In over my head since '89

Discussion in 'Pre-1975 Build-Up/Project Threads' started by VolksYota, May 14, 2015.

  1. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Ok so I picked this thing up before I even had my license and now here I am 11 years later and it still hasn't made it on the road. Its an 89 Toyota Pickup, base model I believe with the 22r, carbureted, manual 4 speed. Bought it after it had been in a front end wreck and the previous owner had splices in a new front clip but never finished the reassembly. It was an innocent enough plan in the beginning, reassemble and drive it as a first car type beater. Then i found a Mini Truckin magazine. So I had all these ideas and my dad is an accomplished body work man so he signed on to make more of a project of this truck and it began. We started shaving everything in sight and ordering lowering parts and body filler panels. After some time life got in the way and work slowed down. It sat and collected dust for a while and at some point my old man made a 'deal' with a guy he knew to take care of the majority of mechanical and reassembly work to make the truck roll properly so we could then spray it up and be done with it. Well, that guy was a drunken degenerate who didn't do a damn thing to the truck and it was returned to me in worse condition than when it was sent to him. So the bastard truck went back into the garage to collect some more dust and occasionally get a little attention here and there but the task at hand was so overwhelming at that point I certainly didn't have much motivation to put time in. Time went by, we got it back together so it at least rolled on all fours. And then, last summer my dad sold his house, so we had to scramble to get the thing more assembled and remove it from the garage by the end of last summer. Body work got completed and it got a coat of paint. Toyota Voodoo Blue. And well, I drove the bastard around the corner to my grandmother's place where it has been garaged since. So since the winter finally wrapped up here in Buffalo, I've been spending my weekends wrenching on it and spending my dollars ordering parts for it.

    Here are our mods so far.
    Shaved: handles, antenna, gas door, tail lights, windshield sprayer
    Led Taillight roll pan
    Licence plate slot rear window
    Rear 3'' lowering blocks
    Rear end fully broke down, cleaned up and re-sprayed
    Engine Bay re-spray
    Some de-smogging
    Fuel pump and fuel line replacements
    Rear brake lines and components, drums
    Radiator replaced

    To do:
    Front end steering/suspension components
    Drop spindles, Bj flip, hardware & bushing replacement
    Free up and adjust torsion (maybe)
    Door popper system install
    Radio install
    Wire taillights and lp light
    Replace missing front signal/running lamp sockets
    LCE carb conversion kit
    Aftermarket Air cleaner
    Mount 16'' gloss black Highlander steelies

    Moar low:
    Lowering control arms
    Lowering Leafs

    Attached pictures are how the truck is currently looking
    :brickknock::brickknock::brickknock::brickknock::brickknock::brickknock:
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Da_Roach

    Da_Roach Toyotaholic

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    Glad to see you stick with it. The color looks great and the bed mods are killer. What about the interior?
     
  3. slacker

    slacker Addict

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    looks cool .. nice work so far


    .
     
  4. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    Slowly but surely youl get there bro. Its looking good
     
  5. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Thanks Gents!

    The seats are out of a Mercedes! Early 90's I believe, I grabbed 'em from a u-pull junkyard. They are blue cloth and have a few manual adjustments and have some cool character. Jammed in-between em is a 'clutter catcher' probably from Walmart haha. I still have the vinyl floor down and would like to maybe grab an aftermarket steering wheel if I decide its worth my while.
     
  6. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    A few oldies I tried to post a while back.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
     
    Erwin Merida likes this.
  7. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Some progress shots from over summer and how its sitting today. Just registered for the first time in my 11 years owning the truck a few weeks ago. Recent work has included installing drop spindles, BJ flip, tie rod replacement, radio install, tail lights, license plate and reverse light install and some other things here and there. Photos are in chronological order

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    One side spindle installed. The lean was fun
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    ^as of tonight. Drop all installed, new front shocks too.
     
  8. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Interior
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Erwin Merida likes this.
  9. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Slowly been picking away at it through the winter up here. Once I parked it for the winter I started tearing into the truck with the gas tank, which I realized was not sealed off at the top ring where the feed lines go in thanks to rust. So I ripped it out and am planning to make a fuel cell out of a keg and strap it into the bed! Next up I ordered the 3/4 DJM LCA and block kit to get lower than I have been. Keep in mind that this is a truck thats been in Buffalo for the majority of its life so there has been a lot of swearing, torching and cutting nuts and bolts to get them to move or come off. Oh and of course some snapping off of bolts (sway bar). So as of yesterday I've got both the cower control arms off the truck, both torsion bars and the sway bar. They all put up a hell of a fight.
     
  10. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Just realized I created this thread in the wrong category. Somehow its in pre-1975 build up threads. No sure how I made that mistake. Can a moderator push this to the appropriate place being that my truck is an 89?
     
  11. TRUCK ACTION

    TRUCK ACTION Grand Toyotaholic

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  12. nottoshabi

    nottoshabi Enthusiast

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    Sweet truck dude. Love the bed mods. What did you use to lower the front? I have a 78 and want to drop the front and looking for parts that would work. Did you have to do a lot of adjusting to the seats to make them fit?
     
  13. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Thanks for the nice words! The front as seen in the pictures above where the truck is together has drop spindles and a ball joint flip. I'm currently in the process of installing 3'' drop DJM lower control arms and will be swapping out my rear blocks to a larger 4'' block. Once those are installed I'll see how it sits and maybe mess with the rear springs.
    The seats needed some creative brackets and a couple new holes in the floor for nuts and bolts. They got thrown in kind of quickly when the truck had to be moved a little while back.
     
  14. Da_Roach

    Da_Roach Toyotaholic

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    Great build. If you need new torsion bar bolts I have some used clean bolts with nuts.
     
  15. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Thanks but I already bought a new set from the dealer :/ thankfully they were only about $6 each
     
  16. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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  17. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Finally back on all fours with new LCAs installed and "4 inch drop" blocks installed out back. I can't stand how high the back is haha. I'm considering how to get it lower.. Mono-leaf? remove the middle leaf and leave the upper and overload in? I've considered picking up a set of drop leafs but I'd prefer not to drop another $200 right now - thats supposed to go towards wheels!

    Front now has BJ flip, 2'' drop spindles and 3'' drop lower control arms.
    Rear is just the 4" blocks. Regular Napa gas all around. Any advice on how I can dump the back end? And how soon am I going to run into frame clearance issues back there?

    Gameplan - 15x8 ET -19
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Frinzo

    Frinzo Toyotaholic

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    I want those same rims! Except i want 16x7. To drop even more in the rear for no cost, mono the leaf. But if u hual any real weight u will bottum out on frame. How much room can u lower before sitting on frame? Going any lower then i think 5" and u will need to notch frame. Something to think about..
     
  19. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    Dont go the monoleaf route. Just pull the middle leaf. Last thing you need is for that single leaf to snap in half

    Measure how much space you have between the frame and u bolts. Pulling the middle leaf youll probably have little to no room before bottoming out
     
  20. VolksYota

    VolksYota Member

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    Spent a little time messing with the rear end tonight and pulled the middle leaf so its now on the top leaf and overload and I think it got me to roughly my target height for the time being. From what I've read people say to pull the middle leaf and flip the overload when re-installing so its upside down? Also i didn't pay attention when removing and I'm not sure if the longer end of the overload is supposed to be in the front or back? (longer end based on the hole for the bolt in the middle) I also acquired my new gas tank the other day... to be mounted in the bed. I had to finish up quickly but I'll measure my frame clearance tomorrow
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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