NEWBIE WITH DROPSIDE PIKUP
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:29 pm
hello to all......I am Mike from originally from Yorkshire but as of the last year and a half living in Northern Portugal with my lady and our 9yr old son.....
My ride is a 1987 KJA dropside pick up......I had been toying with the idea of wee Suzuki for some time....Have always enjoyed classic car ownership and indeed did classic car restoration professionally before becoming a blacksmith.....My prevoius vehicle was a pristine renault F4 van which was pimped like a factory fresh GT in true retro style....looked awesome and always made the folks smile......I struggled to find something with equal charm that would get me into the forest and take a little weight without getting bogged down and also without being a gas guzzler.....
Hey presto the dropside pickup.....I came across one for sale 6 months ago with good mileage and original condition (all bar the usual drops panels)....My only problem being 6'4" was the cab space...anyone who knows these truck will be aware that they were designed to fit little chinese farmers of a walt disney movie....i struggled to get anything else in the cab other than my feet......
I removed the rear bulkhead,screen panel and various other bodywork modifications that enable the cab to be straight through onto the bed with oodles of leg room and now has a wonderful driving position for me......because this meant the cab was permanently open at the rear (remember i now live in portugal) i got hold of an ifor williams alloy canopy and modified to fit so is all enclosed and waterproof.....Some mx5 seats, negative offset modulars with khumo mud terrains and a major major service i set off for Portugal fully loaded up with workshop tackle and the truck never missed a beat...my bonding process was complete and may we live happily ever after...
all the best to you fellows for keeping these wee marvels on the roads
regards mike
My ride is a 1987 KJA dropside pick up......I had been toying with the idea of wee Suzuki for some time....Have always enjoyed classic car ownership and indeed did classic car restoration professionally before becoming a blacksmith.....My prevoius vehicle was a pristine renault F4 van which was pimped like a factory fresh GT in true retro style....looked awesome and always made the folks smile......I struggled to find something with equal charm that would get me into the forest and take a little weight without getting bogged down and also without being a gas guzzler.....
Hey presto the dropside pickup.....I came across one for sale 6 months ago with good mileage and original condition (all bar the usual drops panels)....My only problem being 6'4" was the cab space...anyone who knows these truck will be aware that they were designed to fit little chinese farmers of a walt disney movie....i struggled to get anything else in the cab other than my feet......
I removed the rear bulkhead,screen panel and various other bodywork modifications that enable the cab to be straight through onto the bed with oodles of leg room and now has a wonderful driving position for me......because this meant the cab was permanently open at the rear (remember i now live in portugal) i got hold of an ifor williams alloy canopy and modified to fit so is all enclosed and waterproof.....Some mx5 seats, negative offset modulars with khumo mud terrains and a major major service i set off for Portugal fully loaded up with workshop tackle and the truck never missed a beat...my bonding process was complete and may we live happily ever after...
all the best to you fellows for keeping these wee marvels on the roads
regards mike