Just ordered my 300 TDI today (after saving my pennies for many months, and parting out the uneeded parts for the D90 (which has netted about $7k)). Ready to get really rolling on the 110 Hicap.

Question: What do you guys think I should do with the bulkhead. I am planning on using the 90's bulkhead (which is Yellow of course). Planning on a different color for the finished 110. Should I strip the whole thing, galvanize it, then repaint? Or leave it intact (with all the steering, dash, heater box etc) and paint the visible portions with the whole vehicle respray.

Thoughts: After thinking about the fuel cell thing. I am strongly considering going with an Aux tank in the front of the bed (maybe a 8" thick unit sitting right next to the front bulkhead of the bed. It would have a filler on the driver side (woohoo). Should be about 30 gallons (my 12" thick tank in my HD Chevy is 50 gal). This would also move even more weight in the forward direction. Which is good for the wheeling I do.

Thats it for now,

Blister

ps. Has anyone figured out a good way to set up the linkage for an Ashcroft crawler box?

ps2. No hecklers from the cheap seats about the tdi. It was not a decision made lightly or without alot of thought.

Where did you order the 300Tdi from? How much is it setting you back if you don't mind?

Galvanizing a bulkhead is a not a good idea. Way to much that can go wrong.

Ron

diesel bad? no, diesel good.

Who can honestly say they prefer the electrics/EFI runability issues of the rover v8......

j

Uh Oh...Here we go again!

Exactly. This is one of the main reasons I am switching to the diesel. I was just waiting to get stranded out in the bush because of some ECU issue, or a wiring problem. With the diesel, there is no ECU (with a blocked off EGR), and you supply power, ground, power to the fuel pump and you are golden. Not to mention the water resistant qualities of the diesel engine.

I will admit there are problems with the TDI, but with regular maint. it should last a good long while (esp. with the limited miles my trail rig sees).

Is the tdi the best solution for my project........ No. Prolly a Cummins 4bt or 6 would have been more powerful, have equal or greater longevity, more readily avail. parts, etc, etc. But the TDI is essentially a drop in replacement for my 110 (except for the motor mounts). And will be easier on the axles (with less hp/torque). Plus it gets pretty good mileage to boot.

Blister

ps. Watch out though, Sandi now wants a diesel in her CJ7. So we will be most likely going the Cummins route for that one.

I spent most of this evening working on my shift linkage for the under drive. I'm using the high/low shifter linkage from a B/W range rover. It's mounted to the transfer case with a plate I made and comes up between the driver seat and center console. I'm still getting it tuned in, the worst part is how short a distance you have to work with because the underdrive is very close to the front. I'll send you some pics when I get it done.

The Tdi is the way to go but you're right it lacks displacement making an underdrive mandatory. Most people who talk smack about the Tdi don't have one or have driven one once. In stock form they are unresponsive but after I spend 20 mins adjusting things, all is well.

Hey Billster,

Congrats on finding enough quarters in the street to get your Tdi! That's pretty cool actually. A major chunk of the vehicle is on it's way.

I just have to vent a little bit though about the whole 'scene'. Indulge me for a moment...

It seems that we are all too often making excuses for the choices we make regarding how we build our trucks. I have tried to adopt the 'no excuses' mentality when it comes to explaining what it is that I've done and why I've done what I've done.

I don't like to make excuses for myself, and I don't like to hear it from others.

Yeah, sure, we give each other lots of SHEEIT about how we're building our trucks (part of the whole community right???), but I honestly think that at the end of the day we realize that we don't have to impress anyone. Marbourg is building his truck for no one other than Marbourg, Bill for Bill, etc..... I think we also know that they'll be built right and we'll love them when we see them completed.

I TOTALLY understand about the agony of deciding which engine to put in your truck Bill. I STRONGLY considered a Cummins in the crewcab for a long time. The decisions to not go with a Cummins were just a hair more valid for my particular instance than to do the diesel. Yeah, it would have worked, but would I be totally happy with it? Perhaps. But I would have known that I really wanted to do it just slightly different.

So, I congratulate you Bill on your decision. It may not have been the engine I wanted to see you with, but it's definitely the engine YOU want to see yourself with. That's all that matters.

Now, on Marbourg's decision to keep that piddly lil' V-8, well........:flipoff2:

It's cool that we ask each other for advice, and it's also cool that we can decide to not follow it. It's also kind of cool that this is a place where we can offer unsolicited advice and know it's just as likely to recieve a big ol' whopping :flipoff2: than to be accepted.

So, rock on man, we're getting a Tdi too this month! (German, not English...)

As for the bulkhead, I think you need to always think of what is the intended goal. You (and I think I'm correct), are trying to build a capable rockcrawler/fun rig that probably won't see a ton of miles or harsh elements. I also think you're trying to get it done quickly and within a reasonable budget (both time and $$$$).

That in mind, leave the whole thing put together, buy some masking tape and a couple can's o' rust-ol-e-um and have at it.

I've seen plenty of galvanized bulkheads that had NOTHING go wrong with them and even did it on the crewcab, so I have to disagree with EvilFij on that one.

The center mounted fuel tank sounds like a great idea. Putting it kind of where the spare tire would have been mounted behind the bulkhead??? I think I can visualize it.

I dunno about the underdrive. I'm kind of an idiot about technical stuff.

Anyway, thanks for letting me rant...

Michael

Hey Mike I have to use your galvanizer then :)

Most make it out ok save the captive nuts but . . . like I said too many things can go wrong. Saw one that warped bad. Others just got filled with so much zinc it was crazy.

Besides, bill is in texas!

Ron

Thanks for the input Mike. I am trying to think through all these decisions. And input from all you fellas it really appreciated. What tdi did you get (as Sandi just got a Jetta GL TDI - already got some cool wheels/tires - tint - Iotta steering wheel wrap - running biodiesel)?

See you guys on Wed. as I am oncall tomorrow.

Later :flipoff2:

Blister

If you are keeping the vehicle for a long time and want a 'good' job, i'd spend some time stripping the bulkhead right down and painting the whole thing (or stripping and galv'ing it). some stories i've heard of the thin panneling warping, but i suppose you've got to chat with the galving people and see if they can 'be careful' or maybe (if possible) use cooler fluid.

at the very least i'd strip it right down and get it sandblasted and re-painted

Jamie

I think I'm with Jamie on this. Concidering how far you've gone, it's not all that much extra efforty to strip it down and re-do it. I'll bet your planning to hand onto this for quite a while to come?

Damien got his Galvenised, and it was fine.

Merv.