My MK lwb converted to utility
Hello everyone I would like to share my long time awaiting project that me and my father started back in 2007 when i was 18.
Not sure where to begin I guess with what it looked like when i first picked it up back in 2007.
1983 series II - L28 petrol - standard everything (broken everything more likely :D) with an extraction system. It was in such a bad shape that I decided to just chop it in half and make a ute out of it. So we started rebuilding anything that was broken or needed replacement. Which was just about everything except for the major running gear that being engine/gearbox/diffs.
So the big chop was done, not much to say here. To get it started we had to buy a new 2nd hand carb that sat in a wrecker for several years down Sydney way. we put that on and away she went. replaced spark plugs and leads. New battery to.
I did some practicing cutting on sheet metal before attempting this. We actually got a string and put across and drew a line on the roof around the sides worked ok. Pretty rough way of doing things i guess. :|
So since neither of us had really any experience in metal fabrication or had any bending metal machines (don't know what there called really). We used the back of the body for the corner. Oh and those edges are straight just the paint chipped off.
You will notice above part of the rear door is actually used to make the cab longer behind the b-pillars. Reason was i figured there would be no room one bucket seat went in there. Spot welded them in place. Learned how to weld to only a few days before trying any of this. That does sound crazy but I guess back then i thought i could do anything if i put my mind to it.
Alright now ive skiped a bit here because At the time if i remember i was taking these photos from a mobile phone and half of them are lost when the phone broke some time ago. I did manage to save some to the computer like ones that i have here. Anyway Here I measured and cut posts for the tray to sit on. This took some effort because at the time the stupid suspension was sagged on one side and getting levels and stuff took a bit longer.
So since losing my phone we fixed up the panels and got the windscreen replaced/new rubbers. Actually new rubber for doors to and quarter vent windows are new from japan. The rear window was later after this picture taken from a ford van side windows, one of the sliding ones. Bought some working headlights a rear view mirror, New door locks, new 2nd hand instrument panel.
We bought a big rubber thick mat and cut it up to make huge mud flaps suspended by chains, the front to got new rubber wheel arches and flaps. It got led rear lights wired up to go. The tray we made was mainly tubing similar to fence posts with aluminium grate sheets, which took ages to cut to size using a grinder and cutting disk lol.
Now the suspension was completely wreaked so we had to get the whole set new. We went 2inch lift over standard, king springs efs i think they are, and raw nitro shocks. 7leaf on the front and 5 on back. the wheels are just 31/10.5 to get it registered. I want to put larger on at some stage.
Now it wouldn't of been very good if i had left it how it was without getting brand new carpet and underlay. Went black everywhere. Foam padding and reinforced the panels to stop any bad vibration from loud music. Since i love music.
Yep i plan to do the whole thing in camo. I will take more photos of under the tray to show what it looks like. We also did make a custom under the tray wheel carrier which has the wider wheel support unlike the original.
Its a great truck until it went like it died from no fuel last week. It spent 1 week in a workshop and the mechanic replaced the dizzy, points, fuel filters, and a new carb kit. I asked what was wrong with it to make it break down. He did not really know he just replaced everything. A process of elimination. (of my wallet basically)
It returned to me not going good. In fact the mechanic told me he does not know how i managed to live with no brakes going to Sydney and back 2 times. Apparently i drove it with no brake fluid as the brake master cylinder is leaking and very low clutch fluid. Which i know both were fine the day it broke down. And the brakes hardly work at all now. But yeah that's another story in it's self.
The fact is this car now will idle ok, it sure won't start good, it takes ages to start it now so I'm guessing the guy who put the carb kit in did not re-tune it right. When i go to rev it, it dies and then comes to life every time, cold or hot does not matter. It never use to like choke on to start now it requires full choke and gass pedal planted to start. Any ideas?
