the mutant turtle

[ryantowry_81]

so i am too lasy to re write my build thread again so here is the link to the build:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=750561

current pics:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3257.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3255.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3256.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3258.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3259.jpg

still need to fix the frame install my hydro assist and put in a new short block because i am an idiot!

but she flexes pretty well and i cant wait to get out and wheel her more!!!:party:

[TonyM]

Is the motor in and running yet?

[ryantowry_81]

there is a running knocking motor in it.....the new one is not in yet no. hopefully i can get all my new found honey do's out of the way and rip into it soon, before it snows!

[stonerosan]

married life sucks:smilewinkgrin:

[ryantowry_81]

i will plead the 5th on that response! but i should be getting her back up soon or swapping these axles and stuff to another truck.....we will see

[ryantowry_81]

well decided to stick with the turtle and am swapping a new motor in and adding hydro assist to steer better. have to still fix the frame to get her back on the trail but i am hoping for january some time to have her up and rolling again.

should have some more pics this weekend.....

[ak81jeep]

what about rear shocks

[ryantowry_81]

shocks will be in as soon as i get it running again so i can measure were i need to put them.

[ryantowry_81]

well got more work done lately, got the bad motor pulled and the new one bolted up, also replated the frame where the steering box mounts and worked on re working my rear spring hangers for some more strength so i stop ripping them off.
pics:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3302.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3303.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3305.jpg
pulling the bad motor
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3313.jpg
new motor bolted in
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3306.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3307.jpg
working on the spring hangers
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3310.jpg
old hanger
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3308.jpg
same mount frenched into the frame and plated both sides and top and bottom with 3/16 plate
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3312.jpg
frame plated for steering

[ryantowry_81]

oh and here is the temp outside yesterday while i was fixing the spring hanger:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3316.jpg
it was fawking cold, had to run a root pass to preheat my welds before welding anything

[ryantowry_81]

not much progress but got bored the other night and decided to build some diff covers, built templates for both front 60 and 14 bolt. front almost done still need to add fill and drain and clean up but i like how it turned out. i was a little weary of the diamond plate but it was all i had left so why not right?

Pics:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3395.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3396.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3398.jpg
and my welds dont completely suck
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3399.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/IMG_3400.jpg

[wayne]

is it running yet ?

[ryantowry_81]

close, had to drop the tank to do the passenger side spring mount

[TonyM]

I would like to get on the list for some. Put me down for a Ford 60 (If there is a dif), and a sterling 10.25 :8:

[ryantowry_81]

I would like to get on the list for some. Put me down for a Ford 60 (If there is a dif), and a sterling 10.25 :8:

is there a diff between the ford and chevy 60's? i might make some of these for the tow rig too just cause and if i do i will make some for you too tony for the cost of the steel. might be a little qwhile down the road though, got alot of other projects!

[TonyM]

Sweet, thanks man... as long as they are tougher than the stock ones... mine are beat to shit :ack2:

Maybe you could start selling them... and I'll demo them for you to see if they can hold up to a heavy foot and heavy rig...:8:

[ryantowry_81]

if you can break a 1/4" thick cover i dont think there is much that will last!

[Mike Honcho]

Sweet, thanks man... as long as they are tougher than the stock ones... mine are beat to shit :ack2:

Maybe you could start selling them... and I'll demo them for you to see if they can hold up to a heavy foot and heavy rig...:8:
Trust me, they hold up, we built some before and if 1/4" can be bashed around in the rocks and not break/leak then id say their tough enough. IIRC all D60's use the same diff cover.

Ryan, be sure to grind in some groves around the bolting surface. Dosn't need to be too deep or anything crazy, but just some groves for the FIPG/silicone. The diamond plate dosnt look too bad at all. Shits custom.

[ryantowry_81]

yeah i will have to remember to do that groove.

i think the diamond plate came out pretty cool just have to grind a couple welds down with the flapper wheel, but for the most part pretty good.

[Mike Honcho]

Hey man get this thing going, Its blocking the view of my Taco on jackstands from my lazyboy. :flipoff2:

[ryantowry_81]

you should not be viewing the taco from thwe lazy boy you should be viewing it from underneith it!!!

[ryantowry_81]

here are some teaser pics a friend took. when the weathwer is good enough i will get out and take some close up shots of all i finished:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Jun202010-VID00144_2.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Jun202010-VID00144_1.jpg
http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/2/2/9/dscf7264.jpg
i know it is an RTI ramp but i was bored waiting to go wheel.....did n't get the score but was 46" up on a 30 degree ramp with a 115.5" wheel base you do the math.

[ryantowry_81]

well got to take her out for a short trip last saturday and she did great. these are the only pics i got cause the camera is MIA right now:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Image0139.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Image0138.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Image0137.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/Image0145.jpg

these werwe some pretty muddy rocks and i finally got some rock damage but nothing to write home about.

found the truck has a couple little noises i want to run down and fix, and a surging which i think is my front drive shaft telling me to clearance the CV.

list of little things i want to do still:
trim front fenders more
install longer shocks in front
clearance cv
grease bushings
remount muffler to get rid of rattle on the trail
bob bed
build new rear bumper and clean up the front
build some sliders and some skid plates
someday buy the doubler adapter to hook up my second case

and prob alot more i cant think of right now but most will probably wait till winter cause i want to wheel some before it gets real cold!

[TonyM]

Sweet... maybe you'll get some wheeling in this year after all.... :drool5:

[ryantowry_81]

yeah it is wheelable as it sits right now. next project is to get the trailer built up and go play.

[Chevy Man]

It's lookin good Ryan!! I'm jealous... That you have a rig in general of course. Not the fact that it's a yota... Er chevy... Er... Nevermind. Lol

[ryantowry_81]

well wheni get the trailer done you will ahve to come out and have some cold ones, at the end of the trail of coarse...

[RentalMan]

very nice, That's a lot of fab work. :thumbsup:

[ryantowry_81]

very nice, That's a lot of fab work. :thumbsup:

thanks i just wish i had more time to wheel it more. hopefully next summer i will have the tow rig and trailer in order to acutally be able to use it.....

[ryantowry_81]

havent updated this thread lately and i finally got my garage organized enough to start work back on her.

decided the garage felt a little small and i am to cheap to make the garage bigger so i thought i would make the truck smaller......
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures244.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures245.jpg
this little dent made the job a little trickier but luckily these second gens the inner bed unbolts so i just hammered it back out with a dead blow and then cut it down.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures246.jpg
here she is somewhat hammered out
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures247.jpg
i decided to cut out exactly 9-1/4" so with my tool box installed a 48" wide piece of ply wood would cover the entire bed and work as a poormans toneau cover.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures251.jpg
here is the back and the bottom cut off. i cut the skirts off seperately and you will see what i used then for later.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures252.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures255.jpg
here is the back sitting back in place held by some clamps. notice the front skirt was missing from a previous accident that ripped it off.

[ryantowry_81]

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures260.jpg
welding back on
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures262.jpg
i left the frame as it was to mount a bumper to and build off of.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures267.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures268.jpg
here she is all welded up ont he sides and primered ready for bondo.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures266.jpg
and here is what i am trying to do with the section of skirt i cut off, a little short but better than nothing.

[Chevy Man]

Are you going to build bed side and tail light protectors into your new bumper?

[ryantowry_81]

Are you going to build bed side and tail light protectors into your new bumper?

Eventually. For now the bumper will be pretty basic until I get the tubing bender up and running then I will get creative. I am still trying to find the right color to pain thetruck. I still want to do a flat tan but am having a hard time finding the right tan in a flat color.

[ryantowry_81]

this next part might be common sense for some but i thought it was a cool way of doing it.


last night while welding the inside of the bed together i realized i had a pretty good gap in some places so i decided to use the portaband and cut a 1" strip out of the section i cut out for a backing plate. the next problem was holding the backing plate up and the bed strait to weld it together. i decided i would use some self tapping screws and some washers (or in my case nuts to act as washers) to hold the two sides tight to the backing plate while welding.
pics:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures273.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures272.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures271.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures274.jpg

hoping to have the welding all done tonight or tomorrow then on to bondo and sanding and some paint.

[ryantowry_81]

so i figured while i had to paint some of the truck i would paint the whole thing and finally get rid of the ugly green house paint. i did not go too crazy on smoothing out the whole truck prioperly cause i was just going to rattle can it and i know it was going to get scratched.

I went with the old 80's tan the toyotas came in because that was the first truck i ever drove and even proposed to my wife in:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/rk673.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/rk840.jpg
here are some photo's from the wedding

i decided to add a little black spray paint to look like the old 80's graphics the toyotas came with to give it a little contrast:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/DSC_0238.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/DSC_0240.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/DSC_0241.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/DSC_0244.jpg

still got to put the mirror and lights back on and do a little touchup but i am pretty happy with it.

this weekend i am hoping to put in new front and rear shocks and bump stops so hopefully i can get it all done.

[sailin]

looks good

[ryantowry_81]

so a little more done.

i was lazy when i first axle swapped and never put bumps or proper shocks in so now i am going back to add good shocks and bump stops to protect my oil pan.

sorry for the cell phone pics but that is all i got besides the really nice camera i dont like to take into the garage.

some posers:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures278.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures279.jpg

dont be mislead by the sun it was -15 when these two pics were taken!

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures280.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures281.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures282.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures283.jpg
shitty pics, and yes i already fliped the shocks over, but i set the bump stops to 2-3/4" from ride height to protect my oil pan incase both sides bump then set the shocks with 4-1/2" of shock travel up for articulation letting me go about 30 degrees. here are the test shots.....looks good except i have to lower the passenger side about an inch.
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures286.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures289.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures293.jpg
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p357/ryantowry_81/iphonepictures291.jpg

got 36" to the unloaded bottom of the tire and 42" to bottom of the fork so i am happy enough with it. should do a little better when i get the weight of the tool box and spare tire and beer in the back again.

[TonyM]

guess you can't call it the turtle anymore.... now it's more like.... I don't know... something that color I guess...lol Maybe a snail?

[RentalMan]

guess you can't call it the turtle anymore.... now it's more like.... I don't know... something that color I guess...lol Maybe a snail?

The "Alabaster Abalone" oh yeah... that's catchy right there :lol:

[TonyM]

"The slug"?