A lot of you have been asking me to post some details on my build, so here i go.
I also wanted to start this thread to keep track of all the things im doing to the truck and help motivate me to see the project through. And i will try to provide write ups of the unique mods for future reference of this community.
01/02/2020 - I trimmed this post quite a bit to remove some details on my history with LC's and the details on how i came across this particular truck, because it was a long read and probably boring to most people .
The build:
I'll start off by saying that everyone's idea of an "ultimate build" is different. Instead of taking the standard approach, as i did with my first 80 - a couple of thousands pounds of extra weight, big heavy tires, questionable suspension mods, I've decided to do something different this time.
80-series had all sorts of cool options in various markets depending on the target demographic, but none of the versions they sold "had it all". So I will put together an 80-series that Toyota should've built, using all these factory options from different markets in one truck.
The idea with this truck is to make it into an ultra light, ultra reliable adventure/overlanding rig. There will be NO aftermarket parts on this truck of questionable quality, and all major systems will be either overhauled completely or replaced with new OEM parts to bring it to basically "new" condition, mechanically. Any modifications that add weight will be:
A) Non permanent
B) Made from aerospace grade materials (such as titanium alloy and carbon fiber) to reduce the weight gain to absolute minimum possible.
As a starting point i will be using a 1996 US-spec 80 series that i imported from west coast that has absolutely zero rust. The truck will NEVER be driven in the winter, so it will remain completely rust free.
Here's the outline of the major things i have planned:
Stage one (planning to complete this in the next couple of months):
- 1HD-FT swap with FTE Turbo, Starter and Alternator - DONE
- H152F swap, which i believe will be the very first such swap in North America (possibly the world) - DONE
- Factory e-lockers retrofitted using 100% OEM parts. - DONE
- Factory console fridge/icemaker retrofitted. I believe this will also be the first time it was done successfully into a North American truck. Not 100% sure on this - I've seen some posts suggesting otherwise, but im yet to see any proof. - DONE
- Custom 3" stainless turbo-back exhaust. - DONE
- Set of 255/85r16 shoes. - DONE
- Some base-lining/maintenance that is too boring to mention here. - DONE
Stage two (most of this work is 90%+ complete as of Dec 2021)
- Factory sub fuel tank
- Factory PTO winch using the HF2AV t-case. (most factory PTO-equipped 80's used the HF1 part time case and the 1HZ engine, but i REALLY wanted the HF2AV. These are extremely rare to find with the PTO access plate). I originally planned this as a stage 1 mod, but i decided to rebuild the entire T-Case with under-drive low range gearing, and this would delay the stage one pretty significantly which i didn't want to do), so it got bumped to stage 2. Again, this will be the first such swap into a North American 80, to the best of my knowledge.
- "baselining" on steroids. Which basically includes rebuilding or replacing every single major system in the truck with OEM parts to bring it to "new" spec.
- New leather upholstery with cooled and heated seats. - DONE
Stage three
- Custom bumpers and sliders made from Gr5 titanium (Yes, you read that right). As i said earlier - my main philosophy for the build is ultimate dependability and utility. Adding 1000# of steel doesn't go together well with that philosophy, so i want armor that will offer protection without increasing weight significantly.
- Sleeping platform/drawer system made from a combination of titanium and carbon fiber.
- Added sound/heat insulation, quality speakers. - DONE
- Modified or retrofitted from another Toyota steering wheel with integrated volume and bluetooth controls.
- Intercooler
- Will update this list as time goes on
Huge thanks goes to @Rock40 for his amazing build thread with lots of info that has been very helpful to me. As well as @CycloSteve , @gnarlynick2072 , @mtntoys and many others for their numerous informative posts.
Unfortunately i dont have many "before" pictures of the truck. Here's my father helping me load it when i picked it up. I bought it from a lady that was moving from Washington state to Georgia and the truck overheated and seized half way (in Minnesota)
Here's the cucumber back home at the company of an LX450 parts truck, my "built" HDJ81 (now sold) and my daily driver 3rd gen 4runner.
Out comes the old drivetrain
My daughter Kate sizing up the 1HD-FT
And the brand new H152F
I also wanted to start this thread to keep track of all the things im doing to the truck and help motivate me to see the project through. And i will try to provide write ups of the unique mods for future reference of this community.
01/02/2020 - I trimmed this post quite a bit to remove some details on my history with LC's and the details on how i came across this particular truck, because it was a long read and probably boring to most people .
The build:
I'll start off by saying that everyone's idea of an "ultimate build" is different. Instead of taking the standard approach, as i did with my first 80 - a couple of thousands pounds of extra weight, big heavy tires, questionable suspension mods, I've decided to do something different this time.
80-series had all sorts of cool options in various markets depending on the target demographic, but none of the versions they sold "had it all". So I will put together an 80-series that Toyota should've built, using all these factory options from different markets in one truck.
The idea with this truck is to make it into an ultra light, ultra reliable adventure/overlanding rig. There will be NO aftermarket parts on this truck of questionable quality, and all major systems will be either overhauled completely or replaced with new OEM parts to bring it to basically "new" condition, mechanically. Any modifications that add weight will be:
A) Non permanent
B) Made from aerospace grade materials (such as titanium alloy and carbon fiber) to reduce the weight gain to absolute minimum possible.
As a starting point i will be using a 1996 US-spec 80 series that i imported from west coast that has absolutely zero rust. The truck will NEVER be driven in the winter, so it will remain completely rust free.
Here's the outline of the major things i have planned:
Stage one (planning to complete this in the next couple of months):
- 1HD-FT swap with FTE Turbo, Starter and Alternator - DONE
- H152F swap, which i believe will be the very first such swap in North America (possibly the world) - DONE
- Factory e-lockers retrofitted using 100% OEM parts. - DONE
- Factory console fridge/icemaker retrofitted. I believe this will also be the first time it was done successfully into a North American truck. Not 100% sure on this - I've seen some posts suggesting otherwise, but im yet to see any proof. - DONE
- Custom 3" stainless turbo-back exhaust. - DONE
- Set of 255/85r16 shoes. - DONE
- Some base-lining/maintenance that is too boring to mention here. - DONE
Stage two (most of this work is 90%+ complete as of Dec 2021)
- Factory sub fuel tank
- Factory PTO winch using the HF2AV t-case. (most factory PTO-equipped 80's used the HF1 part time case and the 1HZ engine, but i REALLY wanted the HF2AV. These are extremely rare to find with the PTO access plate). I originally planned this as a stage 1 mod, but i decided to rebuild the entire T-Case with under-drive low range gearing, and this would delay the stage one pretty significantly which i didn't want to do), so it got bumped to stage 2. Again, this will be the first such swap into a North American 80, to the best of my knowledge.
- "baselining" on steroids. Which basically includes rebuilding or replacing every single major system in the truck with OEM parts to bring it to "new" spec.
- New leather upholstery with cooled and heated seats. - DONE
Stage three
- Custom bumpers and sliders made from Gr5 titanium (Yes, you read that right). As i said earlier - my main philosophy for the build is ultimate dependability and utility. Adding 1000# of steel doesn't go together well with that philosophy, so i want armor that will offer protection without increasing weight significantly.
- Sleeping platform/drawer system made from a combination of titanium and carbon fiber.
- Added sound/heat insulation, quality speakers. - DONE
- Modified or retrofitted from another Toyota steering wheel with integrated volume and bluetooth controls.
- Intercooler
- Will update this list as time goes on
Huge thanks goes to @Rock40 for his amazing build thread with lots of info that has been very helpful to me. As well as @CycloSteve , @gnarlynick2072 , @mtntoys and many others for their numerous informative posts.
Unfortunately i dont have many "before" pictures of the truck. Here's my father helping me load it when i picked it up. I bought it from a lady that was moving from Washington state to Georgia and the truck overheated and seized half way (in Minnesota)
Here's the cucumber back home at the company of an LX450 parts truck, my "built" HDJ81 (now sold) and my daily driver 3rd gen 4runner.
Out comes the old drivetrain
My daughter Kate sizing up the 1HD-FT
And the brand new H152F
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With the starter in the middle of the V yeah it looks like a VDJ config for sure.
