The Lloyd Project...

[off-roader]

A great thread to read on a much deserved Mitsu rig for Lloyd over on the AZ forum on 4x4 wire (http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1241247&an=0&page=0#Post1241247)...

Lloyd has been in the Mitsu 4x4 community since the early days and by far he's been the most gung ho, outspoken, and pro Mitsu 4x4 owner you've ever met.

For years though he's struggled from having to deal with a piss poor regional economy as well as incompetent mechanics since there isn't much of a Mitsu Motors presence where he lives (Albuequerque NM). Most of the time the mechanics in town are guessing when it comes to repairing his mitsu's.

So a little over a year ago, the AZ crew (again on 4x4wire) decided to help him out buy taking his rig and building it up for him properly. Well after a year plus, its nearing completion, running on 37's with a custom x-case setup and many, many, other upgrades.... Currently his build thread has well over a thousand posts and is certainly a good read. I encourage you take a break, relax for a bit & check it out... :ylsmoke:

 

[Toasty]

Keep in mind that this is charity work and the budget has been pretty tight, you'll see a lot of repurposing and goodwill from the Az Crew. Lloyd bought a lot of parts and a lot of parts were given to him, sometimes things didn't turn out exactly how we wanted and sometimes the opposite of what Lloyd wanted. Some compromises were made, some new ideas have been pioneered but all in all it has turned into a killer truck and Lloyd really deserves it. The story is in Gearbox Magazine this issue, the origin is a little inaccurate but it's more exciting than "Lloyd bought a broken truck to fix up" :sombrero:

 

[SoCalMonty]

Can't wait to see it finished. Wish I lived closer. What happened to the little red Raider?

 

[Toasty]

One of my neighbors bought it randomly and then contacted me (prior to this i'd never met or talked to him before) and was surprised to find out Lloyds red Montero lived across the street from me! Long story short it's been 3-4 years and i think it's still sitting in that guys yard. He contacted me last year and said he would sell it if i knew anyone looking, $3500. I'd buy it but i can't keep up with the two i have already.

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

tried sifting through it but im at work so 101 pages of data is a lot to digest.

Any specs on the build?

 

[off-roader]

4.9:1 r&p, crawler gears in different xcase, 37" tires, etc. etc. etc.

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

which tcase? NP231? 242? other?

 

[off-roader]

which tcase? NP231? 242? other?

IIRC it's out of a Jeep Rubicon but I don't remember the exact designation. A certain 'ninja' will probably know. :ylsmoke:

Of course he also has custom bumpers and rock sliders and other armor.

 

[SoCalMonty]

One of my neighbors bought it randomly and then contacted me (prior to this i'd never met or talked to him before) and was surprised to find out Lloyds red Montero lived across the street from me! Long story short it's been 3-4 years and i think it's still sitting in that guys yard. He contacted me last year and said he would sell it if i knew anyone looking, $3500. I'd buy it but i can't keep up with the two i have already.

Such a shame for that truck to live its final days that way, given all the places its gone and all the things its seen!

You should post a for sale ad for it; maybe someone will put it to good use again!

 

[Toasty]

Rocktrac NV241 transfercase (4:1 low range)


I should post up Lloyds old truck, Also the fab work has been done with whatever steel i had laying around so it's not all cool plate style CNC'd to fit nicely. It is however 3" .25 wall DOM tubing with plate built around it much like the old Buckstop bumpers, once we get some hoops on to protect the grill i'm certain he could smash an Elk into nothingness with minimal damage to the rig.

 

[SoCalMonty]

As entertaining as that might be, I hope he doesn't find an elk on the highway anytime soon! lol!

I'm about to borrow a friend's flux core welder (yes, the Harbor Freight cheap 110v one) to do sliders and bumper brackets, once I find out the best place to order materials from! When you mentioned the Buckstop bumpers, I wonder if you were doing something similar to what I had planned?

I have 2 Smittybuilt 3" tube bumpers...and for the sections that I wanted reinforcement, I was going to weld flat plate over the tubes, joining them together. I might have to extend one of them too because I think it's a little short (one was from a TJ, the other from a Mighty Max). But for $75 for the pair, I can't argue with the price! Just gotta cut the old brackets off and fab up some new ones!

Ninja, OT I know, but what about cutting the mounting brackets off my OEM bumpers and welding them on in the correct location? This way I wouldn't need to fab new ones. Is there any reason this is a bad idea? I am not, at all, in any way, a fabricator. lol.

Any pics of Lloyd's new truck to tide us over?

 

[Toasty]

Nothing recent as far as pics, as for reusing brackets it won't be any worse than stock if you weld it good. They do bend quite easily though.

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

rad! liking what i hear so far. you arizona kids know whats up.