Builds A Troopy Finds Its Owner (1 Viewer)

[61Mk+]

I got the Troopie out of the workshop today, good Christ it was nice to drive it again after three weeks. I got very lucky and had a huge '05 Dodge four-door dualie pick-up lent to me while my car was rather laid up.
Nice pick-up, that Dodge, 5.9 turbo-diesel, 71,000km, leather, lots of toys, quiet, nice ride, power this 'n' that, etc etc. I never cease to be impressed by moderns with their power, torque, comforts, and fuel consumption. But i was dying to drive my LandCruiser: as fantastic and capable as the moderns are, they are effing BORING!
I had to get my tire pressures down to almost nothing to fit its height in the wokshop, so i froze my nipples off getting the tires up to pressure today before i took it on the road; this i mention as i turned the revs up to 1200 for that, and good God the exhaust sounds good on my car. Then i went for a play in the snow. Thank heavens for LandCruisers with diesels that breathe happily.
The measurements from outside of rear-view mirror to outside of same (on the other side) on my Troopie is 1700mm; inside of rear window to inside of same in the Dodge was 1590mm. Just to say, if i removed the rear-view mirrors from my Troopie, it would nearly fit inside the cab, width wise, of the giant American pick-up. Hoo!

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Just curious, does the region in which the Troopie was originally sold in determine if it had side windows or not?
Thanks

 

[ca18sean]

Just curious, does the region in which the Troopie was originally sold in determine if it had side windows or not?
Thanks

Somewhere in this thread :

Democratic Republic of Congo: Lubumbashi to Kinshasa - Expedition Portal

The owners (from the Netherlands) said that it was optional on some European models so it can be taxed as a commercial van at a lower rate, rather than a passenger vehicle.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

Thanks.......

 

[61Mk+]

1978HJ45, if you're asking due to the panels in place of the windows on my Troopie, they are in place because i want them to be, and the windows were removed (i have them). The Belgian couple's Troopie Ca18sean refers to simply had the glass painted, if i remember correctly. By the way, don't you have LED lights for Cruisers?
T-ridecruiser, sorry to hear things went sour for you.

 

[ca18sean]

I thought the Belgian ones were painted glass too, but the owner clarified they're bolt in metal replacements, possibly port installed? Their rules state that it can't be easily modifiable into a passenger vehicle, ie you can't just paint or vinyl over the rear windows and call it a day.

I like the look of the Troopy with the metal rear covers, but the lack of visibility is the thing that prevents me from doing the same thing. I'm considering gull wing windows or solid blanks for the back ones only.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I would think the lack of visibility, especially in a RHD Cruiser would be an issue. I've driven RHD vehicles with full canvas covers (no windows) and it was a challenge in a LHD world.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

........ "By the way, don't you have LED lights for Cruisers?" .........

P.M. Sent

 

[61Mk+]

Hello Ca18sean and 1978HJ45,
Yes, visibility is absolutely an issue. Consider that with a RHD vehicle in a LHD world as you say 1978HJ45, and no rear side windows, making right turns isn't something you can take for granted; as well, it's amazing how close somebody can be to you on your left, without you being able to see them. So you adapt your driving to suit. My panels are not necessarily a good idea, but i want them for security. I'm with you, Sean, on the gullwing-type panels for the sides of my Troopie, they are definitely something i want for easier access.
As an aside, quite a few people tell me my car looks like an ambulance, a Doctors Without Borders vehicle, or some such. I actually look forward to coming across some kids who would consider it fun to paint the car; i'd give them water-based paints, and tell them to go crazy, just keep it off the windows and lights. It's not likely to look like an ambulance then, and should be good for a laugh or two.

 

[61Mk+]

Replaced the tie rod end; you can see that both cups had bits broken off. As well, the stud had some metal worn off, which you can see if you look closely enough (i find it difficult to get the camera to focus when up close).
Friday's driving was among the least amusing for me ever: fog at maybe -20 to -25C, anything that faced forward was seriously frosted over. The frost was twice as thick in the morning as what you see on the pics here, and you'd have thought the coolant would've overheated as the grille was nearly blocked off. I had to stop to scrape off the windscreen every twenty minutes or so as the defrost couldn't keep up with it (highway driving).

 

[77cruiser77]

Another reason I'm not thrilled on the idea of LED headlights unless they have heaters in them to melt the snow and ice

Keep up the good work

 

[NM Frontier]

Now that is some frost!

 

[AndrewHadji]

they

Another reason I'm not thrilled on the idea of LED headlights unless they have heaters in them to melt the snow and ice

Keep up the good work

They do make the 7 inch with the heated lense

Truck-Lite - Catalog Product : 7'' Round Heated LED Headlamp, Complex Reflector Optics Design

 

[ForealBoreal]

How did you attach the rubber mud flaps.
I like it, with larger tires the fender and wheel well lips take a beating.
I want to prevent rust as much as humanly possible.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Now that is some frost!

That's not frost.

That's ice fog. Driving in ice fog is something else, isn't it? I remember some pretty hairy days in Alaska with the ice fog. I didn't have a problem driving in it really, but I only drove a couple blocks to work. But the flying in it was pretty crazy. But then, I was younger and dumber.

I agree with that being a serious problem with LED headlights. I've got to chip my headlights about twice driving home when it's really cold and slushy out. On my 60, I'm going to try projector HID lights to see if I can maybe have a "hot" enough beam to keep it free of ice.

Dan

 

[61Mk+]

Hello all, some more pictures as well as replies.
77cruiser77, yes i have had that issue with LED marker lights when driving tractor-trailer in the winter years ago, so i completely fail to disagree with you. I appreciate the 'keep up the good work' comment, as it seems to me i'm simply playing at scratching the surface: i really am not a mechanic at all.
Siflersmom, LOVE the link, cannot thank you enough.
DanS HJ-45, the windscreen was quickly coated in a very fine layer of ice, slowly building up in thickness, and giving me an excellent lesson in why ice boots exist on leading edges.
ForealBoreal, the pictures included here are intended to at least partly answer your question. The mud flap/fender extensions are made of used conveyor belts, which i got from a manufacturer of animal feeds (if that's of any use to you); they were glad to get rid of the stuff, and gave it to me. It's solid stuff, and i tried to give you an idea of the thickness of it in one of the shots. The fender lips had holes drilled in them (yes, before the body went to the body shop) and, while the initial intention was to use stainless nuts and bolts to mount whatever flares and flaps were to be installed, that turned out to be a pain. Crushers bent up some stainless plates, about 3/4" wide, to match each fender lip; i still have those and can use them whenever i want. The fasteners i am using are as pictured, the barbed type of plastic things. I like the DIY cheap'n'cheerful look, and the units can be easily removed and replaced if need be. In some places i used Tye-Wraps to keep the flaps from contacting and getting worn by the tires. i even cut and Tye-Wrapped a section on a spot that had been worn through on a very windy day while driving (which kept the mudflap on the tire).
And no, i'm not one for all-original or all Toyota parts, a factory-correct appearance, and that sort of thing; i'm keen on what works best and most reliably.

 

[61Mk+]

After replacing the weatherstrip on each door, i found that the (narrow) rear door requires quite a slam in order to close it properly. A good sign, i'd say: i used to get all kinds of dust inside, hopefully that issue is now gone.
The two pictures here show how far out the top of the narrow rear door is held out by the new weatherstrip; i figure after a while it'll settle down. So i hope. I cannot, however, help but think of the stress that puts on that door's window frame; possibly i am concerned about nothing. Anybody know?
As an aside, i will soon put some items for sale in the correct section for that on Mud (mirrors, oil pan, etc). So far i haven't thrown out the old weatherstrip, i wonder if anyone out there is interested in that. I would only charge the shipping cost plus maybe a few bucks for the packaging. Maybe.

 

[AndrewHadji]

i sent you a pm on the mirrors

 

[Gun Runner 5]

i sent you a pm on the mirrors

These are the mirrors you need. You can't see squat and will most likely end up in an accident but you will look really cool.

 

[61Mk+]

1978HJ45, at the end of a drive i'd say those rear-views would double really nicely as his 'n' her's coat hooks too.