1966 Stout Build (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 3, 2019
Threads
6
Messages
113
Location
Denver,Co
Hi all, Ill start this off by saying I've been a lurker here and have not posted much. I am more active on rising sun and currently have a 66 Stout and a 02 100 series and thought I would share my 1966 Stout build.

The project started as a 1966 Stout that I tried to purchase for years with no success. After finally convincing a friend to sell it to me I had a pretty worn out and tired 1966 Stout that need pretty much everything replaced. I had to tow it home but I was thrilled, this is how it looked when the day I brought it home, and a few months later on the road.
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After driving it around for a few months it was obvious that the engine and drivetrain needed to be rebuilt or replaced. Considering the Stout was 2wd I thought about installing a ford 8.5" rear and a 1uz or 3sge. However, I have much preferred 4x4 trucks and began weighing my options to swap the body onto a different chassis. I owned a 1997 4runner for over a decade with the 3rzfe in it and really loved that platform. After much research I determined that a 3rd gen 4runner or 1st gen Tacoma had the same relative wheelbase and track as the Stout. The wheel base was with 1/2" of the Stouts and the track with within a couple inches. The numbers worked out and it was actually going to be more cost effective if I purchased a whole vehicle, so that's what I did. A 1997 4runner 4x4 with the 3rzfe in it.
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I got the 4runner from a fellow enthusiast that was intending to use it as a base for a 40 series swap but it was not without its issues. It is common for the exhaust manifold to crack and the valves to burn up, causing a lack of compression. The 4runner also suffered this fate but I was able to get it back into spec with new shims and drive it around successfully. Over a few months I prepped the 4runner chassis and Stout body for the swap and parted out all of the stuff I wasn't going to use to recoup some of my investment. I was finally ready to have some friends come over and help me remove the 4runner body and install the Stout body.
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Its a success! But not without a ton of work left to do. Over the following few months I did a ton of work to get everything to work the way that it should, from body mounts, modifying the floor, steering, electrical, brakes, clutch. I took off little chunks at a time and eventually I was able to drive it around the block.

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It ran and drove but it certainly wasn't well sorted yet. I spent the following months working on the interior and wiring harness, its all 1997 4runner harness, fuse box, and relays powering every Stout feature. I may have gotten a bit obsessive about every electrical component working, and it does. I also sourced a front bumper, some 60 series wheels and some 40 series welded wheels to run on the Stout that would be more aesthetically inline with the era of the body as well as narrow up the track of the Stout.
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Finally after over two years of owning the Stout and over a year since beginning the swap it is done! Over the course of a few more months I sourced some swampers for the 40 series wheels as well hubcaps. Installed sound dampening, carpet and seats and sorted out a lot of little things that were bothering me. This by no means entails that this project is done, but it has reached a point where it is a reliable truck that will be a continued effort to make better.
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glad you posted up on here. i referenced your build to a couple of mud folks a while back
 
What a great truck. Kudos to you for such great vision in making two into one great truck!
 
Thanks! I am more active on our local club forum and have more there. 1966 Stout Project - https://risingsun4x4club.org/xf/threads/1966-stout-project.28143/

Just read through every post! Solid work and great write up! I’m a Stout fan due to my Dad having one as our family pickup when I was a kid. After he passed it sat at our house for a few years before my mom sold it off… unfortunately I was 21 at the time and thought my foxbody mustang was way cooler than that crusty ol pickup, so it went away. But I’ve had a desire to get one and build a tribute to my pops… seeing yours gives me some major motivation! It just looks so perfect on those steelies and muds.

Time to bust out the go-pro again for a little off-roading video!
 
Just read through every post! Solid work and great write up! I’m a Stout fan due to my Dad having one as our family pickup when I was a kid. After he passed it sat at our house for a few years before my mom sold it off… unfortunately I was 21 at the time and thought my foxbody mustang was way cooler than that crusty ol pickup, so it went away. But I’ve had a desire to get one and build a tribute to my pops… seeing yours gives me some major motivation! It just looks so perfect on those steelies and muds.

Time to bust out the go-pro again for a little off-roading video!
Thanks. I know I get comments on the videos from time to time but just haven't had the time to shoot some more. From my experience the majority of Stouts are in California, so if you look for one to buy, I'm sure you could find one.
 
Any idea if you remember the dash code paint job? Also what did you use for a carpet kit? Thanks!
The paint on the dash is grey Rustoleum. The carpet kit is from a Dodge D100. My trans tunnel is a different shape than stock due to the trans and transfer case, so that model might not fit yours as well.
 

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