I'm at it again - Trooper this time

My sister bought this Trooper brand new and proceeded to put 247K miles on it. She gave it to me just to get it out of her yard and I was happy to bring it home. It actually had moss growing on it when I drug it out from under the pine trees. I have been working on this for several months and here is where I am at. It has completely disassembled and the frame sanded, rust proofed and painted. The engine has been rebuilt with a balance job and a Delta 260 cam. The intake has been glass beaded and and reassembled. The transmission has been rebuilt and Terra Low 3.1 gears installed. Now for some pictures of what I started with:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00847.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00849.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00850.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00851.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00854.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00853.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00852.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00857.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...e/dsc00859.jpg

I have 5 brand new Snowflakes going on it.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1084.jpg

Here is the intake before it was cleaned up.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1226.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1227.jpg

Pile of parts for the intake.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1243.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1247.jpg

After glass beading.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1244.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1245.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1246.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1250.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1251.jpg

Preparing to pull the motor.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1330.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1329.jpg

And it's out.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1332.jpg

Now time for some serious BLING! Shipped the valve cover off to Carolina Hard Chrome and they did an awesome job.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1342.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1343.jpg

Terra Low Gears

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1363.jpg

Pace Setter header

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1365.jpg

After Jet Hot coating

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1414.jpg

Front end is out

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1403.jpg

Getting ready for drop brackets

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1404.jpg

Front diff before...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1405.jpg

and after....

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1595.jpg

Cleaned up engine bay

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1406.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1603.jpg

My floating Trooper

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1600.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1602.jpg

Frame time

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1597.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1606.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1607.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1609.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1610.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1611.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1613.jpg

Isuzu lawn art!

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1615.jpg

And finally the motor and tranny is installed

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1623.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1624.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1625.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1621.jpg

That pretty much catches the group up an where the project is. I have heavy duty Sway-A-Way torsion bars ready to go in. I will be putting in OME leaf springs and Joe Darlington drop brackets for the front. I will post updates as I make progress. I am hoping to have everything done by Hallowarrie

Please come and live in my back yard for a while...:smack:

Awesome..

jo

That's sweet! I found a '91 Trooper last weekend and was on my way to buy it for $650 but someone got it right before me. Grr... Excited to see your build tho!

Bravo!!! Sweet!!! What Jo said!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scott Harness

Bravo!!! Sweet!!! What Jo said!!!

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Well my brother does live in the Dallas area.:p

I missed out on a 89 RS last week. I would have loved to of gotten the 4.77 gears out of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoFotoz

Please come and live in my back yard for a while...:smack:

Awesome..

jo

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I will up the ante...I will let you sleep indoors on a fold out couch with air conditioning!:bwgy:

Had 89 Trooper LS 4 cyl 223 k, bought for 200 guy thought clutch was bad,only needed the adjustment bolt under dash adjusted.Great truck drove it for 5 years sold it for 1000.Wish I still had it! It was shipped off to Haiti just before the earthquake. Your doing a great job, keep the pics coming!

Thanks for the compliments guys. I am waiting for my suspension parts to arrive. Just ordered up an Aussie locker for the rear and an ARB for the front. I will be installing OME heavy duty springs (about 3" lift) and some other goodies. I will also be installing VX seats when I get to the interior. Found a 1999 or 2000 VX in Dalls and got fron tand rear seats for 250.00. I am not sure I can use the back seat or not due to width but will ponder my options when I get them home but the front seats in a first gen Trooper is going to be fun!

VERY nice...:thumbup:.:thumbup:

Man, I wish I had your motivation. That is going to be one slick Trooper. What are your plans for it?
I'm not sure what you do for a living, but have a feeling you could do restorations and make a nickle or two.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samneil2000

Man, I wish I had your motivation. That is going to be one slick Trooper. What are your plans for it?
I'm not sure what you do for a living, but have a feeling you could do restorations and make a nickle or two.

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x2. Buffy, your talent is simply amazing!!! Perhaps you should apply for a job at Chip Foos Automotive.

:bgwb:

My day job is managing Java developers and projects but my true passion is restoring cars and bulding hot rods. My boss keeps asking my I work for him and not myself and the wife tells my I should go out on my own. I guess I just haven't had the courage to make that step. I put myself through college by working on cars with my father-in-law. We would rebuild a different totalled car every weekend for a salvage dealer. I got to cut them in half, weld them together, repair engines and do paint and body work. I would truely love to own my own restoration shop.

Working for/with Foose would truely be a dream job!!!!

First you rebuild the VX and now this? Dude you get more done in one summer than I do in a decade! I hope you realize what a wonderful wife you have. As I'm sure you know, projects that involve spending large chunks of time in the garage will NOT get completed in a reasonable amount of time without an understanding better half!

If you ever decide to give the restoration thing a go let me know. I've got a '57 MGA that needs the entropy fighting energy and skills of a man like you. It's been taking up space for 15 years. I've never even bothered to start on it because given my monthly allotment of 8 hours in the garage - with no one session allowed to last more than 2 hours - it would take me oohhh.... about 4 lifetimes to complete.... so there it sits. I'm serious about this. I'll be your first customer! I'm not looking for a concours d'elegance quality restoration - I just want to drive the damn thing before I die!

Anyway - thanks for sharing the pics of your project - I really admire your ability to "git 'er done"!!!

I do have a wonderful wife. As a matter of fact she is usually in the garage turning wrenches with me or getting the tools I need. She helped with the frame on the VX and got black highlights in her blonde hair to show for it. You gotta love a woman who will allow her husband to spray her hair with brake cleaner to try and get paint out of it, which didn't work by the way. :laughgray

SlowPro48 - I see you are in Winston Salem, we should get togther sometime and talk about that 57 MGA. I helped an uncle rebuild the engine in his MGB in my teenage years. Wasn't a 57 though. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samneil2000

Man, I wish I had your motivation. That is going to be one slick Trooper. What are your plans for it?
I'm not sure what you do for a living, but have a feeling you could do restorations and make a nickle or two.

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First plan is to take my sister for a ride in it. She has fond memories of all the vacations she took the family on when the kids were young. They would head down to Florida and camp in the back of the Trooper for the weekend. She has MS now and doesn't get around as good as she used to but she is raring to go for a ride. Her husband refuses to believe it is the original motor which is pretty funny. After that I want to take it to Hallowarie and put it through its paces and then enjoy the old Trooper like it was ment to be. May buy me a small camper and fix up to pull behind it for wheeling trips.

Excelent work man.

I wish i had some back yard & enclosed garage to play around with the VX and do some stuff to it.


You definately have a great wife to spray some brake cleaner over her hair !

Not a whole lot got done this weekend. Waiting on some parts is it is scorching outside! But I did install a new heater core and get the rear diff housing cleaned. The best part about the weekend is I scored some 4.77s for my project!! That is the last piece of my wish list for the project.

It wasn't too bad doing the swap but having the interior out is a big help!

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1626.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1627.jpg

Getting ready to paint the rear housing and install a new locker.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1628.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1629.jpg

I replaced the heater core because I did not know what kind of shape the core was in. Turns out it was in pretty good shape.... so if anyone is in need of an OEM heater core mine is in pretty good shape.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1630.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1631.jpg

Some progress is better than none! Wish I could figure that out for myself! haha

Yes, very awesome. Gotta love a restored 1st gen.

Bart

Buffy, didn't you have shoulder surgery or sump'n at the end of your VX build? Guess it turned out well considering the work you're doing now. Great job.

Yea, I had my left elbow rebuilt. Much to my doctor and wife's dismay, I was in the garage a week later working in a sling. :o

Parts have been arriving all week. Just waiting on my new front and rear diffs.

Sway-a-way torsion bars

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1632.jpg

Aussie locker for the rear

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1633.jpg

ARB air locker for the front

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1636.jpg

Indy4x Pro Suspension

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1634.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1635.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1637.jpg

Looking great man!! I've thought the same thing about opening up my own shop, maybe we should go in it together :)

Works for me! Would love to restore cars for a living. I hope to hear the 4.77 diffs are good I will be good to go. As soon as I get them in I will be in for a serious wrench fest getting my suspension back together.

If I lived closer, I'd help ya. You liking that Master Series coating btw? As you know I love restoring cars too, working on this baby right now:

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5309403_n.jpg

http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/s...ng/photo15.jpg

I really need to open my own shop :(

I love the Master Series Coatings! I used the silver on all the rusty spots on the frame. The master cylinder apparantly leaked and caused some rusting on the frame in that area. Instead of the MSC black to paint the frame I ordered some Eastwood Extreem Chassis high gloss chassis paint. One good coat of their primer and two good coats of the paint and the frame looks great. I have all the skid plates coated and painted and are awaiting to get installed. I am interested to see how well the paint holds up to some abuse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buffy

I love the Master Series Coatings! I used the silver on all the rusty spots on the frame. The master cylinder apparantly leaked and caused some rusting on the frame in that area. Instead of the MSC black to paint the frame I ordered some Eastwood Extreem Chassis high gloss chassis paint. One good coat of their primer and two good coats of the paint and the frame looks great. I have all the skid plates coated and painted and are awaiting to get installed. I am interested to see how well the paint holds up to some abuse.

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I know the MSC held up great on my '69 frame, it got banged around and bumped into alot at the shop, never a scratch. I told you the stuff was good!! Probably going to be ordering some more of it myself soon

I spent last weekend working on cleaning out the inside of the gas tank. Man talk about a long hard process! So this weekend is trying to get it all back together. I had to fix the rear cross member as the brother-in-law used to pull heavy boats which resulted in cracking out the croass member. So guess what the tool fairie sent me???

New Lincoln welder...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1653.jpg

Here's the tank after internal cleaning, sealing and paint...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1648.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1649.jpg

OEM sending unit and fuel pump...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1650.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1651.jpg

All assembled...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1652.jpg

Gas tank skid plate....

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1654.jpg

I finally got my seats. Here is what a VehiCROSS back seat looks like in a first gen Trooper. It is just sitting in there at the moment. I have a section of a VX floorpan on the way that I am going to graft into the Trooper. There is some space on either side of the set that I think I will build a cup holder for each side.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1658.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1659.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1660.jpg

Looks good buffy, can't wait to see the seats and what not installed, and that looks just like my welder. I love that thing!

Yea, I am loving the welder. I've been wanting one for a long time and the wife finally said to go get one. Lowe's is doing the no interest thing for 6 to 18 months so I brought one home.

I welded the cracks in the rear cross member and got the gas tank and skid plate installed yesterday.

Cross member repaired. I had a tough time welding the plates that I sandwiched the crossmember in as the are both about 3/8" thick. Those are some hefty stainless steel bolts for extra holding power. Anything worth doing is worth over doin!! :smilewink

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1662.jpg

Tank and skid plate installed...

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1663.jpg

I got my Joe Darlington drop brackets....

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1665.jpg

Parts are finally starting to trickel in. Here is my 4:77 diff and Aussie locker install.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1667.jpg

Disassembly of the diff:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1668.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1669.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1670.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1672.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1673.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1674.jpg

Locker parts:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1675.jpg

The trust washer you always hear about but never see:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1676.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1677.jpg

I ran into a problem while assembling the locker. I couldn't get the clearances between the spaces and the retainer pin. I tried to sand the thrust washer to get the measurements to come in as described in the instructions.

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1678.jpg

So, I took a trip to the machine shop and had a couple thousandths taken off the spacers. I happened to speak with Matt at Indy4X who explained the only part of the instructions to pay attention to was the sheet that details installing the pins and springs. So if you are going to install on of these things just put it together! And note to the planet, Matt mentioned they may no longer be selling the Aussie so if you want one better get cracking!

All back together:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1682.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1683.jpg

Housing ready for the third member and paint:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1684.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1686.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1687.jpg

Pretty!

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1690.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/8...e/100_1691.jpg

Very nice. This fall, I will be doing much of the same with my Trooper. Real paint job, Linex, crate motor, and lots of other new parts. I can't wait!

Where did you source your 4.77s?

Bart

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

Very nice. This fall, I will be doing much of the same with my Trooper. Real paint job, Linex, crate motor, and lots of other new parts. I can't wait!

Where did you source your 4.77s?

Bart

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I go the 4.77s from a member on the Planet. Keep a lookout for Troopers that came with the big tire package which consisted of Snowflakes and 31 10.50 tires and 4.77s.

If you were closer, I would be more than happy to come help you with some wrenching.