STAGE 2 - The Rebuild

Mon May 01, 2006
We have a new chassis, I pick it up on Wednesday. So I only need a body now. First we will have the chassis shot blasted and then a nice coat of primer.
Once that's ready we will be starting work in earnest. Though we still have a couple of other options to look at.

Wed May 03, 2006
Work began today with the collection of the chassis. We stripped it of all the junk we don't need plus a couple of cuts to the rear.

Mon May 08
Pulled the winch out today, top and bottom gearbox covers cracked as is the end plate. Drum, motor and solenoid pack all ok. So some good news and some bad. Used the grinder to get it out.

The Plan
Plan A at present is to strip the bodywork off the front down to the firewall unbolt the body and lift clear with everything still in it. Then all the drive train can be stripped and re-fitted to the new chassis. Then again lift the body back on and fix the front end.

Plan B
Buy a whole truck and just change the drive line.

Wed May 10, 2006
Got a 9in grinder today! ;) But refused to let Marin loose with it! :)
Radiator is out and FUBAR. One slider is off and looking good.

Thu May 11, 2006 The Alternator came off today as did the constant air pump but that's fubar, petrol pump is cactus too. Good news is the front drivers side wing is pretty good and can be re-used as is the side panel above the wing. So at the moment it looks like it could have been far worse, picked a chassis up for $300 and a front apron just needs the headlight surround for $130.

Mon May 15, 2006
Going with plan B
Engine and drive line will be coming out of mine this week.

Fri May 19, 2006
New Longfiields arrived, just got to build a truck. :)
Full on weekend and should just have a pile of parts by Monday.

Tue May 23, 2006
Well the old truck was stripped bare down to it's last nuts and bolts over the weekend.
Great effort by all involved some from 3rd Rock and some from outers. Big thanks to all involved.
Next weekend will see the start of the new build up. First up a front axle swap with BJ, he's getting the Roberts locker from the new truck complete. While I rebuild BJ's front axle with my ARB Air Locker and 30 spline Longfields (Chromoly) new bearings throughout too. Then fit it back into my truck with a set of new leaf springs too.

Mon May 29, 2006
Well the front is done. Sunday will see the start of work on the rear. Then Monday and Tuesday will see the engine, gearbox, power steering and air con out as well as the long range tank coming off.
So far so good and all on track.

Mon Jun 05, 2006
New bearings and seals, my air locker and 4.556's are in, rear spring perches drilled 30mm back again and my leaf springs fitted.
Time for the Engine to come out.

Fri Jun 09, 2006
The steering is complete and everything to be stripped, is out. Bring on the angle grinder ;)

Wed Jun 14, 2006
Cage is in. Rear guards cut and Thursday sees the new paint job.

Sat Jun 17, 2006
Dropped the winch in to get the lugs welded on for the over spool bars. Big thanks to Awill4x4 for the tig welding. Then off to davejb for the last of the modifications. Trucks being painted and back on Tuesday, will paint the doors this weekend, black again. Then on with the last of the rebuild.
I can see the light. :)

Fri Jun 23, 2006
Front wings yet to be cut and replaced with the old body armour and rubber wings as per MKI
Yep we went with Metalic Beige!

We started out with this.


And stripped it to this.

Sat Jun 24, 2006
The donor vehicle was very well looked after, and set up for long distance touring, with a brand new reco engine, front and rear lockers, air con, power steering, long range tank, huge PTO winch, new extractors and reco Carbi. No rust to be found anywhere. All of which has been removed and sold leaving us with a few spares, along with the chassis and body. Still have a front disc brake assembley to sell and a few other bits.
In some ways it was quite a shame to pull a fine example apart.

Well doors are on and cage is just about there. Just need to put the 3mm Ali roof on. Bonnet is back on as are the rear half doors, petrol flap and wiper motor cover. Gas tank is in and just to bolt back down. Front guards have yet to be cut and the body armour of the sliders and rubber wings re-fitted.

Sun Jun 25, 2006
Picked the winch up today, big thanks to Dave, just have to construct a bull bar around it now and that's ready to go.
Now where did I put that 2F

Mon Jun 26, 2006
Gas tank bolted back in. The two new tanks will go just nice here.
Drivers seat in and 4 point belt.
Flairs on the rear done.

Wed Jun 28, 2006
ARB compressor went back in as did the gas converter and on with the TOTOTA badge.
Tomorrow the front guards are coming off, time to fit the sliders back on and the 35's. Off with those 31's. Tuesday next week the Engine is going in.

Thu Jun 29, 2006
MMMMM bring on the grinder for the the Body Armour ;-)
One side is bolted on tomorrow the other, then new rubber covers.

Fri Jun 30, 2006
All on track, 35's are on. On with the Slider, this side was much harder as a little minor damage was sustained when MKI's chassis was bent. But with some brute force and ample use of Marin it's on!

Sat Jul 01, 2006
One of the sliders was slightly out so a littel heat was required and a new toy for Marin to play with.

And with a little force applied in the right direction all is good, so time for a coat of paint.



MMMM and then the rubber.

Mon Jul 03, 2006
Had a visitor today. First to view the truck since we started the rebuild.
The other front wing was completed today.

Even had time to slide this back in today.

Mon Jul 03, 2006
To answer a question which was asked.
What are the two guages for next to the locker switches? I'm guessing for air pressure for the lockers to show they are working properly?

One shows air pressure from the constant air pump which is stored here

The other shows the air pressure in the ARB pump here



A one way valve lets us fill the ARB with constant air but the ARB pump can not fill the air tanks so if one fails we still have lockers.

Tue Jul 04, 2006
ENGINE IS IN
Currently have 35 AT's, order my Simex's today 35's too, picking them up on Monday, new shock's will be in by the end of the week.
Tomorrow will see the 3mm Ali anti-intrusion roof cut ready for fitting this weekend. New battery arrived today so we now have a pair of optima D31's in the rear. New bling switches are inbound from the USA for air and lights which will be fitted in the space next to the lockers, where the ash tray used to be in another little panel.

NEW BLING SWITCHES (LINK)

Just got to wire everything back up then run the air lines to the lockers.
The Heart of Gold is in but I doubt we will have an infinity drive mmmmmmm Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster's.
Sorry slipped into nerd mode there for a moment!

Thu Jul 06, 2006
I have BRAKES.
I have a CLUTCH.
I almost have POWER.
Still heaps to do though.

Sat Jul 08, 2006
We have a new soft top and it's spanking. Huge thanks to 3rdRock4x4's POSSUM HUNTER. Top class job at very reasonable rates.
We also have power and early Saturday morning the 2F turned over :-)
Though the carbi is not adding petrol unless you pour it down it's throat. But she lives again!
Picked the winch bar up this morning at 5am, so far so good just need to figure out a few bits and we're all good.

Mon Jul 10, 2006
Ok for all those hanging out here's the new roof.

Should be up and running on petrol tomorrow. Round to the gas engineer for a new pipe from the main tank and a quick trip to the Auto elec to figure out the wires we can't. Then time to pipe up all the Air Lockers and Switches.

Wed Jul 12, 2006
Well off she went down Whitehorse Rd this morning to the exhaust shop, this afternoon the Auto Elec and now she's getting the steering aligned.
Grand site to see her back on the road again
I want a drive!

Fri Jul 14, 2006
Finally the old FJ is home, still plenty to be done for the ATECO but we are getting there.

Had a little flex today rear is spot on, the front just needs a little work to the bump stops, but pretty close.

Sat Jul 15, 2006
Suspension is set. Just bump stops to be adjusted tomorrow.

Wed Jul 19, 2006
Still hard at it but getting there slowly. Picked up part of the bull bar today.

Fri Jul 21, 2006
Back on GAS.

Sun Jul 23, 2006
Lockers wired up and working just air lines to run. Constant air wired up and working just air line to run.
Spot lights mmm nowhere to mount them, we have a cunning plan (see Baldrick) and wire up.
Reversing light to wire up.
Winch cable to spool on and in cab winch control to wire up.

Mon Jul 24, 2006
Still building.
Here is the latest round completed and working.

Just got to connect the breathers and cable to put on.

Mon Jul 24, 2006
PASSED CCDA Log Book Scrutineering today.
Ok cable is on and batteries are in.

Tue Jul 25, 2006
Air done.
Lockers Done.
Electrics Done.

Still stuff to do.

Fri Aug 11, 2006
We placed as high as 13th at the ATECO, not bad for a truck that's 26 years old.
We compete to have fun and show what you can do with a less modified low budget truck. We don't expect to win, we do expect to drive every stage start to finish which we did achieve. We had a ball though I will admit it was quite a step up in difficulty from the Vic Winch.
We will be more prepered next year. I will be back and still with a 2F.

Mon Aug 28, 2006
Electrics sorted I hope.
Bull bar done.

Sat Sep 09, 2006
Rear tail shaft in. New 6hp motor on, see if I can make this one last a little longer! Front breather repaired just the rear to do. Bash plate re-fitted. Cleaned and polished.

Sep 20, 2006
We survived the Alpine taking 6th overall.
We got best team effort on Saturday.
We had a ball, best comp I have ever competed at the stages were a real hoot, was great to drive for longer than 10 min at a time. Longest stage for us 73 min (DNF90 min) We winched, snatched, rolled on our side, Daz lost all the electrics, winched, and snatched too and we still managed to pass the team that left 10 min before us.
Our highest placing was 4th on one SS and a few 5th's to boot too. In the company we kept at the Alpine that for me is no mean feat.
Still on a high now.

Fri Oct 06, 2006
It's a week to Vic Winch, trucks in for a service Monday been lazy. Tyres need stripping and beads cleaning, another job for Monday still been lazy. Not sure if we can top last years 9th overall with a 2nd and 3rd on the SS but will will give it a good go.

Mon Oct 16, 2006
Well our 3rd and final comp over, Vic Winch 06 was on Friday and Saturday, very dry and we struggled to keep up with the pace of the newer coiled trucks. Sunday was much more of a level playing field. We even took out second place on SS 12. As always Ben aka Marin took no winching penelties top effort.
We are the only truck to compete at all three Victorian Winch Challenges and drive every stage, start gate to finish gate, ATECO, ALPINE and VIC WINCH. We also drove too and from every event no trailer queen comp rig, just a daily driver here.
Well time to go and clean the truck ready for work tonight.

Sat Oct 21, 2006
Off the road for 2 weeks as of the 30th Oct all the panels are being fixed then a Full respray. mmmmmm what colour this time.
After an ATECO, ALPINE and a VIc Winch the paint and body does not look so good, oh and Daz hit it in the side with his FJ40 too, but that ok as we got best effort for the stage and a ENGLE fridge to boot at the ALPINE.

Mon Oct 30, 2006
Well this weekend the truck was stripped of it's sliders, bullbar, winch, radiator, fan, seats and doors and dropped off at the panel shop for 2 weeks, picked a colour just a little darker and richer than before. New Doors and a new bonnet will get a new coat of black ready for next year and the rear doors will get a coat of black too. So all in all we should look pretty bling until the ATECO 2007 if we compete again.

Thu Nov 09, 2006
Just a few pics of the TLC, new radiator going in too when the re-spray is complete. New Fan too.

Sat Nov 11, 2006
New coat of paint is looking good too, much happier with the colour this time.

Thu Nov 16, 2006
Sliders are ready.

Tue Jan 30, 2007
Well it's been a hard one but we're taking a year out from comp and turning the 2F into a 2F-ETI.
I was asked how much power I hoped to gain?

Not sure yet, will again be set for low down torque with the turbo spooling up from real low rpm. But should be noticeable.

Wed Jan 31, 2007
The donor engine arrives Friday. Let the fun begin!

NOW ONTO STAGE 3

If you have any questions about the build up or would like to make a comment then you can do so via the FJ40 2F ETI LOCKED AND LOADED BLOG located HERE .