TheBisch's LT1 Swapped 1989 Pickup Build
 

My name is mark. Ive been browsing the forum for a while lots of good info.
Now for my truck.
History:
Its a 89 ex-cab pickup DLX with a 3.0. I bought it in September 2010 in order to replace my mustang as my daily driver. It has 174k and some minor issues i am slowly finding and fixing. In october 2010 a lady in a brand new lexas decided to blow a stop sign and then I t-boned her. the truck was totaled due to cost of repair. This was not a option for me so i bought it back (was found to be 100% her fault) and fixed it with a new radiator and a come-along. i drove it like that until january. Then i dropped it off at the local tech school. I bought a 91 4runner with a blown head gasket for 100 bucks for the body panels then bought some paint and 5 months later i got it back. No rush, root or dents and the whole truck was repainted, jams and all. I got it back monday got tires tuesday and put in a 2inch balljoint lift wednesday night.

Intentions:
I am building the truck to be a comfortable, boat towing, beach driving, daily driver. So no SAS or major off road mods for the time being, but i will be making a rear bumper and a few other things.

Specs:
Toytec 2" balljoint spacer lift
Toytec 2" add-a-leaf
Bought from WABFAB
Jegs D-window 15"x8" black wheels
33"x12.50"x15" BFG all-terrains
Pro comp shocks
KC Slim lites long range beam 6" (Pics in post #7)
Dee Zee Black diamond plate tool box (Pics in post #7)
Custom Spare, shovel and Hi-lift jack mount (Pics in post #9)
Chevy LT1 Swap- In Progress

Future Mods:
Leveling it
On-board air
New rear bumper
Maybe chevy 63s
Sound system
and more


Now for the pics
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ateagle621.jpg



http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ateagle616.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ateagle615.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ateagle622.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...ateagle620.jpg

My buddy has pics of the accident i will get them and post them up next week.

I see that you are in NY. Say goodbye to that nice Toyota, it will rot out within 2 years.

Good luck!

James

i thought so too but its been in new york its whole life and there is not a sign or heavy rust or rot on the frame so i think ill be alright. Im going to stasrt PORing the frame also to prevent that.

Thanks for the positive comment thou

Glad to hear you were able to get it back on the road. Its looking good. Welcome to YT.

Very good to hear!! The only reason you did not find rust is the previous owner garaged it during the winter.

James

Thanks terry, your runner looks like its coming along well also.

Picked up a beach permit on monday, went out today with my girlfriend and snapped some pics.
Also installed some KC slim lights on the bumper. Planning on making a light bar in the future. Also started on my spare tire carrier today will post up finished pics tomorrow.
Installed my tool box, craiglist $150!!! Looks brand new and retails for close to 400 bucks, definitly a steal.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...tabeach003.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...tabeach001.jpg

Two more action shots
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...tabeach006.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...tabeach005.jpg

So other the past three days ive been building a spare tire carrier that would hold my hi-lift jack, a shovel, and a full size spare (33x12.5x15). So i started with 1.5" square tubing and 3/16" plate. I weld in some carrage bolts in order to hold the shovel and jack. i used a plate from A to Z fab to bolt the spare to. i think it came out great. I still need to do some finish grinding and get the full size spare then a quik coat of paint and its done but here are some pics for now.

Main frame
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...carrier001.jpg

In the truck
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...carrier003.jpg

With the jack and the frame for the spare
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...carrier004.jpg

Plate and every thing burned in
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...carrier005.jpg

Old spare mounted up. Dont mind the scrap piece in there.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...carrier007.jpg

looks good

So since my last post the truck has been through a lot. I took it through some deep water and ruined the motor. Picked up a junkyard motor that came
apart in 1000 miles due to some rebuilding it incorrectly. The junkyard is warrantying it so I'm getting my money back. After long consideration on what to do next, I have settled on an lt1 swap. The reason for this is because I have a mint lt1 motor that was planned for my rx7 and that project has been put on hold. So coming up next will be a detailed install of the lt1 motor and everything that goes along with that.

Nice truck, good luck with the build.

Great looking truck! I really like the spare mount! I'd like to do some of that beach driving.

How about a 3.4 swap!!!
Should be quicker to do that the v8 swap.

Nice truck BTW!

thanks guys, i consider the 3.4 swap but i already have the lt1 and i want to do something different and i like the challenge

That truck is b-utiful. Sub

thanks b-yoda
i order the bell housing kit today and will be ordering mounts from DIY4x tomorrow.
Got a welder for christmas so expect some custom fab to come
I will be posting some pics up tomorrow and start an official write up-kinda how to soon.

Truck looks great. Subscribed

This is a great build. Quick question, are the ball joint spacers all you have in the front? Also, if it is just the spacers, do you experience any rubbing? I was looking into a set of BJ spacers for mine to better clear my 32s.

yes ball joint spacers is all, i did cut the fenders after the pictures were taken because they rubbed, and i beat the pinch weld a little because at full compression they hit.

Thanks! You have a beautiful truck BTW. I'm definitly subscribed!

Hands down 89+ extra cabs are the best looking toyota's.

This is 4x4 right? Gorgeous truck by the way hoping to get there soon.

I 2nd that.

I can't argue with that statement!

Couldn't agree more!

Truck looks good! Cool hi-lift and tire carrier!

Thanks for the complements guys it definalty is motivation to get back in the shop.
Here are a couple of little things before i get in to the swap.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/012.jpg
93X here is how i cut the fenders it flows nicely with the radius and now if the tire does hit then it hits the firewall and does not damage the fender.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/007.jpg
this is my new welder miller 211, i picked the helmet up at harbor frieght for half price and a two year full replacment warrenty.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/017.jpg
i built this at school last semester it is a front hitch with a light bar and tabs for me to mount my offroad decal. All i have to do is cut out the bottom of the stock bumper and it will fit fine.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/014.jpg
got my full size spare mounted i like the way it looks.

Ok now for the swap:
Ordered the bellhousing from summit part # 712561, from advaned adapters
Got it bolted up and found out the the bottom 2 and the top 3 bolts are about a half inch too long im gonna cut them tomorrow i will post how much i cut them off.
here is the bell housing mocked up
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/010.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/011.jpg

Im gonna remove all of the stuff in the engine bay, bolt up the bellhousing and engine and start test fitting tomorrow.

Hold on I forgot this gem......http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/s...hunde/FJ55.jpg

You guy's know how much 1.5" bj spacers and new sway-a-way torsion bars cranked will lift my 92 pick up in the front?

i don't have torsion bars but i know i gained about 2 or so inches with my spacers and a slight tbar crank but i would prefer that my thread not get hijacked, i am more then willing to help out but if it is not specfic to my build please keep it out of the thread.
thanks
Mark

started today by getting the engine empty
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/003.jpg

test fitted the bellhousing to the motor
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...fbum27/001.jpg

then dropped the motor in for a test fit,
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/005-1.jpg

gonna put the tranny in tomorrow, and start on the oil pan modification.

So i test fitted the tranny today and in the stock position, that put the water pump almost past the bumper. So i decied to move the tranny back after a little firewall clearenceing and triming some excess fat off of the bellhousing i got the tranny 5 inches back, so tomorrow i am gonna fab a tranny mount on the stock crossmember 5 inches back. Then im gonna start to tackle the IFS and figuiring out how to work around that.

Clearencing the firewall
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/001-1.jpg

Were the motor sits now
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/002-1.jpg

so today i modified the stock crossmember to put the tranny 5 inches back from stock postion. Everything seems to be fitting good. I think i am going to do a body lift it will make things alot easier to fit. Also got my motor mounts today they look really good i will post some pics tomorrow and also hopefully have some pics of the motor premently mounted.

Stock crossmember before modification
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/001-2.jpg

Crossmember after modification
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/003-2.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/002-2.jpg

Also made this yesterday to make dropping the tranny easy, the bolt goes through the hole in the jack, the outrigger bolts to a braket on the t-case side of the tranny. then i put a ractket strap around the front of the tranny to secure it.
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/004-2.jpg

Dude I love your truck! That body style and sex is straight sex!

Nice, v8 looks sick. I think if it had wings it would fly. I'm doing a v6 4.3 swap.

Thanks guys I appreciate the positive feedback i definitly fell in love with the truck after i bought it.

I got alot done over the past few days. i had to lift the body 3 inches to gain clearence. I got the mounts welded in and have 2 inches of clearence in front of the water pump. I am gonna space the diff down an inch and modify the oil pan tomorrow and then its on to everything else.

Budget body lift haha, its only for mockup purposes a real lift is on its way
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/001-3.jpg

Passenger side mount
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/004-3.jpg

Driver side mount
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/005-3.jpg

Water pump clearence
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/006-2.jpg

Motor in place
http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...um27/003-3.jpg

Great looking truck Mark!

Any updates on this?

I'm over seas right now and will not be back until August so more updates coming then. While I was over here in Iceland I got to spend the day offloading with hjalti great guy awesome truck.