So I got my self a truck. I wanted something more unique so I came across this Hilux. Its mostly going to be a grocery getter and to put put around town. But I want to ride in style so I'm going to customize it a bit and put some of my flavor on it. This is what it looks as of right now.


I have installed new shifter bushings my self and have taken out the dash board will up load more pics of that over the weekend. I had a mechanic rebuild the carb and install msd ignition sparks and coils. I could of done the sparks and coils my self but the carb rebuilt I can not, never done one before. And the truck was running really rough so I had him do all at once. I get it back on Friday and I will be able to know the difference in engine smoothness. Next on the build is going to be the steering box and tie rods. This has no power steering and I'm going to keep that way. Keeps people from wanting to barrow it and pisses of the valet guys. Lol.

I will also be talking to some paint shops about painting it. There is no rust on it but the paint is defiantly faded, I might just go to a detail shop an have them puff the life back into it. Depending on how much the painting is going to cost me. Also I have a bad dent in the driver door that needs to be fixed.


I the bed liner I want to spray that inner liner that protects the bed from scratches and dings. The rust that is there is just surface rust. I don't know what I'm going to do with the interior just yet, colors and schemes. The dash is going to be baby blue, the carpet as well. The seats are worn out and the passenger seat does not want to stay up right any more. When I slam on the breaks the seat come forward and it sits all cockeyed. So I'm thinking what would be financially better, to re do the seats to mach the dash board and interior colors or get these?

I will go some upholstery places this weekend for price quotes. I'm thinking if I bring them the fabric and they just rebuild the seats and wrap them. I'm also going to drop it I want a lowered comfortable ride no bouncy bouncy. I have been reading a lot of people have going with the mighty max springs and Tokico HE3346 Trekmaster Shock for the front and 3" block in the rear with middle leaf removed. Once I get it on the lift this Sat I will make up my mind exactly how low I want to go and if this is what I want. I want to add these wheels and tires on it.


I just need to figure out how tall the whole wheel is going to be so I have room to lower it 2.5", I don't want to be rubbing the whole time or when i turn my wheel. So stay tuned I will upload some designs of what I'm envisioning this truck to be.

POST EDIT
All the early picture links are broken. I have changed the hosting website in the later posts. Here is a picture of what I started with and where im now. This is still and on going project.

 

Sounds like a you have a good idea of what you want to do. Looking forward to seeing progress on another one of these.

 

This might help you with the tires.

https://tiresize.com/

 

Thanks Fred Heath. I would like to know what type of rims I got in the rear, they are plain black regular rims. I don't know what they are called so I cant search for them. I will take a better picture if later today. Cause I'm thinking I could use those instead of the new white ones, it will save me a $$. And I think I can find the a hub cap the just covers the lug nuts. It will be the same look, I just re use my old rims.

 

Your truck came with 14" wheels. 114.3 mm x 5 lug.
Many aftermarket wheels available. Or keep your factory wheels, and get some nice hubcaps.
I used a set of 14" stainless steel hubcaps from a 1969 Mercedes 220. Gives a real retro look.

 

Ok so a little update. I have gotten the carburetor rebuilt, the engine and transmission mounts changed, new plugs, wires, distributor rotor and cap. Since the old one was not in good shape and the car was running really bad and super rich. And got MSD ignition installed. I had to take it to a mechanic to rebuilt the carburetor, I'm not familiar with type of carburetor and I did not want to play the guessing game to make the car run smooth, so I took it to a professional and had him install the ignition, plugs, wires and rotor/cap. To be able to tune the car and make it run smooth.

Unfortunately he is playing the guessing game, apparently the ignition system is taking him for a ride. So i'm going to tell you guys the symptoms so maybe you guys can shine some light on it for me. So the first time i got the truck back, it had no power I mean I could not make it over an over pass. It would stall at lights and when you gave it gas it stutter and stall. Drove right back to the shop did not make it past 2 blocks. Left it there for 1 day, came back to pick it up was running fine great idle, no stutter, no stall and a small power increase. Not as peppy as it was in the beginning but definitely an improvement. Drove it home, drove it to work the next day, drove it to lunch running the same as when I left the mechanic shop. Thursday night wanted to go home from the office the truck wont start. It cranks over fine so I tried it for a while and nothing. I stooped trying when I can smell the gas coming from the carburetor. I thought I flooded the engine so if I come back the next morning it should be fine.

Long story short, Sat I pulled the plugs dried them, recharged the battery at pep boys and tried it again. Same symptoms engine cranks no start. Push start, still no start not even a stutter or any noise just nothing. I did not check for a spark at the plug, even tho the light on the msd box lights up red when the engine is cranked. To be honest I was scared to hold the spark plug in hand while the engine is cranked. I read that msd boxes putout like 500 volts or something like that.


Any ideas, cause at this point I think the mechanic cant figure it out and I dont want to tell him to go back to the stock ignition. I might have to revert back to stock just till I can get it running and then I can start fiddling with it my self.

 

A little update from my last update. I took it back to the mechanic and explained the symptoms gave him some time to play with it and test it out. The mechanic returned and said that the ignition control module is faulty and needs to be replaced. Which would not be a bad idea, but since those are impossible to get and if I do get one is $500. This is a very bad idea. At the moment the car is just sitting in his garage. I can not find an ICM any where in the states. If some one knows of one please let me know.


I would like some help from people that have worked on these trucks before. Do these modules go bad?
Also I have an MSD ignition box with coil installed. Can this box bypass the ICM? Can I purchase and after market ICM or a by pass?

 

Rare to find one without rust...where are you located? Cranking looking ride!!

 

@itsivxx Thanks I like it to but this not starting issue is killing me. I live in LA.

 

If your truck is a 1978 it has the fully transistorized ignition.
What you refer to as the ignition control module is actually known as an "igniter".
They usually don't go bad. They are very delicate in terms of voltage and polarity.
Did you have the same symptoms prior to the msd install? If not, the process of install may have shorted something out.
I've never installed the msd unit, so I'm not sure what's involved.
Igniters are hard to find, and sell for about $250.00 new.
My suggestion is click on the "DUI" web site.
They make a complete HEI setup (including new distributor). It sells for about $350.00 and does away with the complete Toyota factory setup. Much better performance too.

 

Fred. I did not have this issue before the install of the MSD. When I installed the MSD I also did installed a new distributor, rotor and cap.

And yes the MSD might have shortened out the ICM/igniter. This is why I kind of want to by pass it. I would like to use the MSD set up. These set ups are much more powerful then the 40 year old technology I have on that truck.

 

When i owned a 89 pickup 4x4 with efi, i was looking to install an msd setup to fix what i thougt was a ignition problem. I did have to by an additional part that replaced the igniter, but i dnt recall the part #. If anything maybe call msd and ask or even LCEngineering and ask what would be a way to replace the igniter..

 

I'm not sure I'm following your thought process. Some questions:
Does the MSD system require the use of the factory coil and Igniter? If not, you should be able to delete it completely, and use the coil designed for your MSD system.
Does your MSD system leave the vacuum advance unit operational? Your lack of power upon acceleration sounds like a timing related issue.
Again, keep in mind I've never worked with the MSD unit.
As far as durability and power goes you can't beat the DUI unit. The spark is so hot you actually have to increase you plug gap to .050. The other nice thing is you get a completely new distributor custom designed for your engine that uses over the counter GM HEI replacement parts.

 

Fred. The MSD was installed by the mechanic. But after the second time of going back there and it still did not work correctly he went back to stock. He found a new igniter and reset the whole set up to stock. The MSD is there just not set up. I needed to get the truck back it sit there for 2 months, obviously he could not figure it out. So safe to say im not going back there any more.

Im going to address the MSD problem at a different time. I would like to derive it around for a while and do the other things I have plans for it. But at the moment I have an engine bay full of oil cause the distributor/rotor bolt fell out last night while I was driving and it squirt oil all over the place. Now I need to find another bolt, reset the timing and bolt it down.

The fun of owning a 40 year old truck.

 

I had some time to work on the truck this weekend. I was able to get my hands on a timing light to adjust the timing, and the carb.

After wards when I got got home I did a little work on the dash board. I filled in all the major wholes with bando and next weekend I will be sanding it all down and making it nice and smooth.

I'm not sure if I will use the plastic cover of wrap it in fabric. I have not made up my mind of how the interior is going to look like. So I'm prepping stuff till I pick out the colors and look of it.

 

you know they make replacement dash covers, right?

 

@Perkolator Yes I know and I purchased one, but I'm not really happy whit the way it looks. It looks plastic and cheap also, all and I do mean ALL upholstery place I went too have said that they peel and come off after a short time due to the California sun. So I'm preparing for the worst.

 

I hope this turns out well, I will be doing my 78 dash also

 

A little bit of an update, I did the window tint and painted the front grill this weekend.

Supplies i used and the tint I bought form auto zone for $30. I used a %5 on the rear glass and %25 on the side windows.



Masked on and ready to paint.


Now your probably asking, to why did he not remove the grill its only a couple of screws. Well that is a very good question and I would ask some one else the same question. Until I unscrewed all of the screws from the clips that hold the grill in place and find out that the corners of the grill are screwed in bondoed and painted on top by the previous owner. He was a body shop guy so he screwed and patched the grill to stay on.

Its kind of difficult to see here. I cracked the paint and bondo to see for my self and this is in all 4 corners. So I would of had to break the bondo, drill the screw out ,remove the bumper and paint and then reapply all of the bond and paint in white. Waaaayyyy to much work, just to paint the front black. So I masked it and painted.

 

Looks alot better blacked out