Trolatron 2009 GU Mods

[Trolatron]

Well l have had this THING a couple of years now and l really don't feel attached to it at all. It has a harsh ride and the turning circle is atrocious, l have to work the steering wheel a heck of a lot more than the shorty.
But I am stuck with it now so l just gota make the most of it l guess so here is a quick rundown so far.
I got it from a car yard stock as they come $17500 with 20600km on it. Actually, it had a redarc tow brake thingy installed.
First port of call was to get windows tinted. Then on went an eBay welded intercooler and catch can followed by VDO boost and egt gauges on a pillar pod.

mods so far:
Playtime exhaust.. straight threw (big mistake, to dronie)
Custom Rocksliders
Custom Rear Bar (swing aways not finished yet)
Raised towbar
Blacked out grill mirrors interior trims and wheels
Winch cradle (yet to be coated and fitted)

Currently working on a dash pod to house gauges and switches.
Also working on a seat pad because you sit a lot lower in the gu than the gq did.

I cant get my photos small enough to post up.

[rusty_nail]

Well l have had this THING a couple of years now and l really don't feel attached to it at all. It has a harsh ride and the turning circle is atrocious, l have to work the steering wheel a heck of a lot more than the shorty.
But I am stuck with it now so l just gota make the most of it l guess so here is a quick rundown so far.
I got it from a car yard stock as they come $17500 with 20600km on it. Actually, it had a redarc tow brake thingy installed.
First port of call was to get windows tinted. Then on went an eBay welded intercooler and catch can followed by VDO boost and egt gauges on a pillar pod.

mods so far:
Playtime exhaust.. straight threw (big mistake, to dronie)
Custom Rocksliders
Custom Rear Bar (swing aways not finished yet)
Raised towbar
Blacked out grill mirrors interior trims and wheels
Winch cradle (yet to be coated and fitted)

Currently working on a dash pod to house gauges and switches.
Also working on a seat pad because you sit a lot lower in the gu than the gq did.

I cant get my photos small enough to post up.Nice to read you again mate, can't wait to see some pics!

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Trolatron]

Nice to read you again mate, can't wait to see some pics!

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

Thanks man, will post up when l figure out how to.

[Trolatron]

Here is a photo of my tinted windows and silver rims.


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[Plasnart]

Love the panel decals mate, amazing camouflage! :D

[rusty_nail]

Haha that's excellent!

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Trolatron]

Ebay intercooler and Playtime exhaust both fitted up perfectly.


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[Trolatron]

The chrome was cracking on the back of the mirrors so l sprayed them black.


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[Trolatron]

It took me a few weeks to complete these rock sliders as my back is stuffed and some of my welding isn't what it used to be but l kept on pushing threw the pain and I'm happy enough with how they came out.
The bends are 3.2mm wall and the rest is 4mm wall and 10mm plate for brackets. I made the infill plates from 2mm plate.

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[rusty_nail]

That's wicked mate! Love your work

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Trolatron]

I'm not a car doctor but preparation for a higher clearance rear bar I performed a Rear Quateroscopy as high as l could go.
I covered the area with black Sikaflex 227.

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[rusty_nail]

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Not a doctor? You could bloody eat off those boots! Do you have an actual work pair and then a pair for when you just wanna take photos? Nice work. Assuming the rear bar will.be produced in house also? How did you install the weepers to help with water ingress?

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[Trolatron]

[QUOTE=rusty_nail;839910]Not a doctor? You could bloody eat off those boots! Do you have an actual work pair and then a pair for when you just wanna take photos? Nice work. Assuming the rear bar will.be produced in house also? How did you install the weepers to help with water ingress?]

Haha yes Nic id only had them boots about a week. I have no idea why but there was already a thick 40mm plastic tube running up inside the old quatre panel which goes right up to the nearly the window with all the wires running inside it. I sealed up the opening best l could and if any water did get in there it would have to be window deep to get inside the car. Rear bar pics coming up next.

[Cremulator]

Ah, here is our old friend bptrick posting a link in the full stop at the end of that garbled mess.

[BrazilianY60]

First time I see a quarter chop on a GU. All the ones I´ve seen so far are on GQs.

[BrazilianY60]

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Where do the 4-hole bracket bolts to? I got intrigued with the orientation of it.

[Trolatron]

Where do the 4-hole bracket bolts to? I got intrigued with the orientation of it.

Most people have a single flat bracket onto the front body mount bracket but l like to go overkill.

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[growler2058]

Ah, here is our old friend bptrick posting a link in the full stop at the end of that garbled mess.
Gonski :) ...

[mudski]

Well done mate. Top notch work done. I widh my welding was neat like that.

[Trolatron]

this is how far the rear bar has progressed so far. I still have to finish the swing arms and decide how I want them set up.
I will get it powder coated when its finished, haven't decided to go black or white yet.

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[Trolatron]

I made it so the swingarm on passenger side can lock in at 90 degrees or open up to 180 degrees and have plans to maby make a box cupboard to hold cooker and pantry type set up.
The wheel swing arm opens with the big door.

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[Trolatron]

https://youtu.be/aNa41HcUktU

[Cremulator]

Such great work.
I really love looking at great fabrication/modifications. It's clear you really know your stuff with steel and a welder, but also how to film the workings of its functionality.
[emoji122] Top job with everything you just posted up.

[Trolatron]

Such great work.
I really love looking at great fabrication/modifications. It's clear you really know your stuff with steel and a welder, but also how to film the workings of its functionality.
[emoji122] Top job with everything you just posted up.

Thanks mate, I was a metal fabricator for 0ver 30 years and quality control for a company that makes stuff for Caterpillar mining trucks so I have a lot of experience, but my body is aging fast and I struggle to perform as I once did but giving it a crack.

[BrazilianY60]

Amazing work mate, love it! Specially the side support for the bumper so that the sides don't bent in if pushed.
One question about the spring loaded latch mechanism: does it have a pin or some sort of lock "for the road" so that it doesn't rely on spring force alone once driving?

[Trolatron]

Amazing work mate, love it! Specially the side support for the bumper so that the sides don't bent in if pushed.
One question about the spring loaded latch mechanism: does it have a pin or some sort of lock "for the road" so that it doesn't rely on spring force alone once driving?

No latch pin at the moment but l plan on doing something like that and also adding a warning switch like the door have hooked up to a light on the dash because l have already driven off with the latch not done up.

[BrazilianY60]

Also loved the fact that the tire swing pivots with the door and not by itself. That side of the swing you need not worry with undone latches! Really inspiring!

[Trolatron]

Building a roof console, taking a while but it's getting there.

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[mudski]

Bloody hell! very nice!

[taslucas]

Hi mate, Long time no see! Those mods are absolutely beautiful! Amazing work [emoji106]

.......from under the great down under.

[Trolatron]

Hi mate, Long time no see! Those mods are absolutely beautiful! Amazing work [emoji106]

.......from under the great down under.

Hi Lucas , yeah it's been a quick minute. Good to see your still on the forum mate.

[taslucas]

Hi Lucas , yeah it's been a quick minute. Good to see your still on the forum mate.Cheers mate, you too.

.......from under the great down under.

[Trolatron]

Dash pod to match the roof console. l will be starting on the floor console soon.

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[PeeBee]

Your dash pod is amazing, excellent work. Question on the GPS speedo - is it using a simple antenna pick up or from your OBD circuits?

[Trolatron]

sorry my photos are so big, l don't know how to make them smaller. they are just phone pics.

[Trolatron]

Your dash pod is amazing, excellent work. Question on the GPS speedo - is it using a simple antenna pick up or from your OBD circuits?

It has its own built in gps. Its just a a cheap eBay job about $12 l think it was but it works great. im glad l got it. held on via some masking tape bubbled over.
Bit bright of a night so l just pull the plug on the side there half way out .

[BrazilianY60]

That came out a treat!
Just for the tall lads though. I'd have to raise my seat if I had one! :cheers:

[Trolatron]

That came out a treat!
Just for the tall lads though. I'd have to raise my seat if I had one! :cheers:

I'm not short but lm height deprived a little, l made a booster seat you could call it because l just wasn't happy with the seating position, I'm my GQ it has a much better seat height and a much better more commanding driving position. The gu feels much better now and l enjoy driving it now l hated it b4.

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[BrazilianY60]

Interesting! Do you have more pictures on that? Always keen to see what other people come up with to make their cars better tools for the job!

[Trolatron]

Interesting! Do you have more pictures on that? Always keen to see what other people come up with to make their cars better tools for the job!

No thats all l have. It just sits on the seat under the seat cover and doesnI't move.

[Trolatron]

roof console with over head speakers.

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[pollenface]

Ebay intercooler and Playtime exhaust both fitted up perfectly.

It's very satisfying when aftermarket things fit perfectly :D

[Trolatron]

Some more mods.

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[Trolatron]

Made a place to house compressor and 3rd battery.

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[Trolatron]

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[PeeBee]

WOW, you are a very clever guy, great display of skills with these mods. What brand of fridge is that? Is it a freezer drawer with fridge section above? What capacity is it please?

[Brissieboy]

Trolatron Interesting. But what do you see as the advantage of the drawer within the drawer instead of just 2 simple drawers? Does not appear to be much benefit and wastes some space.

[Trolatron]

WOW, you are a very clever guy, great display of skills with these mods. What brand of fridge is that? Is it a freezer drawer with fridge section above? What capacity is it please?

It is an Evercool. It is all in one section with a basket separating top and bottom. 68L l think. They don't make them any more.

[Trolatron]

Trolatron Interesting. But what do you see as the advantage of the drawer within the drawer instead of just 2 simple drawers? Does not appear to be much benefit and wastes some space.

My cooker lives in the bottom draw and the middle draw is my food/ utensils draw. If I am using the pull out chopping board at the bottom l can still open the middle or top draw. It works perfect for how l use it. There is also a large pull out table under the fridge that l cook on.

[PeeBee]

Thanks I am now running a 60L Engel from the 1980's - still kicking aftr a heart transplant in 2000, and more recently a Bushman 15L as a freezer. The combo will work well, however if a unit could be configured like you j=have with the same performance I am seeing, it would be very efficient use of the volume.

[Trolatron]

Air compressor installed. It was to long with the handle on it so l removed it and came straight off the head. Thought heat might be a problem but it's not. Also installed pressure switch and blow off valve wouldn't do it again tho as there are much better bought options now.


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[Trolatron]

Thanks I am now running a 60L Engel from the 1980's - still kicking aftr a heart transplant in 2000, and more recently a Bushman 15L as a freezer. The combo will work well, however if a unit could be configured like you j=have with the same performance I am seeing, it would be very efficient use of the volume.

If i had to change the set up l would run two draws that way if something goes wrong with one l would have backup.

[Trolatron]

My water tank is 43L and is fed to a pump and also a gravity fed tap. The pump can draw from a bucket or river tho l havnt installed filters yet but will soon.

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[Brissieboy]

My cooker lives in the bottom draw and the middle draw is my food/ utensils draw. If I am using the pull out chopping board at the bottom l can still open the middle or top draw. It works perfect for how l use it. There is also a large pull out table under the fridge that l cook on.

I still don't get this one.
Obviously a lot of really good work has gone into this build and I am genuinely not trying to criticise in any way or cause any friction; just trying to get my head around why this particular design.
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If you open the outer/main/top drawer the inner one comes with it which does not make sense to me.
You can open the bottom without the top, but not the top without the bottom.
The weight of both drawers is hanging off the top drawer slides, which may be a problem with both drawers fully opened when heavily loaded - unless you are looking for that double extension.
With 2 simple drawers you could even remove the upper and keep large/tall items in the bottom one utilising that empty space - keep those long-necks standing up.
I just can't see any advantage in that design.

[Trolatron]

I wanted 3 draws because l hate sifting threw deep draws trying to find stuff, I had deep draws in my last build and it's a pain so l like to keep things separated.
I made the bottom draw move with the middle draw so l can use it as a table top with the bread board on top and can still open and close middle draw thats also why l didnt want a drop down table on the barn door.. The bread board is full length of the drawers. The 90kg draw slides are plenty strong enough, l only had 4 days to build the whole thing as l was going on an 8 day trip and that's all l could get but they seem fine so they can stay. I have done two 8 night trips on Tassie West Coast and it's all still as good as new. I did up the fridge slides to 125kg I wanted to use 227kg ones but l didn't realise they are wider.

[Trolatron]

The middle row platform l made has been very usefull with the draws in each end. The driver side has a section missing to allow my dog to climb up in and on top of the platform. The draws utilise the whole area and no space is waisted, there's a long section that runs along the back 140mm wide. The slides are push to open and most people don't even know there are draws there. It was pure fluke that the water tank fitted perfectly behind the passenger seat.
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