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Hilux – Dirty dirty dirty

The process of screwing all of this back together has been really slow. Although part of that is because i keep getting distracted by other things. First up was getting the drawers in, which i mounted up using a ton of M8 stainless hardware and sandwiched 3mm rubber sheet in between, got it all together and it fits well:

[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/i.php?/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160316-e3bd0654-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160329-183138f6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Then i started running the wiring for the rear battery and realised how filthy the cabin was, which led to pulling out all the interior to clean it:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160527-5cff47e2-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160635-22fe4d45-xl.jpg[/IMG]

And it truly was filthy:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163620-31bc9015-xl.jpg[/IMG]

But i did find some interesting things when doing automotive archaeology. True to form there were a few casings under the vinyl:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160504-726f4015-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Plus some ski club tickets from 1998, the same year as the Hilux was made
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160341-df0826d7-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Anywho, i also found this big dent under the clutch pedal:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160554-4c8ef36c-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Which after a hit with a hammer gave:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160601-876a5b03-xl.jpg[/IMG]

That spot is here, high up under the car between the chassis rail, torsion bar and gearbox. I have absolutely no idea how it could have even been hit.
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160606-9e1affe6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Completely bizarre. Ohwell, it got a bit of a beating and then some sound deadening added over the top…. then one thing led to another and suddenly the entire rear of the cabin was covered in sound deadening:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163605-56167ee9-xl.jpg[/IMG]

While all that was drying I got around to refitting the flares, after the flare mounting rubber finally arrived:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163714-2496d9dc-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Then after refitting all the interior i figured out why it was all so filthy.
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160511-4f1883de-xl.jpg[/IMG]

That is the rear cabin vent to allow pressure to equalise when opening and closing doors. The one on the left was what was in the car, and the one on the right is what it should look like. Basically had none of the flaps or dampening chamber, so little wonder the cabin filled up with mud and junk.

Anywho, I decided that I should actually make some progress on getting it back together and built a bracket to mount the battery isolation switch and manual override:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160537-94f3e15e-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Was all pleased with myself before promptly realising that I had completely forgotten to add space for the circuit breakers. So then i had to build a new one. Take two:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160542-bc3cf807-xl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124160549-44abc6bd-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Its made out of 1.6mm sheet steel, so a bit of an overkill, but I didnt have any 1.2mm or 1mm around.

Finally my Deutsch plugs arrived so i did the wiring for the rear tail lights with my new crimper. Its so good having a nice crimper for this stuff:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163659-674d9e02-xl.jpg[/IMG]

And I also finished off the grille that was munted by the previous owner, and gave it a bit of a paint job:
[IMG]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/24/20211124163706-d3a88db6-xl.jpg[/IMG]

Thats about it for now. Currently waiting for new slim AGM to arrive so i can finish the rear seat wiring and then I can get a move on with mounting up the canopy properly and doing all that sort of stuff.

Posted on

Hilux – Getting my paint on

So at some point last week the treadplate sheet arrived and i was able to figure out how much i needed:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164736-73a12705-xl.jpg[/img]

After that I was able to put some left over KBS onto the “closed” faces of the tray:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164812-c912c369-xl.jpg[/img]

With that done I jumped at the opportunity of a couple of dry days and got stuck into prepping the cabin for paint.

Before:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164841-088751bb-xl.jpg[/img]

Set up a cheap gazebo as a “spray booth” and prepped and masked:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164924-c6d6b9fa-xl.jpg[/img]

One nice dark maroon (3K4) ready for mixing:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164943-011f67b1-xl.jpg[/img]

First coat of Raptor:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102164949-bc3786f1-xl.jpg[/img]

Then done:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102165854-c7236c3c-xl.jpg[/img]

Would have been better with 6L of Raptor rather than just 4L, but it still looks decent in person. Lighter coats under the flares, but that will all be hidden anyway. Need a new aerial too, as the locking nut sheared in two when i was removing it…

Then back to the tray. I had wondered how i was going to trim the tray, and decided to give it a go with the router and a flush trim bit. Worked a treat:
[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102165434-5f6bf56d-xl.jpg[/img]
Sikaflexed it on with a bunch of rivets after that.

Riveted and sikaflexed on the drawer mounts, so i could then set it all up and drill the mounting holes.

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102165827-4a178fc1-xl.jpg[/img]

Cut out some 2mm alu sheet for the light mounts and sikaflexed in place:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102165838-c86816cf-xl.jpg[/img]

Finally I used Bully Liner for the underside of the tray:

[img]http://images.plebeians.net/_data/i/upload/2021/11/02/20211102165911-01b82829-xl.jpg[/img]

I figure that the rubber in the Bully Liner will deaden down the tray a bit especially with stone hits etc. Plus being water based and UV curing it is a lot better for touchup than Raptor.

Its now raining for a few days, so i wont get much of a chance to do anything else. But need to prime and paint the drawers, the tray sides, canopy, and tray bed. Plus bull bar at some point i guess too.

Hopefully be able to work at it in the “spray booth” gazebo later in the week… so long as it doesnt tear itself to bits in the wind.