Narrowed 12" 1983 Toyota Hilux hardcore trail truck

[extremetoy1]

Here it is, the cab that will be used to replace my current trucks cab

I wont bore everyone with details but recently after doing a chop top on a customers truck it got me to thinking about a rust free arizona cab that I had and to what benifit if any a serious body mod would make.

I already have a 1983 trail truck with anything you could add but had some serious rust issues in the floor (midwest snow, salt, you do the math)

So the project became much easier to strip down to a bare cab then just transfer everthing over.

1. Narrowing the cab 12 inches allowed me to keep a factory looking grill as each grill section is 6" so from 6 section to 4 (original 79-81 trucks have 4 sections but larger) as well as making it a bit more stable also more nimble(less side overhang) to get caught up in rocks trees etc

2. I can move the cab on the frame to shift weight (handling) and allow for a larger tire as well.

3. Stretching the wheel base and repairing a rusty frame @ the same time, again stability.

4. FZJ80 axle in front and a 98 4Runner rear axleshould help with the stability as well and make it look like its smaller (truck) and wider (axles) at the same time.

Here is the cab after I cut away the damaged area where it rolled down a hill an hit a tree (no one got to enjoy the ride, it did it on its own in a friends driveway)

 

[extremetoy1]

here is a shot of the jig to I made to slide it together as 1 peice holding all of it in place

 

[extremetoy1]

The cab after hours of measuring and marking, it was a bitch to find 12, 6, 4, 3,2 inch increments/sections to cut to add up to 12.

You cant just cut 12 out of any place except the roof.

 

[extremetoy1]

The floorboard drivers side, you can see the transmission tunnel as well. this is before and after the cuts were made and slid together.

5 inches out of floor area and 2 at the trans hump and of course 5 more on pass. side floor



What kind of seats will I use? for now Mazda miata seats will work fine as they were the most narrow I could find, I can tie them into the rollcage.

I would like to put mastercraft baja suspension seats in later

 

[extremetoy1]

I will be using 1 wiper as it covers the whole windsheild in 1 swipe, I have to modify the stroke radius at the wiper motor arm a bit to get it right.

here is a pic of the center wiper bit, the marker lines are what I am cutting out.

oh yeah and that VIN plate will go back, yeah I know blah blah illegal blah blah

 

[extremetoy1]

the three peices together.

I hate body work so I try to fit most all my metal tight, sand the paint off and tig weld the sheet metal then grind. it hardly needed any bondo at all.

of course tape is holding this peice together

bondo is your friend

 

[extremetoy1]

all kinds of metal missing here. but it is slid halfway together at this point as well

 

[extremetoy1]

Here is a shot of some of the peices together and the original wiper. a 2 inch longer blade insert and it swipes from side to side fine.

The windsheild is going to be a polycarbonate (like what bulletproof security glass is made out of) from polysheilds. they make replacement winsheilds with many different coatings and hardened surfaces to reduce wiper scratchs

 

[extremetoy1]

and if you look carefully at the above pic you can see both seats. there is room for a shifter and transfer case lever.

I was hoping to use 2 landcruiser Ebraker handles/pull and cables (already have) for rear cutting brakes but I found the previa vans have a sweet set up as well so when the tubes get bent for the cage I will ad bracketry for the Ebrake levers.

If you are wondering about the cutting brakes they are awsome to have and the way I will be running them is to use the brake light switch on both Ebrake levers to wire my air locker/elocker so if locked when pulled it will unlock locker (right now I have a detroit so its either electric or air locker with 5.29s) and allow for that tire to be dragged to help with the turn.

 

[extremetoy1]

stripped down fj80 axle.

I made a jig to hold it centered and to be able to rotate it when welding the pads on. pic later of the jig

 

[extremetoy1]

Back of the cab marked and ready to cut.

6 inch strips on either side and 12 out of top center

 

[TRoss]

Awesome! I've only seen one other (online at that) and it was a later body style (84..) and thought it was a cool idea.

Tech Q: Is the polycarbondate plyable enought to make it form to the compound curves of the windsheild frame?

Keep the pics coming... preferably larger.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Oh that is awesome!!! Carry on! Can't wait to see the finished project!!!

 

[extremetoy1]

Awesome! I've only seen one other (online at that) and it was a later body style (84..) and thought it was a cool idea.

Tech Q: Is the polycarbondate plyable enought to make it form to the compound curves of the windsheild frame?

Keep the pics coming... preferably larger.

Thanks, yes a friend had showed me pics of a narrowed 84 up body style when I first started talking about doing this.

I am ordering the winsheid per my cab measurements now, if it doesnt fit I can rivet it down till the urethane dries.

updating to newer larger pics...

 

[extremetoy1]

cuts made

 

[extremetoy1]

front shot, it becomes a big pain in the ass but you have to keep setting it all in place to get an overall feel for the body lines making sure each one lines up.

and heres the hood too

 

[extremetoy1]

Oh that is awesome!!! Carry on! Can't wait to see the finished project!!!

Thanks, sorry pics suck- cam phone pics. will get some more clear shots with my dig cam.

Im kinda bouncing around with pics and what order, I will clean that up later and put them in chronological order too.

I am much further along with this build just want to get up as much as I can so I can catch up to where I am now on it

 

[extremetoy1]

I made a jig to hold the hood and allow it to slide together without flopping around.
all my cuts went thru any 2 peices that were together for bracing, cuts were made thru 1 peice and then further awy on the next (inner hood structure as well as cab) you can see what I mean in this photo. it keeps alot of the structural integrity if not all
this way, on overlaping effect where the joints are.

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

Man thats wild!!

 

[extremetoy1]

Let the sparks fly!!