rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

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djc
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rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by djc » Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:45 am

This is my 'sort-of' build thread. I won't be doing much to it (compared to most build threads here) but there still seems to be a fair list.
My aim (at the moment) is a straight road SJ capable of moderate off-road, but working and looking as good as I can get - for me looking good is v close to original but with some 'improvements'. I'm doing this on a tight budget over time and the brief might change as I go along. If there's a goal I'd say a really long trans Euro road trip.

Wheels and tyres.
It arrived with standard wheels and 195 75 tyres, all knackered. Got 5 Weller offsets from Andy which needed stripping and refinishing:
sj4.jpg
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These have been done body colour (17A, that mucky cream that preceded 'Superior white'). Didn't bother taking a pic of before but Andyrew will confirm they had a bucket of black on them, applied with a bogbrush.

Got 4 cheap tyres (Khumo I think) 215/75/15 which should see me 8k (at 55 quid I decided they owe me about 8k). I need a spare so on the lookout locally.
Worth noting I think the Wellers are 7J and bead-to-bead is 7". The 215s are about 6.5" bead-to-bead and whilst they will happily fit the 7J, I suspect a 225 would match rim width betteralthough I suppose steering would be heavier still.
I plan to repaint the original wheels and find some 205/75s for them - this time a more winter/offroad pattern probably. I'll be interested to compare weight of weller 215 combo v std 205 - the wellers feel heavy and unsprung weight being a bad thing etc.

Body
Chose this one because it was really good in a dead honest kind of way. Tiny amount of rust front nearside wing in usual place (front corner of arch), a small hole in offside sill which seems to have started from outside - inside sills so far look v good. One spot of rust at rear corner of floor just inside tailgate - I need to really scratch around under to locate source, but all feels very solid around there.
It's a bit untidy and just plain dull. Inside is grubby. I had to wire in the towbar so had the rear bumper off and took the opportunity to repaint as it was typical surface rusty. I used satin black but then later tested loadliner paint on a patch of the front bumper (a muddymesser trick I found) - this could be very good as it's supertough and a good balance of matt/satin (satin black is too shiny). One thing I found - do NOT wipe with paper towels, ever... looked great when it went on, not so clever now:
sj3.jpg
sj3.jpg (22.18 KiB) Viewed 9605 times
I'll use it anyway as it will come off easily later if I decide against.
The whole front needs tidying - found a bullbar I'm happy with and the wrap-round one that came with it is probs off to Wiltshire. The grill backing (perforated metal sheet thing) looks awful and I think it's plain aluminium. May be better black.
Inside, I need a new glovebox and there seem to be 2 different catches. See wanted if you have a rotary cam type one please?
sj1.jpg
sj1.jpg (10.52 KiB) Viewed 9605 times
Much later I plan to have the original seats reupholstered. I suppose I'll have to do the rear two but they are never in the thing!
I also need to get inside some electrics - dipped beam nil, high beam one. Bit of a mystery at the mo - not bulbs, not fuse...? And a dodgy stereo and alarm need stripping out along with a bundle of spaghetti under the dash. I might fit a wireless one day ;)

Carbs
Probs with the Aisin of course. To be fair it had been stored about 3 years before I got it. But the view seems to be fit an SU rather than spend time trying to sort the Aisin. So I await a modded manifold from Richard, and I have to sort air side on the SU. Also choke cable termination and probably throttle too.
I gather my SU needs a BDL needle/jet but the one in it was for a Metro 1300, I may give it a go
sj5.jpg
sj5.jpg (33.54 KiB) Viewed 9605 times
.

General view - I'm hoping a good tune and the SU will more than compensate for the bigger tyres (only about 5% increase in dia) - it's running rich at the mo due to autochoke issues.
It needs dampers, and a Tbox (current is noisy and past good) - I suspect another 413 box for my purposes, prob a Richard rebuild. And there'll be a load more but my aim is keep in on the road at almost all times, and fix/improve as we go.
Straight n shiny '85 410 soft top.

Douglas

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Jay18
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by Jay18 » Wed Aug 13, 2014 5:49 pm

I like the sound of this build, what about a pair of swift sport or ignis sport seats?
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donkeychomp
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by donkeychomp » Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:33 pm

At £55 they owe me 8k? Lost me on that one...but good luck with the build!
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andyrew
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by andyrew » Wed Aug 13, 2014 10:58 pm

Wheels look much better than before!

Nice one D
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djc
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by djc » Thu Aug 14, 2014 12:26 pm

Thanks all, I shall consider and investigate alternative seats. I do plan to keep and restore the originals anyway, partly because I get the impression that hardly any SJs still have their originals. But if I send them for retrim I'll need seats in the meantime and they ought to be Suzuki ones.
Sorry the 8k refers to miles. I'm from Yorkshire so 55 quid owes me 8k miles.
Happy with the wheels Andy, off to get the cheapo tyres on next then see if the Aisin carbed engine can turn them round. Need the modded manifold so I can sort the SU.
Straight n shiny '85 410 soft top.

Douglas

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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by twiss » Thu Aug 14, 2014 12:37 pm

Saw molehill's seats the other day... MG TF seats I believe!

They actually make the brown dashboard look acceptable!!!
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IMG_0100[1].JPG (1.99 MiB) Viewed 9535 times
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

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djc
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by djc » Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:58 pm

Brown is the new black. (Source: Daily Express, fashion editor :lol: )

Wheel switch. Had to hunt round to find a place that would put tyres on wheels. One place quoted 'about 1/2hr per wheel'... :shock: Got them done (4) for £48 incl vat.
The original wheels have 205/70s on and look tatty, plus tyres are shot and prob illegal.
New offsets got painted - I did them body colour (17A) but suspect the original cream on wheels was darker - it was used regardless of body colour. If anyone knows a match for wheel colour (cream) I'd be keen to know.
Andyrew recommended 215/75 on std suspension and that's what I went for. Very happy with the size and how they look. I had considered 225/75 but they would have been too wide I think.

As was (the black stuff is Kurust):
wh1.jpg
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With the offsets:
wh2.jpg
wh2.jpg (53.28 KiB) Viewed 9515 times
They look quite wide but clear everything:
wh3.jpg
wh3.jpg (26.94 KiB) Viewed 9515 times
I need a spare to match, and some time I will restore the opriginal wheels and look for some 205/75 for those.
Next I think is the carb switch, and a stripdown and tidy of the front end, with a new bullbar soon.
Straight n shiny '85 410 soft top.

Douglas

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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by twiss » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:34 pm

They look much better, a nice set of wheels always sets a truck off! :)
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by andyrew » Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:13 am

Looking lovely!

Colour matching the wheels was a good choice.
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djc
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Re: rebuild, restore, maybe improve...

Post by djc » Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:01 am

Just ordered a 215/75 spare. Note to self: need to get a decent jack and carry the basics for a wheel change just in case.
Been clearing garage ready for SJ to reside in the dry... and came across this:
wless.jpg
wless.jpg (74.62 KiB) Viewed 9485 times
Brand new, boxed, from memory around 1990. That large slot at the top is where you put the cassette (look it up ;) ). Posh one - it's got auto rewind (what??!)
You can see where this is all heading :D

[need to stop all this nonsense v soon and do some work = cash = more bits.]
Straight n shiny '85 410 soft top.

Douglas

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