Xmas gifts to myself
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Xmas gifts to myself
So as a treat to myself i bought yet another sj, a 1990 samurai. A very clean body shell with some upgrades, all bolted together by a monkey it seems. So im working my way through it to make it half decent hence all the wanted ads!
When i first got it. It had plus 3" lift springs, some plus 5" shocks welded to the axle, standard brake hoses with extended brackets, lovely z bar. Also the back end has been made very well to create a built in tent, it all folds out but to be honest i hate it.
So im in the process of repairing a shortened lwb fibreglass rear roof.
Iv put standard springs on the front and took 2 leafs out of the pack on the rear. Iv also set the castor angles back to standard as someone bought the right spoa kit and welded it in but then welded some wedges in.
Replaced the super long shocks with some what look to be rough country plus 2s and re used the axle mount.
Fit some extended stainless brake hoses to all 4 brakes not just the rears and front passenger, like the previous owner.
All in all iv lowered it by about 4" and fit some spacers to help with the roll. It rides not too bad. Next to my other xmas purchase it looks massive! And thats 4" lower than it was. Stupid bumpers removed and mot time. Advisories on no front bumper and tyres. 13 month mot happy days
Just to see how it drove diff ratio wise, i fitted some 225/75/15 a/t i have on the blue sammy i got from Andyrew (still need to do some work on that, just not enough hours in the day) anyway there wasnt enough difference to warrant keeping them on.
Also the dizzy was vacuum fed from the carb, which sucks at idle, causing all sorts of havoc so its blanked off for the time being. Made a big difference.
So now iv replaced the z bar with a half hi steer but now need to sort the steering box issue. Thats pretty much it for now.
All done In between welding my vitara up for mot after saving it from the scrapyard for £150! A genuine 36k miles from new! It passed mot with one advisory on slight corrosion on underside (suspension components)
Will update as i go/remember
When i first got it. It had plus 3" lift springs, some plus 5" shocks welded to the axle, standard brake hoses with extended brackets, lovely z bar. Also the back end has been made very well to create a built in tent, it all folds out but to be honest i hate it.
So im in the process of repairing a shortened lwb fibreglass rear roof.
Iv put standard springs on the front and took 2 leafs out of the pack on the rear. Iv also set the castor angles back to standard as someone bought the right spoa kit and welded it in but then welded some wedges in.
Replaced the super long shocks with some what look to be rough country plus 2s and re used the axle mount.
Fit some extended stainless brake hoses to all 4 brakes not just the rears and front passenger, like the previous owner.
All in all iv lowered it by about 4" and fit some spacers to help with the roll. It rides not too bad. Next to my other xmas purchase it looks massive! And thats 4" lower than it was. Stupid bumpers removed and mot time. Advisories on no front bumper and tyres. 13 month mot happy days
Just to see how it drove diff ratio wise, i fitted some 225/75/15 a/t i have on the blue sammy i got from Andyrew (still need to do some work on that, just not enough hours in the day) anyway there wasnt enough difference to warrant keeping them on.
Also the dizzy was vacuum fed from the carb, which sucks at idle, causing all sorts of havoc so its blanked off for the time being. Made a big difference.
So now iv replaced the z bar with a half hi steer but now need to sort the steering box issue. Thats pretty much it for now.
All done In between welding my vitara up for mot after saving it from the scrapyard for £150! A genuine 36k miles from new! It passed mot with one advisory on slight corrosion on underside (suspension components)
Will update as i go/remember
Last edited by d_r_1989 on Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
- timwilks13
- SCUK Website Padawan
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:55 am
- Location: Scarborough, soon to be Poland
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Excellent christmas presents to yourself! Progress looks really good, interested to see how much further you get with these. The dizzy is meant to have that vacuum pipe as it adjusts the vac advance at higher revs, sound like it might just need a good tune and timing check?
1986 SJ410 - Furry dice, new window winder.
10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who dont.
if you can read this you're too close to the monitor, sit back and save your eyes!!
My build, formally Trotters build.
10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who dont.
if you can read this you're too close to the monitor, sit back and save your eyes!!
My build, formally Trotters build.
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Updated with a couple pics of welding, please dont laugh!
Forgot to mention the sj is on an su carb and was pulling advance at idle. I need to move the nipple to the non vacuum side of throttle butterfly then reconnect vacuum advance
Forgot to mention the sj is on an su carb and was pulling advance at idle. I need to move the nipple to the non vacuum side of throttle butterfly then reconnect vacuum advance
- Rabid Rhino
- Engaged 4wd low
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:53 pm
- Location: New York, USA
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Nice roof lights. What brand ? anus Liberty ?
Can you post some pics of the rear & how they mount.
Can you post some pics of the rear & how they mount.
- timwilks13
- SCUK Website Padawan
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:55 am
- Location: Scarborough, soon to be Poland
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Forgot the swear filter was still active
J e e p Liberty...
J e e p Liberty...
1986 SJ410 - Furry dice, new window winder.
10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who dont.
if you can read this you're too close to the monitor, sit back and save your eyes!!
My build, formally Trotters build.
10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who dont.
if you can read this you're too close to the monitor, sit back and save your eyes!!
My build, formally Trotters build.
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Its a fibre glass roof with the light surrounds incorporated in to it. Not everyones cup of tea but they work well enough for me to keep them there.
Ill take some more pics for you when i get chance in some day light
Ill take some more pics for you when i get chance in some day light
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Pics of the roof, not the best quality but you can see how it is.
- donkeychomp
- I spend far too much time on here
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- Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:49 pm
- Location: Shepperton, Middx
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
I like them both. Vits are a great off road tool, under rated by many. I miss mine, but only for the heater!
If it ticks over...leave it
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
When i took it out green laning, the lad in navara scoffed at it, funny that because its standard with all terrains and his has some bigger mud tyres and engine work (not that that helps off road but its a boasting point of his) my little vitara got more places and had more fun, even had to pull the jimny out at one point!donkeychomp wrote: ↑Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:42 amI like them both. Vits are a great off road tool, under rated by many. I miss mine, but only for the heater!
Very under rated machines, but so were sj's at one point. My green sj will happily follow some very modified trayback type offroaders
- d_r_1989
- Winching along now
- Posts: 525
- Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Location: Halifax west Yorkshire
Re: Xmas gifts to myself
Little update, iv never really liked the tent roof so decided it was time to get rid whilst im doing other little bits. I have a lwb fibreglass roof that was previously shortened but not finished off so i set too with the fibreglass resin and filler and sander. Thought i would try a different colour too. The tailgate will be painted white at some point!
Final result im happy with for now. Almost time to enjoy it! Next on the list some smaller wheels/tyres, anyone want to swap?
Final result im happy with for now. Almost time to enjoy it! Next on the list some smaller wheels/tyres, anyone want to swap?