Build Live in Texas, drive a pickup: HDJ79 single cab build

[Broski]

Paint that inner cooler black like a radiator would be. The holes in a Kelly Saad custom are easily that big and look great.

 

[bottombracket]

@davegonz already sent me the link to the radiator paint.

Panel bonding the grill mesh in place. Yes, it’s a lot of goo. I had an open tube. Pretty sure that plastic and aluminum are bonded for life.

 

[bottombracket]

The logo is just duct taped on, but I like it.

 

[svsisu]

The logo is just duct taped on, but I like it.

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I think it will be great if/when you paint the intercooler black. And for others, PDI will ship a black coated intercooler; I have one.

 

[RevISK]

I think it will be great if/when you paint the intercooler black. And for others, PDI will ship a black coated intercooler; I have one.

Paint it!

 

[bottombracket]

I’ll paint it black after SAS. The project goes on ice for the next three weeks.

But it’s been a busy couple of weeks with a lot of good progress.

 

[Broski]

I’ll paint it black after SAS. The project goes on ice for the next three weeks.

But it’s been a busy couple of weeks with a lot of good progress.

What Rig are you taking to SAS ?
See-ya there

 

[bottombracket]

@Broski I’ll be in my 80- just a wee bit smaller than yours! See you in a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to wheel together again.

 

[dogfishlake]

But on a serious note, I need an opinion here I ordered some heavy duty aluminum mesh from customcargrills.com. It is way superior in strength and quality to the Amazon stuff. Who knew?

I cut it out and fitted it, but man, it sure looks transparent.

Should I:

1. Spray paint the PDI intercooler black, so the grill looks more homogenous.
2. Run it just like this and put a floating TOYOTA emblem right in the middle.
3. Get some thick thick mesh.
4. Just call @kelly saad and have him laser cut something rad.

The good stuff. It’s thicker.

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The Amazon. It’s thinner.

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Final hack job of plastic grill.

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Too see-through?

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Hopefully I will see you this week. I have a sample of some round perforated metal I can get for your grill. I drove the 60 today and left the sample piece in the 79, but will text you a picture. It is nice thick material and very cool looking. I think it will move enough air. Definitely wont be able to see through it. One of my buddies is a laser cutter/fabricator and has a ton of pieces (drops) of it from a job he did. It is normally pretty expensive, but in this case- free!

 

[bottombracket]

In a bit of a full circle moment, I got to visit @dogfishlake in Michigan and see his HDJ79 - formerly @Spallet ‘s- the truck that inspired me to go down this pathway of building a 79 pick up. It was great to see you, Pat, and I’ll see you again in two weeks at SAS!

 

[dogfishlake]

In a bit of a full circle moment, I got to visit @dogfishlake in Michigan and see his HDJ79 - formerly @Spallet ‘s- the truck that inspired me to go down this pathway of building a 79 pick up. It was great to see you, Pat, and I’ll see you again in two weeks at SAS!

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Glad you stopped by. You'll have to plan a longer trip so the kids can get some fishing time in and catch a big Pike! See you at SAS!

 

[bottombracket]

Well, after three great weeks away, I’m back home and diving back into the single cab. I wrestled the intercooler back out and covered it with its first coat of Eastwood black.

 

[bottombracket]

I also found a new tool… A KTC AE932 hose clamp plier. Hell of a lot better than using vice grips!

My Instagram feed is pretty dialed.

 

[bottombracket]

KTC (ke-te-si-) Smartphone –... KTC (ke-te-si-) Smartphone – sukurippupuraiya syo-tobentotaipu ae932 - Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KUPUKSQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[bottombracket]

We mocked up the fitment with the 70 series emblem and this feels right, even though it’s about 1/2 inch above the horizontal axis of the grill.

Headed to the store to get some VHB tape for fixation.

 

[RevISK]

Your bezel is right side up

 

[AirheadNut]

If you don’t have one of these you need one! Game changer for those hard to reach spring clamps. Ratcheting remote hose clamp pliers.

 

[bottombracket]

Immediately googles Gearwrench 82115….and it’s on the way.

Awesome.

 

[bottombracket]

I made my 16 year-old come out to the garage and help me smash the newly blackened intercooler back into place and line up the logo one final time.

I went back to good old-fashioned panel bond adhesive because I figured the double-sided VHB 3M tape would pick up too much junk on the exposed adhesive side.

And now we wait.

 

[bottombracket]

Nate says it’s late and that we need to go to bed.