tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39690722837275006312011-07-07T23:40:29.165-07:00My journey building and wheeling my 1985 Toyota PickupMiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.comBlogger111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-29461746788306106732010-05-07T09:20:00.001-07:002010-05-07T09:21:31.717-07:00

Those fuckers work fast! There is a huge web from the truck to the driveway in one day! Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-32106860949457108552010-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:002010-05-07T09:13:33.795-07:00

One requirement for my build was an interior roll cage. Since again I wasn't good enough at fabricating at the time, I thought this bolt together (with some welding) cage would be perfect. I think I paid around $400 for it from All Pro Offroad. It came via UPS in a box and the longer parts taped together After I got it I layed everything out to inventory and started with the instructions that

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-68412451746936174502010-05-06T13:52:00.000-07:002010-05-06T13:52:11.677-07:00

Just made my plans for Friday night on Fandango...Iron Man 2 on IMAX! The cost of the movie tickets was bad though... $37 for 2!

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-67374244614484671702010-05-06T07:38:00.000-07:002010-05-06T07:38:37.424-07:00

I made some low profile Chevy spring hangers for my rear springs. The design is loosely based on a picture I saw on Pirate4x4. I have to say that if I did it again I would just french them in to the frame. That may be something that I do in the future to lower the truck more. They are made from 3.5x3.5x0.25" square tubing and 1/4" flat stock. The slope is so that they glide over rocks with

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-54439195741025632522010-05-05T11:54:00.000-07:002010-05-05T11:54:58.235-07:00

I fabbed up some rock sliders out of some 2x2" tube steel. They run from wheel well to wheel well just 3" short to account for the fender trimming and tire size I had planned. Welded up the posts and flat supports first, I think they were 6" long for the middle and rear and 12" long for the front. Used the truck frame to weld on since I didn't have a welding table Hard to see, but they are

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-12090909160485486752010-05-05T11:17:00.000-07:002010-05-05T11:17:48.553-07:00

The truck came with an extra transfer case which I was originally going to use for a crawl box, but ended up using it as my primary and using the case in the truck for the crawl box. I just worked on cleaning it during my lunch breaks at work. I used a parts washer, wire brush and a tooth brush to get the majority of the grime off. After that I went over it with some electronics cleaner to get

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-67691024834838275232010-05-05T10:40:00.000-07:002010-05-05T10:40:50.453-07:00

So one of the presents I recently got for my birthday was the new Kindle Reader. I wasn't too impressed with it until I started reading the blogs and forums about it and learned all that it can do. Besides the obvious ebook reading it now has wireless internet access and you can load PDF files. The PDF files didn't really jump out at me until I realized that my FSM was a PDF. I instantly found

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-49200025458914198562010-05-05T10:33:00.000-07:002010-05-05T10:33:51.061-07:00

I knew right away that I didn't want a bed on the truck, so off it went. The original plan was to buy the All Pro Offroad Flatbed Kit, but there wasn't a budget for it at the time, so I just kept it bedless for a while.

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-29299579118852779822010-05-05T09:58:00.000-07:002010-05-05T09:58:32.661-07:00

All links on this page are relevant. Let me lay down the current specs on the truck so you can have a preview of where this is heading: 1985 & 1987 22RE 1983 Front Axle 1986 Power Steering Box 1986 Rear Axle 107" Wheelbase 2.28 Crawler Box with stock shifter 2.28 Rear RF1A Transfer Case 48" Hi-Lift Jack With Mounts All Pro Offroad Interior Roll Cage Ammo Can 7"x12"x7" box for Poo Ammo Can 7"x16

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-59702706296208376362010-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:002010-05-05T09:07:26.669-07:00

The day I got it was very special, I looked at the truck and said "what a pile of shit, but it's got potential". I immediately spray painted my foresight thought about the truck That day we started work on the motor which had a blown head gasket. One mechanic, one shade tree mechanic and a buddy. After about 3 trips to Napa and Kragen, steeling parts from a spare 22RE motor and two days of

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969072283727500631.post-1348113091755339642010-05-05T08:46:00.000-07:002010-05-05T08:46:59.412-07:00

This is my 1985 Toyota SR5 Pickup at Hollister Hills in April 2010 (what's left of it anyway). I bought this truck originally so that I wouldn't destroy my daily driver (2001 Dodge Dakota). It's been a nice truck with some irritating failures at critical moments, mostly due to my lack of maintenance or a poorly built part. I can really only blame myself. Overall, it has been a great purchase.

MiniSimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09489862178598785683noreply@blogger.com0