Build CA18Sean's HJ75 Troopy - Build & Restore Thread

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ca18sean said:
Australian truck. I'm probably going to drill a hold and add a nutsert before I do paint and body work so I can run a standard American plate and frame.
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You've got me curious now. When I get home I'll check my tag to see if the holes line up.
Was your Aussie tag still attached to your Cruiser when you took delivery?
 
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Gun Runner 5 said:
You've got me curious now. When I get home I'll check my tag to see if the holes line up.
Was your Aussie tag still attached to your Cruiser when you took delivery?
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No Aussie tag, but it was definitely an Australian truck. Has the Australian bus data plate on the firewall.

Made good progress on my rear bumper today. Started with a sketch.

IMG_9467 by CA18 Sean, on Flickr

Then a cardboard mockup. I'm using the reese hitch that came with the truck as my base to attach to the frame.

IMG_9469 by CA18 Sean, on Flickr

Tacked together.

IMG_9482 by CA18 Sean, on Flickr

All welded up. Gonna head home and test fit now. Hopefully my measurements were all correct!

IMG_9484 by CA18 Sean, on Flickr

IMG_9485 by CA18 Sean, on Flickr
 
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The Aussie tags are shaped far different then the U.S. version thus your issue with holes.
 
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NM Frontier said:
Looks nice, very clever way of using the hitch as the frame mount!
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Thanks, it worked out pretty well. Need to make some more slight adjustments, and I had to trim some around the taillight area. Still need to clean up my cuts, but I'm happy with how it's turning out!
 
Thanks....
The rear bumper looks nice.
 
ca18sean said:
I have a TJM aluminum bumper that came with the truck. It needs some repairs and I want to make a winch tray that mounts underneath.
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It's not clear from the photos but does it currently have a winch?
 
Gun Runner 5 said:
It's not clear from the photos but does it currently have a winch?
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It does not. The current bumper is just a shell. I'll grab a pic of the backside. Adding a steel tray to hold the winch should be fairly simple. The brackets that hold the aluminum bumper to the frame horns are steels so I can just weld mounts to them to hold the winch :)
 
Similar situation with the HJ75 Ute however I never added a winch.
 
T-ridecruiser said:
Get that tire off the door.
Put a swing out on your rear bumper, your hing s will love you.
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With all due respect to the guys who fabricate very nice "swing out" bumpers, I'm always puzzled about the rear tire / hinge wear debate.
Didn't Mr. Toyota design the rear door to accommodate the spare tire?
I would venture to say the rear door is closed 95% of a vehicle's life so the stress is distributed throughout the door structure and not just on the hinges.
Not everyone (myself included) wants to go through 4-6 separate motions every time you want to access the rear cargo area.
@ca18sean ..... Sorry for the hijack.
 
Coming from Venezuela, where cruisers are like Fords and Chevys here, if you go anything above a factory spare seems like hinges wear out.

Lots of them rust out because of no use.

Maybe some of the guys with rear door carriers can chime in.

Aussie guys?

No offense to the rear door tire carrier guys.

Just a suggestion. :)
 
@T-ridecruiser ...."No offense to the rear door tire carrier guys." ..........
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Non taken ..... :)
The post above expresses my "opinion", nothing more nothing less. : )
 
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I know my door feels stressed with just my 235 on it. But I think as long as your careful opening and closing it, especially on a slope, I'm good with it, since the door is usually closed. If I was using the door more and/or had a bigger tire I'd move the swing out higher up the priority list.

ca18sean,

Did you have to mod the tire mount to fit the 255s? I had to flip mine and add a 1" spacer to clear the stock bumper.
 
I agree, I don't open the rear door much, I feel like it's ok. I'll keep an eye on it and if I notice any cracks or deformation I can always add a tire carrier to the bumper. I've seen enough pics of failed aftermarket tire carriers to want to steer clear of that for now :)

I didn't modify the bracket or flip it, but who knows if the previous owner did. It clears from hitting the other barn door by millimeters...
 
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