Build Utah... the "new blue" - the unforeseen build

[2fpower]

Time to be in a parade.

Homecoming at kids school, their theme was wild wild West!

 

[2fpower]

Well this weekend started with trying to get seat heaters put in the seat the Santa brought last year that have been sitting in my shop. That took about three hours to get completed. Then I decided to go ahead and install them, that then wiped out the rest of the weekend. Well, some jobs just take way longer than you expect. Main thing was that I found out that the seatbelts and seats were attached with really flimsy thin steel. 1/8 steel and light gauge square tube - 1/16 wall. I also wanted to get the seats moved back and low as possible -- so out with the old and fabricated all new parts.

Ended up making almost everything out of stainless, except for the strap and plates on top of the gas tank. I’m going to put a plate on front of the driver seat frame to give more under seat storage. Went to put the tuffy box center console in, but it was too wide as it had the radio part in the front.... will have to sell it and buy the 6.5" unit.

 

[2fpower]

Got the front panel made for the seats then started working the seat belts and realized that I had to make a new mounting points Made the front panel lot of 14 gauge stainless bent on three sides to fit, should be stout enough to hold a fire extinguisher

New top seat belt brackets are bent quarter inch stainless steal

Finally, started working on new shifter knob. Couldn’t get the old knob off, must be Epoxy’d on.

 

[2fpower]

Seats and Tuffy box are in, but realized I had not installed the seatbelt Female receiver side. Oops.

 

[2fpower]

Can't figure out a way to mount up the seat belt receiver side. Only about 4" long, and no place to mount to seat, so did some quick mud research, and ordered a set of HMMMV seat belts.

Oh well....

Gives me time to wire up the seat heaters.

 

[2fpower]

The seatbelt came in so installed those and then wired up the seat heater switches and two additional switches to run lights. Also got the old-school knob installed

 

[White Stripe]

What do the orange and blue buttons do? Missle launcher/flame thrower?

 

[2fpower]

One will be interior lights, the other will be front lights

 

[fjdiesel]

@2fpower How do you like the cut outs in your doors? Are they working out for storage? How did you seal them up? Thanks

 

[2fpower]

honestly, don't use them much yet.... I made those out of a stainless steel bathroom paper towel holder of all the crazy ideas I have. So, made them first, then welded to the backside of the door.

here is the old thread I did on how I made them.

half doors with pocket cubby idea

 

[2fpower]

In case your wondering where that aluminum came from that the switches are in..... next time you are in an old bathroom with partition walls, you might see this extrusion, the top structural piece tied to the wall. Maybe I am a hoarder.

 

[2fpower]

Just got back from a week in Moab with this car and I am amazed with what it could do. Spent two days pulling the trailer (that I just finished building) along the Kokapelli trail and all the way up to the top of the world.

Here is at top of the challenging parts of moab rim trail

Along Kokopelli

At the top of the world— and we did not take the bypass to get there...

Going up hells gate

 

[2fpower]

The weather was amazing, eight days of almost no rain and highs in the 70’s. It was the most perfect week to be driving an open 40 in Moab. I have never wheeled in my 40 before,,,, I started and I’ve always wheeled in an 80s series. Having said that, I was blown away with the capabilities of a stock suspension 40

 

[2fpower]

Got an escalator pic.... got stuck, so had to get a quick yank with the 8274 thanks to @kc_chevota for the help.

 

[2fpower]

We found out in Moab that I had an issue with tires in the rear wheel well rubbing on my frame to roll cage links, so starting to do the chop work to get them moved

 

[2fpower]

Got one side welded up. On the center one, I did not want to change the mounting points at the top or bottom, so I just change the bend of the pipe. The cardboard is original size

The rear was moved back about 3” total

I forgot to take a before picture of the passenger side, so here’s before on the driver.

 

[2fpower]

Got the new structure finished and painted

 

[2fpower]

Huge thanks to @Awl_TEQ for making the front end complete....

 

[2fpower]

wheel bearings were a little loose after the week of punishment at MOAB, so worked them over last night. Also made some dividers for the Tuffy box.

Question for the masses. I put a new original Toyota key in this; however, I don't like how when you turn the key off from the running position, it goes to off, not to accessory. The issue is my bluetooth radio shuts off and every time I start the car again, I have to start music again. I thought about hot wiring the radio so it would not shut off, but then I need a separate switch and have to remember to shut it off.

So, wondering if there is a later model Toyota switch to use that would have off, then acc, then on, then starter? @Onur

Thanks,

 

[2fpower]

@Coolerman or @cruiseroutfit Do you know of a Toyota ignition switch, dash mount, that has in order off/ acc/ on/ start? mine is acc/off/on/start.