Alright, so I got most of my finances and contacts sorted out and I'm gonna begin the build... so I was just wondering if I could get some opinions...

This is my mind's representation presented by MS Paint...



IN THE BANK
5.29 Gears front and rear with master install kit and installation DONE
105 amp GM alternator swap ???
Engine tune-up DONE
Bushwacker Cut-Out fender flares PENDING
4Crawler Offroad rocksliderz with 1" kickouts PENDING
Smittybilt double-tube rear bumper DONE
Custom snorkel ???
Durabak bed-lined interior $130
Painted yellow with black stripe DONE

NOT QUITE
Downey exhaust header $270
Custom 3" stack exhaust $120
Weber carb ???


I'm doing some myself and some by the local 4x4 shop. I already have a front double-tube bumper and just got new shocks, new brakes and new radiator. Any and all opinions are welcome... just be constructive alright...

Edited: 23Aug08
Plans have changed. Future holds a 4.3L V6, lockers, half doors, and maybe some Dana 60's...

 

30 spline longs & ditch the fender flares, just to start. Get a front bumper that will accept a future winch. If you're worried about rolling get a cage, not a roll bar. Crossover steering.
I have Smittybuilt stuff I pulled off my rig, you can have it for shipping.
Looks good, nice truck.

 

Gears, 35's hi steer and shock all arond...maybe throw done with Land Cruser brakes up front i got mine and a v6 master from the junk yard for 25 dollars.

I built my rig all the way and its all set up but i didnt go Hi steer right away and now i cant afford it and its gnarly i wish i would have got it the day i lifted my 82.

 

i never understood the need for LC brakes and V6 calipers, my stock brakes can lock up 34s even with a booster that doesn't work any more(read: manual brakes)

 

I say skip the paint and just draw on it with sidewalk chalk lol

I agree with the rollbar synopsis...dont get them, they are just for looks. Build a cage or an exo if you are worried about that.

 

a "real" roll bar(not one of those smittybilt bolt together deals) offers a bit more protection than that smittybilt bolt-together junk. that, and they just look plain cool on a '79-83 truck.

 

my stock breaks went to the floor and didnt work at all it didnt even have back breaks. So when i put the widetrack in I thought it would be nice to have some more breaking power.

Exo cage would be sick. A thought i had was to make it apart of your rock slider and go over the cab and down a pillar and call it good.

 

I am thinking about the crossover steering... but the 30 spline axles will probably wait until I can afford lockers as well. And I guess you're right... the roll bar idea does suck (especially since I'm partial to mud rather than rocks). Thanks for the input!

Hey, what do you guys think about snow (blue) camo for the paintjob?

 

hi steer good suspension 35's and lockers....you will be stoked.

 

get the lockers when you do the gears. my order of sequence for my 80 is, since when i bought it it was on 33s and lift and locked, im fixing the body put on my sliders, thats all like 100 bux, then when i get the chance im gonna lift it w/ a 1in body lift and trim some ugly body, fit the 35s, and hysteer it. then an aussie in both ends when i put in the new gears. but so far my gears pull the 33s perfectly.

 

Tomorrow all the panels come off to begin prep work. How heavy is the bed? (i.e. Can two people lift it off?) Skeletal pics will be en route...

 

Two people can lift the bed off..still kinda heavy though! Lookin forward to the build

 

OK here it is so far...



I began to sand down the truck and found where the previous owner had bondo'd it up.



Lots of sanding and bleeding knuckles ahead...

 

Alright so I found a cool new way to paint my truck that I thought I'd give a try. Basically it's a way to paint cars and trucks with oil based enamel paint and rollers.

Moparts original thread...

Then ^this^ thread was closed and continued in this one...

Moparts continued thread...

So with this information in hand I bought all the supplies and started testing out the driver's side fender. And since the price was the same no matter what color I picked, I chose to use Industrial Safety Yellow with a black stripe.

I used all the recommended materials.
Paint Thinner (100% Mineral Spirits)
Rustoleum Professional High Performance Enamel
Xylene
4" High Density Foam Roller
Foam Brushes


First coat turned out really well I think... I was a bit nervous and began to feel ridiculous as I started slapping paint on, but it did exactly what I was to expect from reading those threads.





The pictures don't do it justice... I have plenty of the usual gremlins (orange peel, bubbles, and an insect...) but they should all wetsand smooth.

I encourage you to read the threads and see for yourself. Look for 69chargeryeehaa. He's the pro at this.

 

Three things, first you have a sweet truck. I love the look of the early 80's Toyotas. Second, that thread is amazing. I want to try it, but haven't had the nerve, so I'll be watching your progress very carefully. I have a red 86 4runner, but would like to paint it black or charcoal gray and paint the fiberglass top a flat black. I'm going to stay posted. Third, is that an 83 RX-7 I see in your pics? I had an 83 RX-7 and it was fun. It was a 5 speed and I could wind out the Wankel engine to 8000 rpms before shifting to the next gear. It sounded like a UFO...not that I've ever hear a UFO. It would scream.

 

i read it to, but i still like the rattle can, then i get to touch it up in a sec.

Looks awesome though good job.

 

wow, looking good... i like the color choices better than the first pic from MSpaint

 

Actually it's an '85. It was my very first car from a neighbor who didn't even know what a rotary was... By the time I figured out what was wrong with it, I had already ripped it apart. It's currently for sale as a whole or for parts.

 

A locker and sliders will get you farther than all your mods put together. Plan on those first and move on from there. Skip anything and everything smittybuilt, while it is better than stock, it is not worth spending ANY money on. After those two things, next think about steering and flex, two things you definitely want.

 

Don't worry... this is only "Phase 1" of the build. "Phase 2" will include lockers, 30 splines, crossover steering, rear disks, some suspension work and some tube fab.

Phase 1 is to make the truck "mine", so to speak. I drive around with the previous owner's paint job and get mistaken for him all the time. Plus his painting sucked. Second, this is my daily driver and I will probably have to drive it to whichever AF base I am stationed at. So this build is to make the truck more reliable for on-road and mild off-road (gears, tires, engine performance) until I get another daily driver. And about the Smittybilt... I only really want the rear bumper to match the front bumper that I already have. I don't have the time or money to build better bumpers at this time. Does that make sense or am I just insane and superfluous?