Build 83’ 304-Yota (Told my Chica it’s for her)

Diablo169

Diablo169

ROKRAPR
Joined
May 18, 2022
Member Number
5199
Messages
337
Loc
Santa Cruz, CA
Well I traded my beloved pretty mint 99’ Taco for a ****Box with solid parts plus some decent cashola . I lost sleep the first night, but I’m doing better now.

Goodbye freshly built Taco with all new parts :crybaby2:
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Hello… Newest depreciating investment.
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I pulled in the driveway with the new rig, chica came out, looked at it and walked back in the house. Later on I took her for a ride in it, told her it’s for her. She commented, “wait, it has a heater, sold.” lol fawk. That’s all it took :lmao:

83’ has some solid parts, but needs some cleaning up and unfawking. Lots of surface rust which will be fully addressed. Lots of wiring that needs to be cleaned up/ removed. And an interior which I want to get to at least a 8/10. It’s an SR5 so these parts are getting pricey.

Parts:

Fully rebuild 84-85 front axle with a Marlin 5.29, Detroit and original Longfields. Trail-Gear High Steer. Will be adding IFS Hubs, Tacoma Brakes, ARP Studs, PSC Hydro Assist, Trunnion Bearing Eliminator, new front spring hanger and new U-Bolts

Marlin dual cases with rear 4.7’s attached to some clapped out 4-Speed. Soon to install a G-52/54 in front.

Rear Axle, IFS with Spool. Will be installing a new Grizzle that I was saving for my 88’ 4Runner.

Truck has brand new dront and rear .188 wall driveshafts from South Bay Driveline. So we are good there.

Truck also has a new Got Propane Conversion with 2 10gal tanks. Purrs like a kitten, might need a Turbo cause it’s slow AF.

No idea what my goal is for the 83’, but I’m getting ready to turn my Juggy on 47’s into a 5-Seater and I want to keep wheeling.

1st day I cleaned up the interior the best I could and started taking apart the doors to get ready to paint and install new panels.

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I need to get the missing pieces and try to find a new dash top. Dash lights, and all gauges work.

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Pile of removed parts.

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Also the shifters collide with each other, and they need to be unfawked. I haven’t even crawled under it. But I think it’s a Forward Shift. I’d like to run the Rad Designs Triple stick, but I don’t think I’ll be able to.

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Pic of the Juggy (Does not have heater)

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Nice, viva la first gens. You know you can heat and bend the crawl box shifter to cure that right...
Watching this.
 
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What an eye sore and downgrade

Has lots of good parts, looks like a jalopy. Nothing a little cleaning won't solve. Once it is unfucked will probably be a reliable rig. It's a solid axle yota...doesn't get better then that.

I do have a tendency to think they aren't that old except they are 4 decades at this point.
 
This is a big project fawk. But I’m pretty stoked to have another 1st gen.

I’m pulling the bed to do some rust mitigation, and get rid of the 3” body lift and lack of bed supports.

Trying to get it ready for the con Memorial Day, but I got a lot to do…

Hydro Assist
Front Spring Hangar
Rear Geizzly, (bye bye spool)
Un-fawk bed
Get some type of lighting. (Currently has one front light, pointed at ground).
Rear Shackle mount
Rock Lights
Install Tacoma brakes and IFS Hubs
Install new clutch and G54

Fawk that’s a lot when I’m in a hotel most the week.

Meanwhile, so progress…

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Keg buddy!
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Good start, double shackles are interesting.
This should spark up the controversy again...
 
Funny that someone relocated the rear spring mount and still ran double shackles. Sounds like your fixing that.
 
Clb said:
Good start, double shackles are interesting.
This should spark up the controversy again...
Click to expand...
Looks like the double shackle is an old school Pirate hack to run 63's. That first shackle is the original shackle in the factory location.

I have a pretty big order from RuffStuff coming, and one of the items is new spring hangers.

I'm actually waiting on a lot of things to show up...

Lowering the bed 1" is a priority so that I can get the new rear bumper built.
 
Shackle hanger or first swing Shackle?
 
Trying to get the under bed finished so I can get it mounted and move on to making the rear bumper.

Pressure washed, Simple Greened, sanded and sprayed Primer today. Tomorrow I'll start applying the DupliColor Bed Armor. I have a ton of Raptor Liner, just not Black, but the Bed Armor holds up awesome and I've used it many times before, also I have 4 cans sitting around.

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I'm trying Seymour Paints on this project. Seems it's what all the shops use. Takes a week to full cure, but I guess it lays completely flat and doesn't run.

Also, that isn't rust. It looks like the factory undercoating. I figure if it won't sand off or blow off with the pin point wash nozzle, it should be fine to leave in place.

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If anyone needs some machine work in the San Jose area, Bob the Machinist did an awesome job turning down the IFS Hubs to fit Tacoma, Tundra, 4Runner brakes $25 a hub. I also picked up a new 35" Mud Rover on a new American Wheels wheel, and a G-52 or 54 in awesome condition, pulled from a non wheeled truck.

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Here are the hubs, one mocked up on an old 06' Tundra Rotor (13WL). I'm planning on running the 1st gen Tacoma Calipers and Rotors, the 13WL's seem a bit much, and an extra $115, plus then I would be limited to 17" wheels. Tacoma calipers are the only ones you can run 15" wheels (Note 99' Tacoma at beginning of Thread.

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Under bed is pretty much done. I coated it with 4 cans of Duplicolor Bed Armor and it came out awesome. I’ll get some pics when it’s fully cured. I’ve used this on lots of projects and it has never in the slightest failed me. Some use’s have been Grills, Bumpers, Skid Plates, Cargo Carriers and other random things.

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Working on the engine side of things. Lots of unfawking. Big wire bundles and splices from where the Smog equipment was removed, and then when the Propane kit was added. I’m going to need to sort this out. I counted 12 various disconnected electrical connectors.

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Not sure why the black and the red both go to the positive terminal?
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Also the truck only had one ground wire that went to the fender. I picked up new stuff yesterday.

Also I’m hoping I found my long crank and high idle issue. One cracked vacuum cap and one missing cap on the intake manifold. Picking up new caps today.

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Hit me up if you need any random Toyota stuff, my shops in Milpitas.
 
Started working on the battery. Did a little Costco O’Reilly’s haul.

Can’t beat a $120 Costco Interstate. Also picked up some terminals and some bulk cables.

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When I got the truck is only had 1 ground that went to the fender and that was all. Not sure if that is factory.

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So I made a new 10ga body ground and then ran 4ga down to the frame, and then over to the block. I may use that frame lug as a winch ground as well, or just run the winch to the battery.

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Lots of room when you take a cutoff wheel to all the brackets. Not sure what used to be here, assuming Smog Pump? Lots of room for a York or AC lol. New Grounds mocked up.

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I’m limited on what I can get done before Memorial Day, so we’ll see. I’d like to at some point get at least a 100amp alternator installed.
 
Worked on a few things today, messed with the winch a little, but spent time getting the rear frame finished up and ready for the rear bumper, and get the bed back mounted up.

Squared up the rear crossmember, 2x3 1.88 wall. Didn't take any pics, but I made some 1/8" plate pieces to weld into to holes to cap it.

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Used some 1 1/2" .125 Square to triangulate for strength. Did some tight welding to fully burn it in.

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Made a make shift paint booth. Note the **** show going on.

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Sanded frame and applied 2 heavy coats of MRO. This **** lays down really smooth, and like they say, very had to run.

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Freshly painted frame is like motivation in a can lol.
 
Getting ready for the Bed Party :smokin:

I bought some 2" wide .125 thick Neoprene Rubber for the bed mounts. I made 24 rubber pads 2"x2". I made a steel jig to clamp into my vice, and then drilled a 1/2" hole in the rubber. Worked really well. Only issue is I'm not sure about the rubber. It seems very solid when compressed, but I can tear it with my hands. It has good reviews, but I ordered a different brand to see if it is more durable.

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Grade 8 hardware might be overkill. These are 2" body lift pucks to replace the 3" ones. I'd like to get rid of the body lift all together, but the rock sliders and cage are built off the cab being on a 2" BL.

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100% agree on deleting the exo. I'm going to keep it for Memorial Day because I don't have time to fix it. The front bumper area sticks out over a foot past the grill, I'd like to build something that is tight to the body.

End goal is to build a tight to cab 1 3/4" .120 DOM exo that tucks into the fenders at the A Pillar. I tend to lay things on their side, so I would like to not taco the cab.
 
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I got the bed back on tonight. The rear body mounts sucked to get tightened down, but the bed is pretty much locked down. Having a tractor made this process much easier.

I'm not really happy with having it on a 2" body lift, but it's what I have right now. Long run I'd like to link the rear and push the rear axle back to 112" Wheelbase, tub and keep the bed. I'd like to keep this a light trail rig, 37's and Toy axles.

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Body lines line up much better now.

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