Builds 79-series Mongrel build (5 Viewers)

[SNLC]

I swore I wasn’t going to do a build thread on this one but I just can’t help myself!! I feel like I am spamming some of the other 70-series sticky threads with pics of it which I am sure some members don’t enjoy. With a build thread you can just not look!

You all were very cool and mellow in the HZJ79 to HDJ79 build thread I did by not spamming it with questions about, why can’t I have one or that’s not legal kind of comments. I appreciate that and explained in that thread why it is here in the states. So please be respectful here too.

Everything you see here in this build that has come from overseas has gone through Customs and Border Protection and duty on said parts paid. So ya.

This is a 2021 HZJ79 double cab body on an 80-series chassis. We didn’t source either the 79 body shell or the 80-series donor truck. We have simply been contracted to build it, we all know these are very expensive Cruisers to build and not many of us can have them due to this. Myself included! I would love to build one for myself and the shop someday but that’s never going to happen, so I dream of owning one just like you guys too. It is easiest for me to start the thread as a general intro and overview and bring it up to date in the following posts.

Engine is a 1HDFTE, we did start with a used assembly that came from the UK. The transmission is a new H152 5spd that we swapped an H151 input shaft into. The tcase is a new HF1A, that’s a part time 80/100-series tcase. Axles are mostly standard 80-series, some goodies in them for sure. Suspension is just 80-series with bolt in aftermarket components. So that’s the basics.

I will start with pics in the next post(s) and get this thread up to date.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Once the initial discussions were had with the customer and the project booked it was time to start getting everything here in Idaho. We couldn’t start for awhile on this build due to our current ongoing projects but it takes many months to get enough parts in hand to start a build like this. Our shop is also not big enough to store something as large as a double cab 79-series body. Arrangements were made to store the body in a warehouse until we could get started. During that time the 80-series donor truck showed up too.

Once we were ready to get started we got the crates out of my friend’s warehouse and over to the shop. I hadn’t even seen the body yet even though it had been here in Boise for months.

So time to crack these crates open and see what we got!

Complete body shell and ALL the HZJ79 wiring harnesses. There was some other parts too like the seats and door cards but that was about it, missing hundreds if not thousands of other parts to make this a vehicle. The wiring harnesses though were a massive bonus because they are so incredibly difficult to source.

Cheers

 

[RHINO]

FIRST!!

this should be awesome to watch

 

[SNLC]

There is over 16,000 pics and videos on my phone and we have been working on this build over a year so it takes me a bit to find the right pics for this project!

We had got an FTE and an FT from Mike in the UK at the same time. Both for the same customer as he wants to put the FT in one of his 60-series after we finish this build. Both were good cores which I think we have gotten 3-4 from Mike now and they all have been good engines. I call them cores simply because we rebuild all of them but these are not blown or wasted engines. You could and people have just swapped them in your Cruiser of choice. That just doesn’t suit a build like this though and we push 30psi in these so I feel strongly they need upgrades and going through before being upgraded.

Here is the FTE being torn down.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

I don’t see any pics on my phone of the donor 80 as a complete Cruiser but it was a good clean fairly rust free truck.

We started with getting the FTE torn down, ordering a ton of parts for it and getting some things hit tanked. Scheduled with the machine shop too. More of the FTE in coming posts.

We also started by stripping the 80 down to a rolling chassis, parted it all out as well. First phase being modify the 80-series chassis for the 79 body. Before we can even start making body mounts we need a chassis with the correct wheel base. If I recall right (off the top of my head) the 79 is 125” wheelbase so that means we need to stretch the chassis over a foot!

Cutting the 80 frame in half!

Notice the cut is on an angle, it’s also offset inner/outer rails.

Cleaning it out!

We use internal sleeves when we do this.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

More pics of the chassis stretch.

Cab waiting for its chassis.

Stretched 80 frame with the 79 body just sitting on it.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

A wheel and tire combo was picked. Wheels being Raceline 17” beadlocks with a 4.75” backspace. Tires are Nitto MT in a 35x11.5R17. I will admit when we first put the 35’s on it I was like oh ya now that is but after a year of looking at it and if it was mine, 37’s all the way for sure!

Front clip on with the 35’s.

Starting to build body mounts. On John’s 79 we set the body as low as we possibly could. That made exhaust and some other things difficult. So we decided out of the gates on this one to set the body higher, especially with the bigger tires. Pics here of fitting and modifying stock 70-series front crossmember to the 80-series chassis at our desired height.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

More pics of building body mounts.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Cab sitting on the chassis and new body mounts.

More pics of our body mounts we made.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

One more of our body mounts.

DPF hood with scoop insert.

Time to build sliders!

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Belly skid plate we built and you can see how our sliders mount to the frame.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

80-series axles from the donor Cruiser, starting axle builds.

Original rear axle had a speedy sleeve, whomever installed it was lazy to not trim it.

The owner opted for a new rear axle housing.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Prepping some parts for paint.

Painted.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

More axle build pics, we are running RCV shafts front and rear. Rear hubs drilled to suit the RCV shaft and drive flange. DBA rotors front and rear and obviously OEM f/w hubs. Non ABS knuckles used too.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Eaton elockers in the 3rd members, OEM 4.3 gears.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Caps for rear axle drive flange powder coated.

Both axles built out and ready to go for final install.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Radius Fab 4” snorkel fitted.

We discussed options for front bumper, ARB or we looked at Fatbars out of Australia. Owner was not into the ARB, importing any bumpers from Australia is very expensive for shipping not to mention any off the shelf bumper still has to be modified to suit 80 chassis and 79 body. So it was decided we just build the front bumper.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Oh ya, Radius Fab snorkel didn’t have a mount here, just a single mount on the a-pillar. In the fender is an additional mount for the OEM snorkel so we made this little stainless steel bracket for the RF snorkel.

Lights in bumper corners are Baja Design fog and a driving.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Front bumper basic design, went for keeping it tucked in as much as possible, 12k Warn winch in it too.

Cheers

 

[SNLC]

Now experimenting with bars for it.

Cheers