After having a few (410/413) ZUks over the years (including a coil sprung 410) then a Escudo i've decided i wanted to get back into a SJ.
I'd always been impressed with a friend of mines SJ413 LWB Ute which had been fitted with a Toyota 1NT Turbo Diesel engine, 32x9.5" Swampers a set of Calmini Transfercase gears and a Lockrite in the rear. That thing went pretty much anywhere he pointed it!
There not that many built LWB Zuks about compared to SWB's so a plan was hatched.
I wanted a street legel SJ413 LWB Ute.
I Picked up this 410 on Tademe - It has some bad points: Its a 410 so smaller CV's, Different chassis to a 413, Not registered. It did have one MAJOR good point.. It has a full fibreglass cab!! No more rust.. EVER
I started collecting bits for it which included some live plates off another truck (which i still have) and also went halfs in a SWB 413 - I wanted to use the 413 running gear. After i picked the truck up it sat for awhile - (Buying a house got in the way of its progress)
Not very long after i'd moved to the new place i noticed another Zuk ute up for sale. This one had a current WOF and rego and was bone stock, so i raced up north and grabbed it - it will be a lot less dicking around at the end of the day and a lot less work.
So heres what i'm after.
SJ413 LWB Ute
1600 16Valve EFI Escudo Engine
External cage, Bullbar, sidebars etc
Rear locker - Lockrite or perhaps Airlocker?..
Rear mounted winch
31" Silverstones - I already have these
Cut the front gaurds for clearance
Powersteering
Rear tipper tray??
Rear disc brakes
and a few other bits'n pieces
First things first the WOF was due in a month and the was some rust in the top of the passenger side A piller and also the front gaurds had rust around the bottom edge where they all go. Didnt look to bad until i started cutting it out.
Once the rust was fixed it sprayed it with primer paint. Also added a logo from another brand of vehicle which i think looks good - Who can guess whats its off??!!
Now for the very first MOD!
The motor and gearbox were noisey and the engine used more oil than fuel. No matter though i had a spare one of each in my spare parts deptment
They had been sitting in a wheel barrow for around 18 months but not long before that i rebuilt them both so i knew they were in good nick.
In they went during a long weekend - much nicer to drive on the road now for which i did for a few weeks... and so quite;-)
The fuel gauge had been playing (not reading all the time) and the utes dont come with a rev counter.. Gotta hav a rev counter
I have a spare speedo cluster in my spare parts department (my shed) so i removed the old and put in the new - 100% plug n play - I now a rev counter and a working fuel gauge - Though my milage did instantly increase by 5000Ks
WOF time - It failed but only on one thing
It seems the rear wheel bearing had almost collasped. Had about 10mm of play at the wheel - odd because it wasnt noisey and no oil leaks.
But worse was to come... When the WOF man started the truck it was running on 3 cylinders and puffing out large clouds of steam out the exhaust also the smell of Antifreeze was apparent. ARSE! That 18 months of sitting in a wheelbarrow probably didnt do it much good it would seem:-(
Its still drivable and the engine still runs on 4 ok when cold but once up to operating temp it runs on 3 at idle. Oh well that means the engine swap will have to happen sooner rather than later.
With the rear wheel bearing needing replacment for the WOF i've decided to do the rear disc conversion now as the axles have to come out anyway.
Hows your buggy build coming along Dan 
