jham's 2008 Hilux build

[jham]

After selling of the HZJ80, I decided I wanted something newer that needed little to no "refurbishing" so I could go directly into modifying according to my needs.

Found a 2008 Hilux on the local OLX. Ad only had one photo (below) so I headed to the capital to take a look.

I was immediately pleased that it already had an Ironman 4x4 front bumper and suspension on it. These items are very expensive here in Uganda, and the seller obviously hadn't factored the cost of them into the asking price. I went to the bank after a test drive and made the transfer. $11,500 later, she was mine.

My favorite part is the simplicity - little 4 cylinder diesel with no turbo and a 5-speed tranny. Not a fan of the single cab, but a similar double cabin was almost twice the price. Plus, the benefit of the SC is that is cools off extremely quickly in this equatorial heat.

Immediately, I changed every fluid save for the transmission and swapped out a few bushings. Threw on some new brake pads and called it good.

First up on the mods list was lighting. That post to come...


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[jham]

-Lighting-

My first mods are always lighting related. I like a lot of clean, well-placed light wherever I need it. And in Uganda, good lighting can very often mean the difference in killing a pedestrian or not. No sidewalks here and less than 6% of the population own cars.

Phase one was replacing every bulb with high-quality, LED bulbs. I sourced these from various places including Amazon and superbrightleds.com. We all know what an LED bulb looks like, so I'll spare those photos.

The next step was to address the front lighting. I dropped in a set of 35W HID bulbs with castor shields into the headlamp housings. The Hilux reflectors handle them extremely well and there is almost zero light thrown where it shouldn't be.

I took 2 Hella 500 fog lights out of the box and dropped a 35W HID kit in those, as well.

Lastly was a 6" light bar aimed high and connected to the high beams. The result is perfect light where I want it and not where it shouldn't be, both in high and low beam modes.

The cab lights are for cool points

Most recently, I decided to replace the stock Ironman fog lights with a set of amber-colored Rigid D2s. They're pointed off to the side a bit to illuminate the ditches and sides of the road where people walk in the villages, and to help light the road during turns. No street lighting here.

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[jham]

Next up is audio. When I came back from my last visit to the states, I loaded up a suitcase with an Alpine UTE-52BT, 2 Polk Audio component speaker sets, and a Pioneer 400W amp.

While I was at it, I installed some dynamat on the interior as well as some insulation cones around the speakers for dust protection and more low-end. The mic that comes with the head unit is fantastic - incoming calls interrupt the music and I can take it hands free.

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[jham]

Currently working on a bed solution for storage. My truck is a DD which includes work trips into remote areas. The ability to carry tools, air, and a few supplies of first aid are important.

We also take the occasional work "camping trip" for a week at a time into the bush. This requires carrying water for cooking/bathing, camping equipment, and more gear.

I started with a bed rack that will serve as the foundation to grow on. For now, I'm extremely pleased with the outcome. It will only grow from here as I plan to build mounting points for various things as "attachments".

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[SportsmanJake]

I really like that bed rack. How is is mounted to the bed?

 

[Franco]

The next step was to address the front lighting. I dropped in a set of 35W HID bulbs with castor shields into the headlamp housings.

No... Our poor retinas. :yikes:

The Hilux reflectors handle them extremely well and there is almost zero light thrown where it shouldn't be.

I don't believe that to be quite true. Maybe not as bad as some, but HIDs where halogen bulbs used to be will always slightly defocus and throw up more light.

Other than that the truck looks great, I do love these simpler setups. Have you thought about a light tint to reduce heat in the cab?

 

[jham]

I don't believe that to be quite true. Maybe not as bad as some, but HIDs where halogen bulbs used to be will always slightly defocus and throw up more light.

Other than that the truck looks great, I do love these simpler setups. Have you thought about a light tint to reduce heat in the cab?

I said there is "almost zero" light where it shouldn't be and not "they are the same as the halogens" we're on the same page.

9 months in, I've never been flashed, and that's in a country that will absolutely flash you if your lights are too bright. I'm happy with that record and take "blinding other drivers" seriously. I have no regrets about the install.

The windows are actually blacked out, with small cutouts for the mirrors. I didn't really do it for heat, although it helps. I did it because as a white in an African country, getting stared at just gets old. The blacked windows cuts down on that tremendously, and helps keep thieves from peeking in.


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[jham]

I really like that bed rack. How is is mounted to the bed?

10 bolts on each side, directly through the bed rails. Solid, and I'm very happy with the progress. Need to get started on the storage box.


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[Bushwacker Inc.]

Cool truck! Out of curiosity, do you know if those are the factory fender flares or are they custom?

- Andy

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Nice mods and looking forward to how it all turns out.

 

[jham]

Cool truck! Out of curiosity, do you know if those are the factory fender flares or are they custom?

- Andy

Andy, they're factory options as far as I know. I see many Hilux's all over Uganda with them on.


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