Sitec's Truck......

**Sitec** · 6th February 2021, 06:26 PM

Hi all! There's been a little more progress this end. I now have all the side skirts, lockers and bumpers fitted and wired. The body I bought and am modifying only had one reversing light so I sourced a new one from the UK. These Hella LED lights are not cheap! $200 each. That's $1400 worth of lights that came with that body, not counting the rego and interior lights! Winning! Here's the LH lights in place, along with a side marker.

Re Assembly 12.jpg

Here's a pic of the truck as it stands. I've turned it around in the workshop and am now effecting repairs to old war wounds on the bumper.

Re Assembly 15.jpg

More sanding and painting tomorrow.

**Sitec** · 1st March 2021, 07:07 AM

Next up is the bumper and snorkel. The snorkel took a bit of prep work, but once filled and primed it came up nice. Now to sort the headlights out before it all goes back on!

Re Assembly 19.jpg

No idea why it's turned the picture!? The joys of computers! Next up is to put the lower section of the floor in. This is 0.8 sheet steel. It's welded in place and will be sealed either side before being painted. The position of the sheets depend on what's underneath. Each section will have insulation in there before the floor boards go down.

Body Mods 76.jpg

After a few phone calls, and then a trip to Adelaide, I now have the roof coil. This has got me into gear to finish the roof structural work.

Body Mods 82.jpg

**Sitec** · 1st March 2021, 07:19 AM

Next up is to finish the roof structural work. I've not been happy with my take on roof hatches since I made them. They would work fine but are heavier than they need to be.. Decision made, and I have bought two marine Deck Hatches from Keogh's Marine in Brizzy. Great service too. These need a new surround, so I made a couple out of light weight 50x50 RHS.

Hatch 1.jpg Hatch 3.jpg Body Mods 78.jpg

I could now complete the roof supports, adding a couple where the body was widened. Now I have the roof coil, I also knew I could remove a bit more of the original roof sheet and the rough original join. Now I have a clean flat sheet to glue too. Next weekend will be spent sanding and cleaning the framework rerady for priming. Once done I can fit the roof coil. That'll be fun!

Body Mods 81.jpg

The holes in the nearest center spar have threaded M14 tubes in them. This is to allow for fitment of a track to the ceiling inside, to allow for a lifting point to support and lower the gearbox out if needed. I had to change a clutch on a similar truck years ago... The difference was we didn't have top access... It was a struggle. I hope Inever have to use it, but it's thee if I do need to, and will utilise the pulley block I have for lowering the rear bumper!

**spudboy** · 12th March 2021, 02:57 PM

What is a "roof coil"?

**4bee** · 12th March 2021, 04:31 PM

X 2 ? Is it for Hot Water by solar ??

**Homestar** · 12th March 2021, 04:57 PM

I thought he meant a coil of sheet metal to use as the roof.

**4bee** · 12th March 2021, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Homestar

I thought he meant a coil of sheet metal to use as the roof.

No doubt he/she will enlighten us?

Re. OH Framing.
Very much like a Series Land Rover. Floor out, engine crane in from the side, & Gearbox out. This is being done in the hope it may not be needed but if it is, ......... Job Done. Belt & Braces it used to be called.

More vehicles should have that feature.

**Homestar** · 12th March 2021, 09:11 PM

I’m sure he will - Unless somethings happened since I last visited he’s still a he, unless Wifetec has taken over the build?

**4bee** · 13th March 2021, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Sitec

Next up is to finish the roof structural work. I've not been happy with my take on roof hatches since I made them. They would work fine but are heavier than they need to be.. Decision made, and I have bought two marine Deck Hatches from Keogh's Marine in Brizzy. Great service too. These need a new surround, so I made a couple out of light weight 50x50 RHS.

Hatch 1.jpg Hatch 3.jpg Body Mods 78.jpg

I could now complete the roof supports, adding a couple where the body was widened. Now I have the roof coil, I also knew I could remove a bit more of the original roof sheet and the rough original join. Now I have a clean flat sheet to glue too. Next weekend will be spent sanding and cleaning the framework rerady for priming. Once done I can fit the roof coil. That'll be fun!

Body Mods 81.jpg

The holes in the nearest center spar have threaded M14 tubes in them. This is to allow for fitment of a track to the ceiling inside, to allow for a lifting point to support and lower the gearbox out if needed. I had to change a clutch on a similar truck years ago... The difference was we didn't have top access... It was a struggle. I hope Inever have to use it, but it's thee if I do need to, and will utilise the pulley block I have for lowering the rear bumper!

Of course the upside is, that because you have it, it stands to reason you will never use it. I call that a WIN, WIN situation.

EDIT. 14/03/21
Was reminded that my youngest Bro purchased a fashionable battery starter thing to carry with him on he frequent forays.

I asked him whether he had even tested it out on his Jeep thing. "Na, it still in its packaging, he replied, I work on the assumption that I bought & carry it everywhere so I will never need it. If I open & test it it will mean I will have a problem".

There has to be a Sod's Law thing about that attitude & it would be nice to charge it up & actually test it so he will know it will turn his donk over when required when a million miles from Oodnagalabi. I would, but then I am a Virgo.

**Sitec** · 13th March 2021, 08:15 PM

So, I am a 'he' for sure, as I have a 'she who must be obeyed'! So, the roof coil. It's aluminium sheet that is approx 2.5m wide, 0.8mm thick and is bought as a one tonne coil. I used to use it when building the UK coachbuilt horse trucks. I wasn't sure it existed over here, as the body I have modified used aluminium sheet and several joins. After a few phone calls, I located the supplier (who happened to be in Adelaide!). Anyway, after we'd had the conversation that I only required 6m of the coil and not a tonne (approx 200m), he suggested I call one of the two users of it. Luckily, one of the users is also in Adelaide! Thanks to Aldom's Truck Body Builders, I now have a piece of roof coil!

Anyway, time for an update. The last few weeks have been spent readying the body for primer. First up was getting the lower floor sheets in.

Body Mods 76.jpg

Wifetec then gave me a hand with the framework de glue, sand and wipe down. She wasn't best pleased at being on top of a set of steps to reach the right side framework... The joys of a stepped workshop!

Hills.jpg

With the workshop de dusted with the leaf blower, and the body framework wiped down, it was time to show it some primer. Several evenings and 6+ litres of paint later had the whole thing primed.

Body Mods 85.jpg

This morning was spent pondering what to do next... After a few hours lost mapping out a plan of what to do next, I started with the 240v hookup point, and laying a conduit to safely get the cable from the hook up point to the internal switch board.

Body Mods 86.jpg

Tomorrow will be spent working out how best to use the floor sheets, or rolling out and trimming the roof coil to fit the top!

Thread: Sitec's Truck......

Thread Tools

Illuminating times!

Roof structure..

Roof Coil!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions