Checkerheads new project.

[shortylux]

folded up a main hoop.

[shortylux]

Progress is slow (mainly because I'm lazy).

Have welded an X in to the main hoop and mounted the hoop to the chassis (its just sitting there in the previous pics. Have a front hoop folded but not mounted.

Spent today hacking off the front control arm mounts as I need to lower them. Hopefully have something worth taking a photo of by the end of the week.

[Dirtydog]

Any Progress is better than no proggress (like me)

[shortylux]

Y'all should play this game, it's satisfying.

[klompy]

Been there done that all I got was black snot.

[shortylux]

Got some new bits from Warren at 4wdbits.co.nz so that I can progress some more. Progress will be very slow as I am still helping Benny out with his safari.

Warren at 4wdbits has been really helpful so far.

I looked at a few different brands and getting them from NZ, AUS and USA. In the end I decided that for the price, the service, the product and what I need from it, I could not go past the FOA shocks.

Also Paul from the V Dub shoppe was really helpful. If I had more coin or was planning on longer racing maybe I would have purchased Fox from him.

[shortylux]

So I bought these... (ex Big black)


So now this doesn't have a home...


So I bought a Camry one (to try and be cool like Madaz) and am trying to jam in down here...


(it sitting on the diff in this pic, less than ideal).
Yes, the power steer pulley is uncomfortably close to the chassis.
No, I have no idea where I'm actually going to run the belt. That's a latter problem. I may change out the water pump pulley to a smooth one and run the back side of the belt on it.
Yes, my bonnet is going to have a big ugly bulge. It could be even uglier than Genes.

[Dirtydog]

Carefull when it comes to cert, read up the rules about exhaust emissions etc.

but its certainly looking cool.

Oh yeah? Do you mean emissions in regard to the open cab?

I relised i didnt reply to this, but yea the whole open cab thing.

Dont think i read it properly though, as thinking about it having a piece that bolts on should be good enough, maybe i skimmed that post..

[shortylux]

Ordered some bits from the laser cutter.
If I'm as clever as I think I am I might have some rear shock mounts by the end of the weekend.

[shortylux]

Laser cutting worked out all right. Hoped I would have shocks mounted by the end of the weekend but it didn't happen. Pics later in the week when its closer to done.

[shortylux]

I have been playing the "where does stuff fit?" game.
How is it that I am building a LWB but have less room than the SWB I built?


Then I started on the cross brace in my roof. Had been putting this off.


First one in.


View from the inside (once the second bar was in)


Still trying to sort out my rear shock towers. Pics soon.

[shortylux]

Rear shock towers 90% done.

[shortylux]

Used a tig for the first time ever tonight. Had to butt weld two bits of ally pipe.
Looks more like I did it with a gas set than a tig. Might need some instruction/practice.

[shortylux]

Rear bumps are mounted. Started on Front ones but need to order two more bumps from 4wdbits.co.nz tomorrow. Also going to order some Simex as I need to sort out some clearance issues and much easier with the actual tyres.

Have started mounting Radiator and sussing out some electric fans.
Any one want to recommend some fans? Looking at these
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =603115984

Had pto sitting in place but found it wasn't quite going to work. Spent today sorting that out. Also looked at electric winch position and fuel tank options. Thought I was going to need a custom tank, but might just use the original tank in the original position.

Photos to come once I have some of this stuff cleaned up.

[shortylux]

Radiator and VX Commodore fans mounted (mostly, still some finishing to do).


You can also see the winch sitting in place and I forgot to take any pics with the rear bumps in, but you can kinda see the cans in the first pic.

Have found the position for front bump, haven't done passanger side or welded bracing etc yet.

[DMcCready]

Sweet project!! Did you fully weld up the roof where you cut for the cross braces? Did you rigid mount the cab? I have a ute project coming together in my head. Your exo has inspired me...

[shortylux]

Thanks.
The cross in the roof was born out of necessity. It would have looked ridiculous if I had sat it above the roof due to the main hoop being flush. The cross in the roof is stitch welded to the body. The whole exo is welded to the body and is mounted to the chassis with (steel encased)rubber bushes. I was considering solid mounting the body and may still go down that path as it would make certain things a lot easier. Probably try what I have first.

[turoa]

Keep up the brilliant work mate and don't stop posting. Its great reading a thread that hasn't been cluttered up with 10 pages of post whoring and has some decent tech in it

[rokhound]

^^^ what he said. Really looking the shizzle

[tomsoffroad]

^^^^^ X3 Nice work

[shortylux]

Thanks guys! Pretty stoked to come on here and get props from three people I hold in high regard. Definitely helps with the motivation.

Got the passenger front bump tacked in and tested. Worst case it clears the spring by about 4mm. Not ideal but am going to run with it for now and see if it needs changing. Will probably limit bump travel to 3" which will improve the clearance. (I ordered 2.5" bumps because it is a heavy truck so figured the diameter was important, not so worried about the 4" travel)

Tidied up a few bits in the fan shroud mount and drilled a few more holes.

Bolted the Simex on and found (as expected) that I needed to move the inter-cooler as it rubbed the left tyre at full lock/full bump. So cut the brackets on that and will revisit later. Also found that I need to trim the inner guards and Radiator support panel a whole lot more. I'm almost having the same headlight clearance issues that Jafa had, and my tyres are 5" smaller.

[shortylux]

Flipped the original tank mounts so that the fuel tank now sits on top of the chassis.


and braces welded on front bump cans.

[Madaz]

What size steel pipe did you end up making your front shock hoops out of?

[shortylux]

it's 1 inch Schedule 40 steam pipe. More bracing/welding to happen once I take the cab off.

[Madaz]

You can come make some up for me if you want...........

[shortylux]

Ha! Bit late to start your Taupo 1000 mods now.

[Madaz]

Nah, mods for next years winch comps, coming out of retirement

[shortylux]

Spent a bit of time staring at my truck trying to figure out where the throttle body, filter and snorkel were all going to run. Then started chopping.

Aluminium fabrication extraordinaire I am not.
I did make/modify this intake manifold to make my throttle body fit.


There was no gas for the tig so will weld it up when we get more. Also wanted a test fit first (truck is at home, tig is at work) and found it stuck through the bonnet an (excessively) unacceptable amount. Have cut and reshaped the end near throttle body so that the bonnet does not have to be cut wider than the factory bulge.


And I joined the roof to the main hoop properly.


On Monday I will be ordering a Green filter from Performance Mechanical in Taupo (Telexs on here), some tube and a bend or two and finally some silicone bends form good ol' Trademe.

[imsohi]

Progressing well Cab looking good.

[shortylux]

Massive lack of motivation this week. Hardly been in the garage.

Fitting an air filter into the engine bay was proving to be too hard basket. Suss'd out a solution sing a pod filter. Turns out neither Green filter nor K&N can supply an 89mm inlet pod filter (ok K&N had one but it was tiny) and I couldn't see the point in running a filter that had a smaller inlet than the throttle body. Back to the drawing board.
Started with a 2LT air box

Put 89mm inlet and outlet on it. Then did some measuring and hoping.
Ended up with this.





Have moded the glove box such that it is still 100% functional but I can also open it further when required and should be able to change/clean the filter without any disassembly. Worst case I will have to unbolt the glove box panel each time.