1981 L200 'ClubSport'

[tortron]

Hi guys, i keep a project blog over on oldschool.co.nz but i thought i would post some of it over here as well

This is my NZ built 1981 L200 Sport
It was owned by a mechanics for around 10 years and they did the engine conversion, tray swap, suspension mods. They sold it to the guy i got it from about 15 years ago, and he had it in storage for around half of that.

http://i.imgur.com/tnY8XnPh.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/MZQIBwzh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rKtplSOh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Jhhq1pvh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AkAlFrph.jpg

Specs are
1981 L200 Sport
Engine: Holden 3.8 V6 (Buick V6)
Trans: TH700R4
Suspension: raised to 460mm front, 520mm rear. Front is achieved with the use of L300 springs
Wheels: Toyota Surf chrome steel 15"
Steering: Fitted with power steering box (typical box from that era that fits the later l200's D50's Starions etc) running off the holden pump
Body: Later model tray fitted (long tray has been hut short just in-front of the fuel flap
other: Electric fan, VN commodore instruments, Mesh sunvisor

[tortron]

Not long after buying it, i went for a roadtrip around the North Island, im not sure ow many km's i went, as the odometer stopped working, a common issue with the holden gauges
http://i.imgur.com/uYzdr8eh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0EhwZ8lh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7ydXK19h.jpg

It runs really well, but a few issues came up. The previous owner had put up with them for 15 years but it took about 15 days for them to drive me mad.

Speedo gets to 80, then bounces back to 0, and due to the trans and wheel swaps it reads about 25% too fast
After digging around i found the bouncing to normally be caused by a blown fuse, the wiring in this ute is terrible and i have been tidying alot of it up. I found that one of the wires from the speedo had never been hooked up to power and had been left taped up in the loom, so i wired this into its spot on the fuse block.
The speedo correction was easy with a yellow box from yellr.com, really quick install and set up, and has features like replay top speed.
Odometer was repaired by replacing a small cog

Temp gauge not working - just needed a new sender. amazingly the engine runs quite cool even with the smaller radiator. Warms up a bit on a hot day in traffic, but the fan keeps it at an alright level

Fuel gauge - the mitsubishi sender and holden gauge dont match. i have rewired a holden gauge to work and will install this in the future.

Hazard flashers dont work - Replaced relay with one that suits the Led front lamps.

rebuilt the neutral switch. the contacts had worn down, so i cleaned it all out and reset them, should be good for another 100,000km, now it doesnt start in gear.
-rebuilt the wiper switch and rewired it. similar to above it was half worn inside, and for some reason the wires have been all changed around. probably the reservoir has been moved to fit the engine, it says made in japan so i assume its not the holden one. Background - there is an aftermarket intermittent speed unit wired in, and a toggle switch to run the washer pump.
Took a bit of looking, because i dont have an l200 wiring diagram, the wires are spliced with different colours, and they are all taped up, pluss there are extra wires not attached to anything, and im not sure which loom was used for half the stuff anyway. Anyway, the pump is supposed to be set up with a live wire and then the switch completes the circuit through a common earth. They had taken the live wire, and cut it, earthing one end to the floor, and the other left cut off an inch from the pump plug, another wire had then been added to the pump plug and earthed out to the engine bay (coupled with the switch wire earthing through the switch), so all that mess had been bypassed with a toggle switch.

[tortron]

so theres "some" rust, typical of an 80's Mitsubishi
in the windscreen cowel/heater box area in the firewall where every car with this set up rusts out. right in the centre of the firewall, the hoop on the inside is pretty much gone too so will need to make a bigger hole and put one back in.
its not a major at this stage and is pretty centralised at that one point
it was still full of leaves

I also imagine the drains at each side are blocked too because ol mate has bogged up some rust where the inner fender meets the firewall and I get some water coming into the cab from somewhere near there.
theres a bubble on the inside of the drivers door frame, and a streak of rust coming out from behind where the visor is mounted

it also appears that a few unneeded brackets have been chiselled off from the engine bay and some lovely jagged holes left behind
some of the bedliner has failed and is getting rust behind it, so il clean that up

the rest of the thing seems to be ok, I checked out the inside of the doors and they are very nice, needs to have the underside redone, and il be waxoiling the chassis

http://i.imgur.com/nV3eCQ5h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Od3FKAih.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wb2sDg7h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UC0ZOehh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/63hzoKIh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tYqNaIWh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dVsyHcCh.jpg

[tortron]

http://i.imgur.com/LEgP7TIh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qWPtt5hh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/iB9pbO2h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rsvBrcMh.jpg

[tortron]

http://i.imgur.com/LqE6Dr4l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AWiuI5ll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/y3dlhhhl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JanIsgUl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BOey8rVl.jpg

[tortron]

Took it for a wof and it failed, i knew it would because i saw the brake machine dials
failed on.
-left rear brake lens and reflector faded
rear brakes imbalance
park brake imbalance
right front outer tie rod play
steering box leak

not too major, glad the rust was sorted (well he didnt notice another patch that i found the other day). have ordered a new pair of tail lights (the other side is cracked as well so may as well), picked up the tie rod and il have to open up the brakes this weekend to see whats up. it failed on this last time too according to the sheet i found behind the seats, so i bet they never fixed it and conned a wof pass.




So, steering box had a bit of a leak. ID'd it as a 2nd gen l200/starion/dodge d50 box. ordered a kit from the states

stripped it down, input and output seals were dried out, output seal shattered to bits when I removed it. Teflon inside was looking sad and the fluid was pretty dirty

tight as to pull it out, but not as bad as it could be
http://i.imgur.com/39te76il.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VFsqX8Il.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PmVJuTrl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5uGYu8tl.jpg

Also, here are the VN gauge faces inside an L200 cluster, i will need to think of how to do the idiot lights, but its a close match
http://i.imgur.com/u1YnHbol.jpg
the housing will need to be cut up, and il make a new loom for them (original is a plastic pcb that bends and cracks) and i will be deleting half of the commodore idiot lights

[geezer101]

Geez it had a fair bit of rust through it. I'd be scared to tackle most of these repairs (my lower rocker sills are garbage but I have a clean pair I can salvage from the wreck I bought). Looks like the vehicle inspections are really tough in NZ. Did you need an engineers report for the drivetrain swap? The L200 is becoming more of a Commo than a Mitsubishi - the purists will not be happy lol. You are doing a really thorough job though, worth the effort. And is that a Morris I spy lurking in the back of the shed?

[tortron]

Hi, the engine swap was certified (the plate on the firewall) back in 1999, theres a few things it would need updated if it were to go through again but nothing major. ITs probably the rustiest car iv had, and iv had alot of old brit cars haha, but its nothing major, just a weekend on the firewall, perhaps a little will need doing on the sills, im pretty sure some rust was just bogged and painted over, but it hasnt fallen out yet so it can wait for another day. There is a guy over here making new sills as well.

Thats my 51 SMM minor in the background, i have had it about 10 years and at this point every single part of it has been off and rebuiltn its got the 918cc flathead which iv tuned up with twin carbs, extractors, high comp head, light flywheel, port and polish, electronic ign, it almost goes the speed limit now

[geezer101]

Thats my 51 SMM minor in the background, i have had it about 10 years and at this point every single part of it has been off and rebuiltn its got the 918cc flathead which iv tuned up with twin carbs, extractors, high comp head, light flywheel, port and polish, electronic ign, it almost goes the speed limit now

lol Moggies weren't the choice of Brit racers were they. They are scarce now - I haven't seen one out on the road for a long time. And L200's are far and few between at least in my state. Did it need a brake upgrade to compensate for the increase in engine CC's? You've got me curious in how the regulations differ from Aust and NZ.

[tortron]

i believe as long as the car passes 3 stops from 100kph one after the other then the brakes are considered good enough, (a problem if you have a vintage car thats modified to period correct standards and still cant do 100). I think our rules are pretty good, some things are a bit tight because people have gone and ruined it for everyone else. The LVVTA holds all the standards http://www.lvvta.org.nz/ and now you can just buy the sections that you need which is nice. Luckily there is a tame certifier in our club which is handy to bounce questions off.

The brakes are all standard at the moment. The previous owner mentioned that he used the ute to tow his stock car, and well yeah i guess it has the power, but the braking would have been terrifying. Im going to see about some Pajero calipers, and will probably put a 2nd gen LSD diff in as theres quite a few around

[tortron]

I went and had my pick over an 83 going to scrap, it would have been a nice little truck before it got parked up and engine removed years ago.

http://i.imgur.com/TPbFvlTl.jpg
Original owners manual and service book

A much better dash, in a lovely tan... only 2 small cracks rather than the huge bogged up splits in mine, plus the trim (mine is cut in half)
http://i.imgur.com/Edab0asl.jpg

and a complete 1st gen tray. its got a little rust, around the bodyline seam, with the worst being in the bottom of the tailgate. But well within the realms of me fixing it.
http://i.imgur.com/A2Y5UDNl.jpg
Quite hard to find a wellside tray, as the typical dealer option over here was for a flat deck tray for farmers, and any that did option for the wellside have since rusted away

I also got a bunch of plastic trims, a not scratched passenger window and a step ended bumper/tow bar to match the tray. A good little haul, I could have taken more but there are actually quite a few 1st gens sitting around deregistered and going cheap ( I guess as they get scrapped that number is going to drop a lot)

[geezer101]

A good collection of stuff you managed to get your hands on. Decent 1st gen parts are getting harder to come by - door glass being the top of the list. I got lucky when I bought a complete wreck that had been rolled (only the windscreen broke). The PO had all the glass tinted and it was in relatively good condish. My door glass was badly scratched up from sand or something in the scraper seals.

[tortron]

Pulled apart the drivers door and swapped out the door card with an original.
http://i.imgur.com/cu6bP4Sh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XxVbX5Lh.jpg

Which i did because of this
http://i.imgur.com/GXe4SpWh.jpg

So i also made up a new plastic barrier to go in behind, theres no speaker in there now until i get a decent one, it was held in with roofing screws too.
Will keep an eye out for a passenger door card. i noticed there seems to be 2 or more different types, the other style has more diagonal lines. Looks kinda funky as the replacement ones actually match the vinyl on the seat.

I also went ahead and installed some remote central locking. Im used to old cars with funny door handles, 1/4 light window latches, and manual locking so i dont notice it, but every time i take someone for a ride, the passenger door gets left unlocked. Even when i remind them to lock it they tend to forget to lift the handle when closing.
Very easy install, and i only had to drill 1 hole for the solenoids

http://i.imgur.com/kyRIblxh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MBosJenh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OrqmFFbh.jpg

needs just a little spacing to clear the rubber boot a bit more, and il find somewhere good to attach the unit up under the dash

[tortron]

So iv had a week off, but have sat inside bored out of my mind because I did a half assed job at removing my fingers last weekend
Sun came out and I can sort of use the hand as long as I don't reach for anything or lift with the thumb

so this was pretty difficult

http://i.imgur.com/IXSplQ5h.jpg
removed seats
http://i.imgur.com/YQyKOrLh.jpg

not as bad as it could be

Front corners and back of cab are all rough patches

http://i.imgur.com/71h20J7h.jpg


New floor covering I picked up. not sure who made it it was just wrapped in a plastic sack with L200 80-85 single cab written on it. No cut out for the shifter so probably aftermarket
http://i.imgur.com/Htf5ARSh.jpg
bit of sound deadening on the back
http://i.imgur.com/MF9XLQzh.jpg


Its a poor fit tbh, theres no cut out for the steering column, yet the edge is all bound and it doesn't like the corners.
http://i.imgur.com/PJ0dncth.jpg
I stuck it roughly where I thought it should go and screwed all the edges down, cut the shifter hole, the went at it with the heat gun and blocks of wood to contour the sills. It needs a lot more of that action but it fits in now.

Vacuumed off the speaker box material that was in the back and put the seats back in. The loom from the tunnel is too short to go up behind the carpet and underneath so I had to de pin a plug and run it over the top for now. so bad,
http://i.imgur.com/Qlxh9p6h.jpg

also fixed the folding forward passenger seat so it locks back in place


ADEQUATE

[geezer101]

The flooring in the L200 were either rubber mats or carpet so this is an aftermarket item. And it was probably for a different optioned truck (auto, 4WD...?) Getting a decent fitting aftermarket flooring that actually fits is no mean feat. It's like they don't have a clue on how to do it. The front carpet half from a Sigma or a Scorpion might fit(?). Same width, same era of production.

And what did you do to your hand dude? Gotta be careful with your poseable thumbs as it's what sets us apart from the other monkeys!

[85Ram50]

Just in case you guys can get access from these sites. Auto Custom Carpets (accmats.com) makes molded carpets. They sell on Rock Auto 50% cheaper than they do from their website on up. EDIT- Just realized the foot pad for the driver will be on the wrong side. It should still fit otherwise.
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,1985,ram+50,2.0l+122cid+l4,1096208,interior, flooring,1264


(http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,1985,ram+50,2.0l+122cid+l4,1096208,interior, flooring,1264)

[tortron]

I knocked my angle grinder before it stopped spinning (like you would a door with your knuckles). Through the nail bed on my middle finger, flesh on ring finger, and the joint of the thumb. No damage to the bone, but I got a nerve in the thumb so the topside of it is now numb. But it's healing up alright.

No auto first generation available here, possibly it would fit a 4wd a little better did they have a larger tunnel? Though it would still not fit around the column or clutch lever. So it's just a typical replacement that doesn't fit. This one was cheap enough that I don't mind it not quite fitting nicely, if I ever want another Il get a local auto trimmer to make one hp

[geezer101]

I knocked my angle grinder before it stopped spinning (like you would a door with your knuckles). Through the nail bed on my middle finger, flesh on ring finger, and the joint of the thumb. No damage to the bone, but I got a nerve in the thumb so the topside of it is now numb. But it's healing up alright.

lol I did a similar thing recently too. Cut a trench lengthways through the top of my index finger middle joint. Happened when I swapped the cutting disc over and went to turn on the grinder but forgot to turn it on at the power point. Flicked the power on - it kicked in my hands and it just buzzed into the joint right in the middle. Angle grinder is one of my least favourite power tools (next to a circular saw, just scary...)

[tortron]

little bit of rust
https://i.imgur.com/M0OWTd9h.jpg


nope, i think the bolts for the visor have let water in between the pillar and rain gutter layers. Someone had MIG'd up a few holes along time ago, and then the last guy has bogged up everything when he painted it about 5 years ago

https://i.imgur.com/54Q97ssh.jpg


Cut it ALL out

https://i.imgur.com/LPnEJrAh.jpg


Inner layer back in
https://i.imgur.com/Ssneyyrh.jpg

Add the gutter layer back, and re attach the Lip to it

https://i.imgur.com/EjbBgixh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fbQNCKPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BoRdbSLh.jpg

Nice thick layer of anti corrosion primer until i have enough patches to warrant a top coat
have a little (famous last words) in the front of the drivers sill which il get done next weekend. Il bet the passenger side is similar, its definitely got a thick skim of bog on it, but it hasnt fallen out yet so it can wait till next time

[tortron]

Also i removed the bright red air horn in order to tidy up the engine bay a bit
https://i.imgur.com/GlADiwSh.jpg

and installed some dual tone mitsuba horns behind the grill on the unused bumper eyes
https://i.imgur.com/S427rkUh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CuRjO9vh.jpg?1

next i will tuck that loom away down by the chassis rail i think

[geezer101]

It's funny that your L200 actually has the Dodge style grille on it. I thought they had the horizontal slat grilles for the non US market. My L200 has the same rust in the window pillar (might be from the sun visor as well - or just a location where it wasn't rust prepped very well from factory)

[tortron]

So i have gotten familiar enough with the truck to realise that most of this doesnt do anything
https://i.imgur.com/GlADiwSh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nA2KL7mh.jpg


Suspicions confirmed when i noticed that the part near the firewall doesnt actually go through it, its all part of the original Mitsubishi loom, and comes from the other side of the engine bay, around the grill, and back up the other side
chop it out i reckon




hers some of the BS i deal with
https://i.imgur.com/TXFGFwJh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vDL2FkXh.jpg


Unlimited Power!, theres a few weird joins like this, both other ends go back inside the cab, with a long length of do nothing wire. Iv cut them all short and left the joins for now incase they actually do something



Kind of funny, there was 3 sets of wires for the washer pump. and none of them worked (they needed to set the pump ground back to the switch, i fixed that when i first got the truck)
and the air horn wires did a whole loop around the engine bay


All the wires including the spotlamps stuff now fits in the split conduit behind the grill now
https://i.imgur.com/pAINmgJh.jpg
at least i wont need to buy wire for a while. i totally removed what i could, had to cut some off where the loom splits inside the cab as it was just going to turn into a huge mess if i took the cab fuse boxes out and deloomed everything




https://i.imgur.com/SLGIpxvh.jpg
Looking better. the conduit only houses some 3 core wire for the washer pump (which only uses 2 wires), so i think i will remove it and run a new wire down the drivers side and across the grill with the headlamp stuff. That way the passenger side will only have the holden engine loom, and i can plug up the old loom grommet

[camoit]

If you upload the photos to the board it will resize them automatically and make a thumbnail you can click to expand.

[tortron]

Are they coming up a funny size? I copy the same post between a few forums

[tortron]

Have had a bit of an oil leak, getting worse over the last few months, looked like the power steering pump. I think probably just the reservoir o-ring, but I got a whole seal kit anyway

https://i.imgur.com/uFivnu4h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DA8MA7sh.jpg

looked decent inside, and has been good the last couple of weeks

Got stuck into some more rust this weekend
had planned to do some down in the sill, but wanted to clean up some of last times stuff. This got me to picking scabs. It all looked good with the paint on, but I had been getting some water dripping from the upper door trim plastic, it could only be coming from a hole in the rain gutter, so I stripped it back

https://i.imgur.com/2nqf64ah.jpg

yup pretty manky, about a 1/4 inch of bog up the a pillar and roof, I think theres a lot of bog on the roof as some has cracked (probably before it was even painted because the clear coat is smooth over it), some rough old patches, and some good old space age nu-tech better than metal filler
https://i.imgur.com/YUCcrMYh.jpg
chop it out
Coming in though the bottom too
https://i.imgur.com/2EBNbVmh.jpg
so cut that out as well

https://i.imgur.com/7tj4YgJh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7Vep6o3h.jpg
door frame back in

found some more filler on the corner, theres an aweful lot of nutech near the screen seal, from what I can see through the hole it doenst look like its full of holes, probably just the good old technique of bash it in with a hammer and fill over everything
https://i.imgur.com/x4A7yM9h.jpg

I'm wanting to use the truck so I cant take the screen out right now, but at some point il take it out and baremetal the roof


all patches in, looks rough as can be because theres a step down on the roof filler to the metal, oh well, hopefully I get some time off this summer and il get it looking decent
https://i.imgur.com/mTIOYY7h.jpg

[geezer101]

That is some serious turret repairs tortron. Add to it the windscreen pillar repairs you've already done and I think you're lucky you haven't been involved in a roll over or you wouldn't have fared very well. My hat off to anyone with the skills (and guts) to fix this kind of damage. And I thought my crusty rocker sills were bad...

[tortron]

In any collision I think it would have exploded at the seams, especially before I did the fire wall. The other side will need doing too as it has the telltale poorly sanded and painted finish.
It's alot more work than I had hoped for when I first got it, but I figured I would get a year or so before the hidden sins showed up.
Keeps me busy on the weekend, I'd rather be doing cool stuff to it, but rust work is probably cheaper

[tortron]

Get it done with a 1 ton
https://i.imgur.com/w4JcZVJh.jpg


Have now owned it for a year, and just passed for another 6 months of legal roadgoing

[tortron]

Not too bad at all, might have to watch I don't warp the rest when welding in the patch, looking inside it's just the outer skin that's rusted, might get away with a 2" strip along the bottom rather than up to the belt Line. Random hole at the top of the belt Line under the U, no rust around it. Top rail section is pretty rusted too, all the seam welds have let go so at least it's not too hard to seperate that. Hinges are well rusted, if I really had too I think they could be revived but I'm on the lookout for replacements, possibly the end mounted removable f150 ones (or whatever is cheapest and available here)

Might be the same panel beater who put that patch in has done the previous work on my truck (I got the parts truck not too far from where this one used to live) I can't stand these rough patches and a ton of bog, the time taken sanding could have been put into doing the patch nicely

1997419978199771997519976

Actually just stripped the tailgate to test a new wire cup brush, Il hit my cab roof next, paint stripper is no good on a half inch of bog unfortunately. Will have to get a sheet of steel before I can start on the tray, and I'm going to build a sheet metal bender widen enough to do the width of the tailgate and any future sills

Also to get some seam sealer and cavity wax, it wouldn't have rusted with a bit of seam sealer in there. Unlike my Morris minor bootlid that needs redoing, my 10year old repair has rusted through, I was foolish enough to put it back to original - the original drain holes are a half inch from the bottom and only empty out when you open it up and have it run down your neck...

[tortron]

Cab roof issues

https://youtu.be/BPKHZrc5P18

https://youtu.be/BPKHZrc5P18

[tortron]

https://youtu.be/BPKHZrc5P18
19987
19988

[tortron]

19985

All thriller no filler

19986

[tortron]

Other side, at least the roof line is pretty good. Going to redo that patch, it will be quicker than trying to fix it1999219991

[tortron]

Have covered the shed in bog dust and cooked my grinder, but that's the majority of it done. Major oil canning over basically the whole roof, quite a bit of shrinking will be needed. Some old pitting and in one place it's actually made a pin hole, so I might need to brush down the surface rust inside the cab and see if the other bits have thinned it out much.
19995
19996

[geezer101]

How the hell does a roof turret end up looking that bad? Was this thing a submarine or something?

[tortron]

I have a feeling the roof was caved in and it sat for a while outside. Most of that brown on the roof is actually some kind of coating, there wasn't any actual surface rust on it, just pre existing pitting. Almost wonder if it was rolled and that's a replacement roof that warped badly when the apprentice put it in. The spotty patches appear to be torch marks from attempted shrinking. Fortunately the left side has a more intact roof line and there's no bog over the windscreen and rear window tops so I have some edges to work to

I guess the 5 gal tin of Bondi was on special that week

Trying to limit my work to the roof and A pillars, I'd like to frame off and fully strip it, but I also want to drive it this decade

[tortron]

2nd gen RY - 4.222 limited slip differential that I got months ago. Now cleaned up, painted and I threw some new cylinders and springs at it because they are so cheap online, topped up with fresh oil too. Should swap out with no issues. I got a 2nd gen rear rubber line but it looks like the 1st gen will fit fine. Hardlines are different, with the 1st gen having a T-piece and 2 bleed nipples, the 2nd gen has the line going to the LH cylinder and then across to the RH cylinder with a single bleed nipples on the right. Might be a little harder to bleed.

1st gen has duo servo drum brakes, 2nd gen has leading and trailing. Technically the duo servo brakes are more efficient but I don't think it will be noticeable, both have the same size cylinders, I'm not aware of any difference in the master cylinder or bias valve. The diff was on a 2nd gen double cab which is heavier than the 1st gen so I think it's fine. The pinion flange are different shapes but look like the same pcd. The hand brake setup is a little different but should be fine with the 1st gen cable ends

Forgot to paint the drums, so they are drying now. Il let the paint harden up another day

20004

[tortron]

got a pair of tyres yesterday
https://oldschool.co.nz/uploads/monthly_2018_01/IMG_20180117_162913.jpg.c40cbf36f47df1e26838ce4138 88648e.jpg

[tortron]

dealing to the thin spot in the roof
https://i.imgur.com/oyPD8A9h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Di10mGjh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EmwROXbh.jpg
blink and its gone

[tortron]

Ok, into that patch

https://i.imgur.com/z4byCB0h.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/M5O7cj7h.jpghow do these cabs rust out here idk, still have a feeling this thing has been either on its roof or had a new roof, theres some weird seams and double brackets
https://i.imgur.com/QUWWABmh.jpgat least it wasn't bog over rust this time ehhttps://i.imgur.com/kzDcZmvh.jpgnot much left of this bracket. cant see this one on any of the body diagrams, fortunately the one on the otherside was complete so I had a rough idea of how it should look. It was spot welded in crooked at the factory. Nice.
https://i.imgur.com/RLudX8Uh.jpgcad it uphttps://i.imgur.com/L2ZbQ4rh.jpgif you don't have one of these, get one. so handy for around door frames and inside panelshttps://i.imgur.com/uz4Ptc2h.jpglucky the back of the cab needs repatching because I needed to make some more access for the welder because this section had rusted out where it joins the drip rail area
https://i.imgur.com/S0Ynxmhh.jpgtwo brackets to go in

[geezer101]

Damn, I haven't seen that kind of rust damage in a roof turret. The lousy previous repair attempts didn't help. Or the awesome effort in assembling from the factory either. These trucks weren't loved from the get go (you should've seen the cylinder head I pulled from my original G63B engine, by far one of the worst cylinder head castings that has ever come off a production line). It's amazing that Gen 1's have lasted as long as they have, like the intention was to build a short lived work horse but they've proved to be tough to kill.

[tortron]

Continuing work making some patches
https://i.imgur.com/hRpCf8vl.jpggetting the cab lines measured out before cutting the rest of the old patch out, then cutting more out to get rid off the old brass workhttps://i.imgur.com/PEh1Xorl.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9P0zJscl.jpgthis side had a poorly shaped door frame in the corner, so that came out too. I'm not 100% on that swage line under the drip rail, but the other side has one roughly in line with the top of the door frame and to the end of the drip rail. So put one in where I guessed it should go
https://i.imgur.com/1Li3ehcl.jpga little more fine shaping to go before welding them in, but pretty close. I will also need to make up about an inch of drip rail as this side is missing some

[pennyman1]

Might want to pop out the back window before welding all that in...

[tortron]

To look for rust? Had a look in the top from both sides and it looks solid. No bog around the aperture either. Some signs of repair in the bottom corners looking from Inside, rough but good enough for an old truck.

I will have to eventually take both screens out before topcoating, I just know there's some nasty stuff around the windscreen, perhaps not rust but caved and paved panels. The 1/4" of bog on the A pillars where there was no damage makes me thing it was blended Into the front aperture.

Perhaps Il just close my eyes and block my ears for a while

[geezer101]

I think pennymans recommendation is more to do with the glass getting pitted by the welder. It really sucks to have welding slag embedded in glass and the rubber won't like the heat much either.

[tortron]

oh yeah that is a consideration, I usually drape some leather aprons and damp sheets over stuff like that. For bits like this I try avoid getting anything hot to avoid warping. I think I will get away with it, but then again I don't think I need to go anywhere this weekend no may as well pull it and check for damage

[pennyman1]

I have known people losing glass from welding slag, and the back window is real easy to r&r on these trucks

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/hJwboSjl.jpg
Getting there. Have sprayed a bunch of zinc primer inside before attaching that side piece. I will add chassis wax to the mix once I'm done welding the cab

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/WFKERb2l.jpg

Right, that's good enough for now. Obviously will need some further work before paint, which wont happen until I shrink all the roof down.
With a bit of panel beating I should get it pretty much spot on, I would like to get away with just a coat of primer filler. I might need a smear of filler on the top weld, I couldn't get the roof and patch to sit quite right, so I have a little bit of a valley. I did however just make up a panel spoon to get up in that corner and edge and got it 90% in a few minutes, so theres still hope. Not sure if that line along the inside of the drip rail is supposed to be there, its not there at all on the other side. Might be a seam from where the gutter joins the drip rail. I suppose il replicate it with a little filler. You don't really see it when the gutter trim is on (yes it still fits, I tried. not the drivers side tho, I need to remove a hair of thickness on my new inner A pillar)

[pennyman1]

too bad you couldn't have found a roof off another truck in good shape to replace yours - great job there!

[tortron]

i was offered a whole truck in decent condition the other day. Free (but a couple of hours away), Theres a few around and cheap so I could have gotten a whole roof. But I have seen a few others rust out in the same places, so I may as well persevere with this one, at least I know what I have.

[tortron]

Ever onwards. I'm over fixing rust, dents, and generally​ making things right for now. So on to probably the first actual modification/upgrade I've done to the ute.


https://i.imgur.com/6hhMb8Xl.jpg
Standard 1st gen 3.88 open diff out




https://i.imgur.com/6GuJO37l.jpg
2nd gen 4.22 LSD in

So far so good. I noticed the 2nd gen handbrake cables have square ends, 1st gen ones are round. Don't think it will be an issue. Other than that I just need a brake hose C-clip thing to mount the soft line to the diff.

[tortron]

Cool, so for anyone wanting to put a 2nd gen diff in their 1st gen truck it pretty much goes right in. The only thing you will need other than the diff is the 2nd gen flexible rear brake hose and both of its clips, as the 1st gen only clips on the chassis end.

[geezer101]

Cool, so for anyone wanting to put a 2nd gen diff in their 1st gen truck it pretty much goes right in. The only thing you will need other than the diff is the 2nd gen flexible rear brake hose and both of its clips, as the 1st gen only clips on the chassis end.

Nice. I'd like having the LSD rear and taller ratio diff. The open diff doesn't cut it for traction (I was able to pull wheel spin out of the wrecked truck I bought - even with a dud carby, no vac advance on the distributor and the timing belt flapping like a rubber band...) I'll be using my L200 as an all rounder - work and fun stuff. It'll be good to be able to pull a decent load behind it.

[tortron]

Not to mention the 2nd gen brake shoes are considerably cheaper and easier to find on the shelf. At least over here

[geezer101]

Not to mention the 2nd gen brake shoes are considerably cheaper and easier to find on the shelf. At least over here

Good to know. Most of the time I try to factor in issues like part obsolescence when I perform a mod.

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/zU32BoTl.jpg
1st gen and 2nd gen brake line difference
https://i.imgur.com/Z1pYKWml.jpg

[tortron]

https://youtu.be/U-MUdfq1BPI


https://youtu.be/7GjP9k8KUSM

Made a start on the roof. Showing some improvement after roughing out with a dolly to beat the roof back out and over crowned to give it some rigidity. I then ran over the creases and brows with a shrinking disk. The second video is after a second round of roughing out.

[tortron]

https://youtu.be/zu06zTaC_VA

Getting tighter. Another round of roughing out and it should be back in shape.

[geezer101]

I see you took it for a test run with the Gen 2 rear in it and now it blitzes through gears like it's got a close ratio gearbox - you didn't happen to have GPS to compare the accuracy of the speedo with the Gen 2 rear in it?

[tortron]

I run the commodore electronic speedo through a yellow box - yellr.com, so i adjusted the signal to my final drive before it even rolled out of the garage I'm afraid.

there was something like a 24% difference over the standard commodore read out. With larger tyres and different diff ratio than the standard commodore

Just changing the 3.88 to a 4.22 should result in about a 9% difference. could be ok with a a change in tyre size. but i believe different speedo gears are available
Plenty of final drive calculators online if you want to figure it out for your setup.

[pennyman1]

different speedo gears are available, but finding them new in the USA is about impossible. 10% is about right for the speedo difference. There is a chart in the John Baker catalog that shows the different gears and tire sizes - it may be in the manual section.

[geezer101]

So...hypothetically I could remove a speedo driver gear from a Gen 2 transmission and fit it to my Gen 1 and the accuracy issue would be fixed?

[tortron]

Have a look at the gauge faces. It should show how many rotations per mile or km they are for somewhere. Maybe take a Speedo from a 4wd? There's lots of 4wd first gens rusting away on farms here so easy pickings. I actually have a couple of Mitzi Speedos here too Il check them.

[tortron]

You can also buy mechanical Speedo correctors. They are not super cheap tho

3d printing is quite good now days. I think you could have whatever you wanted made up

[tortron]

Pretty tight now. Made a spoon up to get up under the windscreen areas and lever out the creases. Raised that area a good 5mm, I imagine the centre of the roof has raised about 2cm minimum.
https://youtu.be/p0XITdRUO_8

https://youtu.be/p0XITdRUO_8


Also some bad news. I have a couple more pin holes in the roof Il drill those out and patch them like the last one. I think that will tighten up the rest of the roof enough to lose the remaining soft spots. I'm also debating cutting out a strip above the driver's seat. This area was creased in and is rust pitted.

[tortron]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbtDBZs_fo0
Drilled those two spots out and patched them. Also ran a bead down that pitted crease which worked a trick at thickening the steel there up and shrinking it down. Only 1 small canning area which pops with a shove. Have now sprayed some more black paint over it and Il begin to smooth the surface with hammer and dolly. This should tighten up that area too I believe. Also, because the bonnet was up, I went ahead and removed an old bracket that was unsightly. Then cleaned all the windows from overspray and vacuumed the remains of the bog dust from inside the cab.


https://i.imgur.com/JhlWbyVm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LRaCIOem.jpg
Might take a break now, get sore arms trying to reach the centre of the roof with a dolly.

[tortron]

Going through a commodore body loom at the moment. Would have been nice if they labelled it when they unplugged it, the manuals are not great in the loom sections. Luckily I have a half loom that I labelled when I got it at the wreckers.
Lots of options for me to keep, aircon and cruise control circuits, delayed interior lighting and central locking and theft control modules, as well as various lighting relays and nice stuff.

Probably best to dump the body control and theft modules and run that through a modern alarm. I wouldn't mind adding aircon one day, but I will probably remove the wiring for now and box it away somewhere. Same with the cruise control, I might keep an eye on Holden wrecks if I can get an upspec model with all those goodies. Going to replace all the headlamp and IGN wiring with the Holden stuff which has relays already, maybe repurpose a couple of circuits for an under hood trouble light and some tray lighting. Luckily the L200 is lacking in any real electrical systems.
The engine loom is more or less seperate and I will just reroute the one I already have.

I think I will also draw up a decent loom diagram, my eyeballs are falling out after a couple of hours searching the ones I have

[geezer101]

...I think I will also draw up a decent loom diagram, my eyeballs are falling out after a couple of hours searching the ones I have

I'm going to have a notebook with all the mods logged in them so if in the distant future I part company with my truck be by choice or fate, I'll know exactly what has been done to it and what seviceable parts need to be sourced.

[tortron]

Yeah I do the same with mine and my minor. My old commer had 30 years worth of notebooks with everything done, and any part that was original and replaced was cleaned, bagged, and tagged.
Really helpful when the distributor was actually a Landrover unit made to spin backwards

[tortron]

I planned some stuff out the other day, and the next thing on the list is to start on the 1st gen tray. I have a few things planned that all involve the tray being at least on the truck. its a big job, So lets get started.


https://i.imgur.com/pY8ZWqsm.jpg
first I'm going to need to clear this junk out

Cant fit my bullbars because the sides foul on the 2nd gen tray. Its galvanised pipe and looks to have been closed eyed stick welded
so I cut the arms off
https://i.imgur.com/GG1Kokjm.jpg

now I can tuck it away till I need it. I will probably make these removable in the future.

Lots of extra wiring in the tray, and this rope which is held on by a riveted plate?
https://i.imgur.com/eJ4zX4Rl.jpg


Flip her over and take a peek under her skirts
https://i.imgur.com/eqeFc85l.jpg

Mostly its pretty good. But typical rust traps - triple layer seams and the terrible angle supports in the wheel wells which catch muck and rust out.

https://i.imgur.com/iVjTh9sl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QT2uyEql.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WKYXXvkl.jpg
This hole has been there at least 10 years - it wasn't getting any bigger so wasn't fixed last time this was painted. Id believe it because its big enough to let any water run right out.
https://i.imgur.com/bEvQgJcl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4ANgTPzl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4IjBZatl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IpQXk92l.jpg
Are these supports factory? they were bent out of shape and have been poorly welded onto the panel lip way too high. This tray once sported some flares so I think it was moved to accommodate these. The front part of the wheel arch has also been creased inwards on both sides, and going from the pop rivets this was also done for the flares. Luckily they didn't do the job properly and cut the original arches out.
https://i.imgur.com/TrbhC01l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/chdN8eIl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rjcEvjgl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZN6fIhYl.jpg

From the above pics we can see the problem areas. Major rust in the front lip/flange of the wheel well at the seams, THe angle iron looking supports in the wheel wells have rusted through (if you have a 1st gen tray go and flush these out and drill drain holes in the middle ), and rust in the bodyline seam. This is mainly affecting the metal of the top half of the tub. The floor is very good and theres only some 'minimal' rust on the lower skirt lips.

I guess I wont be using my spot weld cutter - its all stitch welded
https://i.imgur.com/7WAc6Jql.jpg
I cut all these out with a mix of a cutting disk and my finger sander - notching out the fused area.

and this is why I recommend pulling one this bad apart
https://i.imgur.com/LJOCuI3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uqLY3eDl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8Bry19Zl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NNYjEmVl.jpg

The lip for the tub has pretty much totally gone in the areas behind the wheel wells, which isn't surprising. So without the lower skirt in place they just flap in the breeze.
https://i.imgur.com/rJIwLLEl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IfH7p1Xl.jpg

[tortron]

A real easy job with the tray off the truck and on its back.
My next plans are to
- baremetal the skirts. They are pretty good, I just have a spot of rust on each, fix the seam lips expecially on the rear ones, remove the flare crease and then il epoxy primer them and put them away. I'm going to make some under tray storage - inspired by the under tray battery compartment on the 1st gen 4wd's. So these probably wont be welded on, and cant be fitted until the tray is on the chassis to check clearances.

- Repair the wheel wells. Mainly just the under tray seams, they are totally rusted away so at least they are easy to remove. This is just the flat section on the leading edge of the tub, so I will just replace that whole bit. The fuel tank side is the worst, with a little extra rust down the inside face, so this will be patched in place as this section actually runs the whole length of the tray.

- With the wells done I think I will try remove the upper tub sections as they will need totally new seam edges, the bits that are still there are pretty bad.

The front section of the bed just unbolts - so no issue there, I think I will undo the seam at the tail light section.

The tail light section and the under bumper cowl area is actually very good. a small hole of rust in one corner but I think I can leave all this attached. The seams look nice and clean.


Just ordered a barrel of paint stripper, and I have everything else so no excuses now huh

[geezer101]

You love a challenge, doncha? Your tray body looks pretty straight but that cancer is out of control... It will look good once you mate the correct tray and body together. I am thinking about getting a custom tie down/roll bar made up for my truck tray once it's on the road (let's be optimistic here lol). Hope you got a decent pair of tail lights with that tray!

[tortron]

Honestly, although a big job, this ones going to be pretty straight forward as its mostly just the unseen flange edges that need replacing. And they are all flat. Luckily this tray had been removed from the truck 10 years ago and stored indoors. The cab had been left under cover but had badly rusted at the seams, so luckily its not too far gone to be worth my time at least.

Yes got a good pair of lamps with it. Lenses look decent. I did also get a repro set of lenses out of Thailand incase I need them. I might see if I can get a better fit by heating them

[geezer101]

Got the repros - the plastic isn't thick enough around the edge seams (and generally all over, and the lens joins suck a bit, and the chamber partitions don't fit properly...) They need a thicker seal or a bead of sikaflex to build them up. I think they aren't that water/dust proof but the cops can't pull you up for having busted lights so in that respect they are a cheap investment.

[tortron]

I have had my 2nd gen ones on for about a year now. repro lenses on original bodies. The bodyline fit isn't great but they have held out pretty well and even taken a knock without shattering.
Hopefully these other ones will last until 3d printing exact replicas is cheap

[tortron]

A nice little project over my morning coffee
Replacement rear splash shield for the LH side
https://i.imgur.com/Y5bFjQMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NJHgnJGl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vHP8dUul.jpg

Original was 1.2mm, the wee bracket was 1.6 ish. I have 1mm and 1.6mm steel here, so everything will be replaced in 1.6mm for no reason other than I already have it.
Not sure if those 2 holes have any use, the shield doesn't match the contour of the skirt panel, so possibly they are for a plastic shield.

It looks like some past repairs have gone on in the LHS wheel well as the panels and seams are a little different from the other side and its missing an angle iron strengthener. Perhaps it was just made this way, as theres no obvious join line

[geezer101]

You really need to check out project binky dude - this will be right up your alley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hCPODjJO7s&list=PLGSOZAHg1yQHU1tc_3Y5MTQg1qjtxA_nq

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/7fmYFpYl.jpg
Most of this one ended up in the vacuum.
https://i.imgur.com/vkTY7Utl.jpg
Not much left of this one. I think the rear vertical section of this wheel well is a replacement. This bracket is part of that section on the other side. This one is cut flush with the floor and gobbed with seam sealer with this part over the top.

Noticed that the wheel well is only attached to the tub by seam sealer. I have cut out all the spot welds on this side. (Cheating a bit by cutting around the floor supports. Il run a thin cutting disk under these to remove the left over tub lip).
It looks like I can now just lift the tub skin up and off the skeleton. It doesn't look to be attached at all on the top rail. So just need to unbolt the front of the tray and split the seam at the tail light section and it should come right off.

[tortron]

You really need to check out project binky dude - this will be right up your alley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hCPODjJO7s&list=PLGSOZAHg1yQHU1tc_3Y5MTQg1qjtxA_nq
It might kick off some PTSD of putting a 1300 in an early mini, and then new sills and most of the front. Not a fan of welded on front guards. Or of people who leave small electrical isolators out of distributors. Wasn't even mine! Haha

[tortron]

Cracking on with the passenger (fuel tank) side
https://i.imgur.com/4KgKTLKl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PIWvA7hl.jpg
New inner wheel well supports/rust traps

Unbolted the front of the tray
https://i.imgur.com/K3JDgYxl.jpg
A very nice rust free panel. Just a few small dings. The worst part is the 8 or so pop rivet holes from that rope thing.

And now the main event
https://i.imgur.com/sqTkyQzl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Q9VKGW4l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5A4OvoFl.jpg

Took this one off very gingerly as its a very straight panel. Figured out how it was put together and managed to avoid damaging any good steel. As you can see the seam lip is totally gone, the only thing holding it to the floor was factory cheese seam sealer.

https://i.imgur.com/46kCLNql.jpg
Which is quite difficult to separate when you are working against a cheese grater.


Uncovered a few small spots of rust in the hidden corners, but really nothing compared to the rest of this mess.
Going to focus on this side before removing any more of the other side so i can try keep things aligned a little better. I think i should do well off keeping the tail light and front corners intact.

The damage thusfar - Rust on the top tray side area of the wheel well, rust on the floor side area of the wheel well, i will also replace the front section of the wheel well as its been replaced before but with everything apart i can do a factory correct job of it. small hole in the front corner. Some minor pin holes in the corner of the valance. Side needs a totally new seam lip (slow going on that i would hate to warp it).

The other side is going to be about the same. The wheel well is worse however as it hasn't had any work on it in the past. But honestly no individual patch looks particularly difficult.
Currently have those panels soaking in paint stripper for another day

[tortron]

The steering got a bit light with this load on
https://i.imgur.com/Xbrsq4Pl.jpg
A bit over a cubic metre of wood i guess, not super wet. Guy just around the corner cutting down his trees so he can maximize his rental income by making a slumlord megaplex it looks. Will be back tomorrow for another load.

100% going to use bedliner on the new tray. Probably do inside tray and underneath. As the 1st gen tray is single wall i think I'm going to make some side panels up to fit under the rails on each side of the wheel wells. Will also help with for example sweeping out a load of mulch.

Not looking forward to putting the first scratch on it, but hey, shes still a truck

[tortron]

Oh no, it been offered a decent 1st gen tray (pretty funny, it's on a 2nd gen truck, I offered a tray swap but he's just going to use the chassis for a hotrod).
Too bad it's about a 4 day round trip with a ferry to the South island and back. Going to try get the tailgate as it looks better than mine and has working hinges.

[tortron]

Knocked off the rear skirt panels today
Next to the cab end panel, which really just needs paint, they were the best.

https://i.imgur.com/9UNcHdal.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vSq5FUUl.jpg

Damage
- pitted out seam lip
- rear valance seam lip - i had to cut most of it away to get the panels off
- lower edge - bent on one, wavey on both
- a couple of extra mudflap screw holes

Tackled the bottom edge and arch lips first with a hammer and dolly

I took a profile of the rear valance and made some patches up for the lip i cut out
https://i.imgur.com/BzCz5XAl.jpg
The panels both didnt quite match. They did have some bog along the top seam and at the back there so i think they had been bent out a bit to fit the flares. Just had to bend the area below the swage line back into shape

Welded on and then cut down to size
https://i.imgur.com/xmqGyiBl.jpg


Then onto the bed lip
One cleaned up pretty well so i think il leave it as is. The other was too pitted to go ahead with on a rebuild of this scale (might have left it if the panels just bolted on and i wasnt redoing the whole thing)
Im not sure if this is the best method of repairing this area, so im open to suggestions, I did consider bending a section up to spot weld to the face of the panel. But in this case i opted for just cutting the whole thing off at the bend.
It did banana on me, but not an issue as i clamped it flat before welding. and it didnt banana after welding so i call that a win.
https://i.imgur.com/K1msSOal.jpg

all welded up
https://i.imgur.com/DFQU9Wol.jpg
The profile of the bend is a slightly different radius from original, but the concourse judges wont notice it when theres some seam sealer over the top.

and the final step was to cut out the notches for the bed rails, and plug up the old mudflap holes
https://i.imgur.com/T7GTrQLl.jpg

and these are done. Just need a final rubbing with wire wool to strip the last traces of primer off and then these are ready for some paint.

I foresee many hours of tack welds ahead

[geezer101]

:clap:

[royster]

Just wanted to say, tortron, I've been following your work with some degree of envy. Excellent stuff, and a good work attitude :)

Thanks for the detailed posts, and keep 'em comin' !

[tortron]

Thanks guys. Progress is fast at the moment because im job hunting (The diff and tray have sat for almost a year while i was contracting out of town) So it keeps me occupied.

Today i did some work on one of the front skirts
https://i.imgur.com/KkmyLCil.jpg
Creases from where the flares had been fitted

Very crusty and pitted seam flange
https://i.imgur.com/eVdImwOl.jpg
(Notice how one is bending in)

https://i.imgur.com/Huejaa9l.jpg
and some corrosion coming through at the front bracket. It looks like the lip here had been cut so the lower portion of the skirt could be bent out - must have been a real wide body wellside in its day.

also some pop rivet holes along the bottom edge. Possibly a bodykit skirt?

I started with a hammer and dolly to get the crease out and the panel straight

https://i.imgur.com/KnWeGAZl.jpg
This curve got worse when i removed the crusty flange. They must be under alot of tension.

Clamped down flat to my workbench and then clamped the new flange lip to it.

https://i.imgur.com/OwhQuqdl.jpg
It looks totally bent here but i think its just the camera. There was a bit of a curve in the last 2-3 inches at the wheel arch which i cut and have restraighetened. Its pretty good now.
Cut out the notches for the bed supports

Cut out the rust on the front end bracket area and got it back in line, and filled in all the rivet holes
https://i.imgur.com/xSNTRm0l.jpg

Needs a little more work in the area where the angle iron support was, and a final run over with a hammer and dolly to get it perfect

[tortron]

And some work on the other side
https://i.imgur.com/1hOhFFbl.jpg
Similar stuff. Rust coming through at the cab end bracket, Most of the top flange needed replacing, and had some pin holes coming through on the bend. Lower edge from the support bracket to the wheel arch was very frilly, and a few rivet holes to fill.
oh and some straightening from the bend where the flare had been

Almost got it done, but have run out of gas.
https://i.imgur.com/CXS5z4nl.jpg

so put it back on the shelf.
Ran the wiring proper for the volts and oil pressure gauges. THe oil pressure is a bimetallic type and quite slow to change. So I think il be keeping the warning lamp, but set it at a higher psi so I actually get a warning and not a - oh your engine is already ruined notification

[tortron]

Started with the side last week
https://i.imgur.com/LWjBqU3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nzcw78Dl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wa1ICDCl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GMsbaE0l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XxCWrSfl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VEETFSjl.jpg
Pretty rough, but workable
will need a few patches along the bed floor area - some old patches in this area already, and an entirely new lip seam

https://i.imgur.com/7LFcEAOl.jpg
oh, and its got 8 coats of paint plus bog

[tortron]

And now im using the truck daily again, so have a few maintenance items to catch up on.

Had been getting a little drip from the radiator cap, so got a new one of those.
And then i noticed a bad leak has started from the upper radiator hose where the hose clip has rubbed through the end that attaches to the thermostat housing. The hose looks kinda bulged out there so it may be stuffed. Its not a mitsi hose or a VP commodore hose, it kinda looks like a VS commodore bottom hose so that may be the winner. Will try get one tomorrow, otherwise i think i can get away with cutting it a little short as a short term fix.

Next on the list is the trans fluid and filter. This is the last fluid i have to change, i had been waiting as i wanted to add a drain bung to the pan, and possibly get a corvette servo in the box and maybe a shift kit - and relocate the trans cooler to infront of the radiator. But none of that got organised, so its been bumped way down the list. The fluid was needing changing soon.

Pan came off ok, and i didnt spill fluid everywhere which is an achievement
It was however a very tight fit to get off. The problem came when trying to get it back on, it wasnt going to work.
https://i.imgur.com/NYkle1xl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uJgTTCpl.jpg
you can see the exhaust crossover pipe is about as close as it can be - and the pan has some prongs on the front which make it difficult to get past it, and the trans crossmember is clearly of a well refined design with hours of planning put into aesthetics and practicality.....

its basically a slab of 10mm steel roughly cut to shape, with the trans mount and handbrake piviot blind welded to it - but hey it passed certification i guess. You can also see that the cut out is smaller than the transmission pan, so the corners foul on it. I tried every angle but couldnt get it to go back on, so i wonder if the fluid had ever been changed? it would have required dropping either the exhaust or the crossmember.

Anyway, a improved that with the angle grinder, and my best attempts at avoiding filling the trans with grinding dust

https://i.imgur.com/qreYbAkl.jpg
Now it is a perfect fit, and the pan slips right on.

[geezer101]

Getting something to fit is one thing, but designing it to be serviceable afterwards is a totally different ball game. Nice work! Add the trans cooler - it will keep your trans alive and shifting right when things get hot :thumbup:

[tortron]

Hey Geezer
I do have a trans cooler fitted. Its just mounted behind the radiator which i think is a bit backwards as it would be getting pre warmed. That said, the commodore has the transcooler built into the bottom of the radiator anyway

[geezer101]

Yeah having a cooler in the radiator is a bit backward. If the drivetrain is already struggling with heat, keeping it in the system isn't going to help. My Colt project had a Magna trans cooler mounted out front. Almost worked too well (the factory radiator was a triple core and when the temps were really low, the auto choke would try to close up lol. I'd have to pull over and let it idle for a few minutes just to get the blood up to temperature! True story...)

[tortron]

Top news, My radiator hoses are actually Vp commodore hoses and not some parts bin try find what fits.
Luckily the original holden parts numbers were still visible (the hoses must be pretty old I'm guessing)
The hoses have however had about 30 cm cut off of them, but they are easy to find none the less

[tortron]

Just tried out my infrared thermometer after driving home
With gauge at 3/4 which seems to be operating temp the top tank is 93 degrees and the bottom hose is 65. Which is cooler than I expected.
I might yet make a shroud and fan set up for behind the rad. But the one in front seems to do the job quite well

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/n9IjRkdl.jpg
I think 10 years since the last flat I've had

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/WgfpLjdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zktnd3fl.jpg

Going to test a few temperatures under the hood. I would mainly like to know if the air box is sucking hot air, as there's no snorkel. If the intake pipe is heat soaks like the holden owners claim they do, and how hot the steering box is getting, as its quite close to the exhaust.

Have missed the tail end of summer, and have already noticed lower running temps. Very hot year this year and I have never really used the truck in heavy city traffic before.

[tortron]

Also, I did this reversing out of the garage the other day
https://i.imgur.com/kHZTU7Gl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/s2lgj66l.jpg

It's very much folded over on itself. I considered straightening it out, but it was damaged before this and I couldn't be bothered to do that and then figure out how to rubberize it. Found a new repro one locally. Costing about the same as a chrome bumper bar and only the right side available. I believe the left is one of these repros. Probably cheaper to buy it than use my time anyways.

[geezer101]

I can pretty much confirm your beef with the intake heatsoaking. This is a shiteful engine set up that was pilfered from GM's Buick. I would almost be tempted to figure out how to duct it from the air channel under the windscreen wipers.

[tortron]

I considered that. Could flip the throttle body (possibly the v8 one does that? I saw something mentioned the other day anyway) and connect a tube to the drivers wiper blank on the firewall.
More likely I will leave it as is and try a space blanket to see if that fancy gold tape would help. Or swap it for a metal pipe and get it ceramic coated maybe. That said a 4wd snorkel may be more fitting

[geezer101]

The snorkel might be the way to go if you're not against the ideal of blowing a couple of big holes in your truck. Still need an air box for the panel filter though and my bet is it's getting pretty cozy in there space wise.

[geezer101]

p.s. you've had a run of bad luck of recent with the flat tyre and now bending the front bar. Luck has to improve sometime soon!

[tortron]

Was a new tyre too. Need to get it patched today.
Start a new job next week so the good luck is I can throw some pocket money at this to make some problems go away

[tortron]

So, my bent bumper cap
https://i.imgur.com/XtVc8ZSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VmASu8Zl.jpg

Ordered a new old stock Taiwanese repro one. A local company seems to be the only place to get them from, but i assume theres a warehouse full of parts in Taiwan.

https://i.imgur.com/sRo2ir4l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BUWZK9pl.jpg

even though the metal is zinc passivated, i gave everything a coat of black zinc, along with the inside of the bumper bar, before installation

I have no idea what that threaded rod part is for?

https://i.imgur.com/aaMIo7ll.jpg
nice fit, matches my other side too
had bent the end of the bumper a bit more than i thought, but it flattened back out with a BFH. once i get a correct bolt for the bottom hole i will give it a few small taps and it will be perfect.


https://i.imgur.com/1csRofql.jpg
and a wipe with paint thinner takes off the shed paint

nones the wiser

[tortron]

is that small threaded part on the inside next to the welded on nut for the bottom bolt for anything?

[pennyman1]

what about the link for the bumper cap?

[tortron]

https://www.becarparts.co.nz/shop/pre-1990-vehicles/mitsubishi/l200/mitsubishi-l200-1983-96.html

[tortron]

https://www.becarparts.co.nz/shop/pre-1990-vehicles/mitsubishi/l200/mitsubishi-l200-1983-96.html

[tortron]

Horrible mess
https://i.imgur.com/gdI6CVQl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hmC2mbHl.jpg
see where the filter has slipped and the line has been rubbed by the throttle

so I bought some stuff
https://i.imgur.com/WonuFzVl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/51GVo9sl.jpg
I ended up doing double flares.
also alloy fuel line is legal here incase anyone asks

https://i.imgur.com/EJ9Iquwl.jpg
bent up and flared

https://i.imgur.com/GFMNLwgl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/r0amqkEl.jpg
and installed

let the fuel pump prime for a while, and then let the engine run, gave it some revs, and no issues with leaks, so I'm confident its all ok. lines don't move about at all, but I do have some decent line clamps to mount them to the fire wall with on their way.


Need to relocate the fuel filter to the chassis rail near the fuel pump. old one I don't think has ever been changed, so might open it up and check

need to do something about the rest of the loom etc some time, but looks a lot better, its bothered me every time I open the bonnet

[geezer101]

Nice work. Would've been 'entertaining' if the high pressure hose wore through. We aren't allowed to use braided fuel lines in Oz due to ADR not using an internationally recognised method of testing (but new cars off the showroom floor can have braided everything apparently...) The alloy lines look more finished anyway IMO.

[tortron]

Yeah imo full soft lines is a lazy way out. The law here is that hard lines "should" be used "where possible" hard lines can also go a little closer to exhausts etc i believe. But its more or less anything goes. Tidy lines says alot about a build

[tortron]

p.s. you've had a run of bad luck of recent with the flat tyre and now bending the front bar. Luck has to improve sometime soon!

And it happens in 3s. Front left wheel bearing just collapsed with a pop.
Strange. It had no noise apart from 15 seconds of slight squeel before it went

[pennyman1]

that sucks - seized then exploded.

[tortron]

Yeah what a pain. Went 2km from work on my way back from lunch. Luckily i get free tows and there was a bearing kit on the shelf at the parts store. Out of town for the weekend, but might get time to do it on sunday afternoon if its not a disaster

[geezer101]

I think you got very lucky. If you were travelling at speed or were way out of town this could've been disastrous.

[tortron]

Luck loves a fool mate

[tortron]

so into the meat of it

how to change a wheel bearing on your truck
https://i.imgur.com/SpaPY5Al.jpg
jack up, put on jack stands, remove wheel

remove calliper, 2 calliper bolts and one on the dust shield (2 17mms and a 10mm). Support calliper out of the way so its not hanging off the rubber line
https://i.imgur.com/RNt8XSjl.jpg

Remove grease cap, pull out split pin, undo nut (30mm, it wont be tight) and remove keyed washer/spacer
https://i.imgur.com/rnT1rl2l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YHg249xl.jpg

Sparkle sparkle, lots of metal and no grease
https://i.imgur.com/nEbMZLml.jpg

Pull off the hub and rotor assembly
https://i.imgur.com/r18d5pHl.jpg



Clean up the spindle
https://i.imgur.com/z8F95nxl.jpg
mine has a few light marks, normally you can just clean these off of they are light. This one is not too bad, at least the gearing races came off with the hub and its not turned blue from heat or anything

Knock out the bearing races from the hub. Each race has 3 notches in the housing where you can place a punch to knock them out
https://i.imgur.com/Lh58V9Nl.jpg


My outer bearing had failed. The race split in half when I knocked it out, the bearings themselves have a blue tinge on the ends so they had gotten hot, and there was very little grease in the hub
https://i.imgur.com/OTy6vhhl.jpg


Knock or press the new races in
https://i.imgur.com/cMcvcTVl.jpg
in this case I used the old races to get them started, then swapped to a punch to seat them down

Here is where I ran into a problem. The outer race was a loose fit. Same part number on the new and old. Looking at the bearings they didn't look too old, what I believe happened was that the previous bearing failure resulted in a wallered out hub face, the last bearing was fitted, probably not packed with grease correctly either, and because the fit was loose the race has spun and cooked the grease out of the bearing and seized it.

Machining out the hub and fitting a sleeve would be ideal, however in this case I used a pin punch to raise the surface and shrink the hub hole (when you hit metal with a punch there will be a divot, the area around it will raise up). This should last a few years at least. In this case it was a good option for me because I have 2nd gen spindles waiting to be cleaned up and installed.

And that's the last of the pictures. Search online for how to correctly pack a bearing with grease, you want it totally packed with no air bubbles. You then rub a bit of grease on the spindle, install the inner bearing, install the lip seal ontop of that, load some grease inside the hub, place the outer bearing in the race. Place the whole assembly on the spindle and torque the nut down tight to seat everything, then loosen it off and retorque to the correct level. Pack some grease in the grease cup to stop water getting in, and make sure to use a new split pin.

spins nice now, I ordered a second bearing kit incase I need to do the other side soon too

[geezer101]

There is an art to packing a bearing. You can buy a gadget to force it through the roller cages or keep scooping it through like ice cream but if you don't get it right, the bearing isn't going to give you it's best (as per the above pictures - geez people, grease is cheap - no excuse for it looking like that...) Did you take the entire Gen 2 assemblies? Once I get the right lower control arm bushes and pay someone to press in the ball joint (I DIY'ed one and wasn't super happy with the end result) I'll be ready to glue my front end back together. No cash, not much time :rolleyes:

[tortron]

Thought I had better sort that fuel filter before it caused me issues

grubby existing lines and wires
https://i.imgur.com/pZyzk3hl.jpg

Fuel feed kinked and not even flared
https://i.imgur.com/IYVOKeJl.jpg

Area cleaned, painted with black zinc, mount position drilled and rivnut, fuel line bent up to meet new filter, and fuel line flared
https://i.imgur.com/ext3rq1l.jpg

Cheap filter/pump mount. I cut off one leg as its otherwise too wide for the chassis rail. I kept the cut off leg as a spacer so the body of the filter would clear the existing return and brake lines. drilled a new hole in the chassis rather than using that existing one as the cab floor goes up here allowing me to get the filter nice and tucked out of the way
https://i.imgur.com/zWfKPkUl.jpg

And all mounted
https://i.imgur.com/xDdtEeYl.jpg

Do need to do some nice tidy wiring at some point, and I wrote the km on the filter for the next guy (probably me) 250000km on the speedo (but it was 20% slow for 20 years so who knows)

[tortron]

And the results are in on the intake temperatures

With engine at operating temp and moving at between 30 and 100kph the temperature in the airbox (just after the filter) is consistantly 5 degrees C over ambiant temperature. Temperatures at the end of the air intake pipe just before the throttle body are consistantly 10 degrees higher than that.
So at cruise throttle body air is 15 degrees C warmer than ambiant.
This rises rapidly when in stopped or very slow moving traffic, but drops back within about a minute of free flowing driving. So no major heat soak issues. (there are plenum insulators / risers for the buick engine, i might try pull some data on the intake air temp one day)

So what next
I think i will fold up some small snorkle from airbox to inner lamp panel and see if sucking air from next to the radiator is any better. Then i might try a survival blanket or something on the intake pipe. Im not super worried about these temps

[geezer101]

I doubt Holdens were either when they took an outdated FWD engine and jammed it in their bogan sleds (distinctive Australian cultural terminology). It's probably been affecting fuel economy and idle stability from day one. It would be beneficial to actually vent the bonnet/hood to let heat escape the whole engine bay (will impact both intake temps and radiator efficiency).

[tortron]

Although i dont boil over the temp gauge sits a little higher than i would like when coupled with hot summer days and bad traffic (if i ever want to drive this hard id imagine i could spend more time at hot temps, i also want to make a full engine and box under body guard which will reduce sump cooling and airflow)

So i think im going to putnone of these here
https://i.imgur.com/bQboW9Ml.jpg


It tucks away quite nicely
https://i.imgur.com/U9M7RUFl.jpg

Height is about spot on, and length goes to the end of the behind number plate hole, so almost made for it

https://i.imgur.com/t4RDmNEl.jpg


It will go in nicely with some brackets from existing bolts, and i will shroud the edges off, and protect it with some mesh. I dont like to mount itbin the bumper because well they get bumped. Otherwise i could mount it centered
https://i.imgur.com/Gvojzkfl.jpg
I think i would need to add speed holes though. Even then i think a small thermo fan would be ideal to get airflow when i need it.
But in that cases i may as well put it under the tray with custom venting and fan where its protected
Probably thinking too much as i dont go off road (bad roads yes)

And yes i have a thermo sandwich plate to go with it

[geezer101]

You could do with a better thermo fan. That will at least decrease the cooling cycle times and draw less power from the system. Otherwise the extra cooler is sweet dude :grin:

[tortron]

Oil change today
Used a ryco long life filter and nulon full synthetic 10w40 last time, had done about 13000km since last change. Engine didn't use or leak any oil like i was told would happen on full synthetic, maintained good oil pressure since iv had the gauge, and it looked and smelt alright just now. So i have used the same again.

Had hoped to install the filter sandwich plate, but i needed the hose clamps i had for something else so no luck there. Had also hoped to fit an oil temp gauge to the sump, but ut looks like an engine out job (sump also had taken a few hits so i want to flatten it out) and i couldnt use any of my adapters in the sump plug (not ideal incase it gets pulled out) or inline with the oil pressure sender (wount be in the oil flow and barely fits past the belts)
So just maintenance this time.

Im going to also put an oil temp gauge in the trans cooler line, i hope to use one gauge on 2 senders.

Maybe all that will have to wait for a big service

[tortron]

Picked up a pait of hella worklights for $5. Bargin. Plus the holes for wiring were already in the bar. Will turn them sideways at a camp site or roadside repair. Haha

https://i.imgur.com/X6NXfDpl.jpg

[tortron]

Middle of winter? What better time to remove a not leaking rear screen and swap in a breezy sliding rear window!

Cut some wedges and popped the screen out, just like a bicycle tyre, but make sure to sepperate the inner and outter from the body incase its been siliconed in there. Luckily mine just and some horrible non hardening sealant and the rubber was still pliable enough to consider re using
https://i.imgur.com/zSGo97xl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Mk1kR2Jl.jpg

The passenger side has been skilfully carved by artisan bondo sculptors, the drivers? well probably the apprentice
https://i.imgur.com/iz3LIhIl.jpg

But, il forget I saw that for now, its all hidden and not rusting out


I just used some paracord and window cleaner to pop the new window and old seal back in. So nice to have a hole in the middle of it to grab and pull so I didn't need a helper on the outside
https://i.imgur.com/RlbzVsZl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HTPk3u6l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XSzQZZ6l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2rZjFcwl.jpg


Just needed to give the glass and felt seals a good clean, lots of crap in the drain holes. Replaced the 2 middle rivets that act as stops for the glass. Cleaned up as best I could a bunch of old window tint. The anodising is a bit faded (bluish tint) on the outside which looks a little out of place so I might get them re coloured one day. Otherwise, so sweet!

[geezer101]

...I hate you :lmao:Don't think I have ever seen a slider for an L200 in Australia. You lucky bugger, it's a nice add on. Your seats look a lot like the ones I had in my Lancer fastback before I retrimmed them.

[tortron]

Very surprised to see one, it's not exactly tropical here so I'd have thought there would be more over your way. hopefully will be enough that I don't think about installing AC next summer. Seats are standard l200 bench seat.

[geezer101]

L200 bench? It looks like a pair of bucket sports seat in the pic (just from the top half anyway). Mitsubishi used the same headrests on them. Must have been 'fun' getting the glass and frame in with the tie down bars in the way.

[tortron]

Yeah, it's a split bench seat, the middle folds down to an armrest. Most of them over here have one like that, don't see many of the true bench seats. No problem at all getting the glass in. There's that huge gap where the tray has been cut too short! Haha at least it worked out for getting the glass in. Real easy with the opening to hold onto. Hell anything is easy compared to split screen minor glass. It all goes in from the inside and fights every step of it

[tortron]

Having a rattle canned, and bumpy from exploritory bog digging roof and A pillars has bugged me enough.

Bare metalled the roof again (just had some black spray paint on it to keep the rain off, worked well still clean underneath) and tidied up some welds on the repairs i had done earlier in the year. and then finally pulled the pin and pulled the screen.

Very slow going as it had been stuck in with non hardening sealer, and i wanted to preserve both the glass and rubber (would have been impossible if it had been siliconed in there) as i want to keep my chrome trim. so very slowly i went around as above and inch by inch seperated the rubber from the body and using penetrative spray to keep the sealant from sticking back i inched back the rubber seal. Its been in and out before i think (and left in for the last respray) as theres quite a few cuts and missing chunks on the inner lip. Going to be delicate to put back in, I will begrudgingly use a plain seal if it turns to custard.

Amazingly it doent look like theres any rust under the rubber. i will take the A pillars back to bare metal to be sure before sealing with primer (Exterior A pillars and roof back to the top of the rear window, and inner door jamb where the drip rail exists)

https://i.imgur.com/UinXUE2l.jpg

Its been a long time since I have blended metallic paint, but should go alright

[xboxrox]

WELCOME
Cool truck, keeps you busy, goes fast & harder to stop (?) I can see brake dust on the front wheels...
Another Islander,
George

[dash]

doing an amazing job on a cool truck!

[tortron]

Stopping is always exciting. You really do have to pay attention because although the brakes work well, they don't stop on a dime like the modern car infront

[geezer101]

I see you've had a shot at fixing the dash pad cracks with expanding foam. Could get a big offcut of vinyl and bond it down with spray adhesive. You colour matched the demister panel with the body? You weren't worried about glare bouncing up off the windscreen?

[tortron]

I see you've had a shot at fixing the dash pad cracks with expanding foam. Could get a big offcut of vinyl and bond it down with spray adhesive. You colour matched the demister panel with the body? You weren't worried about glare bouncing up off the windscreen?

All the previous owners work

It's all normally covered with a dash pad cover (just some speaker box carpet stuff cut to shape) so you normally don't see any of it.
I have repaired a split dash before using filler and sanding and painting. But I have a replacement this time

[tortron]

Sealed with durapox (used on the NZ America's cup boats, sticks real well to the junk I have painted with it)
https://i.imgur.com/zyBr74hl.jpg

And 3 coats of south Auckland racing grey
https://i.imgur.com/zAPTa7xl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/z39LBQTl.jpg

[tortron]

Coming up really well with some work with the long sanding board. couple of spots needed some extra filler. But far from the inch of bondo covering the whole thing before I started
https://i.imgur.com/PXOHWAMl.jpg

I think I will have it sanded out and ready for a final coat of primer by end of the day, and if the weather goes my way il get the colour and clear on this weekend

[tortron]

Did a bunch more sanding and cleaning and put the top coat on today


sucking in those solvents already
https://i.imgur.com/CgVWQpXl.jpg

base coat on
https://i.imgur.com/vRIWAOwl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Q311qWJl.jpg


and some fast flow clear
https://i.imgur.com/kFfSrVml.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OX63m3Tl.jpg


Paint is left overs from whenever the last time this was painted (I think about 5 years ago) so we will see how well it matches after sitting. I blended it down to the body line so should be a smooth transition along with the clear.

yeah theres some dust in the clearcoat, but it should be fine after a polish if I ever get around to that, the rest of the truck is pretty average (sanding marks in the base coat expecially on the bonnet) so it would be polishing a turd. I think I will give it a doors closed respray once the new old tray is on

[tortron]

Windscreen, Stainless gutter trim, and visor back on

https://i.imgur.com/7AfpJJSl.jpg



All that work and I'm back to where I started almost a year ago

Yikes



Screen rubber has turned to cheese and all the existing nicks really didn't help, so the inside looks pretty bad where it's torn even more. Probably not leak proof

[tortron]

So next up in the pile of parts I have been collecting was a spare fuel tank with sender, and a Holden fuelpump/sender combo.
Have been thinking of how to sort out the fuel gauge. But in the end I felt it most cost effective (don't need a custom long range tank I guess) and simple enough to just put the Holden sender in the mitsi tank.

Unfortunately the Holden one is larger in diameter, and I don't really need an in tank pump in a non baffles tank.

So the plan was to adapt the Holden sender onto the original mitsi unit

Took apart the mitsi one
https://i.imgur.com/VUL843dl.jpg

Took apart the Holden one
https://i.imgur.com/RzCVRTUl.jpg

Removed the sender bodies from both

https://i.imgur.com/7VA1TnCl.jpg

Soldered the long mitsi float arm onto the Holden pivot
https://i.imgur.com/toqn9bZl.jpg

Welded the Holden sender body to the mitsi mounting, and soldered the single wire to the original fitting

And re assembled
https://i.imgur.com/2GxBME9l.jpg

And it works. The hardest but will be removing the one currently in the truck

[geezer101]

Nice. I still would've adapted the Holden tank though. I've seen how freaking expensive fuel is in NZ and on days where it's at the low end of the pricing cycle, it would pay to fill up. And you'd have a baffled tank with the stock fuel pick up which solves a few issues with running the Commo V6 drivetrain. But I do like bespoke components like this :thumbup:

[tortron]

Every wrecker here spikes the tank, bit of a pain getting a 2nd hand one
I may put my spare tank in on the other side for 100l range tho!

[geezer101]

I'm planning on putting my other Gen 1 behind the rear axle and modifying the tank hangers to pin it up there. That way I can keep all the fuel supply lines together and hide a fuel filler neck (somewhere...) in that side of the tray. I'll end up with 114 litres fuel capacity and I can fill up when fuel is at it's lowest price. I mean, we're paying $1.60ish AUD for peak price per litre but it ain't the $2.40 NZD you poor buggers are getting gouged for.

[tortron]

Oh yeah, just in Auckland though, we have our regional fuel tax to pay for our never ending roadworks. But don't worry, the train line will be done by 2050!

Maybe that is a good idea for keeping weight over the rear axle too. I like the idea of keeping the weight in the middle and even side to side, plus the symmetry of a filler on each side of the tray. Plus my spare I think would get in the way.

I really should get on lpg, although right now I'm carpooling so I save a bit over $100 a week just in fuel.
Plus too many little projects going on haha, need to do the original tray, replace the loom, custom cluster, replace dash, sound deadening and trim interior, etc etc.

[tortron]

Little job today
https://i.imgur.com/MN7FPnxl.jpg
Pre punched marks on the floor seat rail mount

https://i.imgur.com/1MixiFAl.jpg
Drilled and rivnut installed

Cut some bar stock and added another pair of rivnuts to mount the extinguisher cradle to
https://i.imgur.com/uMa5K78l.jpg
Seat right back
https://i.imgur.com/Negl9LVl.jpg
Seat so far forward I can't put it in gear and still accessable

Quite basic, but a step up from having it jammed under the seat. Not race track approved, maybe I'll get a nicer one one day. Currently painted black and drying

[tortron]

so another little job knocked out.
a little while ago i was monitoring the under bonnet and intake temps and figured i could see a significant improvement by ducting the airbox to outside the hot engine bay.

Here is what i am working with
https://i.imgur.com/d0kqMRSl.jpg
standard holden airbox but missing its snorkel, and an unused headlamp pressing in my inner rad panel

So I went to a wreckers and picked up another complete airbox with snorkel incase I wanted to cut it up. I briefly tried to heat set the snorkel into the shape I wanted, but no luck
Around that time I spotted in a clearance parts bin a 3"-4" silicone adaptor. The unused headlamp hole just happens to be 3", and the snorkel hole more or less 4". so at $5 I took a punt

https://i.imgur.com/5ZqJNX8l.jpg
yup, with some trimming this will work

Now its hard to see in pictures, but the two holes don't line up, theres about 3cm of offset and the headlamp hole is a little higher. Fortunately there is exactly enough room to move the airbox closer to the inner guard, and up without touching the bonnet when closed.
https://i.imgur.com/u6WZ7lYl.jpg
I can improve this by slotting out the airbox hole, but for now it looks like it will be fine and the only additional work to do is make some spacers to mount the airbox at the correct height on the old battery tray.

https://i.imgur.com/0O8sKZrl.jpg
this is the joiner un trimmed, in place between the inner and outer headlamp panels. I don't think I will bother with any kind of fancy scoop even though its probably dead air (but it always measured much cooler than under the bonnet) and will just cut it more or less flush

[geezer101]

Good spot for pulling a fresh air charge from outside the engine bay. Due to the V6 having an absurdly long intake duct this can only help with torque. Might need a mesh screen in there to prevent it from collecting bugs and debris.

[tortron]

Interior improvement time
https://i.imgur.com/L89Gzvml.jpg

zinced up the floor and roof
https://i.imgur.com/tLlXmYel.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tRoQ9Xsl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3NxR9zSl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mIMNJctl.jpg
ordered a 2 door kit of dynamat, it was actually the cheapest option. The real cheap stuff I did my Morrie with seems to be NLA, but this was a bit nicer to work with

most of the deadening is achieved by covering 30-50% of the panel, so I didn't bother trying to cover everything. Yes I realise I have done this a bit backward, most of the sound will be coming through the firewall and front floor sections. But I have more work to do there and will do that when I take the dash out and fill up the un used holes etc. I have some vinyl, so I will make a headliner and rear of cab panel maybe this weekend

[tortron]

Got a sheet of 3mm ply, some fluffy backing and a metre of white perforated vinyl
https://i.imgur.com/Ngr3e9Zl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ejXZK58l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JKhK4iNl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0WScL1nl.jpg

Came out really well. Quite a tight fit, but some shoving and slapping got it in place, and it all smoothed out after being left to unsquish for a few minutes. Quite cozy in the cab now. I wouldn't want to be any taller haha

[Fordubishi]

Now you need to find a fully loaded one for all the plastic trim pieces to go around the top frame work

20929
the light gray pieces

[geezer101]

Your roof liner looks pretty good tortron - what is holding it in? As for Fordubishi, the tilt out sunroof rocks.

[tortron]

The plywood panel is larger than the opening. So it holds itself in place. I.e its wider and longer than the 4 edges of the door, and windscreen inner panels, you slide it right in towards the back and sort of work it in place like a bicycle tyre, then centre it. The 3mm was a good fit, add the foam and vinyl and it's tight in there

[pennyman1]

I used poster board, then thin foam padding and velour cloth and slid it in like yours. I also have the plastic trim from a later 1st gen - perfect fit - pics of it in Geronimo's gallery.

[xboxrox]

tortron, your truck project is awesome, if you make a bike rack for the bed, hope I see it :)
Kudo
Geronimo's gallery is pretty cool pennyman, love your truck top to bottom... I see these nice headliners but wonder how they actually get installed..? Think I understand how their slightly larger size keeps them from falling... The interior metal trim has some screws, does this mean some of it gets removed to slide in a headliner panel..? Happy Truckin

[tortron]

If the screws are likely to be in the way, but I don't think any would be at the right length and angle. What I did was start at a rear corner and push the panel in as far as I could both back and to one side, until I could get it in far enough to have room for the other two sides to slot in. Then manuver the panel central.

About to start some work on my 2nd gen tray. Not a bike rack necessarily but a bit of a camping set up

[xboxrox]

Thank you for that tip tortron ~ seems you & pennyman got this figured out... Am thinking the panel edges need to be almost an exact shape of the hole it gets put into (?) Maybe I should read more of the forum posts BUT it would also be nice to know approximately how much bigger the panel can be than the overhead hole it goes into (and still fit)... Am also assuming no support is needed in the headliner's center to hold it from sagging or moving... So, the finished product rests on the cab sheet metal border & NOT attached to the cab roof..? Do you think the original headliner was attached to the roof; if so, this would allow more headroom... Those Japanese did some puzzles & magic tricks making these little trucks, ya think..?

[tortron]

I believe any trucks that came with a headliner had them glued to the roof skin.

I didn't like the idea of foam glued to my roof and rusting away. Mine was zinc painted, sound deadened, then the panel. Which is 3mm ply and supports itself. Maybe 1cm is overlapping on each side. Mines also quite thick, so it holds itself in place so it won't rattle out.

I'm 6ft and have plenty of headroom

[geezer101]

+1. If your truck had a headliner, it was spray bonded to the roof turret (and not a lot of it either). The foam will eventually decay and the headliner vinyl will flap in your face. The paint under the factory headliner is sparse but IDK if poses that much of a rust risk (more likely around the edges of the cab but not so much in the middle where they didn't hit it with the topcoat colour) The roof turrets really need a sound barrier/dynamat on them so it stops the cab from feeling the pointy ends of weather and soak up cab vibration/road noise.

[tortron]

too excited to wait till i finish it tomorrow to share this.

Have been wanting to set my truck up for a little camping. Don't really want a fibreglass canopy (well I do, but I want a very specific design that I have seen in the past but now cant find anywhere) and always wanted a canvas cover on my comer to make it full ww2 surplus spec. A soft canopy also means I can take it off and fold it up and not be tripping over it when I need the truck for truck duties.

So todays project

Went to wreckers and got the front panel and lumber rack from a 2nd gen L200
Went to metal shop and got an assortment of steel and some alloy tube.
Had ordered an army surplus nylon tarp a week or so ago (was stolen, and returned too!)

Just a few pics, I have recorded most of it for a video il upload later.

Unstitched the welds from the rack and panel
cut the rack down to match the front and rivnutted it to the wee slot just behind the tail light area in the inner skin of the tray
drilled some holes to fit the 12mm alloy tube I got (tight fit in length so they cant vibrate and fall out at all)

https://i.imgur.com/iZao9Zsl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W2m0GVJl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iX0rX75l.jpg

work still to do - another 2 alloy tubes on each side, new eyelets in tarp + shock cord, need to figure out how im going to do the cab and tailgate end, thinking of putting some clear plastic in the front mainly for light, I don't know that I would want to drive around with this up, and a door for the back. Its kind of set back from the tailgate so will have a little bit of an angle, not sure that I like that.
In any case this is kind of a test mule for my 1st gen tray, Just wanted to get out there this summer and enjoy it (I figure I can now strap some kayaks up top too!)

[geezer101]

Dude I sooo want to try something similar with my Gen 1. My idea is to deck it out like a 2 man tent that I can fix to the tray behind the rear glass and yeet it over a roll bar (another side project thingy that will probably be from a modded one a-la U-Pull-It). I'd probably just have it slant back towards the tailgate instead of a full canopy like yours. Speakers would be a nice touch too. My other idea is to have a pair of seats facing rearward in the tray that can be taken out easily so I can take it to... the drive-in. The Subaru Brat is the inspiration for that one. They are really cool but we never got it optioned like the US models.

[tortron]

Yeah i have seen ones that slant like that. you could have it inside the roll bar and attach with velcro loops, i had a tent sort of like that once.
I think i would also like to have at least one side be able to open out into an awning, but then again these truck are so small that even a roof rack mounted awning would be about neck level for me. My tray fits a double matress perfectly width ways on top of the wheel wells, and has about 20cm extra length, so I might throw in a ply false floor and store some camp gear underneath for ease of construction and use.
I hope to park up next to some fully decked out 4x4 'expedition' trucks and show them how fun a small, light, minimal truck is

[tortron]

Added another set of tubes on each corner and set some extra eyelets in my tarp. Coming together nicely.
https://i.imgur.com/od9R8Gll.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sjRT3JUl.jpg

Need some extra bobbins for the front of the tray and some shockcord. Think I will cut and sew the front and back flaps, leaving them attached at the top, and some fixings to keep the sides in place while they are up. I think I can also get away without any further poles if I use some tie down straps in the middle area of the upright of the rack (to stop the sides blowing in in the wing) I always carry them. Although the eyelet set up holds the sides pretty nicely

[tortron]

Just bought another engine and box
Going from the current VP Buick 3.8 and 700r4 to a VS ecotec 3.8 and 4L60E

Basically the same set up but improved a little which ticks several boxes of my wants

Later engine runs sequential injection rather than batch fire, has higher compression ratio, more aftermarket parts and parts are easier to find (the old Buick is getting rare on the ground) and I can datalog from the later ecuuch easier.
Power is up about 17kw so I'll be at about 200hp out of the box, which is a cheaper upgrade than a cam for the Buick
Lean cruise for economy. With the cost of gas here old be saving about $5 per 100km so at $500 for the engine, box, loom and ECU it will pay for itself real quick even if I keep the old set up.
Really want the extra km per tank. 350km Is a bit short ATM.

Things I will need to change
Engine out (was doing some that anyway to panel and paint the bay)
Run new loom (again was going to do that anyway with the VP loom to tidy everything up, old just have another day of stripping the new loom to its basics)
700r4 box is hydro controlled new one is electrically, but I have all the loom and ECU so that's no drama
Will need to get vats (security codes) turned off on the ECU chip. Not a problem I will probably buy a cheap chip burner and custom a tune while I'm at it (vats may even be turned off in it already I will check)
My Speedo is totally adjustable so no dramas there
Ecotec comes on power a bit later than the Buick, so I may as well throw a shift kit in while it's on the stand, just a towing spec one. As well as a trans temp and engine oil temp gauge.

Oh and because my truck is certified for a 3.8 V6 and 4speed Holden auto I can get away without recertification
Nice one

[tortron]

Oh and I'll swap the steel Buick sump onto the ecotec (which uses an alloy sump) mines modified to clear the steering and frame. Pretty sure the only difference is the location of a few bolt holes otherwise. I recall something about the back where the gearbox goes but I'll see when they are side by side

[geezer101]

Nice tortron. The old V6 wasn't a great engine but it had enough get up and go for a much lighter vehicle like the L200. And this will give you a chance to tidy up a few things that you weren't 100% happy with the first go around.

[tortron]

Oh yeah I'll do it as clean as I can and stick with it till I can't get replacements any more. A bit more modern but still basically the same engine. Might even keep the Aircon pump and have a cool cab this summer (or replace it with an underslung supercharger, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm now there's an expensive thought)

[geezer101]

Well I learned sumpin' - didn't know the Holden was batch fired like a Nissan. Horrible way to manage fuel delivery IMO. The Ecotec should be a much smoother engine as a result.

[tortron]

https://i.imgur.com/QCZIYXBl.jpg
Turns out you can fit a 3.8, box, subframe, and almost a full exhaust system in a mitsi tray if you angle it right

[tortron]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Some kind of honda set up up front?
https://i.imgur.com/iecKDuKl.jpg

[tortron]

So a short list of things I need in order to get this in and running.
A mental with security turned off, and the Speedo and shift points adjusted to my diff.
Vs throttle cable
Vs intake pipe with air temp and maf sensors to adapt to my existing setup
Shorter belt for AC delete
Vs fuel lines, or rather just the bit that plugs into the rails so I can attach a hose to them.
Along with fuel pressure regulator (I should check if my Buick ones will work actually)
A VS wiring diagram. It looks alot more refined than the VP loom it's basically stand alone already, will need to set up a fusebox and relays for efi, fuel pump and starter
Also need to figure out how to splice into my dash loom for warning lights, Speedo, temp, oil light, battery light.
Delete ac loom
Modify existing exhaust Y pipe to suit. No straight answer but I think it's going to match the new manifolds anyway. Just need to add in an O2 bung on each side.
Check if I can re use my existing power steering lines or figure out new ones
Attach oil cooler and lines
Extend trans cooler lines
Figure out engine fan wiring, Vs had 2 fans. I might also make a shroud and swap to puller fan

And the usual like gaskets, filters, fluids. Probably throw a shift kit in the trans while it's out

[tortron]

So a day at the junkyard and a day spending money online has gotten me the following bits

an eprom programmer so I can burn custom tunes and turn off security (this one im hoping will pay for itself, theres a guy selling 'custom' chips for about $150 each, so cheaper to buy the burner!)
VS throttle cable
shorter belt
intake pipe, airflow meter, air temp sensor and vs airbox top (top is different to the VP airbox, but they used the same bottom. so it will go right onto my existing one in location)
fuel pressure regulator and fuel rail lines in and out
ecu with memcal (I had the ecu already but the guy had taken the memcal out and not told me!)
O2 sensor bungs
oil filter

Then a whole bunch of fun stuff for my trans
-filter and pan gasket
3/4 clutch powerpack
aluminium accumulator pistons (original are plastic)
corvette servo
and a transgo shift hit with larger boost valve

There are endless upgrades for the 4l60e, but I think that's more than enough for me (I only got the clutch pack because it was local and too cheap to say no to) They are good for something like 400hp with no upgrades, most of those upgrades just increase the life of the trans, so with a decent trans cooler and behind an ecotec I should never have to work on it again im hoping.

Have gotten most of the wiring sorted out. Have deleted the AC and extra pully. Need at a minimum a sump gasket and rocker cover gaskets. probably a set of intake gaskets as they always go on these engines but I will wait till the trans is off as if I also need a rear main seal I may as well get a full gasket set

ZERO decent diagrams for the VS wiring around. cant even find a manual that's specific for the VS model.

[geezer101]

You are going to be busy gluing this together. The wiring shouldn't be that much of a headache once you've stripped off the conduit and tape and figured out what to delete and what to keep. Break out the rolls of Nitto tape! That was shifty of the guy not telling you the memcal had already been pulled :shakehead: Flog your old set up and make some coin back :thumbup:

[tortron]

luckily it looks like holden was lazy enough to use more or less the same in car wiring from 88 to 97, for the basic dash models at least so i can re use more or less what i already have

[pennyman1]

probably learned that from GM - they are notorious for that. Makes your swap easier though!

[xboxrox]

Gosh, your truck is morphing..!

One mod still not done --> Tire Shine :)

[tortron]

Put this on a weigh bridge the other day
It comes in at 1420kg wet (full tank, and spare)

[xboxrox]

3,130 lbs diet to 3,000 lbs (possible..?)

[tortron]

Potentially the 1st gen tray is lighter as it's single wall

There's maybe some nickel and dime stuff to lighten it, but it's Gona get heavier with some extra interior bits and sound deadening, step towbar etc
3000lbs is a nice round number tho

[geezer101]

Change the wheels to alloy, replace the seats, dump any towing accessories (tow hitch, rear step etc), use bumper deletes, drop the spare tyre... might get you 130 kg off the total weight. Anything more than that will require a radical approach like fibreglass panels and lexan instead of glass (not so hard to do with the rear window), gutting the interior down to bare bones, redesigning suspension parts like control arms and looking at a lighter drivetrain combo (the G63B has to be a few kilos lighter than a 4G54 - I'd guess the 4G64 wouldn't be due to the added weight of the intake manifold and extra electrics)

[tortron]

Both lighter than the V6 I'd say. 4l60e is likely to be heavier than the current 700r4 too.
Suffice to say I'm not removing anything, it's bare bones enough from factory

[xboxrox]

Many new cars have no spare tire what-so-ever; they have run flat tires (adds weight) or a spray can of "Fix-a-Flat" or OnStar type rescue system... Forged alloy wheels should save a good amount of weight but are expensive... The type of tires used affects weight, some tires are very light weight others (extreme HD type) are very heavy...

remove two pistons & rods :)

[geezer101]

Hmm, a friend of mine made an observation that the 3.2 Rodeo V6 made more power than the Commo/Buick engine and was a bolt up affair (I can't confirm that) The auto trans is the biggest weight problem you're dealing with. You are dealing with a way better power to weight ratio than what the Commodore used though.

[tortron]

I pulled out the washer unit back when I moved the aircleaner up a little. Unfortunately I need a WOF so have to put it back in. I picked up a washer unit from a 2nd gen at a wreckers (mine was not a mitsi or Holden, and was cut up and siliconed together for some reason)
Finding somewhere to put it proved the hardest part.
I also don't like the position of my overflow bottle, it kinda overflows onto all the electrics....

So the current solution is to relocate both of them. A little clearance needed to the inner fender for the washer, and then mounted a bracket off the current battery tray for the overflow.
https://i.imgur.com/TULqOgzl.jpg

Pretty happy with it for now, it's going to go through another few evolutions probably. I quite like those metal recovery tanks that bolt to the side of the radiator. At some point I think I will relocate the battery under the tray, and maybe move the washer unit with it to really clean up the engine bay (to say nothing of getting rid of all that wiring....)

[geezer101]

What was going on with the battery? Normally it's located on the other side of engine bay (it's current location would throw the weight distribution to the drivers side) I had an 88 Astra and relocated the overflow bottle behind the grille (the original one crumbled so I cobbled one together from an aluminium drink bottle and a fire extinguisher bracket - yes it sounds weird but it all went together like it was meant to lol) Most cars have front mounted washer reservoirs now, just need one with a remote filler neck and a spot to cram it in there. I'd like to relocate the battery in my truck as well.

[tortron]

Battery is there because Holden air filter is on the original spot

[pennyman1]

diesel Mitsu trucks (1st gen) have the battery under the tray / bed - 84 - 85 anyways. 83 diesels are on the firewall...

[tortron]

Yeah I'll copy the under tray set up from one of them. But make some sealed areas for tools etc

[tortron]

Oh nice, I just bumped into a local fabricator who is making turbo manifolds for the ecotec. A nice small Turbo and cooler would get me a massive bump in power, plus there's plenty of space for the kit. Might need to spend my pocket money on wider rear tyres and better brakes first

[geezer101]

Nah, you'll end up running a massive Garrett and an intercooler big enough to block out the sun lol. Have you done the Gen 2 brake swap yet? Some braided lines, ceramic composite pads and twin pistons will haul it up fast enough. You'll have to figure out how to get the brake booster to behave itself with boost as well. Not sure what you can do to beef up the rear brakes.

[dash]

I rented an Oldsmobile sedan (~3400 lbs) years back, with an early gen/series I 3800.
With five passengers on board it still firmly press you back in the seat! Extremely impressive, and a whisper quiet ride
even at 3130 pounds, that truck performance should be 'peppy', at least.
Maybe an 'ecu tune' away ? ...or GM fwd tranny, converter, gearing efficiency made the difference ? ...dunno
If I was sure I could duplicate that 3800 sedans' performance in my mitsu pickup, I wouldn't even look at the 4G63

[tortron]

From what I have seen the Oldsmobile has quite long gears, chugging along at 1200rpm in overdrive on the highway. The tune on the Buicks are pretty good, they accelerate harder than the ecotec. But both can be improved with a bit more timing.

There performance is very acceptable, it doesn't slow down up hills with a tray full of soil and the acceleration is only let down by the tyres


Hell if you want a 3800 conversion for your truck I'll strap one and a loom to a pallet for you

[tortron]

Cool, another 6 months of legal motoring.
Passed but they added some comments about the front bumper led indicators, some play in what I think they should be calling the pitman arm ( front steering drop arm. Gotta be that right) and the rust in the front corners of the tray.

So I'll continue to ignore that anyway

[geezer101]

It's too bad that the trucks' frame layout won't accommodate a rack and pinion without fouling something. It would shave off quite a few kilos and improve steering feel. Non car guys doing vehicle inspections... :rolleyes: Least it passed, so that's good.

[tortron]

Funny you say that. I saw an L200 chassis fitted with a rack and pinion the other day. Destined for some rod project, buy it was there

[pennyman1]

that has been done on our trucks before - not sure what they used. possibly a Saturn rack...

[dash]

if I got a pallet from your way, it'd be loaded with some of the rare good stuff you guys have. Magna intakes etc..
An abundance of cheap 3800s over this side, especially fwd....
I bought a 3800 supercharged grand prix with a bad transmission(weak reverse gear) for $200
While motor bolts up to s10 truck or 2.8 F-body, 5spd or 700R4 auto, it takes a bit of fiddling & a custom part or two, so its not oem fit up as Holden.
Non-supercharged 3800 also available in gen4 camaro/firebird 5spd or 4L60 autos
Camaro 3800 L36/4L60 auto, swapped into S10 truck (roughly same weight as Mmax/D50) run 14.3sec 1/4.
Supercharged 3800 L67 4spd manual, pulley/ported/cam/headers/tune goes 13.0sec 1/4 in another S10
Camaro L36/auto trans swapped into RWD 86 cutlass (3100 lbs), supercharger added/ported/cam/rockers/tune run 12.2sec 1/4
Decent performer imo
More than a few starion rack steering conversions detailed on starquestclub, in the build threads. Stock layout similar to truck

[pennyman1]

rack setup solves clearance issues with stock steering box too

[tortron]

Oh, do the fwd engines bolt up to a 700r4? That might mean I can use one of their sump gaskets with the built in windage tray.

Have not done any work. Busy busy every weekend on the house and any left over time on the minor.
Have however been spending way too much on fresh ecotec parts. It needed a couple of gaskets and kind of grew from there. Though to be fair I don't want to take it out again for a long time, so am planning an in-depth freshen up. I'll take the whole lot apart and measure up the innards. Due to the milage I have gone ahead and ordered
A full gasket set
New timing gears, chain, and tensioner
Water pump
And to tart her up a bit, some 1.9 high ratio roller tip rockers.
Have also got a sheet of HDPE to hack a plenum spacer fromim also going to tidy up the castings throughout the intake and ports.
Will probably do a basic valve job and whatever else needs doing once I open it up


Rockers seem to be the go on these engines. Cams are made out to be a major pain with balance shafts etc needing modification. Also I got these yella terra ones for half price, which was less than even the cheap option, and half of what a set of cams cost. So for the performance I want they are ideal. Published gains are about 10kw when a cat back exhaust and cold air intake are used.
The spacer looks simple enough to cut out, so forget paying $150 for one, IL have to check my plenum bonnet spacing.

Aiming for a strong reliable engine with that slightest bit more pep than I have now.


Got a flat today, same corner as earlier this year. Then found my jack was missing.
Bugger
Borrowed a very dodgy euro one and drove onwards an hour to the closest welder repair shop. (Should just buy the one on special for $350, what a drag) and went right to the auto store and bought a bottle jack to live permanently under the seat.

[tortron]

Gosh, your truck is morphing..!

One mod still not done --> Tire Shine :)

How's that?
Might have to wash the truck now....

It's not cheap being an 80s guy I'll tell ya. But I couldn't have a Chinese white lettering tyre.
2136821368

[xboxrox]

Those shiny new tyres make your L200 look pretty pretty good..! Thanks for posting the pics...

[tortron]

Have burned through a few tanks of gas this month. Hauling some new workshop tools about (pillar drill, arc welder, my mig welder to the repair shop and back, and a horizontal band saw. Tortron's engineering opening soon) and I'm getting noticeably better fuel economy than I had. Possibly it's the summer fuel but it's also all changed after I moved the rad overflow. I feel it's running cooler than expected even in the summer heat, and I haven't lost/leaked any water from the usual spot. So I'm wondering if having the bottle lower than the rad and a more inline hose route has improved it (blocked overflow line situation maybe?)

[tortron]

New engine keeps getting in the way. So knocked up a sled to move it about.
With the rain this week I might do some more work in the tray
21420

[geezer101]

New engine keeps getting in the way. So knocked up a sled to move it about.
With the rain this week I might do some more work in the tray...

You're getting the leftovers of cyclone Owen. The weather has been out of control the last few weeks. Right now in awesome Adelaide it is in the grip of the typical heat we are familiar with. Nice engine rig BTW - amazing what you can knock up with the right tools and some scraps :thumbup:

[xboxrox]

geezer -- Australian weather... Thanks to my duty in the US Navy; I was able to see a little bit of Australia & New Zealand... My brain remembers 3 types of weather: Sydney, Perfect, Hot & surprisingly Cold and Geraldton Horny Toad Hot... Overall, in many ways; the homes at the coast near Sydney, were much like the coastal homes in California, USA... The Sydney trains however, old, old, old, pretty neat; made me think of old English movies... But, our stops in Australia were a long, long time ago, 1970 to 1987... The Australian Navy guys treated us better than blood brothers, it was so cool to be loved like that... I thank God for the chance to have such fond memories... Merry Christmas to ya'll down under...

[tortron]

My front indicators are some sort of Hella led unit. Not really designed for indicators I think (the ones they used as park lamps are twice as bright).
My bumper is also not designed to take a lamp housing. If this is original I don't know. The brackets used are home made it appears.
Anyway.
I have felt they were not really good enough for a daily driver, and I would quite like to not get t boned. So I set about putting some behind the grill.
I settled on some basic slim led units. I'm going to slather them in silicon to keep any water out.
I drilled two small holes in the grill for mountings, which will be hidden with some black painted bolts.
My loom is a little hacked in this area, so some new plugs for both the new indicators and side flashers were needed.
21530
Current set up

21531
And in place

And all going ( oops, my hazard relay wasn't working either)
21532

[geezer101]

Hmm, nice and discreet. Geezer approves :thumbup: That front bumper is weird. No cut outs for parking/indicator combo lights. I bought a big kit of replacement harness sockets (https://www.ebay.com/itm/30-Kits-2-3-4-Pin-Locking-Connector-Kit-Motorcycle-Spade-Terminal-6-3mm/332187283551?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) cheap from the land o' ebay. Just going through all of the connections and fixing them up while doing mods to the harness. It doesn't cover all the plugs but will do the majority of them.

[tortron]

I'm going for deutsch connectors for water protection where possible. The factory Holden engine loom uses something very similar, so I also have a bunch left over from stuff I won't use. The bumper was factory, but maybe not for this truck

[tortron]

OH BOY


https://i.imgur.com/nQITlxqm.jpg

Ok i knew this was there and actually ment to fix it way back when i did the firewall, but ran out of time and forgot about it, until the suspicious blob of bog fell out of the sill last week. I can get a whole new sill made locally, which would save me some time. Am going to pop a usb endoscope inside and see how bad it is on each side. If i can just patch it then thats fine. If its too bad, i will replace the whole thing (and hopefully have enough of the old one to patch the otherside if im lucky).

This one is a little worse
https://i.imgur.com/aGWu56Km.jpg

right up behind the cab mount. The drain hole had been bogged closed............
Might have to get creative with some jacks and engine hoist to get in there.

At least once the sills are done i can fill all the cavities with waxoil or fish oil and not worry about it catching on fire because it needs further welding. Which i have been putting off for that very reason

[dash]

you really put the hours into this project. A real soldier. Amazing job

what is that black car in the background of the engine photo, post #203 ? Looks Morris Minor-ish


Cool engine-tranny dolly. Do you still have it sittng like that ?
Is it possible to get a similar photo of the front, and the other side ?
I'm looking at the differences between your 3800 RWD version vs the usa market RWD 3800

[tortron]

Too many hours for an old Ute really. But I'm stuck in the trap of being able to fix pretty much anything so it always seems like a good idea.
Yup that's my 51 Morris minor, there's a small thread in the other projects thread.
About to strip the ecotec down. So I'll take a bunch of photos

[tortron]

Had a look at the ecotec last night.
Plugs out - a bit sooty but tan electrodes, probably from its last drive under the engine hoist. Some oil on the threads, but the rockers have been leaking.

Under the rockers
No sludge, it looks like it's always had regular oil changes. Good to see.

Inside the plenum
Some oil, I think it's a typical amount for an ecotec. I may run a catch can anyway.

Oil in sump
About due for a change but no sign of metal or coolant

Compression test
Engine is on the dolly, so I just did a cold test to get an idea if there's any major issues. About 160psi on all cylinders with my rubber bung type tester, it will be higher than that because it's quite hard to hold it in and touch a wire to the two terminals on the starter at the same time .....


Anyway. Very happy with that. I was going to pull the heads off and port them, but I might just leave that for now. IL change out the intake and rocker gaskets and the sump and crank gaskets while the engine is out, everything else looks good

[geezer101]

Ecotec sounds viable. Nothing worse than getting all pumped up and then finding a couple of rude surprises.

[tortron]

And to go with the few extra hp
A few extra brake pistons
21785

For those playing at home
These are 2nd gen knuckles (same truck I got my diff from)
With front calipers for a 1997 Mitsubishi Montero sport 2.4L L4
I just bought some refurb units instead of pulling some at a junkyard yard (none around right now plus I'd rebuild them anyway. This saves me a few hours cleaning) so I'll take the hit on no core to return. Better option than the reproduction ones I see I think

[tortron]

I gave my original 14" rim away a few weeks ago so can't try it on for size. But this is how much clearance there is on my 15s
21786

[tortron]

https://youtu.be/9ht148sccec

Got some Deutsche connectors today so I wired up a proper sub loom for the bumper lights and the grill indicators.

[geezer101]

DEEEE-MOOOONNEEETTISSEEEEEDDDD!!!?!?!? Youtube's algorithm is going to drill you for having the audio in the background dude. Delete it and re-upload without audio or they will ban your user account :rolleyes:

[tortron]

Shh don't let them know

[tortron]

Heading out of summer now and I can't put up with water running down the loom into the fuse box any more. Running the loom through the fresh air vent and firewall is possibly the dumbest thing possible, it would have been less work to just cut the body loom hole bigger or even better run it under the guard. But I digress.

Removed pretty much all the useless wires a few weeks back. This left me with only 10 or so to depin and feed back into the cab. Pretty easy

https://i.imgur.com/5nY6wxEl.jpg
Opted to cut and rejoin the main power feed as it split off into a lot of places.

That left me with a roughly circular hole
https://i.imgur.com/7Dgsahel.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wwOarH4l.jpg
So I cut a roughly circular patch of 2mm sheet and welded it in

https://i.imgur.com/IRMHRWfl.jpg
And then painted inside and out

Then fed the loom back into the bay with the rest of the wires. Taped most of it back up out of the way
https://i.imgur.com/REpa4IMl.jpg

Not going to put much effort into this loom as I'm going to pull the while lot out and do it properly. Just enough to keep my sanity and not burn the truck down

[geezer101]

Wiring looks like what's going on with my truck atm. Like I've said before, not the nicest job to tackle but if it means rock solid electrics then it's worth the effort.

[xboxrox]

Hi tortron -- your post #202 mentions better gas mileage with cooler engine -- I experienced better gas mileage & more power last week going up over the Koolau Mountains (Westbound) on the H3 freeway here on Oahu... We been getting some 60F degree weather and my truck likes it once the engine is warmed up... In the 60F it was the first time the truck made it over the mountains in 4th gear; usually need 3rd gear... Not sure if it was my wife's 1st time ever using a gas pump or the cold weather but mileage went from 18 1/2MPG to 23MPG in the colder temps...

MightyRam50 members should have an annual meeting in Australia :)

edit: Do you have a link to your YouTube vids..?

[geezer101]

Hi tortron -- your post #202 mentions better gas mileage with cooler engine -- I experienced better gas mileage & more power last week going up over the Koolau Mountains (Westbound) on the H3 freeway here on Oahu... We been getting some 60F degree weather and my truck likes it once the engine is warmed up... In the 60F it was the first time the truck made it over the mountains in 4th gear; usually need 3rd gear... Not sure if it was my wife's 1st time ever using a gas pump or the cold weather but mileage went from 18 1/2MPG to 23MPG in the colder temps...

MightyRam50 members should have an annual meeting in Australia :)

edit: Do you have a link to your YouTube vids..?

Been as hot as hell here in Adelaide lol. I think there has been maybe 2 members that have joined from South Aust but they haven't been active for a very long time so there isn't going to be much of a meeting (the added bonus of my truck still being a work in progress will go a long way on that endeavour too) The cool definitely impacts on performance both in economy and power.

[tortron]

100% on the cooler air.
After I plugged all the above wires back in I went on a parts run. Nothing like a deadline to get stuff out back together.
https://i.imgur.com/nDkCYExl.jpg
This is an early VN commodore Buick V6. They still have the thermostat on the back of the engine and bodged together steam pipe modified fwd to rwd exhaust manifolds.

This one was pulled to go in an ldv van. But having pulled the engine with a fork hoist the guy forgot about the bump going into the shed....


https://i.imgur.com/qcAHU4ch.jpg

Yup it fell right off the forks. It was promptly dumped at the back of the shed, and a whole Vs commodore bought for $200.

Smashed a rocker cover, the belt tensioner and the tail housing on the trans. That could all be replaced fairly easily but I don't want any of that.
I'm just after the steel sump so I can put one back on my current engine when I swap the modified one onto the the ecotec.
This also has a steel flexplate cover which I may keep as the ecotec has a thin plastic one.
There's also the engine loom and body loom from a layer car and ECU which can go in my spares incase I need to extend some wires.
Should be able to pass on the engine and box to someone, or part it out

[xboxrox]

It's still summer for the Southern half of the globe, I guess (?) HOT HUH..? tortron's photos are blue sky & sunshine too... I'm a physical wuss, good thing I ended up in Hawaii or the cold/hot would have done me in already... I don't envy having bunches of work, even for a truck; I'm more lazy... Just driving the stick shift with a low powered vehicle is work enough for me... Hawaii has smaller n' congested streets with many 25MPH sections, so it's feasible driving the Ram50... More later "IF" I get something fun to say... Keep cool & don't work too hard guys...

[tortron]

Cool enough to stand to be in overalls today

https://i.imgur.com/UXewkW3l.jpg

This is rusty

https://i.imgur.com/9V8tG7Ml.jpg

It's got crappy weld new panels in over rust repairs

So I cut it out

https://i.imgur.com/5e3BvQul.jpg

Unstitched all the welds and cut out the spotwelds. Was just going to cut out the corner edge and replace that, but realised I didn't really want to spend the time to stitch a long strip into a big flat panel. Also the panel being a wheelwell in a wellside is full of small dings. Also it's pretty thin steel. Decided it would be best to make a new one out of 2mm sheet. Pretty quick, hardest part was getting enough leverage on my bender as I'm yet to make a proper handle.



Anyway

New one*

https://i.imgur.com/2CEXuKAl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3oq64DJl.jpg

Sits in place without any help which is usually a good sign.

Now to do everything else.

[tortron]

Another weekend, another tetanus shot
https://i.imgur.com/x80DKGEl.jpg

Trying to avoid long narrow patches like this, better to reproduce an entire panel where possible to avoid warping and it's usually less work in the end. But no pocket money for a bead roller this time around. Just need to copy the rear section of the wheel well and this side is done!
Have already made up the strengthening sections months ago.
Not sure what I will do about those tie down bars. I might alter them and put some inner panels so I don't damage the bed sides with a load of gravel

[tortron]

And another slightly more in-depth one
https://i.imgur.com/djoGC5Gl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bCBDGhtl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Pgn94eGl.jpg

The outside edge needs to come to a point in the middle to match the lines of the bed side

[tortron]

All stitched up and plugged together. Finding a few small pinholes, some previously tacked closed, and a few old patches. Explains some of the slight fettling required to get everything to fit flat to each other. But that's ok.

Attached some of the wheel well enforcement's. Decided to drill some drain holes in them all. This will let me fill it with paint and chassis wax later. Also some in the smaller sections for the same reason and also to access the inside of the tie down bars. Need to pick up a few meters of 1" tube to replace the two rear ones (rusted out where they meet the wheel well, caused by those supports) have decided to keep them as they won't be in the way of my future plans. So will need to punch a hole in my new rear patch and weld the pipe before the re-enforcement can go back on.

https://i.imgur.com/JcJdgNHl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AVw4GdEl.jpg
Nice and ridged again.

[geezer101]

It'll be solid as a rock - freaking awesome :grin:

[tortron]

Each year on Easter long weekend I do some rust repairs (firewall, a pillars etc).
This year I didn't, instead I went and bought another rusted out Morris minor.
Unfortunately I still have rust to repair on this cab......
Foolishly I had it in my mind that it's just the sill, no worries.

Nope, more 3 layer mitsi rust.
22402
22403
22401

Looks like I have some hedgehogs to evict...

22404
Have to cut some sections of the lower door frame out to get access.

22405
22405

This is the most of it cut out
22406

Its pretty extensive. Also today I learned that the front cab mounts are 3 layered. Guess which one is rusted through...

There's some crusty repairs in there, so il tidy up what I can. Not too worried about how the floor looks inside but il make it solid again. To get access to the inner layer of the cab mount I have to either cut out the footwell floor, or unstitch the thicker underside plate. I don't have time to do either right now, so I'm going to leave a nice flange on my patch to tie into when I do. (I'm probably going to have to take the cab off as there's rust in one of the rear ones too.)
Otherwise there's several inner sill sections that need totally remaking.
Coffee break now, into the fab soon

[tortron]

22410
22411
22412

Ground out all the blobs
Made a new inner piece
Made a new upper sill section
Reattached the bit of sill I cut out.

Have also reattached the bit of lower hinge panel I cut out.

Need to now make up the step down bit of sill that goes at the front, reattach the section of door frame I removed. Make up some bits to replace the rusted out bits of door frame I have removed

[tortron]

Oh yah, it doesn't stop there

22654
22655
22656

Mulling over my plan of attack on reproducing that panel

[geezer101]

Look dude, you just need to scrub this whole thing out and start from scratch. The hidden rust in your truck is frightening. If you had the time, an English wheel, an air hammer and some custom steel press dies I think you could conjure up some mad sheet metal magic. That aside, the combo of your determination and what you've done to tidy it up is inspiring and awesome :thumbup:

[tortron]

Can't be too much hiding right!? At least none of my repairs have turned bad (and will probably outlast the original steel)
Can alway throw a vintage body on the chassis

[tortron]

Funny you mention the press. I have a plan cooking already....
Need to check if the front are the same as the rear, they are slightly lopsided so left and right are a little different.
I may tweek the design a little to a symmetrical middle ground and pump a few out, I don't see any available but have seen several trucks rusted out in the same area
(My drains were totally blocked be sure to check yours guys)

[tortron]

22663

Oops forgot the bushing, but you get the idea

[tortron]

2269722698
Not totally embarrassed to show the finished product. Not bothering to finish the surface any further, but it's under the truck and getting covered in sealant I guess. All the key points are where they need to be. Will drill the hole and trim the bottom edge once on the truck

[geezer101]

Really damned good for hand forming. I'd be happy if was able to pull that kind of work off in my garage...

[tortron]

So. Small issue
22703
This is not the floor. This is the inside cab mount doubler plate. The floor here is totally gone.

22704
Just 2 spot welds and some tar holding this corner to the chassis.
22705
No good, more and more fell off it as I handled it. Have to make a new one.

So i made a dimple die
22706
I needed 15mm thickness. I have 5mm flat bar and a welder.
I also don't have a lathe, I did unspeakable things to my drill press and bench grinder. Some 17mm ply made the female side.
22707
I then put in the small ridge with the edge of some 5mm flat and my bench vice, and bent up the edges. Will trim to fit later on

[tortron]

This is why it's a rust trap
22709
22710
22711

If anyone knows if the floor section is more than just a flat piece with a dimple for the mount please let me know

[pennyman1]

I have a set of rear corners cut out of a clean truck - I will look and let you know

[tortron]

Thats alright, postage down here can be a pain. Im finished one side now along with new sill, and am in no hurry to get into the other side just yet. Am working out of the city now and there is zero parking anyway, so am getting a small motorcycle (because thats a great idea for winter right).

can knock up a side in a weekend now i have made all the tools up

[pennyman1]

I didn't think you wanted them, I was just offering to look for the shape of the floor around the mounts...

[tortron]

Oh yes, that would be helpful

[tortron]

Got to work away from home for the rest of the year. So instead of making or patching the sills I bought new ones from a bloke in the South Island
22859

He makes 2nd gen ones too. Will mate them up to my originals and check how good they are

[tortron]

Ended up cuttting the whole sill off

Very wierd. I guess it has been replaced before?
23245
23246

Have now repaired the inner sill at the rear mount, and gone ahead and cut out the corner and part of the cab back/floor. It's just garbage previous repairs

23247

Most of it is coated with this tar sealant junk which keeps setting alight and is pretty hard to remove. Just let it burn to the ground I think


Anyway. Floor is now in and I can line up the mounts and git er dun

[geezer101]

Yikes. It doesn't get any prettier... Lemme guess - you're going to fab an entire replacement cab by hand next? I ran into a really bad 1st Gen cab at the UPI I scavenge parts from. If your truck never had any previous patchwork repairs done to it, I think it would've looked as bad as the cancerous wreck I pulled the windscreen out of. Awesome work dude :thumbup:

[tortron]

Fortunately there's so many old repairs to the floor and bottom back of the cab that I don't have to try to hard to blend it in. Reeeeeaaaaaalllyyy want to finish this and do some work on my minors

[dash]

fab skills and persistence. Wow! Keep that up, you're gonna wind up like this dude:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww6rDfGeJZI

[tortron]

Hell of a job getting it all back in. But I'm making progress now
23252
23253
23254
23255