The Desert Ditch 62

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So i haven't updated you guys in a while, rest assured....i've been busy with the truck :D
 
LAMBCRUSHER said:
godogGO!
Click to expand...
Its a popular book in my house right now :)

@Thebedouin60 I love that you are going with the OEM side graphics. Those are going to look great.
 
More coming in, getting prepped for paint



First coat of primer down



Painted the underside first since i didn't bolt down the body permanently, i also undercoated it with a special coating that could be painted over. I want to do as much as i can to prevent any future rust from showing up



Painted the interior of the body, love the color!



Painted the engine bay after that, no EGR garbage for the middle eastern spec, but got a massive A/c compressor instead to keep the 3 evaporators busy

 
I decided not to go with the split rim steelies on this build, but instead found a set of 4 original middle east spec chrome rims that are much wider and better looking, i've got a plan for these that i'll reveal later down the line

 
As i'm sure everyone has figured out, i went with Beige 464 which was the factory option on the ME cruisers. The new roof looks great on the inside, i plan to fill the gaps in between the bracing with expanding foam, and the rest of it will be dynamat & dynaliner.



And now the moment i've been waiting so long to see.....the paint booth!

 
This was the best decision made for this truck, i am more than happy with the quality of the finish. I asked that the clear coat be thicker than normal for our harsh, hot, and dusty environment as i'm sure it will need to be polished at some point in its future life.







I did my best not to spare any important expense, a new OEM grill was sourced as well as alot of interior items from @rreevsci

 
No time wasted here, got some of the interior trim pieces painted in preparation for the rest of the build

 
Out of the paint booth, cured up and straight into it......final dress up





The GCC cruisers were equipped with a factory cool-box and rear A/c (same as Australian spec) which means this truck has 3 evaporators. All of which were replaced with OEM originals that are R134a compatible.



These doorcards were temporarily put in place so i can easily remove them for the upcoming visit to the upholstery shop, they will also be matched to the interior color.


ALMOST THERE



AAAND DONE.......with the exterior.......



 
amazing amount of work!

I think Beno said some 60 series roof were still available but that may have been over a year ago
 
richxd87 said:
Could you share where you got those graphics from? What do you think of the quality?

Thanks,
Richard
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The quality is decent, I had them made locally at a vinyl printing press. The majority of the parts i was able to get from parts stores locally and luckily in my case they had one fresh set.

I bought the OEM grille brand new as well with the light bezels and the weatherstrips. So far the only old parts still on the truck are the seats and the wheels+tires.
 
So getting the 62 home was a major milestone, that doesn't mean this journey is over. I still have to do the interior, minor touches on the exterior as well as take care of some mechanical issues that need to be addressed. So far i've been able to find the following:

Original Carb not running right (will be replaced with the new OEM one i have)
Front right CV clicking (To be identified)
Brake pedal still feels soft
Rear License plate holder needs small light to pass inspection
Need new seat belts (LC7X seat belts will be purchased)
Need to install Jason's carpet kit and wheel arch covers

I will be posting a small video montage of some key parts of the process since i enjoy documenting stuff like this so stay tuned gents!
 
Fantastic thread!
 
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