I'm going for an FJ45 look. After I shorten the cab I'm going to make a narrow bed for it using Chevy LUV bedsides. The bed will be just wide enough for a plastic storage box, then a cooler rack behind it.
And don't ever call it a jeep again...;)
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I'm going for an FJ45 look. After I shorten the cab I'm going to make a narrow bed for it using Chevy LUV bedsides. The bed will be just wide enough for a plastic storage box, then a cooler rack behind it.
And don't ever call it a jeep again...;)
Picked up the LUV bedsides last night. I'll have to shorten them on either side of the wheelwell and probably take 2-3 inches off the bottom.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2195.jpg
Why not use the cruiser bedsides to make bedsides out of? Would be sure to match.
There's not going to be enough FJ40 bedside left, and I like the look the lwb 45's had with the overhanging rail with hooks.
Cool idea, you get the tailgate too?
No, I'll have to figure something out on that later. I think the LUV tailgate had "chevrolet" stamped in it also.
cut that out and put a piece of blank steel in. LMC might have a blank tail gate
I couldn't picture it until you posted that. They actually remind me of a 45. Pretty slick idea. I assume it's not original. :)
Might try that, most of it would be cut out anyway since the bed is going to be narrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Reckless
The idea? Sure it's original, unless I picked it up somewhere subconciously. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by davido
why wouldn't that work, it's basically a chevy anyway!Quote:
Originally Posted by mudtoy67
Cool stuff. Will it stay at the same wheelbase or do you have to stretch the rear a bit?
i thought those were bed sides off a hilux
... you should just find one of those beds then you would have a stamped toyota tailgate
:flipoff2:Quote:
Originally Posted by BMFScout
I gave up on the stock wheelbase idea. I want to move the engine back almost to the firewall, and I ditched the powerglide idea, so I'm gonna need a little more wheelbase.Quote:
Originally Posted by CheapJeep
Either way the tailgate is going to be too narrow for the stamped lettering. I'm considering getting a LUV tailgate so that it matches the bedsides, but I'm also considering using my stock swingout tailgates.Quote:
Originally Posted by J Cooper
swing out would look so much nicer
Got the bed cut out tonight. First welded in some braces to keep the body from getting out of whack once I cut the sides. Then cut the bed out...I really gotta get a recipricating saw, it took me 4 4.5" grinder cut-off wheels, 2 die grinder cut-offs, and 1 jig saw blade.:laughing:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...y67/braces.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...oy67/nobed.jpg
:eek:
hmm, interesting
so....lots of chopping today:D
Turns out the rear of the cruiser is bolted on to the back of the door frame. This made it pretty easy to remove as the only weld I had to remove was at the top rail. This is the plan I had originally...
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2211.jpg
the idea was to mount the tank directly behind the main beam of the cab then enclose it with the rear of the tub. After mocking up the 105" wheelbase, I found that this would have most likely resulted in the rear of the tub coming into contact with the tire on full stuff...you can see the rear of the tank is already behind the front of the 33" tire (and I'm going w/ 36's). So now what I'll have is the cab will end just behind the seats and the tank will be in the front of the bed.
I did a bunch of measuring on the seats been using, and determined how much cab I needed to be able to clear seats mounted in a similar location. So here it is mocked up.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2214.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2217.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2218.jpg
I still have some cleaning up to do where the rear of the tub meets the door frame, and I'll tack it in place till it's cage time. I'll also need to make a fill panel where the doors were, finish out the floorboard, and make a fill panel to transition the bottom of the rocker panel to meet the bottom of the rear corners.
Another thing I came across while mocking up the wheelbase...I shouldn't need to extend the frame any to make the suspension work for 105". Probably just build the rear shackle hanger off the back of the bumper. I'm going to continue to use the stock springs, the fronts will be in stock location but 180'd for about 3" extra wheelbase in front, then the rears will be 180'd as well and relocated rearward.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2216.jpg
That's slick man. I would be afraid to take mine that far apart. I'd have a 4 year old kid by the time it made it back to the trail. :) I'd like to stretch my wheelbase, but even that is probably too much to take on for a while. Really looking forward to seeing this done BDR. Cool idea!
Thanks! I wouldn't be surprised if my kid is 4 years old before I finish...:D
I thought you did stretch your wheelbase?
I did originally. I'm like 103. I wouldn't mind being 110 - 112 though.
I love the idea of a 45 look. This is turning into a REAL sweet little project.
Noticed this while doing some measurements on the frame....gonna have to do a little swiss cheese repair.:(
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2220.jpg
thats fawkin awesome. looks like the moon lander or somethin. heh.
Got the rear frame cleaned up. I've realized I hate freakin' rivets...Toyota riveted the hell out of this thing. I also had to grind off a bunch of turd weld I had done back in the day.:D
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2227.jpg
After I finished cleaning it up I used a flap disk and removed the rust/gunk from the area of the frame where the bend will be. Then I did a lot of measuring and marked a line about 1" in front of the rearmost body mount. After marking both sides, top and bottom of the rails, and making double sure everything was square, I used a cutoff wheel to "scribe" a line on the frame rail. My thinking on this was this would give the frame a little incentive to bend right there, and if I had to heat the frame the mark wouldn't be burned off. I also welded in some bracing to keep the frame square once the last crossmember is cut out.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2233.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2234.jpg
Got the frame rails straightened tonight. I cut a groove in the top and bottom of each rail, then used a ratchet strap to pull the rails together. I was surprised to find the rails are very easy to bend...i didn't have to heat them at all (aside from the heat from cutting the top and bottom). The rails come out to be 31-3/4" from inside to inside, which is about an inch wider than my fuel cell. Soon as I find some rear bumper material I'll weld the bumper on and weld the grooves in the frame rails. Will probably add some reinforcing plating at the bend as well.
before
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2230.jpg
after
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...7/DSCN2235.jpg
are those stacey braces you are using?
If by stacey braces you mean old chopped up metal fence I got from the scrap yard, then yes.;)
ah stacey bars....excellent.
ok, what are stacey bars?
very nice work!
The term Stacey bars came about one night while drinking beer and getting ready to hack the **** out of the back of Jimmy's scout. Flem was suggesting that before any cutting should be done, we should put some braces in there. I believe Jimmy said something like, "Oh, like they do on that show trucks" Which Flem replied to by saying, "yeah, we'll put some Stacey Bars in there to keep it all braced up for the sick fab" So from that point on, we've always refferred to bracing as Stacey bars.
Ah, I figured that was probably the Stacey yall were talking about...
Dallas<-------------------------------->BDR
:D
I did not know what the bars were, but I def knew which Stacey you were referring to!
nice triangulation of the stacey bars too
That's it. The next person that writes Stacey Bars is going to get pistol whipped!
:)
What size tubing is those stacey bars?:flipoff2:
are = plural
is = singular
bars = plural
Cox? Is it really you?Quote:
Originally Posted by JeepPhisherman
Fock off fag. Go get plural with a tsipQuote:
Originally Posted by JeepPhisherman