The Build

[Builtnotbought]

Right, here goes...

Since dragging the old girl out of the garage last summer some time, I have pretty much gone all the way through it now.

I have stripped the interior out, repaired all 4 wheel arches, both foot wells, the boot floor, the supports along the underside of the boot floor, the cills along the whole of both sides of the truck, shot blasted the entire lower half of the shell (inside and out) and then etch primed, seam sealed, painted and stone chipped accordingly.

I have finally got a fuel tank (it arrived yesterday) along with all 4 shocks.
All the oils have been dropped and changed
New filters
the front axle has been rebuilt and rechromed (because they are meant to have chrome on apparently)
wheel bearings changed
king pin bearing and oil seals etc
New Venhill braided flexi pipe all round with an additional 150mm to allow the SPOA conversion I want to do in the future.
New copper fuel lines all round
new copper brake pipe all round
apparently new filler and breather pipes (because I cant find the old ones)
New front leaf springs, Ideally I need the back ones but I am running low on money and cant find any second hand ones.


In theory all it needs now is some paint here and there (until I give it a full repaint), a windscreen, the filler and breather pipes and the odd nut and bolt. Oh and the radio putting back in/replacing

Id like to put new disks and pads in, along with rear disk conversion and eventually a full cage (ill make that at some point) and a SPOA conversion.

I may then drop the 1.6 vitara engine with the 1.3 gear box in. But we shall see. First I need to sell the road bike, pay off my car, pay off the bits I have paid for on the CC for the Suzuki and generally sort my life out


But I apparently cant upload any pictures because they are all too big. grrrr.

[Jordi]

Sounds like you have been busy.

Why SPOA it? There are much better conversions available for very reasonable prices. .

Not sure they are supposed to be chromed. I haven't seen one yet with chromed front swivels

[Builtnotbought]

I was looking through the Haynes manual and they look pretty chromes in the pictures, but it is the only info I can find on it. Most people I have asked said not to bother. It just seems a shame to rebuilt it and the seals fail again.

I want to get some pics up but I apparently cant which is a shame.

SPOA because I liked the look of it, the cost wasn't to great and it was easy enough too do. Plus I had little knowledge on different ones and it was before I had stumbled upon this forum to be honest. I feel you are about to throw a spanner into the mix

[Builtnotbought]

I might just clean the front up and reassemble it without getting them done. I have literally put it in my boot today to get it sent away. Maybe ill save myself the money and not bother... I just want it finished.

[ROBBIE]

Have a look in the bar, 2nd stickie down in topics, for how to add pics

[Builtnotbought]

thank you Robbie

[ROBBIE]

thank you Robbie

Like Scottie I use photo bucket, nice and easy

[ScottieJ]

Sounds good, looking forward to seeing some pics.

The knuckle balls were never chromed from the factory. They aren't like Landy axles where the swivels are filled with oil and the seals very rarely fail, there's no harm in having them chromed but it's not really needed.

Personally I'm not a fan of SPOA either, what size tyres do you want to run? There's no point running more lift than you need to fit your desired tyre size.

[Anton]

I have SPOA, and while it's ok, I must say that if I were doing another truck, I'd stay spring under and modify the arches instead. SPOA is a LOT of work to get right, a LOT more than cutting and welding the arches.

A LOT LOT more.

You have to have wide track (samurai) axles for it to be stable too, and deep dish wheels with fat tyres that stick right out. Now, even with all that, you'll still be *more* stable if you stay spring under and just modify the arches - like just about everyone here did except me...

Having said all that, it does give you a superb view of the road ahead when you're driving around town...

[Builtnotbought]

as it happens, I did do the arches when I was repairing it all
took them up to the recessed bit (almost like the thumbs groove)

I liked them because I thought they looked really easy too do and didn't require me to change my dampers which I liked the idea of. I cut and stick stuff together all day for a living, so the idea of welding a few brackets on seemed a doddle.