Builds Bush Truck Build (1 Viewer)

[Alexh85]

I bought this thrashed 70 series a few years ago, mostly because it had 2 ARB air lockers, I want to build a decant 4wd.

It had a PTO winch and superior engineering drop shackles in the rear.
I built a new bull bar and rebuilt the winch, and made some sliders and some bar work

And a snorkel

I got some mild steel rings waterjet cut for some hokey bead locks

I mounted an 80 series winch on the back, and threw some new 35" tyres on

I still haven't wired up the rear winch, and because this is a club truck, this winch probably wont do me much good (a lot of weight for **** all )
But it kept me busy for a couple of weekends

 

[Alexh85]

Then the rear diff sh*t the bed. The spider gear shaft worked its way out and smashed the pinion

So i put the front locker in the rear and upgraded the semi floating diff housing to a fully floater
and put an open diff in the front

And now ive decided it seriously needs more power, So ill steal the v8 i was putting in my 40 series and put it in this one.

Because im going to big horse power i want to get away from the leaf springs, and i want a bit more width. I was thinking an 80 series rear diff housing and a Nissan safari front. but now im starting to think ill put the engine and body on a SWB nissan safari chassis to save some mucking around. I dunno, im still deciding what i want to do

Cheers

 

[Alexh85]

Some more pictures of the rear winch ,And how i mounted it:

The blue hose is an air line

This fair lead I made would have worked well, But one time I skidded backwards and hit the truck behind me and bent the roller, It wont roll any more.

 

[Alexh85]

The snorkel:

I made it from 3.5 inch galv tube

I made a stainless air box, so i didn't have to drill a hole in my standard air box.

It uses a flat air filter, so it doesn't take up as much room in the engine bay.
The bull bar

 

[Alexh85]

Ive bought a SWB nissan safari chassis, so there is no turning back now

Nissan chassis and diffs, an LS1 under the bonnet and a Toyota body and gearbox.
Ill make it fit.

Not much Toyota left

 

[Alexh85]

Im hoping to find a less dented rust free cruiser body to put on the old chassis after ive stolen the body off it.

And I bolted up a cheap set of fancy pants LED headlights

Which seem to work alright

 

[Westcoast78]

Nice cruiser. It’s nice seeing it all dented and still having fun

 

[Alexh85]

The job is underway, I found a new tub to replace the rusty red one
I used the gantry at work and fitted the new body to the Nissan chassis, I had to make new body mounts. Because the Nissan chassis has bigger curves in it the cruiser body has to sit about 140mm higher to clear to coil spring hangers, which is probably a good thing really.

I moved the rear diff back 200mm so it would line up with the cruiser body, and i get a way better departure angle. But it means i need to find a new place for the tank

And i shaved and gusseted the diffs while i had them apart replacing all the bearing and seals

 

[clintnz]

Looks good! Should be taller than mine.... you can go first on the overgrown tracks to clear the way.

Maybe needs a roof chop? You could also slant the bonnet down & mount the grill a bit lower to give better forward visibility.

Cheers
Clint

 

[Alexh85]

Yea it definitely needs a lower roof, I think i want a summer and a winter roof, so a roll bar and windscreen and a bit of canvas. but i want to fit the fibreglass roof around all that for when its cold. I dunno, Ill work it out. I want to get this thing driving, im getting a bit sick of having so many trucks i cant drive. I drove the red wreck for the last time ever today, parked it in the shed so i can start stealing parts off it. I need to hurry up.
Cheers

 

[Alexh85]

Its a fluke how well this is going together, the MWB cruiser body is the perfect length for the SWB patrol chassis

I fitted up the guards and trimmed them to fit the nissan shock towers and steering box.
I think i still need to trim them to clear the tyres.

Looking at it now i think i need to pack the front of the cab up a bit more, once the engine is in it will sit a bit lower
Its almost ready to get its new engine. and i gave it a lick of paint. And it even looked good the next morning

Its nice and wide

Cheers

 

[Alexh85]

owwww

 

[clintnz]

So is this a John Deere tribute?

Does the outer part of those front guards bolt off? Could you just move them up for tyre clearance & weld in a filler panel at the bottom?

Cheers
Clint

 

[Alexh85]

Yea, Everyone use to call my truck a tractor , so i painted it to look like one

That might be the way to go. Im not really sure what im going to do about the guards yet, I was thinking i could do away with the outer bit and bend up pipe to the same shape, either way i dont want to raise the cab any more its already pretty tall Cheers

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Great build! Thanks for the story and pictures!

 

[Alexh85]

Cheers
between the 3F Bell housing and the adapter plate, the engine is pretty level, but the gearbox is up on an angle, which doesn't worry anything, it just makes my gearbox mount look pissed. I used 70 series leaf spring bushes.

And I made some engine mounts. The idea was i wanted to have some adjustment back and forward. by having different sized spacers

I still need to machine the spacers

And I shortened the 70 series intermediate steering shaft to fit up with the Y61 steering box

Because the cab is so high, I was able to tuck the gearbox up well above the chassis rails.

Cheers

 

[Alexh85]

Ive started mounting the computer and wiring on the firewall,
Because of the model of Holden this engine came from i have to have a flyby wire throttle, so instead of mounting the commodore pedal next to the brake pedal Ive put it up this the other electronical sh*t, and its operated by the Toyota throttle cable. this way its less likely to get wet if the cab fills up with water and i keep the high idle knob for when im winching

 

[Alexh85]

The drive shafts.
My plan is to use a nissan drive shaft on the back and make an adapter plate to bolt it up to the transfer case, this way i can just shorten my lwb safari drive shaft

Im going to weld on some half washers so those bolt heads can sit flat

Im gunna have to use a toyota shaft on the front, bacause the huge nissan flange doesnt fit up to the front output flange on the trancefer case, without hitting the side of the gearbox and the 4wd selector thing. So i think ill just drill new holes in the front diff flange

 

[Alexh85]

I took the truck back to work so i can smash out some more steel work

I altered my old stainless airbox so its 4" and pointing in the right direction

The fan
I dont want an electric fan, and an engine driven fan for an LS from AUS will end up costing well over $800.
A hyraulic fan from a 1UZ came up on trade me for $40 . So ill give that a go.
I made a thing to bolt my fan to the fan pump thing without the viscus coupling.

And i started work on a new shroud
It would be a disgrace if i did a sh*t job of the fan shroud so i made a square into round.

I didnt even need to mark it out . i just cut a circle and a square the size of the radiator and tacked them together between a bit of pipe the same lenth as what i want the depth of the shroud to be and rolled it along the sheet of aluminum. It came out perfect and took half the time as if i marked it out properly

 

[Alexh85]