This is my friend Verne's new Willys truck project....
Once I started seeing pictures like this I started to get pretty hot and bothered for a little pickup build. I didn't really just want to copy it. I love the look but I am pretty sure that I wanted a body tub that was more modular....
Then at Ultimate Adventure this year Pewe 'rented' Kenny's CJ10 truck after the transmission went out in the CJ17...
I did a little hunting around for a CJ10 tub but didn't come up with much. I talked to Aqualu about one too. I was thinking about sticking one on a JKU frame with all stock JK suspension.
Chris Durham also brought this on UA this year....
I crawled all over them for the week :evil:
What I think I boiled it down to is that this class of vehicle just doesn't really exist in the USA in stock form. Basically, these are small MID-size trucks.
The wheelbase is about 110" which seems to be a great compromise between climbing ability and stability versus maneuverability. They not running small engines. Most mini-trucks in the USA come with a 4cyl or 6cyl at best. These are running mostly smaller v8 power with some 6cyl mixed in....or insane big block power in Verne's case. The axles are heavier duty. The tires tend to hover around the 40-42" range.
In general, the tubs/cabs/bodies on these are actually pretty small. I would say they are about the size of a mini-truck but with a difference....vertical height and seating position. Most mini-truck cabs the seat is pretty close to the floor and your legs are way out in front. Most Jeeps and vehicles like FJ40/45s have you in a more upright seating position, where I think the visibility is a bit better.
The other interesting part about using a jeep or land cruiser tub like this, is that they are modular ( Verne isn't playing well with others here ). I really like the idea of a modular tub instead of a one piece cab. Even though the overall size of the tub is pretty minimal, if you play around hard enough long enough your going to end up taking out the A-pillar, windshield, or the edge of the top along the door. With a modular tub design it is a lot easier to replace those parts when needed. If the top is modular you also have the ability to just pull off panels as the trails get harder....or the weather gets hotter!
I helped build a few FJ40s in the past and always thought they had character. If you kinda squint they kinda look like a blend of a Willys truck nose on a jeep CJ body.
What I really started digging on was the idea of a body slightly narrower than a stock CJ/YJ tub. They are about 59" wide and thought they had a little 'extra' in the hips when doing tight trail work. I've thought about narrowing one, but that always seems like a ton of detail work. When I started looking at this idea for 'pinching' the doors on the J40 series, the overall size started to look really neat. A 55" tub is about 4" narrower than a stock CJ/YJ tub. Not too much different, most people might not even notice. Since I am just going to pinch the doors the front of the tub can remain stock. The windshield frame can be all stock at 55" wide or so. The hood can also remain stock.
I will probably french some little fenders into the hood but I shouldn't have to narrow it or pie cut it. I will be reworking the grill shell a bit. The stock J40 grill shape just looks off without fenders bolted to it in my opinion. I think I am going to end up keeping the stock bezel shape, but narrowing up the distance between the headlights a bit. That should allow me to make the side of the grill shell just an outward taper. That should give the front tire a little more room when turning and stuffing also...
Blah blah blah.