Quad Cab - 4 door coil sprung shortened troopy/extended swb build

[Sporty Forty]

Not much progress of late. Heading back to the body shop in a few weeks to weld the body up.

Steering column has now been done. Using GU Patrol box, 80 series intermediate shaft, 79 series extended, steering column and splash seal at the fire wall. This is the 79 series steering wheel. Would like a black wheel, so will need to find a replacement.

Column just misses the engine.

Another 1/2" over and I would have been a bit stuffed.

The 79 column. I will be using this as it has wipers and lights/indicators on there and I can use the center dash console area for other things. Also, as I will be using the 79 wiring loom, I won't have to change this area too much, apart from the airbag bit.

A new bit has been made for the fire wall and I will be using the 79 series steering column seal there.

 

[Sporty Forty]

The chassis had a nose job today. The front of an 80 chassis is 100mm longer from the center line of the axle to the end of the chassis. So this excess was cut this end off and the captive nut section at the end that hold a bull bar on has been welded back on to make fitting a bull bar easier.

The center bracket that hold the front bib in place will be put back into position.

I have had some bits and pieces away getting zinc and chrome plated. Now I have to figure out how they go back together again!.

 

[diogenese]

Nice job Have you thought of using vinylcote for the steering wheel? It is a dye type paint that will recolour vinyl. It soaks into the plastic so it can't wear off.

 

[Sporty Forty]

Nice job Have you thought of using vinylcote for the steering wheel? It is a dye type paint that will recolour vinyl. It soaks into the plastic so it can't wear off.

thanks for the product name diogenese. I will look into it. I am aware that you can sand and paint plastic but not aware of vinyl. How does it hand being used given it's a steering wheel and will get a bit of rubbing over the years.

 

[diogenese]

I have to admit to not using it on a steering wheel before but I have done door handles with no rubbing off. The stuff soaks right into the vinyl and doesn't leave a layer on the surface so I don't think it would come off.
Edit. Just did a quick Google and the stuff you want is vinylkote with a K . Apparently vinylcote is a plastic spray paint not a dye.

 

[Weber Sarge]

VHT makes a very good color dye in spray cans - it will dye that wheel black , I use it to restore old garden tractor wheels that are sun damaged and cracked . You must follow the directions on the can to a T with any VHT product - but they work better than anything I've ever found , especially their header paints .
Once the color is on - give it a day or two and coat the hard section of the wheel with Eastwood's Diamond Clear , should look new .
Sarge

 

[cult45]

Truck looks great Lawrence! Thought about running a 40 series steering wheel?

 

[Sporty Forty]

project is now on 4 wheels again and this is the approximate ride height that I am aiming for when completed. Still need bar and winch on the front as well as other engine bits and pieces. Will be back to body shop in 2 weeks for the welding of the body and final panel fitment and tidy up then on with wiring and other things.

The engine is slightly offset to the LHS (our passenger side) by 25mm or so. This gives some room on the alternator side to change it if required as it sits very low and is prone to mud ingestion!!!!.

These are the wheels that I might run with. They are a Ultra wheel with beadlock on them. I would prefer black but I guess that I can paint them. Running 17" tyres on there that I haven't decided on yet.

 

[2fpower]

It appears that the front wheel is a few inches (cm) forward from the normal position (centered in the front fender arch) for a 40 series. Was this your choice, or was the fire wall and engine the limiting factor for the position? If you had it to over again, would you alter something, or any thoughts?

 

[Sporty Forty]

It appears that the front wheel is a few inches (cm) forward from the normal position (centered in the front fender arch) for a 40 series. Was this your choice, or was the fire wall and engine the limiting factor for the position? If you had it to over again, would you alter something, or any thoughts?

Well spotted. Front axle is 2" (50mm) further forward than normal as a mix of keeping the wheelbase as small as possible, was aiming for 120" but had to settle for 122" and then trying to fit everything including the rear doors that are 4" shorter than the front ones in there as well. Was a tight fit but it is all in there is the dimensions that I was happy with while still having a 1/2 decent ramp over measurement. So all round compromise was achieved as I also had to put the 3rd row seats in the back and at the moment they just fit on the area there after the middle row seats are folded flat and that leaves enough room for me to have my seat there and not have the person squeezed in behind me, I'm 6ft 4in, so I drive from the rear seat almost!!!.

Hope that answers your question on that.

If I was to do it again, hmmm

Body
probably would have gotten 2 early flat floored bodies (mid 70's etc) as I had to deal with the seat hump on the 79-onwards bodies and where they meet is about a 150mm drop that is hard to work around. Or an early troopy and cut the middle floor pan in there, but given the 80 chassis has a huge hump for the rear springs the floor had to be altered anyway unless you sit the thing way up high and I didn't want that.

Engine choice
I'd do the 1VD-FTV again, I'm sure there are the detractors out there 1hd-ft and 1hz etc ... 6cyls but given my other 40 is powered by a LS1 and also have a 2F powered FJ40LX and now a BJ46 with a turbo'd 3B in there I'm a fan of the V8 and something different. I like modern running gear in old style cars. Have a 68 fastback with 390cuin and 4 speed but have coil over front and 4 link rear, love the way it looks and also love the way it handles now. This will be the same, look old school but be as modern as.

Chassis
I might have done a Nissan Patrol chassis as I feel the 40 is a better fit on that chassis simply because the chassis drops away after the front axle and the 40 body sits in there better, but then it would be a nissan patrol and not a toyota.

Gearbox
I plan on keeping this thing for a few years and still driving it when I'm 70 and stuff so put an auto in there now to do it once do it right type of approach.

Axles
Would have liked to use the 80 series rear end as I like the full floater design, but given I wanted to use the GU patrol front given the 80 has weaknesses (so does the patrol but not as prone to going bang) I tried to get a Patrol center grafted into 80 series outers but the guy doing it failed at that job and after talking to the new guy doing the driveline fabrication work, at least now if I have an issue out in the middle of somewhere I can get a replacement part easy enough rather than wait for it to come from somewhere after being special ordered.

Other things
2" body witdh is about right to keep it all in the proportions of a 40. I have seen some where a lot more inches is put in and it looks funny. The redline one looks a bit funny there as they have kept the front guards the same size and that just looks off and it looses it proportions. I have also put 2" into the guards, i had axles that were 200mm wider than the 40's ones so made up 2" in the body and 2" in each guard. I still need another 2-3" that will be made up from brush bars around the guards, but hopefully it will still have it proportions.

Interior, I have always questioned what to do here. use the 2009 79 series interior I have that I think looks okay, but I like the simpleness of the 40 body so will have it as per the 1984 ute dash except I need to widen the speedo cluster as I need to run the 79 cluster for computer bits etc....

I haven't found a hidey hole for the battery yet, will be down the back corner behind the rear wheels probably, but would like to keep within the wheelbase for weight distribution.

Other than those few things, I am pretty happy with how it has all come together. Would I do it again possibly not, would get a 76 series and coil the rear end probably, but this will have character.

 

[2fpower]

Thanks for your insights. I am getting very excited to start my project, so I will be reading your thoughts many times as I start making these decisions; however, as I am making a tray back, so I won't have the rear seating concerns you had. My main concern is the depth of the 1fz straight 6 tractor motor, as I do not want to relocate the radiator, so I may have to add some length to the nose.

 

[Sporty Forty]

Thanks for your insights. I am getting very excited to start my project, so I will be reading your thoughts many times as I start making these decisions; however, as I am making a tray back, so I won't have the rear seating concerns you had. My main concern is the depth of the 1fz straight 6 tractor motor, as I do not want to relocate the radiator, so I may have to add some length to the nose.

Rather than lengthen the nose, I'd cut into the firewall a bit. A few here in Australia have a small mod to the firewall. Seen one that had a lengthened nose, didn't look as good as it should have. Might have a pic somewhere.

 

[2fpower]

Well, my plan is actually to use the factory firewall from the 80 and use all A/C and other bits of comfort from the 80 series, and then graft on top of it the 45 outer skin. @bugsnbikes did it on a little piggy, and it turned out great.

To retain the look of the 45 on the dash, I hope to come up with a plan at that time. I have had the dash apart on an 80 several times now, and I think that I can modify a 40 dash look with a center console added, but time will tell. Gauges may be something like you have described; however, if possible, I would not mind going all aftermarket.

Anyway, the engine will already be pushed back to that firewall as much as possible already, so I don't expect to have any movement that direction.

 

[Matthew Trollip]

Any updates?

 

[Sporty Forty]

Any updates?

Been a while, close to 6 months I see now.

Fuel tanks are in, close to 300L of diesel in there approximately. Used the 40 series fuel filler cover and inside was able to use 2 x late model swb 40 fuel filler necks to take the fuel towards the tanks. I did have a single 80 one with the lever to direct fuel towards the front tank or rear but due to the height of this actual unit it meant that the outlet was directly in line with the chassis and that wasn't going to work.

Rear corners are completed.

Dual fuel filler necks in there. Front (main tank) and rear (sub tank)

Also have the drive shafts in there as well as a recent thing that got made.

 

[Sporty Forty]

The side steps I had had the bolt broken off in the nut that is underneath. I real pain as I tried but failed in getting them out. So i drilled out the spot welds and took the whole thing to bits. Was able to put the small plate and bolt in the vice where I was able to get a better purchase on the thing and it came out pretty easily. Reassembled the brackets and welded it back together again. Looks like new.

The small bracket that hold the nut with offending stuck broken bolt.

After I got the borken bolt out I ran a tap down the thread to clean out the rubbish.

 

[Sporty Forty]

One thing that I have always been concerned with is the strength of the B pillar as it now has to take the weight of a door and window. Had it before with some 40mm sq RHS tube there but there still was too much movement as far as I was concerned. ended up adding some more angle into the area and then some 5mm plate steel on the outside. This has made it a lot stiffer. Still have to sort out the door stops as I was going to use 79/80 door stops as they slide into the door rather than the 40 one where it goes into the body area.

Once it's painted you wont know the difference.

As this is also going to be hauling the family, I put some side intrusion bars in there in the event of some nutter not seeing this thing. I dont have to as our local rules say from 1/97 it is required and this chassis is 5/95.

Never been happy with the 50mm into the front guards to cover the wheels and keep the local police away from my car. We get targetted down here in Australia for anything that looks different and once they stop you they they try to find things to justify them stopping you. So the 50mm has become 75mm but it still looks okay and in fact better than I thought. I won't be going any wider though.

 

[Sporty Forty]

Next came the part that I wasn't too sure about. How was the 79 series bonnet going to fit onto the 40 series one. A few have done it and have had to reduce the width of the scoop in order to fit. Given I have 50mm up the guts of the thing I thought I might be okay.

Cutting a hole in a rust free 40 series bonnet. eeeck. Started with a small hole to see the rough location and then cut backwards and forwards from there.

Rough location of the hump for the intercooler intake.

Underside section of the 79 bonnet with the plastic bit for the air flow direction for the intercooler.

The intercooler is offset to the left hand side of the car. The plastic bit under the bonnet directs the air that way.

 

[Sporty Forty]

The width turned out pretty good and fits in there nicely just before the 40 series bonnet side pressings, just the length was about 125mm (5") too long so we cut the redundant back end of the scoop down to fit it in there before the bonnet hinges.

 

[chappohj47]

Looks great mate love this build keep it coming