Toyota Hilux MK5 Restoration And UZ Swap.

[Siena]

Update:

My 11-day vacation officially started today.

Not a vacation of travelling, seeing different places, getting embroiled in diverse cultures, taking the wife and children on a road trip.

A vacation of delving into the innards of my Toyota truck.

I spent the day in the bodyshop. The cabin is all primered, the front fender flares have been trial fitted, though not with the stock Toyota plastic clips. I opted to use M8 bolts and nuts. Fit is perfect, with the edge of the flares resting snugly against the fenders. I have not fitted the rubber gaskets, those will go on after paint.

As the EX Single Cabin models were designed strictly as Workmate Utes, they left the factory pretty basic. To my knowledge, fender flares were not an option on UK SC's. There's always the glass fibre replica option, a route I did take initially, until I offered them up to my truck, and found they would take hours, if not days to get anywhere close to fitting.

I purchased genuine Toyota Hilux Double Cabin flares in the end. I was going to fit the rears as they come - 2 separate pieces. Today, I ended up bonding them together to make single flares each rear, and additional security in the form of M8 bolts, nuts and washers. Three bolts per side.

The join will be scored with 80 grit paper, then a layer of glass fibre added. Final layer will be a thinner layer of Bondo. They will then be trial fitted to the bed. The fuel filler flap will be modified to clear the flare on that side.

I took some pictures today, tomorrow hopefully there should be more progress. And more pictures.

[Siena]

Yesterday, I spent half the day at the bodyshop.

The rear fender flares have been trial fitted, so all the holes are in place where they need to match the fitting points on the flares themselves.

Of course, the fuel filler flap needs to be cut down to match the curve in the flare. I removed it, and brought it home. I don't just want the bodyshop to grind it down, I'm taking it over to my guy who has built the bed lid. Here the fuel filler flap will be precision cut, and the new edge folded over on a press to match the original edge.

Once this is done, I'll refit it, and make a cardboard template, which will form the basis for the new steel that needs to be welded into place on the bed. The flares will first of all need to be fibre glassed, and finished off with Bondo at the join, before they are removed.

The bed lid is finished, and it's a work of art! I had a tab welded at the rear to accept the latch, and locating pins that will mate with recesses in the bed rear top rail. I'll bring it home until the bodyshop is ready for it, as I do not want water splashed on the fresh steel surface, which will encourage rust spots before it's even painted and fitted. I'll take some decent pictures of the lid tomorrow, once I get it home.

Transport calls for a van of some sort, which I'll organise tomorrow.

[Siena]

I picked up my custom bed lid yesterday.

Very well constructed, once that's locked, the bed will be as safe as a vault. The steel sheet is 1.4mm thick. Very heavy though! I might have to revise the rams I was going to use (Saab Convertible tonneau cover rams).

I'm looking more at industrial rams, and matching hydraulic pump.

[Siena]

Some pictures, relatively late from the time the areas were completed.

Bed lid. There are no steel sheets wide enough to stretch the entire frame width. So 2 sheets were used. The 3mm gap in the centre was deliberate, to allow a skim of filler to smooth things out. If the sheets were butted together, the filler would sit proud of the surrounding steel.



Underside, during construction:





Underside, showing larch mounting tab:



Underside, showing locating pins, to prevent sideways movement when closed, and truck is in motion. They are on each rear corner, and will locate in matching holes in the bed rear top rails:

[Siena]

Front fender flares fitted. They are coming off before paint, which is why the rubber gaskets were not fitted:







Rear fender flares. These are Double Cab items, hence the join:





Rear fender flares fitted, again temporarily:





The join in the rear fender flares will be filled with fibre glass, then a light skim of Bondo. Once hardened, the flares will be removed for sanding and shaping.

[Siena]

Fuel filler flap, modified to clear the rear fender flare:

[Siena]

I didn't go to the bodyshop today, as I need to balance things out between my truck and family. As I'm back to work on Tuesday, it's only fair I spend some of my vacation with my wife and kids.

Yesterday though, I was at the shop for an hour. The bed has been temporarily lifted onto the chassis, to make it easier for the filling and sanding of the steel panels, which were welded over the hook recess area. The areas are first filled with fibreglass, sanded down, before Bondo is applied.

Due to the thickness of the steel plate used (1.4mm) using Bondo alone won't be ideal. One side was being sanded down after the fibreglass had been applied whilst I was there. Both front doors are in primer, and as for the hood...

...I opted to have the screen wash nozzle holes welded up, and smoothed.

The rear fender flares have been filled, sanded down, and removed for finishing. The front ones will be removed too prior to the truck moving I to the paint booth.

Tomorrow is another day.

[Siena]

Update!

The bed is 80% filled. Both sides are smooth and level - I took my trusty steel flat rule with me during today's visit, looking for dips and troughs. I found a couple, and marked them for levelling.

The rear reflectors have been junked, so the holes that were plated over much earlier in the build have been filled, and sanded. The same goes for the single foglamp on the rear panel.

The bed floor was being sanded to remove loose surface rust from key areas. The wheel arch tubs are done. The hood needs the Bondo on the tiny welded squares (redundant washer jets) sanding down, then primed.

There are two small square holes in the forward bed rail,where I cut off and ground down the ladder rack / bar stubs. These will be welded over and filled. The 3 lower strips (below the headlamps and grille) need prepping, along with the front plastic valence (below the bumper) as it will be body coloured. That will be plastic primered.

[Siena]

Some pictures.

Bed work - it is sitting askew, not bolted to the frame:







Inner wheel wells:

[Siena]

Rear reflector holes plated over, filled and sanded. Note the seam between the rear valence and side is deleted for a smoother look:







Smoothed rear, showing the 3 key areas:

[Siena]

Doors in primer:





Rear fender flares:

[Siena]

I haven't updated recently, as I've been pretty busy with yet another Hybrid course.

I have been visiting the shop almost daily, since my truck went in on the 28th June (has it really been that long?)

I was there last on Saturday, to take a few bits from the engine bay - VIN tag, and other items from the rear upper firewall, (from the seam upwards) radiator and lock carrier, as well as both sides. This is to allow these areas to be prepared for painting.

The bed sides, I was not happy with, so they are being worked on, to get a smoother, straighter finish. It's been 10 weeks, I can afford to wait longer if it means an excellent result.

I have also transported the bed lid from my home to the shop, so they have enough to keep them busy - filling, and finishing it ready for paint.

The end is near though, at least as far as the bodywork is concerned. It'll be time to tax her, and sell my 2005 Audi A8 Quattro 4.2 V8. The Hilux is going to be a fun truck, with a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 5.7 V8 HEMI Quad Cab, in King Ranch trim filling the gap as the family cruiser.

Trucks are where it's at.

[Siena]

Well, the main body went into paint this afternoon.

I have not seen it yet, though the bodyshop will send me some pictures later on this evening. The passenger's side fender has a couple of tiny dents on it, so that will need addressing.

The bed and lid will be painted last. I can't wait to get her back, I'll send a couple of teaser shots. They won't be high resolution though, as I would imagine the shop will be using a phone camera, or at best, a pretty basic digital camera.

[Siena]

A teaser shot. Note, this is not high resolution:

[Siena]

Another teaser's just come through...