Hi Guys,
So I started a thread a long time ago on YotaTech when I thought I would try to get my build going and guess what? Life happened. So here I am, starting again:

I have a 1985 SingleCab Toyota pickup 4x4.
-LCEngineering stage 3 22R
-Duel 45mm Weber sidedraft carbs.
-original transmission and transfer case.

That is really the relevant information as I intend on modifying, or simply replacing many of the other major components. The truck has seen better days.. but is now on the path to recovery. It was a Frankenstein of many poorly executed projects in my youth (My dad bought the truck back in 1985, and so I've had this thing my whole life), that have since been stripped away.
The plan is to do a frame-off restoration/mod to the truck. The truck will be all purpose that leans into the speedy stuff a bit more than the crawling stuff (the Oceano Dunes near Pismo Beach are really this truck's home). As a challenge to myself I want to try and keep the thing looking as original 1985 as possible with the following modifications. What I see this meaning:

-Cleaned up frame
-Completely cleaned up and newly painted body
-Possibly fiberglass fenders, hood and bedsides to be easily removed to work on truck. I haven't decided on this. In some ways I'm worried this path may fight against the idea of it looking stock, even if the body parts aren't flared.
-Integrated front bumper, engine cage, cab cage, bed cage.
-Once upon a time the axle was linked and I'm sticking with that decision, but the whole setup is being updated. Currently a 3 Link from 4 Wheel Underground is planned on being installed.
-New Tacoma width Rock Assault housing for the front and rear. All hubs, knuckles, axle accessories and shafts are brand new
-Fox shocks. 2.5x14" RR coilovers up front. 2.5"x16" bypass in the rear. Leaf spring setup in the rear is TBD
-New wiring harness for truck, to include all accessories, new/old.
-Decently weather proofed engine bay.
-New interior (possibly a custom designed dash)
-New brakes from a V6. Rear disc brake conversion for the rear. (going with 35" BFG KO3s on 16s)

That's a decent summary, but I'm sure there's more.

Currently the frame has been sandblasted and is ready for fabrication, and I'm undecided on how to best coat all of the parts to protect them. Mainly, the primary frame and cage, the links, and the axle. I'm looking for the finished product of this truck to be very high quality, and to get as close to looking 'new' as possible, while also recognizing that this isn't a show truck that sits in a garage and goes to the grocery store. I'd love a powdercoat but am worried about wear and tear and the possibility of needing to modify the frame somehow and having to grind away the powdercoat.

So do I POR 15, Steel-It? Something else? I'm assuming that there may be different answers for the different components that need to be coated. Any advice here?
THANKS!


1985 (truck on the right)

2010

2025 (cleaned frame)

cleaned up weber 45s + intake

 

Here are some more photos of the truck before the strip down/ sandblast.

 

I've taken some big non automotive projects to the galvanizer. It's nice because you get 100% coverage on the inside of tubes. Since you're going all out and are coastal, galvanizing might be worth looking in to.

 

not sure if you have heard of us ... but our glass is "factory" styling , not sure you can get it anywhere else !
toyotafiberglass.com

nice project by the way !

 

I have heard of you! I have your guys’ glass bookmarked on the project. I’d love to work on this with you if that’s possible. Anyway you’d be willing to make a custom fender and bedside panel? I’d love a flare but very very minimally to keep it looking stock.

 

I'm 4 YEARS into a 4WU linked 86 Xtra Cab. Yikes I'm slow. I JUST started bending my interior cage today and realize how tough it is to fit a proper cage in these trucks IF you want to keep your dash with A/C and heat. Sounds like an awesome project but you have to really think far ahead. Tying a cab cage to the engine cage and bed cage is pretty challenging unless you start with a gutted truck and good luck fitting a stock looking interior. Are your rear kickers going through the window or roof? Attaching cage to frame or cab?

Every time you think your done welding on your frame........your going to be welding on your frame more. You're going to be tacking stuff on and cycling suspension a LOT. And cutting it off to move it a tiny bit so you can cycle it more.

Don't powder coat. If you really want to, you need to wait until your done and pull it all apart. Galvanizing might be a good idea for you?? I'm in dry AZ so I just painted mine.

Sounds like a baddass build for a truck that was already pretty baddass. I'm looking forward to following along on your build.

Scott in AZ.

 

we do lots of custom work .. check out our FB page , link in my signature .

 

I'm leaning more into POR-15 for the whole frame and cage. While maybe powder coating the axles housings and steering and link arms? Anyone have any luck with Steel-It? I know it was a wonder material when it came out, but anyone have eyes on how it ages after time? It being used on racing trucks isn't really a good comp for this as those trucks get torn down and touched up so regularly I don't think long term longevity is really an issue for them.
I'm interested in galvanization, I know it's a land rover/ defender thing, I've never really considered it. My partial issue with that is not wanting the frame to look galvanized, but I guess I could always paint over it for pure aesthetics.

I know it's going to be a very tight fit... If I have the energy/time/money, I'd like to design a custom dash that pays homage to the original but has more ideal locations for switches, and a stereo. In doing so, I can make it all navigate the cage. The plan is to have as much of the cage internal to the cab to largely hide that it exists, which obviously comes into direct conflict with having an largely stock interior (not to mention I'm 6'-3") But the truck is entirely gutted and I'll have some time to plan for this when the time comes. I've bought a decent 3d scanner, and where it's been possible, have done some of the planning of all of this in the computer just to make sure what we're doing will work.

Here are some photos of the interior and the 3D model that has developed:

Completely gutted interior

Scan of truck with old links

Scan of truck with old links

Scan with an approximation of the 4WU links

Small render of a bumper study I did a while back (don't look too close, it's not very accurate lol).

 

The 3D scanner is definitely going to help with fit. I've been told by a guy that worked on race teams that he loves Steel-it. Said it expensive and the cans are super heavy and you can weld through it but I never saw it or experienced it myself. I get razzed because I painted my frame Rust oleum Hammered Silver....WITH A BRUSH! It looks galvanized. A lot more light when I have to work on the truck than a black frame.

My 86 now has a 3.4 and it sticks through the hood so no room for a proper engine cage. My 4WU shock tower on the driver side is maybe 1/4" under the master cylinder and I had to notch the rear of the tower so I can R&I my booster.(2nd gen 4Runner 3.0) ˟˟˟˟˟ is tight on these trucks. I just bent the rear hoop of my cage today. I'm bolting plates to the floor directly above my cab mounts. Winging the design. No stock headliner or interior other than the dash. I have to cut it to fit the A-pillar section of the cage. Plan was to still "look" like an 86 Toyota Xtra Cab. Bed was really beat so I bobbed a foot off it. I struggled to get the rear shock geometry right so I ended up cutting off the frame behind the cab and fabricating new. Shocks stick up into the bed. My 37" spare takes up the back and the fuel tank is in the bed. I had to fab larger inner fender well up front for the 37's so lost the space for the air box and battery. Battery is in the floor where the hump was for the fuel tank. I WISH I had a scanner......and the knowledge to use it ha ha. My truck isn't going to be as nice as your rendering.

Looking forward to your build.
Scott in AZ.

 

I’m really curious if anyone has experience with how either Steel-it or POR 15 ages? I’ve heard from different people steel it will turn grey very fast and that I should use POR15, while I’ve heard other people say the exact opposite..

It sounds like a rad build. Do you have photos?

 

Currently we’re trying to sort out the process of coating the cage while also planning on getting the truck completely repainted. Anyone have experience with order of operations in this phase? At the moment because we’re thinking of doing either steel-it or POR15, we get the cage coated around the existing cab, and then just cover up the cage when the truck body gets painted. I can see that there are many ways of doing it, but the differences in the way people do it largely have to do with what quality they’re willing to accept out of the cage coating and the body paint.

 

What is you method to weld the top of the cage close to the roof?

 

The current plan is to assemble and weld the cage while it’s inside the cab. The corners facing the cab body will be a challenge. But the plan is to build the cage, tack where necessary, then remove it so that the body can go out to paint, and then reassemble permanently.
I was thinking of trying to have sandwich plates at the floor and firewall so that the cab can be lifted off the frame with the cage inside it so they’re are permanently one unit, but a unit that can be removed if need be. Anyone seen this done well? I’ve seen some discussions on this forum but nothing with photos that are still visible.

 

We’re still dialing in the front end but need the rear approximated and installed enough to really figure it out. So, questions regarding rear end leaf spring setups. What I was thinking is a long travel setup, inverted shackles, sprung under the axle. The goal is to get 16” out of the system. We think that this system will align pretty closely to the ride height in the front. I understand the point of the pack going underneath the axle to maximize distance between the housing and frame (to allow for more travel without needing to increase ride height). But I’m not necessarily looking to have all of that equipment impede on ground clearance of the rear axle. Has anyone gotten 16” of travel from a rear leaf spring setup with the pack above the axle? Maybe shifting the pack to the inside of the frame? Or adjusting shackle length to accommodate the desired ride height? Currently I’m looking at the F67 (61.5” x 12.5” arc) or H70 (61.5” x 14.5” arc) springs from Deaver.

 

I wish I had advice to offer. I always have to mock up and cycle my suspension. I'm looking forward to some pics of this project.

 

Here’s some photo updates:

I’m taking my old pair of SCS Ray 10s that I had on my 2016 Tacoma for mocking up the 315/75R16 KO3s. I don’t think I’ll stay with this wheel though so we’ll see how it fits with this offset, and backspacing. I’ll have more lateral for wheel choices as I don’t need to shoot the tires out a ton with the Tacoma width axles.

 

Mocking up the 4 link kit. Due to the old work that had been done on the truck, and my wanting to keep the truck as low as possible (with 14” of travel), custom frame stiffeners and IFS steering box mount is being made.

The housing is all new. I’m going to try and sell my old housing completely assembled, so it just became easier (and barely more expensive) to just buy new components. And with that came the 6 shooter knuckles. Why not…?

 

I’m also doing frame stiffeners on the interior frame as well.
Sorry for the photo of a screen. That’s all I got on me and I wanted to get this post out before I forget.

 

Prior to putting the body back on to mock-up the steering box placement. Sand blasted frame looks great but it’s already starting to rust a bit. We’re probably a bit too close to the ocean to avoid it completely… once everything is fabricated it’ll probably need a touch up before it gets covered up.

 

I picked up a brand new interior for the truck this past weekend at YotaExports out in San Bernardino. It was taken from roughly 3 different trucks trying to collect the best stuff. I added some upgrades like a clock, AC, and center console as opposed to the bench that it used to have. There will be some custom work added to some of this to account for new switches, and possibly navigation. I don’t know where I'm going yet with the AV stuff, complete old school deck, or modern screen with Nav that can run OnX.
TBD