Chinook Diesel 4x4 (3 Viewers)

[Davidilewallen]

I have been dreaming of a Toyota Chinook 4x4 for a couple years now, I also thought a diesel would be epic. So I thought I would start my thread now as I am a nube and am going to need a lot of help and input.

I picked this 76 Chinook up in Colorado last weekend for $1,800 and drove to San Diego in 24 hours, non stop. This little chinook has the 20r engine with "supposedly" 76,000 origin miles but the odometer only has 5 digits so I don't know if its got 76,000 miles or 576,000 lol.

Any way my plan is to remove the camper and put it on a 4x4 and or diesel. I want the truck I use to be very reliable so I can take my family camping or overlanding once this is done. I also have a boat that I would like to tow but that may be way too much for the truck (4,000 lbs including trailer), any insight here?

Ok I found this truck for sale, it's the rare 84 pickup with a factory 2L diesel engine (not the turbo). Its a long bed which is what I need to mount the Chinook.

I can get the truck for $6,250 it is in excellent condition, it has 200,000 original miles but the owner rebuilt the engine 50,000 miles ago, he is a diesel mechanic and works on fire trucks for a living. There is 0 rust, supper clean inside, I really do not have to do any work on it. He has added a tachometer, water temperature gage and a couple other gages.

Here are my questions, is this a good price for the truck?
How hard would it be to make this thing a 4x4?
Will this be supper slow going up hills?
If I do make it a 4x4 will the engine be able to make this a capable overlander?

My other options are to use my FJ60 as the main vehicle an mount the Chinook to it. What are your thoughts on that option? My initial thoughts are, much more body work as I will have to cut in to the body to make it work.

A third option is to buy a 4x4 Toyota truck in the late 70s or early 80s. If I go gas then I want a carbureted engine.

Ok thanks for any and all insight, recommendations or ideas.

I am going to make a decision to buy that diesel by tomorrow so a quick reply will really help!

Thanks I'll post more as I go.

 

[Davidilewallen]

After doing more research is seams that a 2WD to 4WD is a very intense build. According to some threads on here you need to swap both axles, transmission, transfer case, upgraded steering, upgraded brakes...The frame from a 2WD may be need to be upgraded as-well.

I also saw that those old chinooks were built on RV specific chassis. Will a 4x4 chassis be tough enough for the chinook?

If all of the above is the case, then maybe using a 4x4 gas is the better option, then later down the road swapping the engine to diesel.

Thoughts?

I could also import a Japanese 4x4 diesel for way more money but at least it would be stock, you can get great ones with low miles. Only thing is the right hand drive which I could live with.

I may need to further explore adding the Chinook to my FJ60, maybe less work than a 2WD to 4x4 conversion.

 

[cody c]

I have seen the occasional 2L truck on kijiji calgary for $1-2K though they are usually 2WD, but I think you may be better to swap parts onto the chinook or find a cheaper donor to swap the body on, also, there have been a few folks to have swapped a 3B out of a BJ60 into a mini truck, I'm doing this myself into a hilux, as an alternative, you could swap drivetrain from a 60 series canadian diesel (engine/trans/t-case and axles) and get a somewhat more reliable engine and drivetrain.

 

[Davidilewallen]

Great points Cody!

As for a 1-2k that is a great price, although a diesel in the US is very rare so that must be why they fetch a higher price down here.

I will consider the 3B option and 60 series diesel too ...all very interesting. I need to start researching Canadian importing.

 

[Davidilewallen]

So I pulled the trigger on the 84 Toyota diesel 2WD. It is just too clean and rare for me to let it go. Plus I really do think that price was great (for southern California).

I spoke with my mechanic and he is confident he can swap out a 4x4 drivetrain from a donor Toyota truck. My next task is to find the donor truck.

I have made quite a few purchases relatively close together so I need to slow down as far as spending goes for a little while. My plan is to drive the new diesel for a while to get used to how it feels stock. Take it out on some weekend trips, maybe off road it a little and see how it does with 2WD.

In the meantime I will be fixing up the inside of the Chinook camper portion as its in bad shape. I need to gut it down to an and empty shell and see what I'm dealing with. I may also pull the Chinook off of the frame while I'm saving up for the next phase.

I am going to have the really difficult work done at a shop, as I am such a nube that I would rather save up and pay to have this done right. I know when I'm in over my head and this is it. That will include the joining of the Chinook to the diesel as well as the 4x4 swap, and fiberglass work that needs to be done to the Chinook. I will still post pics though so you all can see the progress.

At this point I will need to sell my FJ60 to help pay for this. I hate to let it go but this expedition rig is my dream so that is what its going to take.

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Have you considered putting the Chinook camper on your FJ60? Ah, you did mention that as an option didn't you.
The 60 is already 4X4, stronger frame, stronger drivetrain, etc. You could sell the back doors, rear hatch and tailgate, roof, rear quarters, and other sheet metal to raise some funds. Would switching to a diesel in the future be easier in a 60 than a pickup?

 

[Davidilewallen]

I have been thinking long and hard about putting the Chinook on the FJ60.

The issues I foresee are;

Shorter wheelbase means you have to hack in to the camper fiberglass and remove the bottom portion of the chinook. The shorter wheelbase also means you would have a about a 3 foot longer vehicle if you kept the Chinook camper as is.

Here is Mud example that I stared at for months.
check out the build here:

12 MPG is also quite a sock in the gut. Although power would be great, 4x4 would rock and the weight of the camper would be negligible if not lighter considering all the weight I would lose with removing those parts of the body. Other issues with this strategy is that my FJ60 just needs an overhall in general.

I will be getting the FJ60 back from the shop in a few weeks (she's getting a new carb) once I see how she drives I may rethink this option!

Here are a couple mock ups I did in photoshop:

Retaining the 4 doors.

2 door option.

The problem is, the Chinook does not line up with the wheels.

Selling parts of the 60 never occurred to me. Great points! The difficult part would be getting the diesel engine here in California. I would have to import a Toyota diesel (must be at least 25 years old and the price I have been quoted is $9K + Installation) or swap in an American diesel (cummins!! ~$6K + Installation + transmission retrofitting)

I will be getting the FJ60 back from the shop in a few weeks (she's getting a new carb) once I see how she drives I may rethink this option!

 

[patrickfinley]

It looks like you are shoping for a 2 door pickup. How big is your family? How many can sleep comfortably in a Chinook?

 

[RAYJON]

Just a thought, use a regular cab tacoma or t100 long bed, if you can find a long bed taco with a 3rz--5speed combo that would work great.. a little wider than your mini, but good mileage and power, even a v6 one isnt bad, parts are easy and you are starting with something newer that parts are everywhere for...

 

[RAYJON]

Or a taco cab on a stretched fj60/fj80 but thats alot mo re work...

 

[SWCruiser]

The build you have been watching with the lx450 + chinook is my build. Not sure you if you have checked out the updates but the weight of the new creation is lighter than the original body on the 80 series even with all the new bracing, 1 1/4" ply wood floor and added items. Also, i don't think the pickup frames were much different than the original as the one i pulled mine off looked pretty standard but with a longer frame. The frame did not look beefed up and I was pretty amazed that the attachment points to the frame were kind of flimsy. If I were you the things i would consider are:

highway drivability- can the truck get up to speed relatively quickly and cruise at a decent speed. That being said the new later model Tundras are nice platforms with the V8s. My LX seems to move the truck around fine but my preference would be a V8 or a diesel like the 4bd1T, 1hdft. Mine runs so well now though i don't see that in the near future. I don't know the specs on that diesel but I would suspect its a bit smallish. As you also have a family i would think long term. You will probably want to tow something eventually. Boat, cycles, other toys, etc. its always good to have some flexibility. The Chinook is a great platform but you can run out of space quickly with a family.

The original floor on the chinook I believe will not hold up in the long run if you will be off road. it is a foam- ply sandwich, covered with metal on the bottom. It was made to be lightweight obviously to balance the smallish engine output. If i were you i would address this before mounting to the truck. it will save you in the long-run. I would also advise beefing up the metal frame of the interior. How to address the floor? The easiest would be to fiberglass it in to the body or in my case it was deteriorating and i cut the entire floor out. if yours is still in good shape you could overlay it in fiberglass and this would also allow you to fill in the wheel wells. I think you will find that matching the wheel wells won't make sense for most cab heights. Fiberglass them in gives you more room in the interior and allows you to use any base vehicle you want. You could even make it removable.

If you need any advice about this platform shoot me a pm.

 

[Davidilewallen]

@SWCruiser - I'm so glad you chimed in! I just re-read some of your build and was glad to see that the Chinook you used was a 76, same year as mine. According to your travel story, you never drove the chinook itself. I had the "pleasure" of driving mine home 1200 miles and wow is that thing underpowered. Going up hills at altitude was comical...25 MPH in 2nd gear coming out of Flagstaff AZ. (and I went the southern rout out of Colorado to avoid the Rockies, best decision ever!

Any way yes the 2wd 2L diesel that I picked up is a very small engine. I assume that the power will be similar to that of the 20R that the Chinook currently has. If I decide to use the 84 2L diesel as the platform to mount the Chinook (which is where I am leaning at this point) I will be going into it with no illusions on power. As with all of my older vehicles there is always compromise and you have to bring your patients and humor along for the ride or your frustration will get the better of you!

A bit about me and one of the reasons for this build: I want a vehicle that has no or very little computers that are necessary for keeping the engine running. Part of the fun of this expedition vehicle is that it will double as my bug-out vehicle. So this means no fuel injection or a diesel pre 96. (Yes, I am a prepper nerd...lol)

If I go with the little diesel, weight will be one of my main concerns, glad to hear yours came in under weight! My goal would be to make the inside of the camper as light as possible. Great suggestion about the floor, once I gut this thing I will see what I have. I would love to keep it all as is if possible to keep that weight down.

According to this article: The Chinook was redesigned in 75... "The newly enhanced Toyota-Chinook sported an upgraded chassis built specifically for RV use; the truck’s 101.7-inch wheelbase was stretched to 110 inches and equipped with an 8” ring and pinion third member (AKA heavy duty) and stouter tires, compared to the standard 7.5” rear gear on the earlier models."

With the 2L, I will be sacrificing power for fuel economy, the 2L gets 30-35 MPG currently. That will most likely change as I add wight and wind resistance with the Chinook, but I am hoping I will get at least 20. I got about 16-18 on the trip down with the old 20R.

according to avitripp who built this beast... "It weighs 4700lbs, so it definitely struggles on really long grades. I did have problems with red-lining, but I had the entire cooling system rebuilt/replaced and it is a lot better. On hot days I still need to watch the temps. I'd like to put an inter-cooler in some day, that would probably help a lot. I average ~22mpg highway, but not in a hurry. It's got plenty of low end torque, so its great for moderate-light off-road...nothing extreme."

The PO of my 2L added an upgraded radiator, water temp gage and extra fan which should help for keeping the temp down.

here is avitirpp's build.

@RAYJON

You can fit 2 adults and 2 small children "fairly" comfortably, according to some write-ups I have read. Right now it's my wife my young son and I. (I suspect most trips will be my self and my son on baja surf trips and camping; once he is a bit older

There are also some add-ons you could make as far as bedding goes where you hang a hammoc from inside the frame if you wanted to squeeze in another adult or 2 if you absolutely had too.

 

[SWCruiser]

David,
Once you take a look at the floor even if its still in good condition it will be worthwhile to reinforce the area where the internal metal cage contacts with the floor. The floor in these areas of mine were totally destroyed and it did not look like it would support long-term off road vibration even in good condition. I would either reinforce the entire floor with frame as how mine sits or at a minimum beef up the attachment points with metal plate. Also, the roof is a place that in my opinion could use a lot of work. Mine was in bad shape but for the weight of the roof i think it was designed poorly. Yes the Chinook as it is built will handle 2-3 adults and 2 kinds while traveling no problem. I think its more of an issue in terms of sleeping areas.

chris

 

[xtiaan2000]

I think the four door is a much cooler look than the two door. As well, I have never been one for rigs that one could not recline the front seats, especially on rigs that you will obviously be driving awhile in. Just my measily two cents.

 

[patrickfinley]

I think I'm confused. I think it's possible to get 2 adults and 2 small kids in the back of the Chinook, but the problem arises with 4 people in the front seat. Are you building a 4 door or a 2 door.

What's the game plan for 2 adults and 2 child car seats in the front row if it's a 2 door? Or will you use 2 vehicles and just sleep in the Chinook?

 

[SWCruiser]

I also like the look of the 4door but feel that you loose a lot of the useful space and functionality of the Chinook camper if you go with ttwo additional doors. The area you are removing is the bench seat and sleeping area along with counter space on the opposite side. additional occupants can sit on the the bench and still be in contact with the driver. As for the reclining my project allows for a reasonable amount of reclining. I didn't expect given my preferences it was an issue. I could have increased the amount of recline had I pushed the cabinetry back about 4-6 inches.

 

[Davidilewallen]

Just got the FJ60 back from the shop with the new carb, and she runs awesome! Better than she has ever run before. Now I am really rethinking the option of putting the Chinook on the FJ60. The 2WD Toyota Diesel has been a really great DD so I would have no regrets for buying her...(however my wife may feel otherwise).

@patrickfinley This is actually a question I have had for a while also as I have never owned a camper before, I mean most campers just have 2 seats up front right? Where do the other passengers/children ride? I remember reading somewhere that the original Chinooks had seat-belts in the back camper portion I believe, my plan so far has been to just add in some seat belts in the back. Any insight here?

@SWCruiser Yes with the 4 door option I would be losing some functionality. The backseat of the FJ60 folds down flat,

I had the idea of somehow retaining that feature with the Chinook. Maybe making a cabinet sort of pop-up as you lower the seat flat. Or maybe a seat bolted to the Chinook body, that folds up during transit and folds down when camping.

Or potentially a 3 door option (like a minivan). That way I could have one side of the camper fixed and the other would have the door.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

After following swCruisers Chinook/Cruiser build it there really anymore work just going for something like this from the start?

 

[Davidilewallen]

@LandCruiserPhil I have thought about something like that quite a bit, if I were to go that rout I would probably just add a pop top roof like a Campteq and cut out the roof, but they only make tops for the 80, I emailed them to see if the 80 version would fit on my 60 but apparently not.

also there is some intangible about keeping the Chinook alive. To me its elegantly designed and I like the history of it (like I said intangible...lol). Plus I already have one Campeq is 5K, I got the Chinook for $1,800 and can probably sell the truck once I remove the Camper, so even price wise the Chinook rout is pretty affordable.

Any idea what something like your photo would cost? And where would you get something like that done?

 

[Davidilewallen]

@SWCruiser can you post a photo of your rig from a profile view? How do you feel about the shorter wheelbase, and how much longer is your rig than the original 80? Do you notice any performance issues because of the above?

Thanks