Series IIA 109" Body, Modified Toyota Chassis and driveline

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steveep · #1 Post by **steveep** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:10 pm

So, after my virgin mid-show articulation ramp and see-saw attempts at Founder's Day 2011 (awesome job putting it on by the way guys!), there was quite a few questions about why my land-rover didn't seem quite right... and subsequent to answering a few of them, one of our fellow members suggested a get a build thread up on here...so here it is!

Synopsis: I'm running a late Series IIA 109" Land Rover Body, on a modified 1986 Toyota 4 runner frame, with an early 80's solid axle swap up front. It originally had the Toyota 22R 4 cylinder and 5-speed manual transmission, then I went to a 4.3l GM engine (initially carbureted, later fuel injected) - mated to the same Toyota 5-speed, and now I am moving to a 1996+ Toyota 3.4 V6 and automatic. I have found it a great project, largely due to the vast amount of information and products out there for custom Toyota projects, and still think it makes sense conceptually as a lover of the simple, modular, and mostly aluminum Land Rover body as well as the mechanical reliability, parts availability, etc. of Toyota - BUT there is no shortage of complications to work through and it's definitely not "bolt-on."

List of some of the complications I've encountered and the solutions I've implemented (which makes the whole things seem quite a bit crazier):

For body mounting, the front two outriggers were pretty straight forward to fab - the front ones were originally just cut off and then grafted on to the new frame - but I recently replaced them with heavier fabricated ones that I designed to accept custom rock sliders eventually. For the rear tub, the Toyota bed mounts were just cut off and moved to the inside of the frame instead of the outside (because the outside was too wide for the Land Rover tub), and then two 2x1 lengths of steel tube are drilled to adapt the body bolt spacing to the frame bolt spacing.

Because of the bump up on the Toyota frame for the rear box, it ends up being body-lifted - compared to stock - which, when combined with new Old Man Emu springs, gave it a pretty high ride height. So, in the latest iteration, I've mounted the axles spring-under instead of spring-over.

The front of the frame sticks out a bit further because of the Toyota having longer springs (to keep the wheel centered in the arch), which initially led to an unfortunate gap between the bumper and front of the fenders. But, in the latest iteration I'm just mounting the bumper stacked on top of the front crossmember, which places it about right relative to the fenders.

The stock power steering box initially poked out through the front radiator mount, but I've since converted to an FJ60 power steering box and steering knuckles, which moved it back into hiding (more fab work here, adjusting the mounting position on the frame).

Gas tank was an issue. Old saddle tank doesn't fit because the frame is wider. I initially had a custom saddle tank welded up, but have now moved to a larger chevy tank in the rear, which I'm going to fill through a new filler neck that runs up through the rear driver's side corner locker to a flush mount cap behind the license plate (have a flip down plate holder).

E-brake is also an issue because the Toyota's had a handle that pulled out from the dash, which created a lot more travel than the Land Rover lever. I'm happy with my latest iteration of that (RRC/Disco lever mounted between the seat and cubby - which is a nice solution to the Defender shin basher as well - leading to an intermediate pivot arm that multiplies the pull).

Finally, depending on what engine/transmission you're using, something will probably have to be done to the transmission tunnel (and mounting faces on bulkhead/seatbox).

Then there's all the wiring....

The last time it was all one color (as I update this in 2024, I am nearing the completion of v3 - which includes a full repaint to light green and new wheels etc.):
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP ... i-0W=w2400

steveep · #2 Post by **steveep** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:22 pm

ANDYD · #3 Post by **ANDYD** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:41 pm

For some reason you had a couple of extra letters after the jpeg... seems to be OK now.

Nice truck, thanks for sharing the info / photos

Cheers, Andy

steveep · #4 Post by **steveep** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:50 pm

ANDYD wrote:For some reason you had a couple of extra letters after the jpeg... seems to be OK now.

Nice truck, thanks for sharing the info / photos

Cheers, Andy

Indeed it does! Thanks Andy :-)

buzzkill · #5 Post by **buzzkill** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 4:18 pm

Stunning!
myself, being new to rovers, am not a purist in any sense, and so love your ingenious Franken Rover!
Good work!
Would you happen to have any suggestions as to local (GVRD) fabricators/bodywork shops?
I have a serious sill problem; I have none!

steveep · #6 Post by **steveep** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:05 am

Thanks!

The worst kind of sill problem! haha

Unfortunately can't be too much help, all of the fabrication on my truck was just done in the garage .... though a lot of guys in the toyota off-road scene seem to go to these guys for their custom fabrications:

http://www.bigcountrycustoms.com/

Regarding body work, I've got even less idea ... if we're talking landy, the trouble is finding someone that is skilled with aluminum. I'd be interested in knowing if you find a place though!

buzzkill · #7 Post by **buzzkill** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:22 am

Steveep,
Bigcountry just wrote me back!
I have a few people I'm running this project by.
Worst part is timing...I have no good time for this!
No time off between gigs and I can't be without a vehicle..bleagh!
Ill let you know about the aluminum handling if I find anyone.

Charles · #8 Post by **Charles** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 7:22 am

Wow fantastic job on the 109, wish I had those mad skills.

steveep · #9 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:26 pm

This was mid full rewire #1 (cleaning things up), I later went to a Painless Performance harness that had better wire coloring/labeling

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/J75Su ... 60-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YWJaJ ... 09-h946-no

steveep · #10 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:34 pm

This was power plant 2.2, moving from carburetion to central port fuel injection on the GM 4.3 swap

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bAAd5 ... 78-h945-no

New Paint and Sensors:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Mxkv6 ... 78-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ov49S ... 78-h945-no

Wanted to close up these speed holes in the firewall as well :P :

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6oygU ... 60-h945-no

Voila!:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eRPhA ... 60-h945-no

steveep · #11 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:36 pm

Before:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KSfEo ... 78-h945-no

After:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VwVym ... 78-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nooIG ... 78-h945-no

steveep · #12 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:41 pm

Engineering a solution to the Toyota steering box sticking out the front and giving me away. This involved mounting a later, forward-swing, steering box and an aftermarket Toyota "high-steer" kit. I later modified the the mount again and moved to FJ60 steering knuckles to facilitate going spring-under on the axles (to compensate for the high ride height created by new old-man emu springs and my body mounting solutions).

Before:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VRADA ... 60-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cKb1c ... 60-h945-no

After:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9YHXt ... 09-h946-no

Closing the whole in my custom radiator support waiting for another day....

steveep · #13 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:43 pm

How I learned that it's not just your eyes you have to protect from the UV radiation emitted when welding :P

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N8S_t ... 09-h946-no

steveep · #14 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:53 pm

Modifying Seat Box to fit Smart ForTwo seats, fit an under the (centre) seat custom battery tray, and a cubby box:

New aluminum top sheet, with layout for seats and battery box/cubby:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pnQdf ... 78-h945-no

New supports and modified driver's side cubby:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jsiYK ... 00-h945-no

Custom made shifter ring/boot (vinyl sandwiched between some aluminum rings made with a milling machine):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oOEYN ... 00-h945-no

Under structure painted, battery disconnect installed, front access to cubby cut/framed, new transmission tunnel support fashioned:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4aWKz ... 78-h945-no

Top, under seat pans (for clearance of seat underside), and custom aluminum batter box installed (decided to just order an optima battery tray off of EBay):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zUZSu ... 78-h945-no

Installed in truck:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KA43J ... 09-h946-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r1O9g ... 09-h946-no

New Transmission Tunnel fabricated & Fitted:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WN4Ic ... 78-h945-no

steveep · #15 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:02 pm

For the version 2.2 dash I closed up the right hand side of the dash with aluminum panels, hiding the fuse block to the left of the steering column and installing a keyless ignition from China off of aliexpress to the right of the column, for fun:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HMHyD ... 00-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6z7hl ... 00-h945-no

The RFID antenna for ignition couldn't transmit through the aluminum I was using on the dash, so I bought a cheap plastic cutting board, painted it black, cut the aluminum accordingly and ended up with these:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RYuCD ... 78-h945-no

Installed:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sanhL ... 00-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qJhU8 ... 00-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XlYyu ... 00-h945-no

steveep · #16 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:08 pm

Still had this ECU to hide. I ended up closing off that side of the dash with another aluminum panel that included some 12v charging ports, but I never really liked losing the whole dash tray in this manner. So, later, in version 3.0, I moved all of the dash electronics to under the seat and reopened all of this back up.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Trq8a ... 78-h945-no

steveep · #17 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:17 pm

Found I was victim of the usual door frame erosion:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xKxEk ... 78-h945-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Zd5zb ... 78-h945-no

steveep · #18 Post by **steveep** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:23 pm

Ended up getting two new doors off of Jeremy, which stayed conspicuously primer grey for far longer than they probably should have :lol:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP ... jjWU=w2400

ANDYD · #19 Post by **ANDYD** » Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:41 pm

Lots of good progress, quite the adventure!

Is it a little too hopeful to think we would see it see it ready for Founders Day 2016 on Feb 20th?

steveep · #20 Post by **steveep** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 9:09 pm

Hey Andy!

I wish! But it's more the driver than the truck that is the problem. I was pushing hard to have it drive-able for this month, hoping to make my first Founders' Day in years (have been out of the country the last few years), but didn't anticipate the the change to February. Now I'm scheduled to be in Montreal that weekend :cry:

I'll certainly be there if anything changes though. Picked up a new set of door bottoms from Jeremy last week, along with some miscellaneous seals, and I think that was the only major thing standing in my way (though how soon the doors will become the same colour as the rest of the truck is a whole other story .... hoping to get some feedback from the community on paint options as soon as I'm back in town next week)

Hope all is well

franko · #21 Post by **franko** » Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:37 pm

Came across this old old old thread. This thing still around?

steveep · #22 Post by **steveep** » Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:51 pm

Still around! I've got the body off and am in the midst of prep for paint.

franko · #23 Post by **franko** » Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:58 pm

Hey no way, that greats. You should update this thread with pics. Also do you know know what year Toyota frame you used? Sounds like it was a single cab log box version?

steveep · #24 Post by **steveep** » Wed Nov 29, 2023 11:36 am

franko wrote:Hey no way, that greats. You should update this thread with pics. Also do you know know what year Toyota frame you used? Sounds like it was a single cab log box version?

Sorry for the delay! Just setup access through a mobile app. So, hopefully more responsive moving forward.

In getting the frame sandblasted recently, I uncovered a VIN on the frame and discovered that I had misremembered what the chassis I started with was from. It actually came from under a 1986 4runner.

Not really sure whether that was the best place to start or not. At this point, all spring hangers and shock mounts have been moved/reworked, I fabricated custom outriggers to mount the body, and four of the six cross members have been replaced/modified (transmission, rear shock, rear above axle and rear bumper)

steveep · #25 Post by **steveep** » Wed Nov 29, 2023 12:12 pm

Fabricated some new custom body mounts for the bulkhead and the front of the tub. The plan is to have them double as mounts for custom side-sill rocksliders, and be nice and strong for jacking.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AD ... yJM6=w2400
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AD ... F7RV=w2400

The Rover-Landers of BC

The Rover-Landers of BC

Series IIA 109" Body, Modified Toyota Chassis and driveline

Series IIA 109" Body, Modified Toyota Chassis and driveline

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Re: Series IIA 109" Body, 80's Toyota Chassis, Chev 4.3 Eng

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Re: Series IIA 109" Body, 80's Toyota Chassis, Chev 4.3 Eng

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Re: Series IIA 109" Body, 80's Toyota Chassis, Chev 4.3 Eng

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