These seat cover patterns are fantastic. Wonder if there is a way to make the actual seat cloth out of something similar?
Build The last pickup: a 2001 diesel HZJ79L "Speedy"
- Thread starter John Young
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- #22
These days I prefer something tougher. I've found that I like the material they use here for jump seats on the light armored vehicle conversions.
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- #23
I actually found some 24 or 25 oz. cotton duck.
It kind of changes color depending on lighting conditions.
It was pretty economical at 1300 AED / 360 USD for an enormous and enormously heavy roll of 1.8m by 45 meters.
It is made in Pakistan and according to the label it is waterproof. We shall see
It kind of changes color depending on lighting conditions.
It was pretty economical at 1300 AED / 360 USD for an enormous and enormously heavy roll of 1.8m by 45 meters.
It is made in Pakistan and according to the label it is waterproof. We shall see
- Thread starter
- #24
I also bought a pair of 76 series 1+1 seats which is what I really want for the troopy, and I took those and the 1+2 seats that were in the troopy out and stuffed everything including the roll of fabric into Mister Blue the 105.
Barely fit.
So now the four 70 series seats are at the upholstery shop awaiting their new 25 oz cotton duck covers.
Barely fit.
So now the four 70 series seats are at the upholstery shop awaiting their new 25 oz cotton duck covers.
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- #25
The big challenge is to make some 76 series to 75 series adapters to mount the blue seats in the 1995 troopy. I took a bunch of measurements and I think it will be kind of straightforward.
One thing I think I learned is that there are actually two styles of 79 pickup floors. Speedy is a 2001 so it has the earlier floor which I think may work only for the el cheapo version of the 79 which comes with the 1+2 seats carried over from the 75 series more or less, instead of the buckets like the ones from the 76 series which have some different dimensions. I will discuss that in detail in another thread but here are a couple of photos for general interest.
One thing I think I learned is that there are actually two styles of 79 pickup floors. Speedy is a 2001 so it has the earlier floor which I think may work only for the el cheapo version of the 79 which comes with the 1+2 seats carried over from the 75 series more or less, instead of the buckets like the ones from the 76 series which have some different dimensions. I will discuss that in detail in another thread but here are a couple of photos for general interest.
- Thread starter
- #26
After thinking about it a bit I went in search of material to make riser brackets for the inside edge of the bucket seats. Strangely I had a hard time finding ordinary mild steel, which I think would have been fine. But I did find many companies offering lots of different sizes of stainless steel tubing and flat stock. I've never worked with stainless steel but I thought it would be fun to try. After some research I learned that it is possible to weld regular steel to 403 stainless using a particular type of welding rod or wire known as ER-309L.
Got myself out of the apartment and went up to Dubai Investment Park 2 to a place called Hidayat Trading at the suggestion of a very nice owner of a powder-coating business I've used a fair number of times.
Big place.
I had to buy in 6 meter lengths but the price was reasonable.
That's about 130 USD for 5kg of welding rod, 50x5mm flat stock and 40x20mm rectangular tubing with 2mm wall thickness. Weighed a ton it seemed.
I had them cut it into 1m lengths. This is at least 6 times the material I need but it was hot and I did not know of a place where I could buy smaller quantities. So I have a lot of extra material to practice with. Tomorrow I will give TIG welding a try for the first time in my life. Should be interesting!
I suppose I should clarify that my current intent is to put the 1+1 buckets in the troopy so will probably pick up the story as far as these brackets go in that thread instead of here.
Got myself out of the apartment and went up to Dubai Investment Park 2 to a place called Hidayat Trading at the suggestion of a very nice owner of a powder-coating business I've used a fair number of times.
Big place.
I had to buy in 6 meter lengths but the price was reasonable.
That's about 130 USD for 5kg of welding rod, 50x5mm flat stock and 40x20mm rectangular tubing with 2mm wall thickness. Weighed a ton it seemed.
I had them cut it into 1m lengths. This is at least 6 times the material I need but it was hot and I did not know of a place where I could buy smaller quantities. So I have a lot of extra material to practice with. Tomorrow I will give TIG welding a try for the first time in my life. Should be interesting!
I suppose I should clarify that my current intent is to put the 1+1 buckets in the troopy so will probably pick up the story as far as these brackets go in that thread instead of here.
You should know that duck cotton canvas is waterproof only after seasoning. Verify the details but I believe you need to wet it and then let it dry a few times once everything has been sown together.
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- #28
The body shop wrote today to let us know the pickup is ready.
And the dash has been powdercoated.
And the dash has been powdercoated.
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- #29
I started putting the dash back together today. The pickup will be delivered to the garage tomorrow.
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- #30
The pickup was delivered back to PowerTec yesterday (Saturday). It was very good to have it back.
Looking good!
That's a lovely looking Mercedes W114 in the background, does it have rear suicide doors?
That's a lovely looking Mercedes W114 in the background, does it have rear suicide doors?
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- #32
Yes, as a matter of fact. And I had not noticed that aspect until you mentioned it.
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- #33
I put serviceable mirrors on the truck before leaving for the US.
And also before I left the fuel tanks were going back in:
And I laid out the chair sliders.
And also before I left the fuel tanks were going back in:
And I laid out the chair sliders.
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- #34
Powertec just sent me some photos of the engine going back in the truck.
This truck came without a heater from the factory. One thing we are doing is adding in that functionality. This will require cutting some holes in the firewall.
This truck came without a heater from the factory. One thing we are doing is adding in that functionality. This will require cutting some holes in the firewall.
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- #35
Work is continuing in Dubai.
- Thread starter
- #36
We are inching closer to completion...
New headlights are in.
Engine bay is getting pretty close.
New stuff is in the doors, and I am SO glad we were able to preserve the window wings with new rubber and latches!
Finding the new floor mats was not trivial.
New headlights are in.
Engine bay is getting pretty close.
New stuff is in the doors, and I am SO glad we were able to preserve the window wings with new rubber and latches!
Finding the new floor mats was not trivial.
- Thread starter
- #37
One question that has come up is the defroster vents. The truck had no heater from the factory so we are adding that. It had these plastic covers in the holes which I took out before sending the dash for powder coating.
We've been trying to figure out if there is some kind of trim used when the heater is present but I'm becoming convinced that no trim is used when the truck was assembled with a heater. Does anyone know for sure?
My 75 series looks like this--but the 75 had lived a hard life before I got it.
We've been trying to figure out if there is some kind of trim used when the heater is present but I'm becoming convinced that no trim is used when the truck was assembled with a heater. Does anyone know for sure?
My 75 series looks like this--but the 75 had lived a hard life before I got it.
My 86 euro spec troopy with factory heat does not have any trim piece on those defrost vents.