With winter around the corner, I'm looking for some shop ideas to get me through the winter. I thought a few others might be as well... and maybe I'll like someone else's idea more than mine so I thought I'd make a thread about this and pick some brains on this at the same time.
While there are many options, the big one I keep coming back to is quite the project and I felt like picking the brains of those here. A 3rd gen T4R mold. Full size. That would allow me to spray fiberglass just like it's another boat mold.
A few reasons are behind this, one is a long standing jealousy of the ability of CJ fans, FJ-40 fans and more recently, Samurai fans, of being able to buy a fresh tub when they either destroy theirs, or rust becomes so extreme that they require replacement. From a catalog or website. This ability goes a little better with the ability to purchase a mandrel bent and powdercoated frames to start their builds with, but that's another beast, and one I don't plan to look at this winter. I also believe fiberglass is repaired easily enough that I wouldn't be broken hearted about trail damage I inflicted upon my '84 before we parted. And finally, while the price of these rigs is coming down to pick up complete replacement 4r's, the likelihood of finding those without rust is decreasing every year and I'd like to think I'll see the body style for decades to come.
If I am going to take this project on, it will be with the intention of having a working mold in the event someone else decides they'd like to pick up a roll over and slap a fiberglass body on and wheel it to their hearts desire.
Issues as I see them.. and easiest ways to solve them.
Mold: Not using my DD to form a mold.
Solution: Purchase a wrecked rig that has suffered only bumper/hood/fender damage. As I see it, the ideal body would have straight firewall, doors, roof and rear along with all those points being in original position to mount to on the frame for designing an easily customized floor that's strong enough to bolt seats and a complete roll cage through to the frame.
Design: Do I design it to use unmodified stock doors for convenience of those who want to? design it with a removable top similar to the original 4Runners, just with the body lines of the 3rd gen or removable all the way from the top of the windshield? If I do removable like the 1st gens, then I'd keep factory openings. If I go all the way to the windshield, I'll build the upper door frames into the roof so that stock doors could have the upper frames chopped off for topless eye appeal. Or just design it as if it was an OEM fiberglass replacement that the end user can chop to their heart's desire?
I find myself leaning towards the full length removable top that would have the window channels in it for weatherstripping and window slots for those who decide to chop the window frames out but still be able to roll up their stock glass since that's most likely how I'd do it in my case. I think I'd make some skins to cover the big dents/dings. This mold would also allow those who prefer open top wheeling to go with a smaller purchase in obtaining just a full tub and have someone else build a soft top for it.
That pretty much sums up the things I've been thinking... any feedback is appreciated.
While there are many options, the big one I keep coming back to is quite the project and I felt like picking the brains of those here. A 3rd gen T4R mold. Full size. That would allow me to spray fiberglass just like it's another boat mold.
A few reasons are behind this, one is a long standing jealousy of the ability of CJ fans, FJ-40 fans and more recently, Samurai fans, of being able to buy a fresh tub when they either destroy theirs, or rust becomes so extreme that they require replacement. From a catalog or website. This ability goes a little better with the ability to purchase a mandrel bent and powdercoated frames to start their builds with, but that's another beast, and one I don't plan to look at this winter. I also believe fiberglass is repaired easily enough that I wouldn't be broken hearted about trail damage I inflicted upon my '84 before we parted. And finally, while the price of these rigs is coming down to pick up complete replacement 4r's, the likelihood of finding those without rust is decreasing every year and I'd like to think I'll see the body style for decades to come.
If I am going to take this project on, it will be with the intention of having a working mold in the event someone else decides they'd like to pick up a roll over and slap a fiberglass body on and wheel it to their hearts desire.
Issues as I see them.. and easiest ways to solve them.
Mold: Not using my DD to form a mold.
Solution: Purchase a wrecked rig that has suffered only bumper/hood/fender damage. As I see it, the ideal body would have straight firewall, doors, roof and rear along with all those points being in original position to mount to on the frame for designing an easily customized floor that's strong enough to bolt seats and a complete roll cage through to the frame.
Design: Do I design it to use unmodified stock doors for convenience of those who want to? design it with a removable top similar to the original 4Runners, just with the body lines of the 3rd gen or removable all the way from the top of the windshield? If I do removable like the 1st gens, then I'd keep factory openings. If I go all the way to the windshield, I'll build the upper door frames into the roof so that stock doors could have the upper frames chopped off for topless eye appeal. Or just design it as if it was an OEM fiberglass replacement that the end user can chop to their heart's desire?
I find myself leaning towards the full length removable top that would have the window channels in it for weatherstripping and window slots for those who decide to chop the window frames out but still be able to roll up their stock glass since that's most likely how I'd do it in my case. I think I'd make some skins to cover the big dents/dings. This mold would also allow those who prefer open top wheeling to go with a smaller purchase in obtaining just a full tub and have someone else build a soft top for it.
That pretty much sums up the things I've been thinking... any feedback is appreciated.
