1982 RN48 SR5 Pickup- Not So Saved From The Grave

[clx16]

I know you can get pans on ebay from Thailand. They won't be great fits but get you in the neighborhood.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

I know you can get pans on ebay from Thailand. They won't be great fits but get you in the neighborhood.

The thought of finding a better cab is also on my mind, I’m going to have to weigh my options and decide how I should approach this.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

I scored a set of OG steelies for the pickup today.

The tires are brand new 31”s and will go onto a 2nd Gen 4Runner I’m cleaning up to most likely sell.

 

[Lucille]

You can weld in new sheet metal to fix the floor. How bad is the floor in the red 2nd gen donor? You could cut patch panels from that floor. If there isnt any rust around the windshield frame, id just fix the floors you have now. If there is rust around the windshield, id start to look for a new cab. Fixing that it is a nightmare.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

You can weld in new sheet metal to fix the floor. How bad is the floor in the red 2nd gen donor? You could cut patch panels from that floor. If there isnt any rust around the windshield frame, id just fix the floors you have now. If there is rust around the windshield, id start to look for a new cab. Fixing that it is a nightmare.

I actually sold the 2nd Gen donor over the weekend.

The truck unfortunately does have some rust around the windshield, so I’ll probably screw some signs in the floor to drive the truck and make a plan to cab swap it eventually. The guy I got this one from has at least five more 1st gens, so I’ll probably go back and see if I can find one with a good cab.

 

[The Toad]

Nice score on those steelies. They look so good and right on the early pickups.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

I went down to the truck this evening and sprayed half a can of PB Blaster on the seat rails and mechanisms to try to get them to move, the PS freed up a bit but the DS is stiff firmly rusted in. I also evaluated the windshield frame rust a little more and there are three visible pinholes on the PS.

Now, I know that the rust rules are that if you can see some there’s a lot more waiting, but I think I can live with the level that’s here, so, my standing plan at this point will be to weld in replacement pans in the truck and live with the rest. That plan may very well change when I am able to pull out the seats and the rest of the carpet.

I’m not opposed to a better cab but I do really like the patina. I’m also going to use this truck so the roughness will make it mentally easier for me to beat on it.

 

[clx16]

If you are ok with not getting it just right... I might be ok to just pull the windshield, treat the current rust and jb weld/fill the bad areas for now. easier than welding and its not like you would be making it worse. I did my windshield alone, but I am very confident it is a lot easier with someone to help you put it in with a new seal.

 

[Ol Yeller]

I’m not opposed to a better cab but I do really like the patina. I’m also going to use this truck so the roughness will make it mentally easier for me to beat on it.

This!

 

[cruiserinsanity]

If you are ok with not getting it just right... I might be ok to just pull the windshield, treat the current rust and jb weld/fill the bad areas for now. easier than welding and its not like you would be making it worse. I did my windshield alone, but I am very confident it is a lot easier with someone to help you put it in with a new seal.

I will definitely have help when it reaches that point. I’ll probably just use rust converter on the windshield frame and leave it, and just put a new windshield in.

 

[Lucille]

Definitely pull the windshield and put in a new gasket. I can see the separation in the old gasket. Thats where water gets in and gets on the floor and rusts everything out. Odds are the rust is pretty bad under the seal. But like you said, id just seal the rust once the glass is out and plop in a new seal.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

Definitely pull the windshield and put in a new gasket. I can see the separation in the old gasket. Thats where water gets in and gets on the floor and rusts everything out. Odds are the rust is pretty bad under the seal. But like you said, id just seal the rust once the glass is out and plop in a new seal.

Most definitely. I’ll need a new windshield anyway as this one looks like someone’s head hit the passenger side on the inside.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

I was able to get one of the bucket seats out of the truck to further evaluate the rust. I had to rip it out of the floor because the sliders are still totally frozen after soaking in PB blaster for a week.

I’m not repairing this cab. The rust is extensive throughout the floor. There is also rust in the A pillars.

So I’m going to zap screw stuff over the holes and rock it, there’s enough structure to affix metal on top of the rust and still be able to bolt seats in, so that’s what I’ll do. I’ll go back to the junkyard soon and try to find a truck with a better cab to just have on hand for when I decide to swap it.

I’m waiting on a Webber and intake gasket I ordered to go ahead and try to get the engine running and find out where that stands.

This is the whole vibe of the truck, whoever had it was a huge coon hunter. Coon stickers in the back window, Alabama Coon Hunters Association tag on the front, lots of Racoon paraphernalia.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

I have made essentially no actual progress on the truck since my last post, aside from reinstalling the intake and collecting parts. I have too many projects right now and need to get rid of some and finish my Civic wagon before I shift focus back to the truck.

I reinstalled the intake after cleaning all the rat crap out of it well. I need to slap the Webber I have on it and see if the 22R will run and is healthy next.

I also need to find some valve cover nuts as the truck was missing them when I got it.

Now to the exciting parts...

I watch Marketplace like a hawk, and I've gotten two screaming deals on parts for the truck.

The first one was a straight axle, two thirds with 5:29s in them and one having a lockrite, along with a set of axle shafts, one being a longfield. I picked up this score for $500.

The second one was earlier this week a guy listed a Marlin Crawler doubler, top shift T case and twin sticks for $400, so of course I pounced on that immediately, and after messaging the guy he also offered me a Trailgear crossmember for the Dual Cases as well for an additional $150. I grabbed all that last Thursday.

All of it's new and never installed. It also came with a hydro ram as sit kit that was never used as well.

The 5:29s changed my plans for the truck. Initially I didn't intend to go any bigger than 33"s with this thing, but with the 5:29s I'll have to run 35"s to make everything happy.

I'm watching out for a cheap 4" lift kit for it, I know that RUF and Chevy 63"s would be much better, but I'll plan on that down the road. I'm trying to get this thing built in the spring so that I can start beating on it.

I have a G52 out of the red pickup that I'm thinking of putting the Dual Cases behind. The pickup has a top shift case, and I have the spare top shift case that came with the doubler, so I'm thinking of assembling all of it on the ground and then installing in the truck.

Is there any issue with putting two top shift cases behind a trans that originally had a forward shift case?

 

[The Machinist]

For a cheap and quick suspension, use your stock rears up front and get a set of mid 90s pickup rear springs for the rear. You won't need to move any spring hangers and you should be able to get everything but the bushings from the junkyard. It will work WAY better than a cheap 4" lift from roughcountry. Only downside of doing it this way is that you will need to re-drill your spring plates to keep the axles centered in the wheel wells.

 

[pappy]

Man, my first thought when I saw that engine was "bye-bye," and say "hello" to a 3RZ.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

Man, my first thought when I saw that engine was "bye-bye," and say "hello" to a 3RZ.

Oh it’s on my mind Pappy. I don’t know the condition of it yet other than it turns over, so this thing my very well get a 3RZ in the future, or something like an ALH, but we’ll see what the future brings…

 

[cruiserinsanity]

For a cheap and quick suspension, use your stock rears up front and get a set of mid 90s pickup rear springs for the rear. You won't need to move any spring hangers and you should be able to get everything but the bushings from the junkyard. It will work WAY better than a cheap 4" lift from roughcountry. Only downside of doing it this way is that you will need to re-drill your spring plates to keep the axles centered in the wheel wells.

With the rears, are we talking about mid ‘90s Toyota pickup rears? Would they provide enough lift to clear 35”s? And would the stock rears up front provide enough clearance as well?

 

[The Machinist]

With the rears, are we talking about mid ‘90s Toyota pickup rears? Would they provide enough lift to clear 35”s? And would the stock rears up front provide enough clearance as well?

You will need longer shackles due to the longer overall length of the springs, so they should still give you enough room to clear 35's, even with stock springs. The Skys offroad banana shackles will work well up front. For the rears, I ended up settling on a 7" shackle with the leaf pack I put together, but with flatter stock springs 6" would probably work better.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

You will need longer shackles due to the longer overall length of the springs, so they should still give you enough room to clear 35's, even with stock springs. The Skys offroad banana shackles will work well up front. For the rears, I ended up settling on a 7" shackle with the leaf pack I put together, but with flatter stock springs 6" would probably work better.

I will start looking for junkyard springs, thank you!