Chassis Transfer....no sure if it'll work or not.

[kage]

Hi Guys,

I've been reading through this forum for a long time, and finally decided to join.

I've got a Hilux Double Cab, which I rolled and consquently wrote off, which I don't want to just send to the scrap heap as ive spent a fair amount on a lift kit and motor etc. Insurance wont cover it, as it was at a friends farm.

Here's my idea, since im in Kiwiland and parts seem to be really expensive (strange aye??), I'm not going to be able to get a Double Cab (complete or shell) for anything less than NZ$8000. I can pick up a complete hilux surf of the same year for around NZ$2-4000.

Now for the big question, what would i have to do to make this work?

I figure that the body mount points will probably change, but other than that im stumped.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Kurt

[TonyN]

Measure the wheel base, thats the big thing, if the wheels don't meet the wheel arches its a non-starter.

Fabbing body mounts isn't the end of the world, there will be some wiring issues but its probably do-able.

You could get the Surf and swap the leaf spring axles on to it, if you can weld it won't be to bad, solid front axle swaps are common as anything on the internet, there is loads of info around.

It'll take time, if your paying anyone to do it its probably not worth it, but if you can DIY it, go for it,.

[Big_ben]

What exactly do you want to make work....? Maybe I'm just tired, but I didn't see your idea?

Are you looking to put the pick-up motor in the surf? Or the surf body on the pick-up chasis?

[kage]

sorry its not clear, i was really tired when i wrote this.

i want to know if putting the surf body on to the pickup chassis will work.


thanks

[SoundsDigital]

What would be the point? You'd have a Surf body on a double cab chassis. Why not have a Surf body on a Surf chassis then swap the odds and ends over to the Surf? Swapping chassis just sounds like a lot of work to achieve fairly little.

[Voodoo-Child]

The surf has a coil rear and the pickups are leaf sprung on the rear....meaning that it would be quite a lot of work to get the leaf susp onto the surf chassis....the best way to find out if the bodie will swap is to park the 2 side by side and get yr tape measure out!

[Sir Plug]

Can't see the point. What year is the ute and what year is the Surf.....what model number and engine. Where in NZ, are you?

If you manage to do the swap, don't forget about having it Cert'd for the WOF....or getting it insured.....