The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

Hey Ben!

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing your truck back up and running! I remember ratchet strapping your bedsides together in moab thinking "there's no way" but holy crap!

My hat is off to you. Nice Job!

 

So what exactly are you doing? Are you just taking the cab and bed portion off your truck and putting the 2wd cab and bed on your frame? So your whole front end including your engine is staying on yours?

 

Ya dude! That strap is still on there too lol!!

was pretty grim there for a while..

but thanks man! hoping to still do a CO trip too.

correct. Im literally swaping the cab and bed on to my frame that will still have my armor and drive train in it. And i have to swap in my interior too and such cause we figured it was better to do that since we knew mine works and we weren't sure of the new one.

 

Drop us a line in the CO BS thread when you do and we'll hit a trail or two when you're in town. Other than the bed, body, and rear bumper, are you doing anything else while you have it all apart?

 

will do man!

And yes, i bought Tim's Skyjacker leaf packs too ill put in. Also on the new cab on the driver side, the fire wall in the wheel well is rusted through..so looks like ill be tubing the wells too..Darn! so that'll be nice. No more rubbing!

And id like to bed line the new bed too..was considering doing the entire bed sides too..and the hood.

 

I was thinking about that too..

then id skip out on the carpet on the floor board tho i think.

 

+1

Even if you coming to CO isn't all about helping me swap my front end (no homo), I'd still like to meet you and hang out (no homo) and do some camping.

 

Oh for sure man! ill stop by to chill with you for sure. But id be glad to help out with something. Ill be sure to give ya a good heads up before i come down so you can try and get parts in line if ya really want to do it.

Yea honestly, it'll really just depend on how easy it is to take out and reinstall. If its a pain..its not going back in lol

 

When my friend did a complete restoration/build of his Scout, he put this rubbery type liner on the floor boards before putting the carpet in. It protected the metal, dampened the road noise down tremendously and also added a nice cushy feel under the carpet he laid over the top.

 

For sure. It might just be the motivation to do this once and for all.

 

ya no kidding! tho i thought i read you decided to do an 01-04 swap?

 

This is my third, and final, time reiterating this for you:

95-97 grille/headlights/etc

01-04 bumper/valence

 

yea there wasn't any in the new cab. Id transfer it over from my rolled cab.

ohhhhhh okay lol

well everytime i asked i never saw a reply! don't be me foo! lol

 

Damn, you're gonna be one busy SOB for the next month!

 

Yep. Pretty much haha

 

Long day with the truck.

Ripped out most the dash, all the stereo system, seats console and other shit. A lot of wires. The Radiator, anything bolted to the passenger wheel well, most of the driver side wheel well. The entire front of the truck as well. also clean up some rust that was on the new bodies battery tray and painted it.

I have some pics ill post later(So shutup Jon! lol) but i forgot my phone when we went back over dinner so i don't have total up to date photos.

And a big thanks to my dad!

 

dam dude! What a job. Can't wait to see pics. Poor taco is getting all sorts of ripped apart.

 

Ya dude..there is parts everywhere haha its crazy to look at it now..

 

Okay..major update time and photo time!



Bumper off.


Grill off..


guess were it went..


subs and seats coming out


No more thump or boom



Then..Guttin time!












Here is the new painted battery mount



And now for the problems..

As we work, i am starting to realize how bad of shape the body is in..well not really bad..but no where near as good as my rolled one..other then it being rolled ha

The driver side wheel well has a rusted out crack in it and the floor is in rough shape. Im definiatly going to have to bed line the floor.

Next big issue is the tranny...well more of the tunnel..and more of where the sticks go. Since this was a 5 lug body, the hole cut out is not big enough to take the main gear stick and the transfer case stick..So..gonna have to cut it out larger and do a tiny big of welding.

See..

This is smaller..


then this..


Oh well.

then there are a few differences in the bay area too. The Cruise control is missing a mount point as is my vaccum black box thing. All makes sense as this was most likely a 4 banger and a bit different.

All in all. Hoping to swap cabs tomorrow before my pops leaves. Then ill have to reassemble it all slowly the rest of the week by myself.

On a good note! Ordering my CVT Mt. Shasta RTT tomorrow too!