My Favorite Color Is Mustard - A Full Restoration

[flatlandhj]

Shots of the roll bar...

 

[flatlandhj]

New rubbers and door panels from SOR.

Even a carpet kit!

(The carpet didn't last. I chickened out. The first time there was a hint of water, I ripped it all out. I wasn't going to give rust a place to hide.)

 

[flatlandhj]

A shot of the new license plate location.
I really, really didn't like it hanging in the back.

 

[flatlandhj]

I made a mistake in planning/measuring. My interim bed mounting used some urethane pucks. To get the best alignment between cab and bed, they had to go in the final version. This meant the geometry of the rear bumper was off. We had to add a keyhole to lower the spare. It's all welded up and resealed. Tight as a drum.

 

[flatlandhj]

The normal stainless hardware from SOR, but the bits on the mirrors required something new. Toyota used bolts on top and screws on the bottom.

With the doors off, I had Jake drill the holes and tack in some stainless nuts on the bottom. Now we have the same bolts each place. Whew. No OCD here, just good execution.

 

[flatlandhj]

Now this part was just plain fun!

If there was a nut or bolt that could be replaced with stainless I probably did. The Fastenal guys loved it when I showed up and aksed about high grade metric stuff. (They still do. It's not cheap.)

It took me quite a while to get everything sorted with this next part, but when it arrived I shed another little tear.

Please meet the Donaldson FRGA Radial Seal Air Cleaner. Part Number G080585, with pre-cleaner H000821.

 

[flatlandhj]

It took a while to find just the right spot, but everything works! Door opens fully. Kick vent operates. Hood opens and closes.

The only big hole is in the apron.

Why? I just liked the mining look.

More stainless, but I ended up painting it black.

 

[flatlandhj]

This was added by someone in the shop.
I heard snickers.

 

[flatlandhj]

Time for bedlining. This is the "before" shot.

 

[flatlandhj]

The "after" shot. The color match was spot on because the goop uses the same tint as paint. I made sure it came from the same place in town too. It came out looking great.

 

[flatlandhj]

I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see the fuel anywhere in the system. So, meet the Racor glass bottom diesel water separator/filter.

I did say no OCD here right? Just focus. (someone here on Mud has that in their tag line I think...)

 

[flatlandhj]

A new/old stock exhaust manifold, and a new exhaust system.

 

[flatlandhj]

A new set of Warn hubs. I know. Not stock, but I liked the look. Mustardy.

 

[flatlandhj]

A set of lights in the back...

 

[flatlandhj]

It's been a long day of posting. Pictures of the finished truck will be here tomorrow.

Thanks again for everyone here who helped me to make this happen! It's been a blast.

 

[flatlandhj]

The final look and feel. Here she is.
First, a topless profile.
It's a great way to head to the beach.

 

[flatlandhj]

The same angle showing the bikini top.
The SOR two piece channel fits perfectly under the removable top. It's painted mustard and you can't even see it unless you know what to look for.

 

[flatlandhj]

The look isn't elegant. Closer to "functional".

 

[flatlandhj]

I got the look I wanted in the back end by removing the license tag and keeping the bumper dark and narrow. I think it finishes off the rear nicely.

It does mess up the look of the headache rack a bit, but I'm good with the trade off. I still have the old bracket, and the headache rack piece is removable in case it falls from favor.

 

[flatlandhj]

A few shots with the top on , plus the kayak rack configuration.

I don't have the rack on every day, but I did for these pics. You will see that the air cleaner tube is now black, and that we have some narrow fender flares.

The flares were a toss up, (stock vs non-stock) but that's the way I got the truck originally, so I put a new set back on.

I have a new set of spacers on in these pics, and the wheel width goes just to the edge of the flare.