I just realized I had mentioned this little truck in my Corvair post, but not really posted anything else about it. Here is how it was 4 years ago when I finally convinced the owner it was not getting any better as a lawn ornament.
He said the original engine needed a timing chain and he couldn't find one, so he stored it in boxes and put a Suzuki engine in. While doing to he cut up the frame so badly that it couldn't stand on 4 wheels. It turned out that the original 998cc engine was totally rusted and missing a rod.
I ordered a bunch of parts from the UK and an engine from Chile. After more than a year of waiting for the engine, I ended up buying another one, this time a used front end from Japan. I've detailed everything on my site with lots of pics, but basically I've used the entire front, including the wider doors with roll-up windows, molded steel fender flares, added disc brakes, seat belts, and rebuilt the 1275 injected engine that I got. At the moment I am waiting on some transmission parts that are being made in the UK.
The doors took a lot of work to modify the body and cab, but I'm real glad I did it. Wiring was a problem as they actually sent me a 91 cabin with the 93 engine, so nothing was the same.
I added Fatmat to the floor and roof, then covered the roof with foam backed cloth. Still need to do the carpet.
Seat belts came out from the rear of a delivery van I bought new and for some reason had belts in the rear.
I located tail light lenses in the US and made new bezels out of melted beer cans.
Here are a few shots
He said the original engine needed a timing chain and he couldn't find one, so he stored it in boxes and put a Suzuki engine in. While doing to he cut up the frame so badly that it couldn't stand on 4 wheels. It turned out that the original 998cc engine was totally rusted and missing a rod.
I ordered a bunch of parts from the UK and an engine from Chile. After more than a year of waiting for the engine, I ended up buying another one, this time a used front end from Japan. I've detailed everything on my site with lots of pics, but basically I've used the entire front, including the wider doors with roll-up windows, molded steel fender flares, added disc brakes, seat belts, and rebuilt the 1275 injected engine that I got. At the moment I am waiting on some transmission parts that are being made in the UK.
The doors took a lot of work to modify the body and cab, but I'm real glad I did it. Wiring was a problem as they actually sent me a 91 cabin with the 93 engine, so nothing was the same.
I added Fatmat to the floor and roof, then covered the roof with foam backed cloth. Still need to do the carpet.
Seat belts came out from the rear of a delivery van I bought new and for some reason had belts in the rear.
I located tail light lenses in the US and made new bezels out of melted beer cans.
Here are a few shots