The Anti-anti-build

[Stuckinthe80s]

One of the things that is bugging me, and I know I'll have to get fixed, is how the motor was set in during the conversion. It looks like it isn't straight and is slightly clocked:

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Do you guys agree? Every 3.4 has the timing belt cover sitting level. I can't really see the condition of the motor mounts but really I think this was done on purpose to clear the hood. I thought these conversions couldn't be properly done without cutting the hood to clear the intake? You can see in the first picture that it is definitely making contact with the hood but just slightly. There isn't a dent in it but there are rub marks.

I figured out why the engine looked clocked, it’s because it was. The genius who did the swap decided to mount he engine like this:

Not only was the rubber completely shot, the wise-guy who did the swap decided to notch the bottom side of the frame mount and run a bolt through it. Some people's kids.

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

Got some stuff done on the runner.

First was getting the front axle onto the 80 frame. This was kind of a bitch as the axle was loose in the back yard and the frame was in the front yard. Also, getting an axle on a frame without a floor jack is hard. My neighbors love me.

Then I started the body swap.

And this is how it ended up:

Of course I’ll need to move the rear wheel well aft but I think I’m liking where the body is placed. It has a hella good approach angle and a pretty good departure. I could maybe move the body forward some but then I get to a weird spot with the top of the shock tower.

I don’t know, what do you guys think?

Big thanks to @IoN6 for lending me the gantry and to @DomOfTheDead for helping with shuffling frames around!

 

[HDavis]

I don’t know, what do you guys think?

First off, great job getting back on a project after a 3-year break! It looks darn mean on that 80 frame!
What is the wheelbase of the 80 vs the wheelbase of the 4runner?
Where are the body mounts wanting to land on the frame to line up with the body?
Put the front fender on so we can see what it looks like holistically!

I pulled this from another one of your posts, because I think it's part of your inspiration.
It looks like they lined it up pretty much where you have it and then grafted 2 front fenders together to make it longer in the front?

I can't wait for more!

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

First off, great job getting back on a project after a 3-year break! It looks darn mean on that 80 frame!
What is the wheelbase of the 80 vs the wheelbase of the 4runner?
Where are the body mounts wanting to land on the frame to line up with the body?
Put the front fender on so we can see what it looks like holistically!

I pulled this from another one of your posts, because I think it's part of your inspiration.
It looks like they lined it up pretty much where you have it and then grafted 2 front fenders together to make it longer in the front?

I can't wait for more!

Sorry it has taken me a bit to answer your questions.

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words.
The stock 4runner wheelbase is 103" vs. 112" for the LC. This is a big reason why I wanted to do the 80 frame. A lot of the more hardcore guys either move their front axle forward or the rear axle back or both to help with a better contact patch and approach/departure angles. They typically end up around 113" or thereabouts so the 80 frame was right there.

The body mounts didn't line up at all so I'll have to redo all of them. That's okay though because I'd rather do that than a solid axle swap on the original frame which was another reason I wanted to use the 80 frame. Could I get better flex with a link kit on the stock frame? Yeah, but whatever. I don't want to trailer this so it will have to perform well on-road as well so I'm good with the compromise.

I've got the front fenders and grill on so I'll have to post some pics later. Also, I don't think I'll be modifying the fenders and hood although I did think about it. I'm trying to minimize the amount of work involved and I want it to look good when I'm done. No offense to the builders of the truck above but I hope mine will look a lot better.

 

[Stuckinthe80s]

So here are a few pics with the front fenders on. It's hard to get good vantage point with a messy garage and the fact that I just can't get back far enough...

I'm still trying to figure out where I want the body. This looks a little goofy but I might be able to make it look better with some fender trimming.

My intent is to find the right balance of functionality. I was thinking (ignorantly) that I could keep the engine aft of the front axle. But alas, the only way to do this is to move the body back on the frame. This is as far back as I would want it to go and even then, the engine will be sitting over the front axle. I'm going to have to chew on it some more.

One of my sources of inspiration for what I hope this looks like when I'm done is this:

While I am a function-over-form kind of guy, and I doubt my junk will ever look this nice, I can't help but be a little obsessed with this one. It was built by one of Proffitt's guys and was on display at CM19. The front is actually dove-tailed so the perspective is off slightly regarding how everything looks in reference to the front axle. Regardless, I drooled over this thing for about an hour and have been wanting to build something like it ever since. The current owner is @rockymtn4runner on instagram and wheels with @Squishy! from time to time.

 

[Notyourmomslx450]

So here are a few pics with the front fenders on. It's hard to get good vantage point with a messy garage and the fact that I just can't get back far enough...

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I'm still trying to figure out where I want the body. This looks a little goofy but I might be able to make it look better with some fender trimming.

My intent is to find the right balance of functionality. I was thinking (ignorantly) that I could keep the engine aft of the front axle. But alas, the only way to do this is to move the body back on the frame. This is as far back as I would want it to go and even then, the engine will be sitting over the front axle. I'm going to have to chew on it some more.

One of my sources of inspiration for what I hope this looks like when I'm done is this:

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While I am a function-over-form kind of guy, and I doubt my junk will ever look this nice, I can't help but be a little obsessed with this one. It was built by one of Proffitt's guys and was on display at CM19. The front is actually dove-tailed so the perspective is off slightly regarding how everything looks in reference to the front axle. Regardless, I drooled over this thing for about an hour and have been wanting to build something like it ever since. The current owner is @rockymtn4runner on instagram and wheels with @Squishy! from time to time.

That 4Runner belongs to a buddy of mine.