vwfastg60's 1987 Pickup Build-Up Thread

[vwfastg60]

The story. Picked up the truck when i was 13. First ever truck. It was wrecked so i got to fix it. Sold it to my mom who then trashed it and gave it to my brother. Made a trade and wound up with it. Sold and purchased the truck now 2 times after that. Im keeping it now. So heres what it looked like when i picked it up. Thrown rod(still ran after sitting 3 years) Swapped in a new motor and cleaned up the interior. Drove it around on the 31's and said i have had enough... Lifted it Wrecked it fixed it made some changes, Locked it and wheeled it. Wound up with it looking wrecked. Bobbed a foot out of the bed so its now only a 6foot bed. flopped it(planned for the most part.) So with the body being 100 finished off for the long term goals with the truck im starting over. New cab. Fenders will be replaced with new fenders because both were damaged. New bed. Almost rust free bobbed a foot. Short bed topper for camping. SAS Axles back a bit farther now. playing in the shop. So heres my mod list for the next month+ Already have Trail gear SAS kit with 14inch hoops and shocks. 4inch leafs and a classic rear kit with 5inch leafs and 2 sizes of shackles. One for the can back and one for the topper. Finish everything up(pretty close set pinion angle and hang the shackles up front. Rebuild axle) Gears-5:29's for both axles. Dual cases-4.7 and 2.26(I think thats right) cases Finish the body and paint. The truck will be Super white off the new tundra/ Highlander. Kill all the road noise. in the cab New carpet,grill, finish my HID fogs to match the bi xenon i did in the headlights. Tire mount on rear bumper and a front bumper with winch. Trail gear sliders mounted. Clean the frame of paint and rust and recoat in POR15 or chassis saver. Put the truck back together and wheel!

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[just a 22re]

my god talk about bringing a truck back from the dead then driving it to hell and back good job man real good job looks good wanna help do my sas?? lol

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by just a 22re

my god talk about bringing a truck back from the dead then driving it to hell and back good job man real good job looks good wanna help do my sas?? lol

Well this time it will be back for good. Im planning on wheeling it but using it more for camping trips and a winter driver. It will see moab this coming summer and lots more of Colorado. i have lots more planned but i haven't listed it because its still a few weeks out or already done and just didnt think it was important, SR5 cluster, In bed false floor sleeper,stereo,things like that but i will post pics during the build. I will update this regularly.

Id love to help but your a bit far away from me one thing i have to say is Grinding is the worst part.

[iamsuperbleeder]

for real, that truck's been through hell and back, and came back better at that!

good job man!

and I thought I had some vehicles that I'd never get rid of or couldn't kill, lol

[yotasavg]

that's some history right there lol

i like the way that thing looks.....and it WAS one of my favorite IFS rigs. congrats on the uprade!

[4307]

It looks like a lot of work but it's worth it.
Are you plating the frame in the front for re-enforcement?

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by iamsuperbleeder

for real, that truck's been through hell and back, and came back better at that!

good job man!

and I thought I had some vehicles that I'd never get rid of or couldn't kill, lol

thanks, When my mom had it i wound up sinking it in a river with 3inches of the roof showing and once we pulled it out it ran fine. Its seen the passenger side on rocks nearing the ground twice now. and the main reason i wanted to do the cab swap was because i skipped out on sliders and trashed the rockers right away. The bed was rusted and had been folded over a few times. I get the question of why dont i buy a new truck with all the money im dumping in this but the answer is simple for me. I cant afford to pay cash for a new truck and this one was my first car/truck ever....I have had 40something cars and trucks now.....Who ever gets the first one back? The trucks been through hell so why not reward it. New paint, No rust and an updated interior will make it nice to drive daily.

The goal is to make it a truck that looks like it never has seen a dirt road but gets wheeled a lot. Inside it will look new(cause it is) and the outside will be perfect so really it is a new truck just built to my spec. I couldnt wheel a truck i was paying on....just couldnt happen.

[iamsuperbleeder]

Originally Posted by yotasavg

and it WAS one of my favorite IFS rigs...

X's 2; I LOVE to see some IFS riggs getting out there and wheeling hard!

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by 4307

It looks like a lot of work but it's worth it.
Are you plating the frame in the front for re-enforcement?

I have thought about it and talked about it with a few people. Im going to re enforce the shackle mounting area. Everything else should be strong enough. I plan on filling a few of the holes and bracing where the power steering box will be moved to. Other then that im changing the spare tire mount brace to a piece of 2/3 188 wall and getting it back to where the shackles are. They wound up on the edge of the frame due to the bobbing. Adding a V shaped brace to the one that holds the gas tank. They will bend down and help hold and protect an air tank.

[4307]

Originally Posted by vwfastg60

thanks, When my mom had it i wound up sinking it in a river with 3inches of the roof showing and once we pulled it out it ran fine.

LOL.... wrong turn?

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by iamsuperbleeder

X's 2; I LOVE to see some IFS riggs getting out there and wheeling hard!

I would have loved to keep it IFS but i wasnt ready to beef up the steering much more. I had lots of issues braking steering parts with the 36's on

[iamsuperbleeder]

Originally Posted by vwfastg60

I would have loved to keep it IFS but i wasnt ready to beef up the steering much more. I had lots of issues braking steering parts with the 36's on

and that's why I wont go over 33's



where'd you pick up that topper from?

kinda just makes it look like a Runner!

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by 4307

LOL.... wrong turn?

First ever water crossing with bad instruction.

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by iamsuperbleeder

and that's why I wont go over 33's



where'd you pick up that topper from?

kinda just makes it look like a Runner!

A member on coTTora had keys and everything. I got it because my truck looked like a 4runner before with the bar so why not make it look more like one with a topper.

[iamsuperbleeder]

Originally Posted by vwfastg60

I like how the 2 stickers are cocked sideways like you were anticipating on it rolling that way

you're lucky that rock broke the fall, lol

[4307]

Originally Posted by vwfastg60

I have thought about it and talked about it with a few people. Im going to re enforce the shackle mounting area. Everything else should be strong enough. I plan on filling a few of the holes and bracing where the power steering box will be moved to. Other then that im changing the spare tire mount brace to a piece of 2/3 188 wall and getting it back to where the shackles are. They wound up on the edge of the frame due to the bobbing. Adding a V shaped brace to the one that holds the gas tank. They will bend down and help hold and protect an air tank.

Are you sleeving the mounting holes for the steering box? I'm not familiar with that generation truck frame. If you want to fill the holes just plate it, those holes would be tricky to fill. Just a thought.

[4307]

What happened to the rear cross member? Looks like it was torn through. Recovery gone bad?

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by iamsuperbleeder

I like how the 2 stickers are cocked sideways like you were anticipating on it rolling that way

you're lucky that rock broke the fall, lol

I never noticed that but its pretty funny! I will make sure they stay upright so i dont jinx it next time lol.

Originally Posted by 4307

Are you sleeving the mounting holes for the steering box? I'm not familiar with that generation truck frame. If you want to fill the holes just plate it, those holes would be tricky to fill. Just a thought.

Im going to buy the kit. It comes with everything for moving it forward and sleeving it.

Im not sure it will need filling even. After talking to a lot of fab shops about it they all say dont worry about it. They say tacoma guys do it more because the frame is not as strong as the older trucks. I think i should be ok. That truck has been hit in the front 3 times and all 3 has been straight when on the rack.

Originally Posted by 4307

What happened to the rear cross member? Looks like it was torn through. Recovery gone bad?

It was more of a lesson. I knew it was going to get cut off and my friend is more of a newbi then i am when it comes to wheeling so on a snow run we wound up on a section with about a foot base and 6+ foot drifts. Going through we were fine and my truck was knocking it all down but on the way back through(locked gate at the other end) i got stuck to the windows in snow. I let my buddy hook up and pull me out. Well after telling him why hooks were bad for the past season he said he had a strap and rather get in my bed for my hookless strap he grabs some stupid hooked strap. He wound it over that and hooked it on through a hole. goes to pull me out and i felt a slight tug and hear his passenger yell "Way to go idiot" the strap came off bent the lower part of the bed and tore the support on my truck and when it flew off put a dent in his hood and chipped the glass. Once we got my truck out and i could get out i pull my strap out and said....just buy one cause now your glass is not as strong and it will bounce off your face next.....Perfect example of what could happen. Now he is Mr. Safe wheeler and its great.

[vwfastg60]

So i came up on another set of seat and thought id ask for an opinion. The seats i have now lined up for the truck are heated gray leather and power. A friend offered me his black leather heated power seats....Should i stick to the gray interior or do a 2 tone black and gray thing ? Maybe just a full black interior? The idea was gray will not be as hot in the summer but if i can get the A/C units i have been working on getting it wont matter.

Color opinions please. The outside is going to be white.

[tc]

Originally Posted by vwfastg60

flopped it(planned for the most part.)

So you FINALLY admit it was flopped?

When are we gonna see this thing on the road?

[SR5]

id give it 6 month before he recks and rebuild it
good work man, try not to distroy it

[vwfastg60]

Nate said it wasn't flopped. I was the one telling him if you can use the wheel as a cup holder its flopped. I have to find the camera phone pic of my palmer sitting in the wheel while we were climbing on it.

The goal to be driving it is by Dec. I wanted to drive it on my B-day but it looks like im going to be setting a seat on the frame and having people push me down the driveway to have that happen. Im calling Scott today cause i was WAY too hung over to move all day after my insane night sunday so i didnt get to him. Getting (you will love this) GEARS 5:29's and a 4.7 case with an adapter and Xmember, Driveshaft's, A front bumper and winch. Im grabbing a new grill, Headlight buckets, corner lights, and 2 new fenders(Nate made my new ones flat) Also replacing the clutch with a 6puck because my stock one was smoked from the flop.


Lastnight Bart chopped the rear tire holder out and we have some cleaning to do on that. Cleaned up the holes on the frame for the Front shackles, and we dropped the trans Xmember so i could pull the front shaft for the guy who picked up my lift stuff.

Tonight is a big night. Gym, take new goodies up and mount the fenders on the new cab, Put the new hood on and adjust it all. 4x fenders on my 2wd and my 2wd fenders on barts 4wd. Build the rear Xmember, Weld in and build the plates for the shackles, mount sliders if we get around to it. I need to get the shock hoops tacked up and flex it out to make sure everything is good and no binding and then the fun starts. The axle will come back out add on the knuckle ball truss set and the highsteer arms, New bearings...pull 3rds for gears and at that point winch the cab off and clean the full frame. I want any rust repaired or ground off and will need to make a bracket for the e-brake cable cause we hacked off the Tbar mounts. Bart has one repair to make on the frame where Ballz nicked it with the sawsall.

As for wrecking it again....Not going to happen. Everything i did to this truck and every change i made was trial and error for the final build....This is it. I will be adding Rear disk, twinstick, Rear driveline disconnect and might even go FF with the rear. Up front im going to a high pin elocker or ARB's in both depending on money and for sure Longs up front.

I already have another project truck lined up and the parts truck for it. My buddy has 2 D60's in his garage so were going to take that stuff and throw it under a SAF truck frame and gear it, Spool the rear and lock the front with whatever motor he has(has like 10) were thinking 4inches of lift with 40's cut to fit and just exo the cab. Everything else will be smashed like crazy. It will be the one we wreck

[space-junk]

black interior... its so uncommon in these trucks...
looks great... well, it DID look great... lol..

[Lysmachia]

Glad to see the Build-up over here too Russ! You'll have Lexi done and ramping Tippy before I even decide when to put that 3.4 in!

[tc]

I would consider a standard clutch with the low gears. A puck style will be awful harsh - send a lot of torque impact down the drivetrain.

As for gears - 'bout damn time!

I'm heading to Hungary for work this weekend, but will be available the next weekend(22-23) - I owe you some help! (Plus I need to touch up and wet sand/buff the doors/fenders)