The angry pig

[J Mack]

I've been contemplating that after I fix my current project pig I should buy something lower buck for going out in the desert and knocking the quarter panels off and keep the current rig for camping and daily driving.

So I was thinking what would an Ultra 4 4400 class fj55 look like and after searching the interwebs looking for a fj55 buggy it turns out I must be the only guy that thinks this is a good idea because every buggy I found for sale looks like a heep or the occasional 40, therefore I decided to build my own version of a fj55 buggy.





I bought a complete running Trent Fab top shelf car as the foundation for my for my low buck 55 buggy to save some time and money.

Plan as of now is to start tearing things apart this winter and hope to be driving it by Spring but as you know I have a way of over complicating things and dragging it out a bit longer.

 

[npulver]

As usual, I cant wait to see what you brain storm up. Sounds like its going to be a neat project.

 

[scrapdaddy]

That is Top Shelf alright! I bet it's fun to drive. What's the plan for the running gear, engine, etc.?

 

[Ferntucky]

Low buck eh?

 

[Ferntucky]

Found your ride, already done.......upside down, but hey
1970 Land Cruiser/ Volkswagen

 

[PabloCruise]

Holy smokes!

 

[Toyo_Judson]

Found your ride, already done.......upside down, but hey
1970 Land Cruiser/ Volkswagen

Reminds me of the Volvo Sugga...

 

[J Mack]

That is Top Shelf alright! I bet it's fun to drive. What's the plan for the running gear, engine, etc.?

From the for sale ad when I bought the car,


Frame:

Trent Fabrication Top Shelf chassis

Build was started January 2013

Grandfathered chassis, competed and teched in 2013

KOH 2014 finisher



Dual pedal, separate master cylinders

Steel braided hose front to back

Line lock

CBR rear mounted radiator with dual fans

Derale steering cooler

Bomber Fab alternator relocation kit

110 Watt Radio mounted in car

PSI engine control module with programming

PSI LS1 engine wiring harness

Lowrance Elite 5 GPS system

PCI parker pumper, dual output

MJ motorsports LS engine with build sheet-330 to the wheels

32 gallon fuel cell

Seat belts new as of 2013

PSC full hydro steering

Elrods limit straps

300M sway bar

Spidertrax Pro-series inner c’s and knuckles

Spidertrax most updated wheel bearings

Ruff Stuff heims

Sway-A-Way coil overs 2.5”

Sway-A-Way triple bypass shocks 2.5”

Sway-A-Way 2.5” air bumps

Tuning done by Wayne

Atlas 3.0 heavy duty competition built

ATO transmission with many upgrades

Reid Th400 off road case and bell housing – with build sheet all 300m internals

GearWorks 10” gear sets 6:20 ratio front and rear

SpiderTrax 35 spline 300M axle shafts, rear, front-inner/outer

Ruff Stuff Specialties 9” axle housings front/rear

CTM D60 universal joints

Twisted Stitch seats

Raceline Wheels- 8 spares

BFG tires-9 spares

Artec quart crate

Rock crawler pattern shifter

Quick release fire extinguisher mounts X2 – Synergy

Large light bar for the top

Round HID headlights

Ruff Stuff Specialties rear light bar

WARN XD9000i winch with synthetic rope

Dual yellow top batteries

Fast Fill fuel system – 11 gallons of fuel in less than 30 seconds



Complete build book with receipts and part numbers


Spare parts list
8 wheels
9 tires
5 - 11 gallon fast fill fuel cans
7 + quarts of amsoil 250 weight oil
2 quarts of oil for transfer case
2 - waster pumps with heater hose mod complete
1 alternator modified for bomber fab bracket
2 new drive lines front and rear
1 oil filter
1 new drive belt
3 - slip yokes with joints
2 complete 50 watt chase radio set ups with antennas
IRC bracket, antenna is still mounted in car
3 master cylinders
2 new steering arms
Misc brake parts, calipers, pads, rotors, brackets
3 front stub shafts spidertrax 300M
3 air filters for Parker pumper
1 set of ignition coils
Misc plug wires and new parts to build plug wires
Window nets
Air hoses for Parker pumper
Filter for steering
Mastercraft tool bags, roll cage mount
Lightweight safety triangles
2 - 55 gallon drums for fuel
2 pumps for getting fuel from drums
2 race floor jacks modified for use in the dirt
1 air compressor
Artec quart crate
Spare ring and pinion gear works 10" 6:20
Spare TH400 transmission

Low buck eh?

It's all relative I guess, I bought this car for a third of what the target carrier cost me to build.

Found your ride, already done.......upside down, but hey
1970 Land Cruiser/ Volkswagen

That’s exactly what I had in mind but the complete opposite!

Holy smokes!

You must have been standing in the same room with my wife when I gave her the budget for this new build. I believe she said something similar.

 

[OldBeachBob]

You must have been standing in the same room with my wife when I gave her the budget for this new build. I believe she said something similar.



My wife's attorney may have been a little more "exuberant" if I gave her the same budget.

I'm thinkin ya got a great wife!

 

[J Mack]

I'm thinkin ya got a great wife!

Ha, yes she is definitely a keeper.

When I told her I wanted to build a low buck play rig she was thinking 2 to 3K and gave me the go-ahead without asking specifics, it wasn’t until after I committed to the ultra 4 car she thought to ask what the budget for this new car might be. Luckily for me it’s still warm enough that the few days I’ll be sleeping outside will not have any long term effects.

 

[OldBeachBob]

Just in case, I'd be washing the dogs now while its still not too cold. You don't want to be washing them after it's cold. It can get to two dog cold here pretty quick.

 

[J Mack]

As usual, I cant wait to see what you brain storm up. Sounds like its going to be a neat project.

I've been looking on the interwebs for inspiration for my Ultra4/55 grocery getter and found this Scout buggy build that is very close to my vision.

Now I just need to find some time, ability and $$$.$$ to make something similar.

 

[Napster]

Yeah, I went ahead and subscribed because this is going to be great. Target carrier is amazing and, to be truthful, I shed a tear seeing it all banged up after the first run out in the wild. It is not that I think you should never take it off road, but it seems a shame to damage something so nice. I love the idea of a kick around 55.

Just to throw this out there, don't go too crazy. Cheaper the better! Some of the most fun I have ever had in cars has been in the most unlikely candidates. Some examples: 1991 Nissan pickup 2wd manual 4 cylinder on a muddy road, 197something ford LTD with a throttle cable controlled by me in the passenger seat and the steering done by a great friend (lets just say airborne). That being said, windshields are good!

 

[J Mack]

Yeah, I went ahead and subscribed because this is going to be great. Target carrier is amazing and, to be truthful, I shed a tear seeing it all banged up after the first run out in the wild. It is not that I think you should never take it off road, but it seems a shame to damage something so nice. I love the idea of a kick around 55.

I’m not going to lie, damaging the Target carrier on the first trip out and now having to fix the damage before I can get back to finishing it has sucked some of the wind out of my sails. It will get finished and will still see plenty of trails but I’m going to try a little harder to keep the sheet metal intact the next time out.

Just to throw this out there, don't go too crazy. Cheaper the better!

Not sure “not going crazy” is in my vocabulary or as my wife likes to say “why can’t you just do things normal” at any rate the plan is to “try” to keep this low buck. Good news is we have been going out in the desert playing around and the wife digs it so I’m back to sleeping in the house now.

I test fitted a 55 hood just to see how much trimming would be required and everything looked to be straight forward until I lifted one of the front tires up checking for clearance.

Looks like I will be doing lot of sheet metal work if I want to hang a 55 front end on this and keep it looking somewhat correct.

 

[J Mack]

Not much going on until I finish my other 55 project but parts are starting to trickle in.



Engine as it sits now with the Midas exhaust system.

New Trent fab headers.

If I get my ass in gear I could start on this one soon and be ready by Spring….

 

[Delancy]

Don't know how I missed this, damn glad I found, but begs the question:

What in the hell are you thinking.....and why does it sound like a kick ass idea to me??

That's bad ass!!

Narrow the hood with 55 upper fender attached to hood, tapered taper to a narrowed looking Pig grill-ish front end.

I've a few hoods I'll gladly donate to the cause, along with a number of doors, even a roof.

 

[Delancy]

Inspiration from Metalangelo:

 

[J Mack]

What in the hell are you thinking.....and why does it sound like a kick ass idea to me??

That's bad ass!!

Ha… Don’t know that “thinking” and what I do have anything in common. But this will be lower, wider, faster than the target carrier and most of all it won’t hurt my feelings if I roll it .

Narrow the hood with 55 upper fender attached to hood, tapered taper to a narrowed looking Pig grill-ish front end.

Hood will definitely need to be narrowed but I think the grill will be wide enough to keep the TOYOTA logo the factory spacing and just move the headlight cutouts in. same for the rear, I believe I can use the tailgate and retain the TOYOTA in the center and just narrow the sides.

The biggest issue with hanging front 55 sheet metal on this car is going to be the 40” tires and the fact this car is low and flexi, if you look at the photo I posted above with the 55 hood on this car you can see the outside edge of the tire is higher than the hood and in this picture the hood is 6” higher than it will be after it’s trimmed to fit.

I wanted to build tube fenders like the photo you posted but I would bet this car is 20” lower than that 55 and you can see in this photo below if I build tube fenders they’ll have to stick up like 59 Cadillac fins.

Rear should be straight forward, I’m cutting all the tubing off aft of the shock mounts and having a new fuel cell built that will sit forward of the rear end giving me a small bed space for a cooler once it’s all rebuilt.

I've a few hoods I'll gladly donate to the cause, along with a number of doors, even a roof.

Once I finish the first project 55 I’m wanting to knock this one out quick, I’ll be looking for rear quarters and possibly front door skins if you have some!

 

[J Mack]

but begs the question:

I know what you’re thinking and before you ask no I don’t own black socks, flat bill hats or have star tattoos and no that’s not my Monster energy drink helmet. A friend of mine drives the Monster energy drink monster truck and he was riding with me on this outing wearing his helmet.

 

[davegonz]

So, white socks and velcro'd shoes?

Looks awesome!