Builds Live in Texas, drive a pickup: HDJ79 single cab build (7 Viewers)

[TonyP]

Those core mounts are definitely tall.
It took @SNLC and I half a day of adjusting, measuring, angle finding, ect... to get the height just right. Quite frankly, ours were about as short as you could get while still having one of the rear mounts useable in the Troopy. That said, I think the core mounts ended up close to stock height vs the frame.

Either way, nice progress.

 

[bottombracket]

Today I got out to the barn and after deliberation, cut 1.75” out of the front mounts.

I swapped the middle cab poly spacer from the medium (3/4”) to the thin (1/2”). this dropped the inner fenders lower than the top of the shock tower for the first time.
Put the radiator core support back in place...and FINALLY the fan fits in the shroud! It is not centered but it has at least 1/2” clearance at the bottom.

Which is progress.

Before chop

After chop:

Radiator in shroud!

 

[bottombracket]

In other exciting news I got my first shipment from @Japan4X4. Dave was able to procure the 1HDFT/FTE A/C bracket, when I was unable to locate one from all other sources. This bracket is distinctly different from the 1HZ/1HDT bracket.

I bought two just in case. @SNLC - still need one?

 

[SNLC]

In other exciting news I got my first shipment from @Japan4X4. Dave was able to procure the 1HDFT/FTE A/C bracket, when I was unable to locate one from all other sources. This bracket is distinctly different from the 1HZ/1HDT bracket.

I bought two just in case. @SNLC - still need one?

View attachment 2275838

Yes I think we do.

Cheers

 

[TonyP]

In other exciting news I got my first shipment from @Japan4X4. Dave was able to procure the 1HDFT/FTE A/C bracket, when I was unable to locate one from all other sources. This bracket is distinctly different from the 1HZ/1HDT bracket.

I bought two just in case. @SNLC - still need one?

View attachment 2275838

Dave is the best.

 

[bottombracket]

Today I bolted up the A/C bracket. I chased the threads after confirming the size with my metric thread checker- talk about a tool I use every day...

Front engine hook is now available for use.

 

[bottombracket]

I then grabbed the left-sided steering column dash bracket and column and test fit it. I chased all the threads and got a decade’s worth of rust out of each hole. However, when I bolted it up it was a difficult fit; the column is kicked over a little bit to the right. I need to play around with it and make sure that this dash support and column are compatible with the 79 cab. I’ll mount the entire dash and see if it all plays nicely together.

At worst I can grind the column bracket a little to make it all line up.

 

[bottombracket]

Also, I stuck the shifter in place and ran through the gears. I may or may not have made truck sounds while doing so. The shifter fits and is nowhere near hitting the seat in 2/4/R.

 

[bottombracket]

Somewhere between one and three weeks ago, @joekatana came through Austin to drop off some parts that myself and friends had bought. He just happened to bring a welder with him… and he stayed all day and well into the night to help me modify the frame to body and frame to motor mounts for the 79.

Here’s what we ended up doing:

Joe had brought along a pair of HDJ80 frame to motor mounts. Because I was concerned about the 1HDFT turbo oil return and water inlet using the stock (wide) 80 mount, Joe welded on a stitch plate to the right side of the frame and we used his stock right sided HDJ80 mount, which is narrow. Things cleared nicely.

I then took an extra stock wide right sided FZJ80 frame to motor mount and we used that for the left side, as the extra width of that mount provided the perfect platform for the mount to sit, as the frame rails start to drop down posteriorly. Joe welded everything in and the motor sits nicely. The fan is not completely concentrically centered within the fan shroud, but it fits in all dimensions and the front to back placement is great.
We then cut down the front motor mounts to be able to use the stock spacer and Joe welded plates on top of it. He called it a night and headed back home.

Joe is a great friend and a master fabricator, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for going above and beyond to help me get this truck built.

 

[bottombracket]

Left sided mount; motor mount goes in the rear slot.

Right sided mount with narrow HDJ80 mount.

Joe at work

Done!

 

[bottombracket]

The big decision now is whether not I want to pull off the cab and bed completely, sandblast the frame and prime and paint it in a true frame off fashion.

I’m really wrestling with this because this is a rust free Texas truck that still has factory paint on the frame.

The completist in me wants to do it once and do it right, and just yank everything.

I have sourced fuel tanks and switching solenoids sourced from Canada, but they won’t arrive for at least another month as the border is currently closed. I won’t be able to bend the break and a fuel lines until I know where I will be placing the tanks.

The practical portion of me just wants to touch up spots that need to be touched up with some chassis saver, and get moving.

Thoughts, MUD?

 

[joekatana]

Somewhere between one and three weeks ago, @joekatana csm through Austin to drop off some parts that myself and friends had bought. He just happened to bring a welder with him… and he stayed all day and well into the night to help me modify the frame to body and frame to motor mounts for the 79.

Here’s what we ended up doing:

Joe had brought along a pair of HDJ80 frame to motor mounts. Because I was concerned about the 1HDFT turbo oil return and water inlet using the stock (wide) 80 mount, Joe welded on a stitch plate to the right side of the frame and we used his stock right sided HDJ80 mount, which is narrow. Things cleared nicely.

I then took an extra stock wide right sided FZJ80 frame to motor mount and we used that for the left side, as the extra width of that mount provided the perfect platform for the mount to sit, as the frame rails start to drop down posteriorly. Joe welded everything in and the motor sits nicely. The fan is not completely concentrically centered within the fan shroud, but it fits in all dimensions and the front to back placement is great.
We then cut down the front motor mounts to be able to use the stock spacer and Joe welded plates on top of it. He called it a night and headed back home.

Joe is a great friend and a master fabricator, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for going above and beyond to help me get this truck built.

Thanks for the kind words Galen but let’s just keep it at amateur fabricator rather then master fabricator
Happy to help out wherever I can my friend

 

[bottombracket]

Call yourself what you want, you make it look easy, and I make it look really, really hard when I weld.

 

[TonyP]

The big decision now is whether not I want to pull off the cab and bed completely, sandblast the frame and prime and paint it in a true frame off fashion.

I’m really wrestling with this because this is a rust free Texas truck that still has factory paint on the frame.

The completist in me wants to do it once and do it right, and just yank everything.

I have sourced fuel tanks and switching solenoids sourced from Canada, but they won’t arrive for at least another month as the border is currently closed. I won’t be able to bend the break and a fuel lines until I know where I will be placing the tanks.

The practical portion of me just wants to touch up spots that need to be touched up with some chassis saver, and get moving.

Thoughts, MUD?

You'll never regret pulling the body and having the frame done up nicely with a fresh, even, paint job.
Though you may regret NOT doing it.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

The big decision now is whether not I want to pull off the cab and bed completely, sandblast the frame and prime and paint it in a true frame off fashion.

I’m really wrestling with this because this is a rust free Texas truck that still has factory paint on the frame.

The completist in me wants to do it once and do it right, and just yank everything.

I have sourced fuel tanks and switching solenoids sourced from Canada, but they won’t arrive for at least another month as the border is currently closed. I won’t be able to bend the break and a fuel lines until I know where I will be placing the tanks.

The practical portion of me just wants to touch up spots that need to be touched up with some chassis saver, and get moving.

Thoughts, MUD?

The original owner of my Ute had the builder sandblast, galvanize and paint the frame. I sleep better at night knowing that's the case.

 

[2fpower]

I see no reason to Sandblast the frame if it’s not currently Rusty. The middle ground would be to pull everything quick scuff/sand on it and cover it with epoxy primer or I would use chassis saver.

 

[c2dfj45]

I'm with @2fpower on this....I wouldn't blast it if the original paint is good and not compromised. I'd prep the areas of concern then chassis saver or some sort of epoxy paint. That way you can build the truck... and if you need to make a change or add a hole here or there, it's not the end of the world to re-coat it or touch it up in that area. Otherwise you really need to build it fully, then strip it coat it, send it all out, put it all back together. There are so many good coating products now that it's really easy to achieve a great finish that lasts.

I spent so much time on the #1 truck blasting and coating.....now it's just a mess of dirt.

It's a slippery slope.....be careful

 

[bottombracket]

Oh yes, I am well aware of that slippery, slippery slope.

I have an entire gallon of chassis saver sitting here in the barn, just waiting to be applied.

I think the middle ground approach is reasonable. Pull the cab and bed off, and do it all in-house.

 

[c2dfj45]

Coat the bottom of that cab with some sound deadener when you have it off/up in the air. Easy time to do it.

 

[bottombracket]

I have a small crack to weld up in the bottom of the cab and I can lay some deadener down.

Oh yeah.