I picked this up in late 2008, and it has sat in my shop for almost a year used for little more than an indoor jungle gym for my kids :shaking:

This past weekend, I finally started working on it.

Basically - the previous owner rolled his trail truck and picked up an F-toy chassis to drop on top. He got burnt out, and I picked it up as it sits.

What it has right now:

-Fresh rebuilt 22re that needs finished buttoning up and started for the first time
-5 speed & dual cases
-BudBuilt crossmember
-Complete propane kit ready to install w/ 2 al tanks
-5.71 geared axles, rear spool, front lockright, Longfields, hydro assist,
-Practically brand new 39" TSL's on black wagon wheels
-New Corbeau front seats
-Floor and trans tunnel built and in place.

The pics sent to me by the PO:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=444320&stc=1&d=1243087787http://pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=444321&stc=1&d=1243087787http://pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=444322&stc=1&d=1243087787

I posted a few times that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it - link it, cut it up, sell it, etc. I finally decided I just need to get it finished since basically everything was there to at least get the thing out on the trails.

So in Saturday I dug out all of the boxes the PO included with the deal and started trying to figure out what needs to happen.

The motor had been rebuild, but needed to be finished buttoning it up. Luckily the PO had included all of the necessary gaskets and seals for us to wrap that part up.

I had also picked up an 82 donor truck with the Ftoy, but the 20r in it has made stealing some parts just not work out.

About as far as we got this weekend was temporarily wiring up battery, coil/igniter and just trying to get it to turn over.

We got as far as getting it to turn over and crank before the OEM 82 igniter decided it wanted to stop working.

Here are a few pics from Saturday, and hopefully - I am setting a tentative trail test by New Years Day.

I have a flat firewall like you have in the pictures. If was to do it all over again I would push the firewall out into the engine bay to add a little more leg room. I'm only 5'7", so if your tall you'll really appreaciate that change.

Definitely ditch the fire wall and I also would move the motor back 8".

I have a flat firewall like you have in the pictures. If was to do it all over again I would push the firewall out into the engine bay to add a little more leg room. I'm only 5'7", so if your tall you'll really appreaciate that change.

Definitely ditch the fire wall and I also would move the motor back 8".

Thanks guys. The PO had a clean firewall, floor, and tranny tunnel put in but as you can see - they are not optimally placed, and are pretty thick (weight I don't need). I was going to swap the floor out for expanded, and will now look at relocating the firewall as well.

As for the motor - I wanted to get it running, then it will get moved the full 8" allowed. I really want that flat front with the winched tucked in behind the crossmember.

I would push the firewall out into the engine bay to add a little more leg room.

Definitely ditch the fire wall and I also would move the motor back 8".

Yeah, what they said!!! I saw the pics, and that was the first thing I was going to say before I read their responses. A lot of the FToys have the firewall/pedals pushed forward 6" from that "cowl" tube. I'm 6'-6", and wish I'd have pushed mine forward farther than that. I fit well, but my seat back is still even with the b-pillar, and backseat room suffers.


The only things you really have up there are your steering box, steering pump, brakes/clutch, and alternator. The box, pump, and alt are all on the very front of the motor and your brake booster doesn't get into that space. Go for 8" if not 10" forward.

Check out Air Ride's 'Ultimate Formula Four Build' to see how to fit the forward footwell and firewall around the engine moved back 8".

Do this soon!!--as you're buttoning up the motor, you're probably already looking for places to hang the igniter and p/s reservoir.

Bummer if they told you that it was my kit when they sold it to you. Looks like the ebay kit you have there.

Bummer if they told you that it was my kit when they sold it to you. Looks like the ebay kit you have there.

:(

Stop raining on my parade :crybaby2:

Do this soon!!--as you're buttoning up the motor, you're probably already looking for places to hang the igniter and p/s reservoir.
That is so true, when the motor is back and the firewall is in, you start searching for places to hang shiat.

No pics until tommorrow, but we worked a good part of the day piddling with it and it now runs on propane :bounce2:

I used the GM ignitor and coil since it seemed easier - went together ok. I also started cutting the floor out, and should have it completely out tomorrow night along with the firewall.

With that done, everything will be out of the way to move the engine back the full 8" so I can figure out the new firewall location as well as the seats.

It's slow... but at least it's progress :D:D:D

Just some quick cell phone pics for now - motor as it sits in running condition, and hacking out the floor that was in it when I got it.

Just a little update to this.

The Ftoy sat for another year practically untouched, until back about a month ago a buddy begged me to sell him the chassis only so he could build it. With me having gotten so discouraged having to re-work so much of the previous fab work, I stripped the drivetrain out and sold it to him.

Then, through an odd twist of fate - I ended up buying it back 2 nights ago when he delivered it back to in front of my shop.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs640.snc4/60067_1589437506643_1557003540_31428344_6309481_n. jpg

This time, I'm doing it like *I* want it - so tonight I cut the toyota frame and plate floor out of it. The pictures didn't come out - but as it sits right now, the Ftoy chassis is sitting on it's own, ready for me to clean up and set up with my drivetrain in the shop and start building a sub-chassis and the rest of the frame when I get back from Dixie Run next weekend.

This time it is planned to keep the Toyota drivetrain, get coilovers and 4 linked front & rear.

This time it is planned to keep the Toyota drivetrain, get coilovers and 4 linked front & rear.

If that was gonna be the plan you maybe should have re-sold it as is and found an X-Chassis.

I'll probably have one for sale in late Feb:grinpimp:

If that was gonna be the plan you maybe should have re-sold it as is and found an X-Chassis.

I'll probably have one for sale in late Feb:grinpimp:

Huh ?????????????

Hendrix is building us a new chassis, after KOH the running gear get's stripped out and everything else gets sold, either as a package or parted out.

If that was gonna be the plan you maybe should have re-sold it as is and found an X-Chassis.

I'll probably have one for sale in late Feb:grinpimp:

The way things have worked out - I've got so little wrapped up in this Ftoy chassis, turning it into a full buggy chassis is not gonna cost me much money or time.

Hendrix is building us a new chassis, after KOH the running gear get's stripped out and everything else gets sold, either as a package or parted out.

Okay. For a bit there I thought you were getting out of wheeling.
That almost caused me to have a heart attack. :flipoff2:

Okay. For a bit there I thought you were getting out of wheeling.That almost caused me to have a heart attack. :flipoff2:

:confused:DRM wheels?:flipoff2:

:confused:DRM wheels?:flipoff2:

He was referring to the dawg...

He was referring to the dawg...:emb3::emb3:

Definitely ditch the fire wall and I also would move the motor back 8".x2 was thinking the same thing pros and cons in doing it but just picture trying to see over the engine going down the cliffs on jackhammer. Maybe you already posted but any plans to keep the jungle gym and add a back seat?

I heard a roumer on the Internet that this thing would be ready on New Years??

I heard a roumer on the Internet that this thing would be ready on New Years??

The chassis is currently sitting in my shop having been cut off the old frame. One way or another, something is going to get done with it. Depending on which direction I go determines how fast it gets done.

Well, I loaded it up on the trailer and dropped it off @ Mo-Fab's Shop. I just don't have the time, and I felt Amos could get it to a rolling chassis for me and let me take it from there.

Already picked up some of the parts, still got some more to buy in the next few weeks. Here's what is going in it:

22r on propane
5speed, dual cases (considering adding 4.7's to the rear case)
60's (yes, from my 4Runner - it's getting dismantled :eek: )
Also the 39.5" Pitbull Rockers and H1 rims from my 4Runner
Full tube chassis built under the F-toy body
2" aluminum links
14" coilovers (Bilstein remote reservoir front, Fox rear)
air bumps up front (maybe in the rear too)
Full hydro steering w/ double ended ram
Seating for 5 (3 kids in the back - if I can)

I wish I knew you lived so close to John Duvall. I bought a truck from him awhile back and he just now told me you live right around the corner. Loved to stop by and checkout your rigs.

I wish I knew you lived so close to John Duvall. I bought a truck from him awhile back and he just now told me you live right around the corner. Loved to stop by and checkout your rigs.

Yep - he's not far from here, and his dad lives just down the road from my house.

As of this weekend, the 4Runner gets dismantled and since the 515 is at Mo-Fab's shop, I ain't got nothin' around here any more :eek:

we will have to get some ftoys in the area together and go on a ride as soon we can all get our junk together

Not much progress, other than the 4Runner is GONE.

Axles are out, I have to clean them up this weekend and get them to Mo-Fab so he can get started on the mock-up.

Also picked up a set of TG 4.7 gears to go in the rear case, and some TG twin sticks as well.

Like I said, the 4Runner is gone:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs062.snc6/167272_1757030536364_1557003540_31754904_6240705_n .jpg

Got things cleaned up a bit tonight - cutting all the old 3link brackets and truss off the rear axles SUCKED. But it's clean, and tomorrow afternoon I will load both axles, and the tires/wheels up and take them to the Mo'Fab's shop so we can get started.

Worked on it some more Monday night, mainly cleaning up the chassis from what he PO welded on, so we can get started adding to it.

Trying to decide the best way to get the interior head room I need - buildin some boatsides, or just cut off the lower tube sections entirely and build new ones with about 3" more height. This will let me use my seats and modified sliders so the wife can drive it too.

Anyway, here is how I left it Monday night:

Started at 7am this morning, just got home a few minutes ago (about 11:30 pm)

Started with the bare chassis you saw above, and by lunch we were mocking things up to look like this:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs042.snc6/167199_1783398275541_1557003540_31797454_5468884_n .jpg


When I left around 11pm it looked like this:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs896.ash1/180420_1784473222414_1557003540_31799151_8197088_n .jpg

Chassis is pretty much done, except for tying in the front & rear, motor mounts, and a few others bars we want to add.

More pics in a few hours - I need a shower and some sleep :p

Looks good. :smokin:

I like the way you have the front come up high for up travel. This makes me want to redo mine.

Thanks!

Building off of a set body I am finding has it's benefits *and* limitations, but we're working through it.

Wheelbase is set at 118" right now, would like to knock that down a bit more to 116" if I can, we'll see how things go once we get the rear seat in place. The rear frame section ended up being too long, that is getting cut down for sure.

Still not sure how to do the front end, but I am sure it will all work out... some how :laughing:

I like the way you have the front come up high for up travel. This makes me want to redo mine.

I hope it works :p

It does mean a cradle of some kind to go under the engine for the motor mounts, but nothing too bad. Getting a stock radiator in there - even at a pretty good angle - is looking harder and harder to do. I will probably end up trying to find something shorter, that takes up more width.

Still not sure how the packaging on the coilovers will go - if it gets to that point, some of the body lines of the F-toy might have to get hacked up... we'll see.

looks good, not to far down the road from you either

Here's a shot of how we did the sub-floor. I needed more headroom (using the Corbeau's on sliders) so we came up with this. The boatsides are 2x4 1/4" rec. tube @ 55 degrees in, giving a sturdy slider material to keep from getting hung up on the floor tubes underneath. It also let us then do a perfectly flat floor, getting me almost 4" more distance between floor and roof than how it came to me.

The rec. tube added some weight, but I think it came out ok and serves a good purpose. I'm not skeered to use non-round tube in a tube buggy like some people seem to be :p

looks cool

Finally got some time to work on it a little tonight, so we came up with something for the look of the front. Even going to have enough room for my Warn integrated solenoid winch, which I thought would stick up too far.

Any feedback on how it's going so far? It seems to take forever to try and come up with something I like, without hacking away at the F-toy chassis too much, but still turning it into a full buggy that isn't exactly like all the rest :p

Any suggestions on a radiator? Here is what I was planning to order:
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+Products/555/51170/10002/-1
http://www.jegs.com/images/photos/500/555/555-51170.jpg

26" wide fits inside my 27" frame rails, and 13" tall makes it not much taller than my winch.

Also planning to add the fitted fan and shroud they well:
http://www.jegs.com/i/Jegster/550/40534/10002/-1

I know the lower hose is on the wrong side, but I think there is enough room to make it work.

Are there better suggestions out there for a radiator that isn't tall?

Are those plastic tanks? Talking to Dave @ Davez offroad, he's seen them crack away from the fins with the vibration of an offroad rig. Find a stock copper/brass radiator or buy an aluminum one.

It's $$, but Griffin has a new 22RE/Ftoy radiator design. See Mr. Roxy's build thread.

Are those plastic tanks? Talking to Dave @ Davez offroad, he's seen them crack away from the fins with the vibration of an offroad rig. Find a stock copper/brass radiator or buy an aluminum one.

It's $$, but Griffin has a new 22RE/Ftoy radiator design. See Mr. Roxy's build thread.

Yes, plastic tanks. Tanks are just held on with gaskets and metal tabs around the perimeter, so I guess that could happen... I will keep it in mind.

That radiator and shroud/fan combo already put me over $300, so I'm ok with spending some money, I just want something wider and shorter than most of what I see... I will go check out Robert's thread.

You need to do your homework on radiators David. I would normally tell you to just run a stock toyota radiator, shroud, and clutch fan. There is no better system than stock. Believe me, I've tried most everything.
The problem is, you kinda screwed yourself by making the front lower bars so high. You didn't really leave yourself room for the radiator. You can lean it back some and put a electric fan on it. But it's a gamble. Maybe set the radiator in front of the motor where it should be. It will hang down but you can guard it from there.
I don't know if you remember but the Marlin Crawler F-Toy was originally built with a saginaw PS box which mounted on the inside of the frame. This was good except it took up the space where the radiator went. We had to use a low, wide radiator that had tanks on the side (horizontal flow). I bought the best that I could get from Griffin with dual fans. It was barely enough to keep it cool. It still ran at 220* at times though.

You can look what I did on my X-Chassis. It might help.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=895959&highlight=

Thanks John... I knew we were making things tight with the frame, but I *assumed* I could still get a radiator to keep it cool. I'll go check yours out again and take notes ;)

What's your wheel base issue David?

What's your wheel base issue David?

Currently sitting on the chassis table, we have the wheelbase set for 118". Right now, I just can't figure out how to get it much shorter (I think I could squeeze 116" out of it) without either running into problems with the rear seat/floor, or the upper link mount/links get all up in the business of the crank pulley and front of the motor.

I think the motor/front axle is proving to be more of a problem than the rear, but I might be right.


Keep in mind - I am trying to keep this thing pretty low, so I know that is part of my problem.

Thoughts?

First of all, what will hit the rear seat? The driveline?

Second, what does the crank pully hit on? The center chunk or the tube?

First of all, what will hit the rear seat? The driveline?

We are still measuring and don't have mounts or trusses in there yet, but it looks like the driveshaft will clear, but the upper links will be real close on full compression. Again - I assumed this was a function of trying to keep it low.

Second, what does the crank pully hit on? The center chunk or the tube?

If I moved the front axle back much more than it is now, the crank pulley would hit on the axle truss on full compression.

On the rear, you might consider moving the lower link mounts on the axle down, under the axle. this way you won't have to build the upper link mounts so high. the upper link mounts on my X-chassis are what limits my up travel.

On the front, would it help if you moved the motor over to the drivers side. It really doesn't have to be in the center. you can laso tilt it a little. When I had a 22re in mine, the valve cover was almost touching the dash bar.

What size tire are you running?

Already planning on rear lowers being as low as possible to keep the uppers low.

We looked at offsetting the motor, but I don't think it really gains us anything If anything, we might move it about an inch to the driver's side. We've already stripped everything off the motor down low to give room for the links - motor mounts, alternator, etc. will all get put wherever they will fit. It's still going to be tight.

Right now, the valve cover is set as close to the dash bar as possible and still be able to remove it with the motor in the vehicle, if necessary.

Tires are BIG and fat - 39.5x16 Rockers.

That's all the suggestions I have. sounds like you"re going to have a fairly long wheel base. Maybe rear steer?

That's all the suggestions I have. sounds like you"re going to have a fairly long wheel base. Maybe rear steer?

I was trying to avoid the cost of that :laughing:

As things move along, I'll tuck the wheelbase in as far as I can go. If I can get it down to 114", I'll be happy... it's longer than I really want, but considering I am stuffing a full back seat into this thing as it is, I guess I should suck it up and be happy :p

that's ok, my X-chassis is 111" WB.

My tacoma was 118" and it really wasn't that bad at all. You take a whoollllleeeee different line that the Heep guys and even your Toy buddies.

I like 113-114"'around here.

My Formula 4 is at 118". I like the extra wheel base. I might push it out to 120" when I put on my new rear springs. I might be kind of partial to long wheel bases. My last rig was a 1990 Suburban on 42's.:D

Got the motor mounts wrapped up and in place last night - motor is now hanging on it's own. Looking around, I realize my motor is pretty freakin' low in the chassis compared to most people :confused:

When I get back in town next week, we're going to work through the front truss, link mounts, and links, then move to the rear - and hopefully have this thing as a roller in the next 2 weeks.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197249_1888323178598_1557003540_31960672_4465266_n .jpg

Better pictures coming soon - cell phone was dying and flash failed on this one:

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199121_1888911753312_1557003540_31961142_5611135_n .jpg