Ash@Geared
Member
Its been a while since I had a good build thread, or build that really warranted one in my eyes. The 'luxury' LS powered ground-ups are fun, but they have a much more formulaic approach these days without much requirement for abstract thought or problem solving. This is the kind of stuff that winds my watch, and this thread should serve as a great outlet for putting ideas down and drawing from the collective wisdom here.
Back in 2014 I was tasked with building a truck that could function as an 'overland' capable rig, but with off-road requirements that called for more than just bolt-on parts. The end result was a 2.8 powered '97 90 with a custom 3-link, 14" travel ORI struts, full storage system in the rear with on-board water, auxiliary fuel storage and fridge/stove combo.
The same client now has a family, and thus a need for more seating and in-truck sleeping arrangements. The same off-road requirements apply, although to a slightly lesser extent. We'll be taking a lot of ideas and lessons learned from the first truck and using them on this one. For a quick breakdown, here's what's currently planned:
-LHD conversion
-Full respray to Corris Grey
-Pop-top roof conversion
-Portal axles, 37" tires
-30 to 35 gallons of fuel before external storage
-20 to 25 gallons of water before external storage
-Full interior storage solution
-Fridge and cook top
So let's meet the donor truck. Overall it's a pretty simple 5 door ROW truck, previously owned and modified by Keith from Rovertracks. He'd already made some nice additions to the fitted 300Tdi including a variable geometry turbocharger, full size intercooler and some tuning, so as far as the engine goes we'll likely be leaving it untouched aside from some simple maintenance.
Back in 2014 I was tasked with building a truck that could function as an 'overland' capable rig, but with off-road requirements that called for more than just bolt-on parts. The end result was a 2.8 powered '97 90 with a custom 3-link, 14" travel ORI struts, full storage system in the rear with on-board water, auxiliary fuel storage and fridge/stove combo.
The same client now has a family, and thus a need for more seating and in-truck sleeping arrangements. The same off-road requirements apply, although to a slightly lesser extent. We'll be taking a lot of ideas and lessons learned from the first truck and using them on this one. For a quick breakdown, here's what's currently planned:
-LHD conversion
-Full respray to Corris Grey
-Pop-top roof conversion
-Portal axles, 37" tires
-30 to 35 gallons of fuel before external storage
-20 to 25 gallons of water before external storage
-Full interior storage solution
-Fridge and cook top
So let's meet the donor truck. Overall it's a pretty simple 5 door ROW truck, previously owned and modified by Keith from Rovertracks. He'd already made some nice additions to the fitted 300Tdi including a variable geometry turbocharger, full size intercooler and some tuning, so as far as the engine goes we'll likely be leaving it untouched aside from some simple maintenance.