Mk3 Toyota Hilux Rebuild Thread

Agreed!, many years ago I used to race off road ATCs and we hung around with the lads who had Rails, one of them had a jacked up Hi-lux in yellow and had replaced the rear flap with aluminium, so put nice black "TONKA" graphics on

Right so had another busy week and weekend (thats what you get for being a workaholic i guess!), but found time in the very late and early hours of friday, sat, and sunday to get the cab prepped, primed and topcoated in its fresh gleaming coat of red!

i have started looking into winches now, so hopefully by next weekend i would have chosen a couple, and they will be on their way to me!

This week and next, I'm planning on getting the doors, wings, bonnet and scuttle (front end basically), prepped, primed and sprayed up, then fitted on the truck. It will start taking shape then, and i will be able to see if my vision and hard work is going to pay off!!

I will add up some fresh pics soon...

A few late nights this week and heres the progress to date;
the bottoms of the doors, and wings, up to the swage line have been raptor sealed before being sprayed in the 2k Hilux Red.
Doors, wings, scuttle and bonnet fitted up now, and rubber seals and trims back on.
The electric chrome mirrors were a surprise when i opened up the boxes of spares that came with the truck. Although the electrics wont be in use, i feel the mirrors do set the truck off.
Again the new rear lights were a pleasant surprise, and look the part.
I have sprayed the roll bar, nudge bar, tow bar, rock-sliders/ steps and extras in black Raptor to give them durability and protection, and fit in with the rugged look of the truck.
I do have a few more odds and ends to sort out on the rear of the truck, i'm awaiting a parts order in order to get the front end finished, and bumpers, nudge bar, spots and winch fitted up.
Still much of a work-in-progress, but its starting to come together now and look like a truck.
Hoping to get a few spare evenings over the next couple of weeks, and so will update on my progress, and wont be long now untill its out the workshop and over to my local garage for the brakes and mot to get sorted.
Thanks, Matt

A few more late nights, or early mornings, this week- depending on which way you look at it !!
Anyway, well worth it because my boxes of parts are almost empty now, and the truck is coming together pretty nice now.
I fitted up the front bumper, lights and grille, got the bull bar on too.
Wired and fitted up my new led light bar across the bull bar too- impressively bright!! And to think that the one i have ordered for the back of the truck is twice the size of this one!!
I managed to track down a adjustable throttle linkage rod that was missing from the truck when i brought it, having arrived i fitted this too, and after a few gallons of petrol in the tank, i got her running. For the first time in my ownership i was able to drive her out of the workshop under her own steam and go for a spin around the farm! Drives better than i could have hoped, although theres no brakes at the moment, and although i turned the key she didnt want to shut off either!!
Out in the open and the daylight i got a proper look and the truck is almost there now. I got some good up to date pics that i will up-load soon...
Its now a case of fitting up the front winch, once my new bolts have arrived- i did make up the winch tray and had it all mocked up and positioned as i wanted last night, so should be a straight forward job now.
I'm un decided on having a rear winch now. I would like one, and it would probably be more handy for me than the one on the front, but there isnt much space or height above the towbar to take it. I need to take a look at some pics of how other people have done it, but I'm thinking i would need to loose the spare wheel space and sit it right back under the bed, or chop out the number plate recess and house it right there...
Any way a few evenings of wiring up spot lamps and odds and sods left. Couldnt resist ordering a set of air horns, so got those to fit up too. At some point i want to mop and polish the paint on the cab up- get rid of some dust/ overspray from where i have a far too small a workshop to be spraying panels whilst having 3 cars squashed in too!!
I will be putting them pics up soon, but if anyone has any pics or ideas about my dilemma with the winch on the back of the truck, please do go ahead....
Cheers, Matt

Hi, about to put those pics up now.

Yes same unit, same place, have expanded a bit though- too many cars gathering dust in sheds now!
Still cant get a decent pic in there- the glare from the strip lights and no natural light doesnt help!