Hey guys.
Here's my build over on www.pirate4x4.com
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyota-truck-4runner/755204-another-1st-gen-project-nutkase.html
  I bought a 79 10/2007 and have been building it to stand up to new englands best woods and it's worst weather.
This is the picture as it was advertised on craigslist


The bed was bondo'd and beyond repair

The frame had mouse nests in it





The headgasket was blown


The cab was in rough shape so I gave it some TLC

The previous owners had done some half ass repairs.





This was my first build ever and I learned how to weld at a very young age but never could afford a welder until I started working hard and dumping money in to my project








As you can see, my cab was probably in worse condition than yours but I tackled it relentlessly























This is the truck that about half of the frame parts came from - the other half was from my original frame and from aftermarket vendors like trail gear, sky manufacturing and marlin crawler.  I'm going to use the rare Custom California Stepside Bed with Fiberglass Fenderflares too



I still have many parts left over for sale from my builds.

Heres how the frame looked after I stripped it down.  There was a full ground up restoration due and I replaced all of the cross members, added a front drop hanger, added aftermarket cross members and shock mounts, and plated the frame in 6 spots.  Its came a long way and is a b*std; People have similar rigs but have less work in to theirs.












blasted lots of unnecessary mounts off

had to put 1st gen cab mounts on my 2nd gen shell


mocking it up on the frame for the second time after moving the front cab mounts in and cutting 4 88 cab mounts off and welding 79 cab mounts in




Chevy 63" custom hangers

who says money doesn't grow on trees



these mounts were actually trail gear 2.38" toyota width so i had to put washers as spacers on both sides of the shackles to make up for the difference in width of the chevy eyelet



Setting the front RUF pack up on the ifs shell (45" pre 85 NHK Downey 3" had a 22.5" center pin so I didn't have to move the IFS box forward as far)






The frame needed extensive plating and patching





boxing the rear

who needs a 22re-c toyota celica engine?  has like 80,000 on it with less than 1 thousand on the head gasket.

sitting on all 4's with shocks

I plated the inner frame walls for extra strength


The drivers side cab mount had to be clearanced and the box had to be moved forward an inch.  I drilled the frame for the box and had to make 2 custom plates which cost less than a trail-gear kit to reinforce the frame for the IFS PS box mounts and my father put some more weld to it and did the final touches.


The tie rod to drag link clearance was good after my mods

My father gusseted the front cross member on both drivers and passenger sides after I shaped and formed the rectangular tubing

Bringing the frame to be industrially sandblasted and painted with Bill Hirsch Aluminum Miracle Paint which cures from humidity and is rock hard








This Aluminum Bill Hirsch Miracle Paint (IMO better than POR15 + cheaper) did not need top coating since it is Aluminum and has not faded over the last 4 years from the sun.
Auto Rust Paint, Miracle Paint Rust Killer, Rust Paint, Paint Rust Killer - HirschAuto.com



Before

After



8 layers of paint; Black Miracle Paint, Black POR15, Duplicolor Bedliner mixed together in different coats


It came together after all the effort




clearanced the PS box





All my hard work paid off

Currently in the process of getting a 4.10:1 for the front (probably going to get a salvaged) cuz I sold the 4.88:1 out of it and theres a 4.10:1 in the rear.  20/22R hybrid in process