Builds 79-series Mongrel build (1 Viewer)

[SNLC]

Here it is pretty much finished, we literally finished it 100% just last Wednesday. It’s got some additional mounts for Baja Design LP9s and antenna mounts too.

Cheers

 

[RHINO]

well now i know where the previously leaked photos of skid and bumper came from,,, good work

 

[SNLC]

The owner doesn’t want to carry the spare tire in the bed and he wanted a Jerry can holder. So build a rear bumper it was!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Rear bumper starting to take shape. Obviously it covers the stock lights with the swing arms so we frenched some nice (not Chinese) LED taillights in it.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Rear bumper with fuel/water carrier.

The owner wants it lockable for the cans and caps on them so we came up with this. I have an OEM can in route and once here we will go ahead and build this lid, it hinges to the left, rest nicely on the spare tire and locks on the right side. Water jug on the outside, lockable cover locked in place and you can still open the water can tap for water.

Like I say pretty much done other than the can lid and a few scuff plates we need to make for the rub areas.

Tire mount can hold a 37 or bigger tire too! I can’t stand a rear bumper with a rattly tire or Jerry can carrier so we built this one to not only be rattle free but not shake. Will do walk around videos at the end of the build and demonstrate that.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

I am sure you notice the wider rear flares, if I recall right they are 1” wider than stock. Stock being 1.5” wide and these being 2.5”. It took awhile for them to grow on me but with the sliders and the rear bumper they really have! The whole point of them obviously is to keep the mud, gravel sling down to a minimum. These are aftermarket flares and not easy to find for the OEM bed.

We clearances the back of the front fenders for the 35’s at full bump and full lock just last Wednesday and Thursday. I will take some pics of that, screwing around though and 38’s do fit! At ride height anyways. You definitely could run a 37 on this Cruiser though with just a little more lift than we plan to run and by dropping the bump stops.

Few other random fab things.

Skid plate we made that goes under the radiator.

Mods we have to do to the Cross Country intercooler mount.

In house air box we built for it.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

The owner originally wanted to paint the Cruiser, he was leaning heavily towards Sandy Taupe. I told him, ya know this is new paint, you can save $10-15k not painting it and save a lot of time. So he agreed to leave it white. We do need to paint the hood, flares and a few other things but we are also going to black it out around the side windows. Like on an 80-series or kind of like this one. I will admit am a fan of white with black accents storm trooper look.

A few more pics of our air box, it uses a 200-series filter.

A major sound deadening project took place recently on the inside of the cab. We started with Dynamat.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

All the Dynamat installed and ready for the next step.

All the Dynamat was scuffed heavily after install with a red scotch bright. Next we sprayed LizardSkin sound deadening and after that we sprayed LizardSkin ceramic coating.

As you can see we went all the way up the back panel to the bottom of the window.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Here it is with all the tape pulled and cured, inside doors got the same treatment.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Literally just got this OEM firewall mat last week, difficult to find in LHD. It makes for a real nice finisher on the sound deadening in the cab.

We have some upgrade goodies going in as well, we recently got these upgraded headlights from a company called PVS in Australia.

We are also running the aftermarket honeycomb grill, emblem for that yet to come! We have a nice upgraded steering wheel with controls built into it, a back up camera rear view mirror and a cruise control kit too. 79-series specific head unit in hand. Cross Country intercooler is ready to go and already ceramic coated. Just the other day we got our 70th anniversary shifter console surround but for the most part we have not started in on interior options yet.

Do have our King shocks (3-5” variety), all our suspension control arms, we are going to run Superior Engineering radius arms. It’s running a 105-series steering box and SLEE HD tie rod and drag link.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

I searched five different countries over a year trying to find the right 79-series gauge cluster. We needed 2016+ HZJ79 double cab with full LX trim. That so it has single fuel tank, tach and full gauge cluster.

I was only able to find this HZJ79 new which is from a single cab with double tanks and has no tach.

After having exhausted all OEM options, a GR79 or VDJ79 won’t work 100% with an FTE, we decided to contact Dakota Digital. They said they could definitely one off us a gauge cluster that would meet our needs.

So we sent off our stock cluster to them along with the bezel and trim. They made this cluster to suit the 79!!!

A mph speedo was something the owner really wanted too so that’s pretty awesome as well to have it be in mph. Being a new Cruiser, we sure do want to start with a zero mile odometer too. I was checking the manual that came with it on Friday and wow there is a lot of options. Backlight colors, needle colors, endless options for the display screen, daytime/nighttime auto dimming and or color changes. On and on for 12 pages of options!

We do have to run their sensors on the engine and run their control box as well. However very very happy with this solution and a bonus is the display screen in the center. No need to run a separate EGT or boost gauge, it will be displayed in the screen center of the cluster!

So that brings us about up to speed on the build. We just finished welding out the chassis at the end of the day yesterday. We are scheduled to get the frame sand blasted on Tuesday. After that we paint it! I don’t see a lot of pics of the engine build or trans work we did on my phone but the engine, trans and tcase are all built out and ready to go.

I started scuffing the engine bay firewall and whole underside of the cab on Friday while Chris finished welding the frame. I am heading to the shop shortly and will take some more pics of that work. We are heading into final assembly on this build soon!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Radius arms we are using.

I had forgotten how since we elevated the body a bit we also elevated the engine and trans. Our customized trans crossmember and engine mounts reminded me! This helps give it a flatter belly and we line up the engine with the radiator in mockup.

Crossmember we added to the frame, 2” 120 wall DOM that lands on the front of the frame cut.

Slider mounts, plates tapped as well as the frame rail under the plates tapped. 12.9 grade hardware for these too.

Cheers

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

Another nice build. Keep up the good work.

Apparently, there are plenty of 79 Series bodies out there. Which leads me to ask.

Is it possible to find a 76 Series body?

Would it be possible to source a 76 Series body to mount on an 80 Series frame? If so, would it be necessary to stretch the frame?

Just curious.





Juan

 

[SNLC]

Delta 80-series steering box/panhard brace kit.

LHS engine mount, just needs a little grind back.

RHS engine mount that still needs one more gusset made.

Scuffing all this.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Toyota really didn’t do much here for rust proofing, we are going to remedy that.

Backside of finished front bumper. Hand build the old school way, no scanner or cad or engineering degree or cnc plasma table or water jet/laser or robotic welder! We do have a plasma cutter but it was all designed by hand and build the old school way. Main structure is 3/16’s, winch plate in the center is 3/8’s, plates around it are 1/4”. Center bar is 2” 120 wall dom which passes through the top plate of the bumper. Side bars are .250 wall dom in 1.25” and as you can see sleeved down through the bumper to increase strength in the corner.

Tabs we added for a possible antenna and LP9 Baja Design lights.

The modified 80-series chassis.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Toyota also doesn’t paint all of this, just the lower portion of the pedal so it got powder coated.

The same goes for the steering column, clutch pedal assembly and dash support bar, they just leave it raw metal so we had it all powder coated during the build process.

After the firewall pad we installed the HVAC system and the wiring harnesses plus dash support bars.

That brings us totally up to date on the build. We have done a lot of wiring thus far in the build but have more to do, especially with the new gauge cluster.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Oh ya back of wheel wells. This section was cut out and we made a newer lower profile section. Welded that in and now it easily clears 35’s at full bump and full lock.

Cheers

 

[bottombracket]

Jeebus, Ian. Phenomenal.

 

[RHINO]

that guage cluster is incredible.

 

[cppilot]

Unbelievable craftsmanship and attention to detail.