrication ditch light brackets, rear lights, S2 flush mount bumper lights, S2 bed lights, and a Rigid Industries 20-inch LED light bar. The lights are controlled from the cabin via a Switch-Pros 9100 bezel style 8-switch panel and power tray.

A Smittybilt X20 10K waterproof winch with a Factor 55 flatlink was installed for emergency situations. The couple experienced both the danger and beauty of overlanding while playing in the sand dunes of Pismo Beach, CA. While driving on the berms of the sand dunes, sand began to give way on the driver’s side.

Chris attempted to redirect the truck, but the berm began to fold underneath them and the truck started to tip slowly on its side. Felixx immediately got on their Baofeng handheld radio and called for help. Fortunately, their friends who were at a distance at the bottom could see this occurring and ran by foot to assist. They were able to level the vehicle and drive to safety. They won’t forget an experience like that anytime soon.

A New Direction

Originally, Chris and Felixx outfitted the truck with an ARB bumper and LED bar, but an opportunity presented itself to become the west coast distributor and brand ambassadors for Mobtown Offroad armour and display their rig at this year’s Overland Expo West. They seized the opportunity, but things didn’t go exactly according to plan. The bumpers were delayed in shipping and arrived with only three days before the event started.

Once the products arrived, it was off to powder coating, which fortunately was turned around in less than 24 hours. It took long days and nights to finish the mounting and installation of the Mobtown Offroad armour, which included: a front plate bumper, rear high clearance plate bumper, rock sliders, reinforced transfer case skid plate, transmission skid plate, front IFS skid plate, hi lift rock slider adapter, and locking storage door. With these modifications complete, they headed out to Arizona for the annual event and their first time at the Overland Expo.

Added Capability

Their excursions would require storage for their supplies and gear. A DECKED truck bed storage system was installed in the bed of the truck, while a host of Front Runner products would provide additional storage and utility including a Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack, ratcheting shovel mount with mounted Krazy Beaver shovel, rack mounted bottle opener, tie downs, and stratchits. A Hi-lift jack extreme is also mounted to the rack.

Because no trip is complete without access to one’s favorite food, snacks and drinks, a Dometic CFX-35US portable refrigerator/freezer was installed to keep things cold. With all the extra weight added from the modifications, the pair installed a Digipower speed booster, which enhances the performance of the vehicle over the factory settings for a crisper throttle response.

“A KEY GOAL FOR THE TACOMA BUILD WAS TO ALLOW THE COUPLE TO VENTURE OUT AND SEE THE WORLD. AS SUCH, THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO GIVE THE TRUCK THE PROPER COMPONENTS TO HANDLE FUTURE ADVENTURES.”

Risk and Reward

Chris and Felixx make use of their Tacoma taking it out on average twice a month with their longest journey taking them to Nevada and Utah through multiple trails. Their favorite place so far has been Johnson Valley, as they love the various terrains it offers from the dirt, mud, rocks and sand.

A departure from their original plans, the Tacoma has become their dedicated adventuring vehicle, and the RAV4 has become the shop vehicle to haul parts. With their business thriving, the couple have proven that without risk, there is no reward.

“CHRIS AND FELIXX MAKE USE OF THEIR TACOMA TAKING IT OUT ON AVERAGE TWICE A MONTH WITH THEIR LONGEST JOURNEY TAKING THEM TO NEVADA AND UTAH THROUGH MULTIPLE TRAILS.”

UPGRADES

Jimahajer Garage Toyota Tacoma

PLATFORM: 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD OFF ROAD (V6 4.0L)

ENGINE: TOYOTA 1GR-FE V6 4.0L

SUSPENSION: KING 2.5 FRONT REMOTE RESERVOIR COILOVERS WITH EXTENDED TRAVEL AND ADJUSTER, KING 2.5 REAR REMOTE RESERVOIR SHOCKS WITH EXTENDED TRAVEL AND ADJUSTER, SPECIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY ADJUSTABLE UPPER CONTROL ARMS, DENVER SPRINGS CUSTOM REAR LEAF SPRING PACK (800LBS STATIC WEIGHT RATING)

WHEELS & TIRES: VTX CUSTOM PROTOTYPE BEADLOCKS, NITTO TRAIL GRAPPLERS 285/70R17

ACCESSORIES: MOBTOWN OFFROAD FRONT PLATE BUMPER, MOBTOWN OFFROAD REAR HIGH CLEARANCE PLATE BUMPER, MOBTOWN OFFROAD ROCK SLIDERS, MOBTOWN OFFROAD REINFORCED TRANSFER CASE SKID PLATE, MOBTOWN OFFROAD REINFORCED TRANSMISSION SKID PLATE, MOBTOWN OFFROAD REINFORCED FRONT IFS SKID PLATE, MOBTOWN OFFROAD HI LIFT ROCK SLIDER ADAPTER, MOBTOWN OFFROAD LOCKING STORAGE DOOR, SWITCH-PROS 9100 BEZEL STYLE 8-SWITCH PANEL, SWITCH-PROS POWERTRAY, BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SPORT FOG LIGHTS AMBER, BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SPORT DITCH LIGHTS, RAGE FABRICATION DITCH LIGHT BRACKET, BAJA DESIGNS SQUADRON SPORT REAR LIGHTS, BAJA DESIGNS S2 FLUSH MOUNT BUMPER LIGHTS, BAJA DESIGNS S2 BED LIGHTS, RIGID INDUSTRIES 20” LED LIGHT BAR, RCI BED RACK, DECKED TRUCK BED STORAGE SYSTEM, FRONT RUNNER SLIMLINE II ROOF RACK, FRONT RUNNER RATCHETING SHOVEL MOUNT, FRONT RUNNER RACK MOUNTED BOTTLE OPENER, FRONT RUNNER TIE DOWNS, FRONT RUNNER STRATCHITS, FRONT RUNNER AWNING BRACKETS, ARB SAFARI 4X4 ENGINEERING SNORKEL, ROTOPAX, HI-LIFT JACK EXTREME 60”, KRAZY BEAVER SHOVEL, DOMETIC CFX-35US PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER, SMITTYBILT X20 10K WATERPROOF WINCH, FACTOR 55 FLATLINK, TEPUI EXPLORER SERIES KUKANAM 3, TEPUI 4FT AWNING, DIGIPOWER SPEED BOOSTER