[1tontoy]

Hey Amado,

Just be sure that you do not have any raw steel touching raw aluminum. There is a process called galvonic corrosion that will cause corrosion of BOTH the Aluminum and the steel at the contact point (do to electrolysis).

You will want to insulate the contact points. There are a number of solutions for this. Basic paint will not work. But, specific paint designed for this application.

Hope this helps!!!

Originally Posted by rideglobally

We have decided to make a change on the core structure of the frame after an engineering review. Steel tubes will be attached to a 2” “lip” of the bumper; these steel tube posts will be wrapped in aluminum so that the contact between the aluminum skin and the post is aluminum-to-aluminum.

[lowenbrau]

x2 the galvanic corrosion. Also, contrary to popular belief. Stainless hardware is a bad choice for aluminum. I've had much better luck with hot dipped fasteners.

You'll want to reinforce the frame in front of the rear wheel. Its gonna break there for sure with all that weight behind the axle. Many of the Canadian spec trucks broke there after a bit of corrosion.

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by 1tontoy

Hey Amado,

Just be sure that you do not have any raw steel touching raw aluminum. There is a process called galvonic corrosion that will cause corrosion of BOTH the Aluminum and the steel at the contact point (do to electrolysis).

You will want to insulate the contact points. There are a number of solutions for this. Basic paint will not work. But, specific paint designed for this application.

Hope this helps!!!

thanks, this is very helpful, the diamond plate has been primed with thick marine paint, in addition what do you think of putting plastic between the two metal? or can you direct me to a specific paint that will work......

[1tontoy]

You're welcome. I'm stoked you are spending such effort to make a cool ass cruiser to take it on an epic journey.

I think some durable plastic or rubber/plastic sheeting will work well, and is economical. Double it up so it can withstand KM's of washboard road and potholed streets and not wear through. And/Or use rubber grommets at the bolt points to insulate. Either way, you'll get 5 -10 years out of it before you see any corrosion.

Another option would be to have the steel dipped/coated with an aluminum coating that would eliminate the issue. But pricey and probably overkill.

The marine paint will be good too. If you can, paint it all with marine grade of paint.

Originally Posted by rideglobally

thanks, this is very helpful, the diamond plate has been primed with thick marine paint, in addition what do you think of putting plastic between the two metal? or can you direct me to a specific paint that will work......

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by 1tontoy

You're welcome. I'm stoked you are spending such effort to make a cool ass cruiser to take it on an epic journey.

I think some durable plastic or rubber/plastic sheeting will work well, and is economical. Double it up so it can withstand KM's of washboard road and potholed streets and not wear through. And/Or use rubber grommets at the bolt points to insulate. Either way, you'll get 5 -10 years out of it before you see any corrosion.

Another option would be to have the steel dipped/coated with an aluminum coating that would eliminate the issue. But pricey and probably overkill.

The marine paint will be good too. If you can, paint it all with marine grade of paint.

thanks, we will use plastic sheeting. this suggestion is very timely, this installs will begin to take place tomm and over the weekend..... thanks

[LaOutbackTrail]

Originally Posted by 1tontoy

Hey Amado,

Just be sure that you do not have any raw steel touching raw aluminum. There is a process called galvonic corrosion that will cause corrosion of BOTH the Aluminum and the steel at the contact point (do to electrolysis).

You will want to insulate the contact points. There are a number of solutions for this. Basic paint will not work. But, specific paint designed for this application.

Hope this helps!!!

There is also a way of running the right current of electricity through the metals so that they arent exchanging ions... but thats another story....

Awesome build!!!

[rideglobally]

Day 11 was spent designing the camper shell box, painting the bumper and installing the diagonals that connect the chassis to the rear bumper. The camper shell box will be made from aluminum 1/8” sheet on each side of the box. The aluminum sheet will be cut on the laser and then go to the press break for forming. When the sheet comes out of production we will have a “box” that will be riveted together using aluminum rivets.

On areas where the aluminum and steel touches we will prime with marine grade primer paint then wrap with black plastic.

We are excited and can’t wait to see the camper box on the flatbed. Until today the camper was a concept, something we could see on the computer screen. Now after meticulous measurement of each of the bends and rivet holes we are ready to go. It is the best design for structural purposes.

Too much going on yesterday we are not able to take pictures... sorry, however the picture below will give you idea of the start of the project.

Please keep the ideas coming!

[rideglobally]

75% engineering and 25% fabricaton! This captures the last 3 to 4 days. We spent hours in discussion on design, penciling out the concept, constantly measuring to create the final computer-aided design for the camper. Once the CAD programs hit production it took all of three hours to fabricate all the components. Our goal was to balance structural strength, functionality, accessibility and engineering. In this mix add a constant stream of great ideas from the LCNW guys. Hey guys … you are the experts!

Day 12 we implemented our plans on the design of the camper shell. The aluminum goes from the shelf to the laser, over to the press break, and then to the cruiser to test fit, form and function. By 3pm we start installation. Some of the parts are on the money perfect. Others need a slight shave with the grinder. The floor is now on the waterbed frame. Check out the pictures. They say it all. We made leaps and bounds!

Today the plan is to finish installation of the camper shell. The planning, long discussions, and designing are paying off.

[rideglobally]

lot's of major progress, want to share more pictures

[rideglobally]

happy holidays, hope you all are having a great time

[rideglobally]

Day 13 was spent assembling the camper shell. We have used many high tech tools at LCNW, but, today the story goes to a clamping device called a “cleeco”. We are told this tool was invented by a Boeing employee name Jim Cleeco. It was originally used in the aircraft industry to assemble airplanes. Needless to say it was the most useful tool we used today to assemble the “camper shell box”.

The box came in three pieces. The laser cuts and the press break bends were so precise that when we put together it formed a perfect square. Awesome! To make installation easier 400 holes for the rivets were precisely cut by the laser.

Here is how we installed the camper box on the bed of the cruiser. First, we attached the box. Second, we attached the frame inside the box. This is reverse from the standard way, the frame is build first then the skin is attached to the frame.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

[rideglobally]

As with any well laid out plan we have accomplished a lot, but we are not finished. With the makeover of the chassis upward to the camper shell there is not enough time to complete the “pop top.” Just not enough hours in the day! We need to go back to our regular jobs but decided to take one extra day. Today we will make sure all the new design features on the cruiser are complete and reinstall the old “pop top” to make the cruiser road worthy.

There will be a Chapter 2 on this build! We plan to come back to LCNW in December to complete a new “pop top” and add more custom features. Between now and December the cruiser engine will be changed from the current engine 2h, to a12ht. We will start a thread on the changes when this work begins.

Today, we wanted to share some of the build being done inside the camper shell itself, using similar structures as the “bed” of the cruiser … see pictures. We hope later we will be able to show pictures of the details of the build … every corner has a story.

To all the folks with questions we apologize. “Can LCNW build my fuel tank? How much will a similar frame … pop top cost? We will talk with LCNW and respond after this chapter of the build is complete. Looking at the cruiser last night all we can say is … Awesome!

[jabxyz]

Originally Posted by rideglobally

We are very happy to announce that Laser Cutting NorthWest will sponsor
the building of our overland expedition vehicle by providing state of
the art technology and LCNW creative input. Our part will be to
provide our own labor. This is a great arrangement for us because we
still get to build our cruiser. LCNW is located in Auburn, Washington,
here is their website LCNW - Laser Cutting NW



We arrived in Auburn, Washington on August 17th, the following day
August 18th, we got to work at the LCNW facility building our cruiser.
Our plan is to be here until September 1st (14 days). This is what we
plan to accomplished:

1. rebuild the camper shell so that it is completely made of aluminum.

2. build a fuel tank made of aluminum and relocate the fuel tank to
the center of the cruiser. this will reduce the weight of the
cruiser and improved the current design.



There are other things on our list that we want to accomplish if time
permits that is to redesign the bull bar and build a running board.



our ambitious plan is to post daily updates on our rebuild.



we want to thank ih8mud and the community for all your support. our
journey started at ih8mud so we thought it would be appropriate for
the first laser cut to be ih8mud mud flaps (see picture), we hope you join us over the next 14 days... enjoy.

Great build. I need to ask about the base truck, is that one of those dual cab/extended cab HJ45s? I haven't seen any of those in this part of the world or in real life for that matter? What is it's history, former mining truck from Oz perhaps? I ask because this is the truck that I'd get as a base for a true expedition rig if I ever hit the lotto. Thanks.

[edyperez69]

hey amado i allways said that you are the man . wath a beautfull proyect. continue on w/it look sooooo great , you know i'm desperate to see that truck here in california god bless you brother. EDY's Auto Repairs

[goneloco]

So what’s up... I am on the edge of my seat waiting on how this turned out. I am very impressed with the state of the art shop and their design team.

Give us some pic's!

If it is not quite done then please show us some of the drawings and/or give us your ideas to finish it up... the shell is cool but the usability, innovation inside is where it is at. I am sure that is what everyone wants to see.


Thanks for including us in this build!

[lostworldexpedition]

I am with goneloco! Keep 'em coming...


We need a reality TV show of people pimpin' Landcruisers. This is addictive viewing...

[rideglobally]

Here are the last pictures. The first picture is the cruiser when we arrived at LCNW, the second is when we left, and the third is the location of the spare tire under the deck to lower the center of gravity. The tire compartment will be completely enclosed … a cool addition.

The drive back to Los Angeles was great. We cruised the freeway between 65 to 70 mph @ 22000 rpm and on hills 45 to 50 mph on third gear. Driving on a flat freeway it felt like it needed a fifth gear. The “top side heaviness” is almost totally gone. We are excited about weighing in on the scales. I will not be surprise if it lost about 1000 lbs. The cruiser is also now one foot shorter and about 6" lower. It no longer sags in the rear. And the 40-gallon fuel tank behind the rear differential is gone. It was a very different cruiser on the drive back.

The 14 days at LCNW was "cuiser boot camp" starting daily at 6:30am ending at about 9-10 pm. Hard work but all fun stuff. We cannot say enough about the great people we met at LCNW team. Our current plan is to go back to LCNW in December. Here is the list of things we hope to fabricate and install:

• 40 gal plus fuel tank in the mid section of the cruiser
• pop top
• doors on both sides of the camper shell, including pull out counter to allow access to a refrigerator, kitchen gear, clothes etc.
• bull bar, and,
• running boards

This is a long list and we will cross our fingers until each item is crossed off. The central goal of the build is to continue to lose weight and lower the center of gravity gaining as much agility as possible.

Our next step is to turn our attention to changing the engine, sand blasting and painting of the cruiser. Today we spent the afternoon at Edy's Auto shop in Los Angeles. This is the shop that will do the conversion and the painting. The engine is schedule to arrive from Australia mid to end of November. I will start a thread on the diesel section when that work begins.

We are having a great time doing the build and meeting people. Many thanks to everyone, folks that followed us to our campsite and grocery store to take pictures of the cruiser, the many folks that gave us a thumbs on the freeway and all the honking horns. The cruiser loves the attention. Enjoy your ride!

[roscoFJ73]

Why did you get rid of the 1st camper you built?
Did you get the engine from any of those links I gave you?

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by roscoFJ73

Why did you get rid of the 1st camper you built?
Did you get the engine from any of those links I gave you?

the initial plan was to keep the shell that i build and just replace the UTE bed, however as we looked at the project in more detail it became clear that it would be advantageous to replace the whole thing for the following reasons:
1. aluminum was much lighter,
2. it gave us more freedom to make some re designing like for example the side doors, the new side door will not open downward rather they will open vertically with a counter that will slide out from the bottom of the opening, the refrigirator and outside stove will also slide out for easier outside access,
3. we made the camper 1 foot shorter, the over hang behind the differential was very long.
4. the previous shell was top heavy and with a lighter bed it would have exagerated that further

what i did not mention in my previous posting is that i gain more MPG, 13.5 to 17 mpg on the freeway on this initial test.

regarding the engine i communicated with the link that you gave me but did not find a 12ht available.

thanks Roscoe you been very helpful on my build. looking forward to your input on the conversion.

[roscoFJ73]

Originally Posted by rideglobally

.

thanks Roscoe you been very helpful on my build. looking forward to your input on the conversion.

Looking forward to it

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by jabxyz

Great build. I need to ask about the base truck, is that one of those dual cab/extended cab HJ45s? I haven't seen any of those in this part of the world or in real life for that matter? What is it's history, former mining truck from Oz perhaps? I ask because this is the truck that I'd get as a base for a true expedition rig if I ever hit the lotto. Thanks.

It was converted to a crew cab (when new) in 1981 by Arkana Engineering in Perth, Western Australia for Mt Newman Mining as a rail emergency rescue vehicle. The second owner bought it in January 1983 with 51,000km on it. According to the second owner’s research, which owned the Nullacruiser for over 20 years, Arkana Engineering converted six Land Cruiser all at the same time. The conversion was very expensive, custom coach build by top craftsmen in the industry. The conversion cost $45,000 in 1981.

The second owner (I am in contact with him by email) is a premier cave hunter in Australia. Among the speleo circle (caving, Speleology is the study of the cave) the cruiser is known as the “Nullcruiser”. The second owner was part of discovering the major deep caves in the Nullabor Plain since 1963 – thus the name “Nullacruiser”. Here is what the Widipedea encycopedia says about the Nullarbor Plains “'Crossing the Nullarbor', for many Australians, is a quintessential experience of the 'Australian Outback'. Stickers bought from roadhouses on the highway show 'I have crossed the Nullarbor', and can be seen on vehicles of dubious quality or capacity for long distance travel”. This was where the Nullacruiser lived for over 20 years, in the plains.

We are the third owner of the Nullacruiser. Because of it’s long history we tried out best to preserve much of “Nulla’s” originality. In our first attempt of conversion we tried keeping the “Ute” bed, however it was simply too heavy. It was a tough decision to make the current conversion but we feel we are left with little choice. When we drove from California to South Dakota crossing passes 9000 feet in the Rockies at 15 mph it became clear we had to make these changes.. We value Nulla’s history.

Thanks enjoy…. Below is one of the picture sent to us by the previous owner.

[joshoisasleep]

Originally Posted by rideglobally

When we drove from California to South Dakota crossing passes 9000 feet in the Rockies at 15 mph it became clear we had to make these changes.. We value Nulla’s history.

I think it was a good call decreasing weight in general, but I still say you HAVE to add a turbo at some point. If you don't, you'll avoid crossing the Andes way too many times and miss a lot. Cutting back the weight a bit might help at 9000 feet, but at 15,000 you'll be dead in the water. Don't miss out on the mountains!

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by joshoisasleep

I think it was a good call decreasing weight in general, but I still say you HAVE to add a turbo at some point. If you don't, you'll avoid crossing the Andes way too many times and miss a lot. Cutting back the weight a bit might help at 9000 feet, but at 15,000 you'll be dead in the water. Don't miss out on the mountains!

the engine will be replace with a 12ht (turbo) with inter cooler and 5 speed transmission...thanks

[crockett]

Excellent work so far, I am glad to see your work is progressing .You are doing a terrific job! I hope I can help you out with any parts for a super clean restoration of this project. I know this will be a great opportunity for others to step up and help with parts to create this off road/world expedtion 4x4. Have you had any luck with corporate sponsors? Dave in Spokane.

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by crockett

Excellent work so far, I am glad to see your work is progressing .You are doing a terrific job! I hope I can help you out with any parts for a super clean restoration of this project. I know this will be a great opportunity for others to step up and help with parts to create this off road/world expedtion 4x4. Have you had any luck with corporate sponsors? Dave in Spokane.

Thanks Dave, I have not had the time to look into corporate sponsors, that would be helpful if i can get one, if you or anyone have suggestions let me know. below is the picture of my 12ht engine coming from Australia, it should be here end of Nov at the latest, the box you see in the crate is a heavy duty clutch. i still plan to go back to LCNW in December. That would mean that the engine conversion, sandblasting and painting will begin in January 2009. thanks and enjoy.

[roscoFJ73]

You should try the 12HT without an intercooler before you commit to one
. It would make repairs in the middle of no where a bit easier.

Do you know how many klms it has done? I assume its a 12 volt

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by roscoFJ73

You should try the 12HT without an intercooler before you commit to one
. It would make repairs in the middle of no where a bit easier.

Do you know how many klms it has done? I assume its a 12 volt

the engine has about 320km on it, it is 12 volts.

can you say more about the inter cooler issue. my understanding is that the intercooler will cool the air going from the turbo into the engine and that cool air for the engine will be a good thing as long as the turbo is not boost too high. besides the space limitation that it create what are the other downsides? also since the intercooler has no moving parts it really does not add a complexity to the engine. i am sure this has been discussed on ih8mud can you send me to those links. i have time and plan to do more research on this....... thanks

[roscoFJ73]

Originally Posted by rideglobally

the engine has about 320km on it, it is 12 volts.

can you say more about the inter cooler issue. my understanding is that the intercooler will cool the air going from the turbo into the engine and that cool air for the engine will be a good thing as long as the turbo is not boost too high. besides the space limitation that it create what are the other downsides? also since the intercooler has no moving parts it really does not add a complexity to the engine. i am sure this has been discussed on ih8mud can you send me to those links. i have time and plan to do more research on this....... thanks

Cool air is better but this engine has probably already spent its whole life without an IC
Also ,with a fully loaded 45 series landcruiser,60 mph will be your max safe speed under perfect conditions.
To reach 60mph you wont really need the intercooler and once you're out of North America ,the amount of times you can reach your safe maximum will be diminshed.
You are probably going to spend much of your trip at well under top speed.

Where will the IC sit in the engine bay?
If it inhibits any airfow through the radiator(and a cramped engine bay will do this),then any advantage of cool intake air will be offset by hotter than normal coolant temps.

That was why I suggested trying the engine out without the intercooler as they work fine without an IC.

Im not saying its a bad idea ,just playing the devils advocate to see if you have all your bases covered

Do you plan on having air con?

[fortysixandtwo]

This is by far one of my favorite builds on this site. Love the historic and rare Cruiser you have. Very cool. Can't wait to see this thing on an adventure. Very nice work so far

[rideglobally]

Originally Posted by roscoFJ73

Cool air is better but this engine has probably already spent its whole life without an IC
Also ,with a fully loaded 45 series landcruiser,60 mph will be your max safe speed under perfect conditions.
To reach 60mph you wont really need the intercooler and once you're out of North America ,the amount of times you can reach your safe maximum will be diminshed.
You are probably going to spend much of your trip at well under top speed.

Where will the IC sit in the engine bay?
If it inhibits any airfow through the radiator(and a cramped engine bay will do this),then any advantage of cool intake air will be offset by hotter than normal coolant temps.

That was why I suggested trying the engine out without the intercooler as they work fine without an IC.

Im not saying its a bad idea ,just playing the devils advocate to see if you have all your bases covered

Do you plan on having air con?

thanks for playing the devil's advocate, very much appriciated, i do want of cover all basis, as i mention i have time.

the intercooler i am looking at will fit in front of the radiator on the area between the head light, that opening on the front grill.

yes there will be an air condition and power steering as well. i am told that the power steering requires very little modification, it is a "bolt on".

thanks