Project: MUD MONKEY!!!

[Mystery Machine]

If I may ask, how many Kilometers does the Mud Monkey have on her?

I don't mind you asking at all!

120,000km on the clock - but this has been one neglected motor!

Since arriving in the UK it has been parked next to a beach every night! Salty air and no rust prevention = more rust than usual!

My L300 (the Mystery Machine) had the same mileage, yet is still mint! 8)

As well as this, the motor was lent by the previous owner to another member of the family for 12 months (when the owner purchased an L400) and they obviously had NO respect for someone elses motor! How on earth the interior got into this state I'll never know??

The stink from the grime in the carpets was awful! The 'sister' it was lent to obviously didn't care about other people's property and her kids were blatantly even WORSE!!

I won't go on - it upsets me to think anyone could treat a motor so badly! :( At least the 'core' of the vehicle is sound - and in that respect, it is perfect for what I want!

I'd hate to chuck away a perfectly good interior and A/C system, but in this case, it was not only the best option, but also part of the plan!

Roll on the Mud Monkey...... :D :D

Regards,

Bruce.

P.S. In tomorrow's update - how to convert an old 'cool box' unit into a handy storage compartment! 8) 8)

[collector]

Wow-I had 146,000KM on my 1988 Toyota 4x4 3.0L pickup, and I paid $8000 CAD for her 8 years ago (256,000 KM and still runs like new, but the box is falling apart, despite my best efforts)
Goddamn, even beat up, the Mud Monkey is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

[Mystery Machine]

P.S. In tomorrow's update - how to convert an old 'cool box' unit into a handy storage compartment! 8) 8)

Well here it is!

If you ever decide to ditch your A/C system and you're not sure what to do with your cool-box....then read on.......

After ripping out the A/C system from the Mud Monkey, I removed the carpet in the front cab - only to find four 'dimples' in the centre of the floor! I quickly realised that these were the location/drilling points for the mountings on the genuine cool-box! EUREKA moment!

After a quick rummage around my collection of parts in the garage, I found a genuine cool-box that I had removed from an L300 a few years back. Always knew it might come in handy! :D :D

Four holes freshly drilled in the floorpan, some spare bolts pulled out of my 'spare bolts' tin and VOILA.....one coo-box fitted! 8) 8)

Downside is that with no A/C system, the cool-box is about as useless as a cabbage with a PhD! :lol:

The answer - rip it apart, get rid of the gubbins and turn it into a storage compartment! 8) 8)

After half an hour of unscrewing the thing! (more screws & bolts than I'd dare count! ) I can safely say that the genuine cool-box is one of the most over engineered devices I've ever some across!! Forget the BIG timer control unit that sits outside the box, the enormous wiring loom used to power the three relays and all the associated fuses....what you see here is just the box itself in pieces!



Only about 55% of the internal space is actualy useable!! The rest is heater/cooling devices!

Bin 50% of what you see in the picture, screw the box back together and you actually have a decent sized storage locker in the front of the cab....




Regards,

Bruce.

Coming soon - add more fresh air with split/sliding rear windows.... 8) 8)

[josh]

Bruce,

I am excited to see those windows... can you buy them standard in the UK? I wish mine opened. All summer camping in the back I longed for them to open.

Glad to see the project is motoring right along. Keep up with the pictures, we love it!

Josh

[redmond]

What a job Bruce! Now you match mine... yes it's still not back together. If you have any plastic clips left still in one piece I would love some. Thanks.
You don't waste time do you :)

[Mystery Machine]

Glad to see the project is motoring right along. Keep up with the pictures, we love it! Josh

Are you sure you want more pics?? :lol: I think I'll have to create a 'blog' for this project at the rate it it going!

.....Coming soon - add more fresh air with split/sliding rear windows.... 8) 8)

I am excited to see those windows... can you buy them standard in the UK?

Hi Josh, I'm afraid the windows are 'standard' (AKA genuine) Delica/L300 items that I picked up a few years back from a Deli being broken!

They were fitted to some of the earlier models (pre-1990) and were an option on later ones - I'm not too sure exactly what models they came on because they seem to appear on a variety of different models/years....I just kept an eye out for a set to put into the Mystery Machine - like you, for more air on Summer camping trips....although I chose not to fit them in the end because I preferred the clean lines of the 'pop-out' windows.....

I'm glad I kept them though because they work a TREAT in the Mud Monkey.... 8) (installed to allow the smoke/fumes to escape from the 3 burner stove we I am planning to fit later on in the project....this will be placed directly below the sliding window behind the drivers seat)

Here is the change-over:

After removing the rubber inside, the clips that hold the sliding door window in need to be removed


There are six clips located as below


It's hard to believe that the whole window and its frame are held in solely by these six little things!


Because I was doing the change-over on my own, I had to create a second pair of hands!! Not having anyone to hold the window in while I removed the clips from the inside meant I had to employ the services of some 'gaffa' tape to keep the window from dropping out and smashing!


Old window now safely out, sliding window ready to go in....


Same for the other side - although this window was held in by the 3 screws from the 'pop-out' mechanism. Gaffa tape used again to avoid a million bits of glass decorating my driveway!


New window in and secured!


A new veiw - and LOTS of fresh air! (note the missing clips on the front of each window...these were both broken and were ordered from Mitsubishi this morning. £6.80 each and will be here in 2 days! :D :D )


Some idea of the difference the new windows make, although they have yet to be tinted (DIY job I think!) but I'll do that later in the project when the weather is a little better (will probably remove the windows to tint them - can lay them flat for an easier application of the film...indoors on the table :D )


Total time for the WHOLE job - 35 mins including fitting all the rubbers etc! 8) Could probably do it in 20 mins now I know what to do.....

Regards,

Bruce.

[mark.giles]

Come on bruce what have you been playing at is that all you have done i don't no any body would thing you have nothing better to do. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Mark.

[mark.giles]

When do i get a go????????????????????????????????

Mark.

[crushers]

love what you are doing here Bruce...
care for any suggestions?

[Mystery Machine]

I figured it was time for an update on this seeing as I haven't posted anything on the Mud Monkey for over a year!!

Just after the last update I ended up in BC somehow seeing you guys.....and upon my return, progress with the motor was at a standstill while I refurbished my whole house and started a new business up....

Before I knew it I was in need of a work van....and low & behold, sat there on my drive was the Mud Monkey: my £200 budget banger already stripped out and ready to get stuck in!

I had some genuine RalliArt alloys in the garage complete with some 31" MT tyres, so I modded the arches and bolted the wheels on along with some 1" lift shackles and a cheeky crank on the torsion bars.

I also happened to have a terzo ladder in the garage and some chrome bull bars, so out went the rusty white ones and one went the bling! (only temporary because I have other plans for the front end!)

The day I finished adding these bits, I was in a supermarket and spotted a high roof L400, so I parked next to it so I could see how tall mine was in comparison. I'll let the photos do the talking on that one!




A lot more has changed since those photos were taken, but I'll update this thread gradually so as not to overload you with Mud Monkey photos!

Here are a few more of it on my drive after its one and ONLY ever clean! You'll never see it again looking like this!




Not bad for £200 heh?? I'd also added some PIAA spot lamps at this point (these had also been sat in my garage!) and the total cost at this point including purchase price, all the mods so far and a MASSIVE load of mechanical work including cam/balance belts, turbo rebuild, full service, new brake pads etc....is a staggering £328.00!

It's so much fun trying to do all this on a 'Bargain Banger' budget!

[Fanny Bay Delica]

Bruce,

That looks incredible for a 200 pound banger, you could sell it here for $8-10K!! Do that 20-30 times and you can have a second home over here!!

[Mystery Machine]

Thanks for that Andy....

Shortly after those pics were taken, the Mud Monkey started on its path to becoming a more dedicated 'off roader'

I bought some nicer MT tyres on steelie's (always the plan) and sold the RalliArt wheels for quite a bit more! The steel's were pained a nasty shade of green (as can be seen) so a quick rub-down and spray with some satin black and on they went:

The wheels before:


Some more arch trimming needed:


VOILA!!



Happy times......

[JJ]

wow what a score!

such an amazing transformation as well!

I am wanting to do something similar with mine,, at least in regards to bigger tyres


How do you wind the front torsion bars up more if they are already at their max and the front still sags? (which is the case with mine)

-JJ