Hilux Body / 80 rolling hassis ?

[swamprunner]

It may sound like alot of work and most likely won't be worth the effort but...

I can get my hand on a clunker 80 rolling chassis w factory lockers for 1k.

I can get the whole 94 extended cab mini truck for 1k.

I have a cummins b3.3 that I was planning on swapping into the mini anyway but I've never really done things the easy way.

I've taken rough measurements and thought about the feasibility of this for a while. It seems like it could work but wont be easy.

Looking for thoughts, comment, opinions from those who have gone down a similar road before.

I've read most of the threads that involve custom builds on a 80 chassis. I liked what I saw and have always wanted to to a build on an 80 chassis.

 

[Isotel]

id use the cummins, the Mini Frame/Body, and the axles from the 80, OR, Sell the 80 Axles, and use the Cash to buy some one tons, or built mini truck stuff..

adapting the body to the 80 frame sounds like alot of work. either way it sounds like you will have a sweet rig for minimal cost!

 

[swamprunner]

Yeah...the orginal plain was to swap the cummins into the mini. Then I got my hands on some cash for clunker 80's. My head started spinning after the frame and wheelbase measurements were close.

Most likely i will use the mini body/frame and use the 80 axles. I may link the the suspension but it would probably be easier to cut the brackets off the 80 axles and weld spring perches on. Although with the offset rear I'm not sure it will work.

Comparing the two frames though the mini frame is just so puuny. Would really love to use the beefier 80 frame and factory designed suspension.

This is gonna be my daily driver some I'm not going wild with it. 33-35" tires and 12-14" of travel.

 

[Tapage]

I would keep the 80 series frame with axles .. improve the suspension with 3 link and just maka a tube body over the 80 series frame ..

( a bobbed will be included in my list .. )

 

[98lux]

Here is one from OZ with a 2JZ twin turbo.

 

[swamprunner]

aw s*** mate...I wasn't going for anything that pretty.
Nice work on that rig...did you do it yourself?
I'd have plenty of questions for you if you did?

Where you get the old airline jet in the shop from? Pretty Bitchin.

 

[swamprunner]

tapage...

I'd thought of doing a tube creation on one of them...but thats probably even more work than swapping the hilux body over.

Not sure which route i'll end up going. I'm getting pretty antsy though as I have a brand new cummins sitting on my shop floor.

 

[Dusty]

I would keep the 80 series frame with axles .. improve the suspension with 3 link and just maka a tube body over the 80 series frame ..

( a bobbed will be included in my list .. )

Do that.

the 80's mechanicals with the mini's weight = bad assedness

plus you can hack off 4 feet of unneeded frame from the back of the 80

 

[Tapage]

tapage...

I'd thought of doing a tube creation on one of them...but thats probably even more work than swapping the hilux body over.

Mmmmmm I'm not sure .. swaping things and make it wors are not that easy .. gobs of fab, pieces, and etc etc etc ..

Tube body are not that hard .. I have in my mind basic a roll cage and then few more tubes here and there for fenders, doors and dash .. more than that are nothing .. but depends which it's the off road target ..

In my case for mud I will add panels everywhere ( plexiglass or something like ) to keep the inside as much as clean as I can .

 

[G-Cat]

There's a thread on here, somewhere, with a 1st-gen 4Runner body on an 80-Series frame/running gear...

 

[swamprunner]

From a wheeling standpoint I would build a tube buggy hands down. But I'm planning on using this as a daily driver. So thats why I'm leaning towards the mini body...I'm getting to the age where don't mind a few creature comforts.

Its probably a draw as to which one would be easier to build...In a perfect world I would do both.

I would really like to find that 4runner/80 build...guess I'll search away.