Toyota truck locost.

A buddy of mine has a 4wd playtoy toyota truck that is a beater and an absolute blast, solid axle swap, roll bar, just a good ole fun trail rig. Well, a few months ago, he wound up flipping it, tearing the cab up pretty good.

He stumbles across one that a fellow farmer had sitting, and he mentioned that he needed some body parts. The guy said "well, take that one."

So he gets a 2wd 4 cyl Toyota truck, for nothing, and the body is near perfect. He takes the cab and doghouse, puts it on his 4WD, and now has a bare 2wd chassis and drivetrain, sitting in his driveway, with what looked like some kindof sign sitting near it.

From what I could remember the engine was blown up, and thats why it was left to sit, but the body was near perfect. So now he's got most of his body on the trail truck, andits never looked better. My thoughts now though are, can a locost be built from a toyota truck frame and running gear? I think in the least I could make some sortof rail buggy out of it or something.

Why not? A solid rear axle and unequal length control arms, you could do worse as a starting point.

MadScientistMatt wrote: Why not? A solid rear axle and unequal length control arms, you could do worse as a starting point.

I doubt that you'll end up with one that looks exactly like a seven clone, but you can definitely build some cool stuff around a pickup suspension. (I'm using the front end of a dodge dakota in my datsun.) If you want something locost-ish, I'd plan on splitting the fiberglass nose cone and adding a strip to make it wider so it fits your truck chassis.

Oh, hell yes, that would make a great starting point for a project! I'd love to have one of those!

Man, I think it would work great. I agree, probably a little too big for a "book chassis", but that's not a huge deal.

I think it might end up a bit like this

...which means it would be a lot of fun to drive.

I was thinking more of a cut down chassis than a stock one, but if you did a stock chassis, there was an interesting site I saw where someone had used older car bodies, no hoods, pickup frames, and vintage power plants for instant rat rods. That could be pretty fun too.

Yeah, i've seen psuedo-rats made from a truck cab, and other stuff removed, usually including the top, and going from there.

At a Somernites cruise in Somerset a few years ago, that was RWD and had a toyota carb'd 4 banger for power, body was vintage detroit tin, and the shifter was a acetylene torch handle. I don't think it started life as a a toyota, but not much is stopping me.

I had completely forgotten about the rat rod approach. I'll call him tommorrow and see what's up.

MadScientistMatt wrote: there was an interesting site I saw where someone had used older car bodies, no hoods, pickup frames, and vintage power plants for instant rat rods. That could be pretty fun too.

This one? http://www.junkrod.com/

In reply to JoeyM:

I LOVE that.

JoeyM wrote:

MadScientistMatt wrote: there was an interesting site I saw where someone had used older car bodies, no hoods, pickup frames, and vintage power plants for instant rat rods. That could be pretty fun too.

This one? http://www.junkrod.com/

Yuck!!!!!!!!

JoeyM wrote:

MadScientistMatt wrote: there was an interesting site I saw where someone had used older car bodies, no hoods, pickup frames, and vintage power plants for instant rat rods. That could be pretty fun too.

This one? http://www.junkrod.com/

No, I was thinking something more like this:

A little more info on it, but not much, here:

http://www.nationaltbucketalliance.com/members/i99-007/index.asp

MadScientistMatt wrote:

JoeyM wrote:

MadScientistMatt wrote: there was an interesting site I saw where someone had used older car bodies, no hoods, pickup frames, and vintage power plants for instant rat rods. That could be pretty fun too.

This one? http://www.junkrod.com/

No, I was thinking something more like this: A little more info on it, but not much, here: http://www.nationaltbucketalliance.com/members/i99-007/index.asp

Yeah, that's a LOT better looking.....

My biggest concern would be the exposed IFS on a fenderless car, it wouldn't quite fit the hot rod look.

However, neither would toyota running gear, and the whole point of a modern rat rod is to shove a big middle finger to the hot rodding world, so lets do it.

Anyone know where I can find a stupid-cheap fiberglass tub at?

There's at least one Locost built off a RN Truck. And some Celica based ones, which is almost the same as an RN Truck (same motor, transmission, etc.) People use RN Truck uprights and I think there's some with the axles too. RN Trucks are really kinda narrow, so the axle isn't a crazy idea.

Mmmkay, talked with the guy on the phone a few seconds ago, and said he wants the engine (core) and fuel tank, I can have the rest, which is running gear (auto trans) and such for $50.

Gonna look at it on me lunch.

totally worth it. You could build the thing on a challenge budget.

I will just leave this here...

Love that !!!!

John Brown wrote: I will just leave this here...

That is wonderful. The URL makes it clear that this was for SEMA....who did it?

You guys are setting the bar for me way too high, I'll be lucky if it goes down the highway straight.

Although that land cruiser rod does look sweet. That makes me think of something Posies would build, he's always outside of the box.

Yes, it can be done. Not necessarily a 7, but a similar type of rod. I've had a Toyota 2wd truck sitting here for years with that notion in the back of my mind.

That said, understand what you will have built, should you do it. Using the Toyota frame and the drive train, you'll have a high set vehicle that will have mediocre handling and never be fast. A stock Miata will eat you for lunch.

If you're ok with that, do it. If you wonder if you really want to put that much effort into what will be a pig of a vehicle, consider a different base vehicle.

JoeyM wrote:

John Brown wrote: I will just leave this here...

That is wonderful. The URL makes it clear that this was for SEMA....who did it?

I found it while researching Toyota V8s.

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008/10/30/car-feature-gt-gt-fj45-land-cruiser-lowboy-hot-rod.aspx

A friend of mine built the "Junkster" on a chevy luv truck chassis... It was frign hilarious.. a 30's something chevy truck cab with the top chopped off.. A really neat looking wooden frame windscreen.. an old Ford Radiator shell hand embossed to instead read "AfFordable" ... Burlap bags for the interior materiel... Old painted coffee and food cans to hide the Starter, oil Filter ect... a really neat looking old iron headboard separated the cab from the "bed" which was planked with old barn wood...

I'll have to see if he can't shoot me some pictures...