50 Series?? (Shorty 55)

[Delancy]

No, I'm not currently planning this on either of the current, but given another three months to ponder the '76 while reprocessing title paperwork, guess anything is possible....

Have seen a few pics floating around the web, but didn't save. Saw these yesterday, thought it actually looked very cool, and since I've little else to ponder but my navel, figured a logical discussion on "How to", simply for conversations sake, might ease the frustration felt on the current two Pigs.









Wonder if it'd even be possible to chop that much out of the frame, to maintain the OE body mount locations, or if it'd be a matter of relocating/rebuild frame mounts?

Know anything is possible, but what would be a logical (yeah, yeah, yeah....but a 70, I get that. We're just chatting) way to achieve?

 

[bobm]

OOOHHHH, with Barn doors.

Thanks Bob.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

No, I'm not currently planning this on either of the current, but given another three months to ponder the '76 while reprocessing title paperwork, guess anything is possible....

Have seen a few pics floating around the web, but didn't save. Saw these yesterday, thought it actually looked very cool, and since I've little else to ponder but my navel, figured a logical discussion on "How to", simply for conversations sake, might ease the frustration felt on the current two Pigs.



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View attachment 838084

Wonder if it'd even be possible to chop that much out of the frame, to maintain the OE body mount locations, or if it'd be a matter of relocating/rebuild frame mounts?

Know anything is possible, but what would be a logical (yeah, yeah, yeah....but a 70, I get that. We're just chatting) way to achieve?

I told you to sloooo down....now you've gone and pulled you ponderin muscle always leave yourself something to think about BESIDES your navel...altho I must say, it looks better than I thought it would...alot like an old bronco- the pig, not your belly button; I don't want to know what that looks like!



looks like they just sectioned out the frame bit that was under the back seats....don't see why this couldn't work. BUT, where does you sleep when its rain?

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

OOOHHHH, with Barn doors.

Thanks Bob.

and a factory power steering box

 

[scrapdaddy]

Very close to Gumby's wagon. His being alittle longer.

 

[Ctenosaurian]

I would love to get a shorty pig like that!

 

[Delancy]

now you've gone and pulled you ponderin muscle

Not pulling on my pondering muscle.

and a factory power steering box

Envision a slight deviation from OE.....hahaha.

 

[Midgainc]

That is a FJ55 Sport or piglet. I like it. It would be better if the doors were a little longer, but it looks cool.

 

[Midgainc]

Maybe the easy way to do it would be to chop out the center section of the body, frame and all, and then just rig them back together. The rear section may be a bit wider, but a strong cross member and some serious welding, and the rest of the pig would not know any different.

 

[Delancy]

Wishing there were a straight on side shot for perspective.

I like it....more than a 7x, but that may be the swine flu talking.

 

[Gumby]

It's not necessary to chop the frame at all. Lots of folks ask me how much I took out of the wheelbase, but I didn't chop any frame except out back. The pig has a great wheelbase, just too much rear overhang.

The secret is thinking in sections not as whole chunks. You take 22" out of the bottom third between the wheel well and the tail lights. You take the same 22" out of the rear door just below the body line up to the roof line. And you take 22" out of the roof panel. Slide them all together and weld away. You don't want to cut it at the body line where it changes color because that's too hard to recreate, but you can visualize a horizontal cut there. Think of taking metal out of the rear below that line and out of the front above that line.

Mine is a little longer. I kept a bit more in the rear and that left space for the small windows from the rear door to fit behind the doors. I liked the way it looked and I look out of them a lot when wheeling.


Pics of the process in the Cerdito (little pig) link in my sig.

 

[Gumby]

Another mostly side shot where you can see how much rear I left. If you cut all the way so the curve at the rear was right at the wheel well you could eliminate the small window.

 

[Gumby]

The pig above is definitely shorter behind the door to the wheel well so he must have sectioned the frame or at least moved the axle

 

[PabloCruise]

That is a Pork Chop!

 

[scrapdaddy]

That is a Pork Chop!

I know, you're here all week and tip the wait staff!

 

[Delancy]

I did a bunch of measuring today. I pretty excited. I might just have to break out the plasma tomorrow. What'll slow me down is I want to drill the rest of the roof spot welds back of the B pillar. Then I'll separate the roof in the back to slide the sectioned part forward.

I think how I can make it work is to slide the C pillar forward 26". That'll put the C pillar 10" back from the B pillar. The rear corners will be right at the back of the rear wheel wells. In fact the inner part of the D pillar will be about and inch or so from the wheel arch inside.

Then I'm thinking of drilling loose the B pillar and moving it back to meet the C pillar and filling the gap between the two. I can stretch the door with another pair of doors I have. It'll be a big door, but I measured the door on my Tundra and on a Crown Vic we have at the shop and the new door will still be shorter than those. Maybe then I won't sit with my head looking out of the rear door window all of the time.

Do you recall how much length you calculated adding to the door?

 

[Gumby]

No. Not even a little.

Doors are ridiculously hard to do.

 

[Delancy]

Proportionately, that looks right and addresses the sight issue.

Why not just buy a 70 and get it over with?

You know, that's a damn good question...

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Do you recall how much length you calculated adding to the door?



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roller skate


I say go for it. Then someone will have to do a troopy. then there will be as many incarnations of the 55 as the Legendary 70...must say, the 70 series seems to have the rest plain beat for production duration and variants- the WORLDS land cruiser. I am always comparing the pig to the 70 series. have to keep riminding myself not to reinvent to much wheel...

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

roller skate


I say go for it. Then someone will have to do a troopy. then there will be as many incarnations of the 55 as the Legendary 70...must say, the 70 series seems to have the rest plain beat for production duration and variants- the WORLDS land cruiser. I am always comparing the pig to the 70 series. have to keep riminding myself not to reinvent to much wheel...

but don't bother unless it's gunna have a topless option(read as RHT)