Meet the Trot'n Turtle - Unimog U1300L Build

[Hodakaguy]

Time to get the bed removed from the truck in preparation for paint.

The Turtle emerging from its den. Forgot my good camera today so the pocket camera will have to do.

Removing the tail lights and wiring

Removing the center mount caps, Dad backing up the bolts from up top.

This is the rear brake proportioning valve, this valve automatically adjusts the rear brake bias depending on load.

Removing the bolts and bushings from the pivot points.

Bed is free at this point and is resting on the center mounts. Rigging is hooked up and the bed is ready to transfer to the trailer.

Bedless.

Bed strapped down for the trip back home.

Hills are turning green....Summer is coming!

Couple pictures of the frame with the bed removed.

Now back to paint prep......Ugg LoL

Hodakaguy

 

[Coachgeo]

So those 4 huge pins sticking up off the chassis that are at each outer edge from a bed pivot point...... are those large locator pins for the bed? As in, bed has a hole in which those ride inside when chassis has not twist on it? If so is the pins and or the hole chamfered?

 

[Hodakaguy]

So those 4 huge pins sticking up off the chassis that are at each outer edge from a bed pivot point...... are those large locator pins for the bed? As in, bed has a hole in which those ride inside when chassis has not twist on it? If so is the pins and or the hole chamfered?

No that's just spacers that Mercedes installed along with the bolts, they don't touch anything on the bed.

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Christmas came way early this year...in the form of a 90mm Stainless exhaust . This will move the exhaust forward behind the step and clear up room for the extra fuel tank on the drivers side of the truck. Quality looks very nice, can't wait to hear it and should look great.

First up on today's work list...replicate the wire cover that is located on the passenger side pillar and install it on the drivers side. This cover hides wiring on its way up into the headliner.... and I'll have lots of wire to install after paint.

Here's the factory cover on the passenger side.

Cutting and bending the sheet metal.

Replicated and Installed.

Time to strip down the cab for paint. Here I'm removing the sill plates that protect the door seal. These are riveted in place so they need to be drilled out.

Plate removed, now to drive out whats left of the rivets.

My father started removing the rubber floor mats while I worked on the outside of the truck. The mats are glued down with what looks like rubber cement, a heat gun softened up the glue and made pulling the mats up a lot easier.

Holes drilled/De-burred for wiring to pass through, will have rubber grommets installed here after paint.

Diesel heater removed along with numerous other bits.

Starting to look pretty bare!

Roof vent removed and disassembled.

Grill stripped, cab tilt brackets removed, etc.

Starting to get LOTS of Ziploc bags full of small bits.

More to come.....

Hodakaguy

 

[thebigblue]

Nice silencer! German made?

Ohh, and by the way - at what rate could I rent your skilled father?

 

[Scrapdaddy]

That's what I was thinking. Hope your Dad is getting some paid vacation, too!

 

[paroxysym]

powdercoating turned out great.. love this build

 

[Matt.H]

Hodakaguy, I hope all is well with you and your Dad.

While we do follow your posts in rapture I think we may be going through withdrawal. Possibly some photos of your Dad's welding artistry could satiate us?

:coffeedrink:

 

[Hodakaguy]

Nice silencer! German made?

Ohh, and by the way - at what rate could I rent your skilled father?

Yeah the exhaust is out of Germany, didn't come with any instructions etc but should be easy to finish out. Not sure my father would like working on many of these trucks lol.

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Thanks, I have 66 parts total that have been powder coated and are waiting to be reunited with the truck I really like the look/texture of this powder.

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Hodakaguy, I hope all is well with you and your Dad.

While we do follow your posts in rapture I think we may be going through withdrawal. Possibly some photos of your Dad's welding artistry could satiate us?

:coffeedrink:

lol...Small Update coming in a few minutes

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Been catching up on some work around the house lately so haven't made a ton of progress lately on the Mog. Yesterday we did start sanding down the bed boards and re-coating them.

Sanding down the bed, the boards are in really good condition so we will re-use them.

All sanded down and ready for the new top coat.

And three coats of John Deere low gloss Blitz Black paint. Blitz Black is awesome stuff...should look really good once back on the truck.

More to come...

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

My father and I Ran into a fellow Mog owner while running errands around town a couple weeks ago so we stopped to chat a bit. Turns out he recently purchased the truck and just moved into the area. He was looking for some help to change oils and give the truck a once over so he brought the truck over today and we went to work.

The truck is a 62 Swiss 404, the same type of truck that I purchased all those years ago. He picked me up this morning in the 404 and we drove it into town to warm up the oils and snag some needed supplies. The 404 is a lot of fun, been a long time since I drove around in one.

Starting to drain the axles and portals while the oil is hot.

Greasing the numerous zerk fittings, here we unloaded the front end with the jacks so we can properly grease the king pins.

Royal purple going back in the axles and portals....Redline MT-90 in the Transmission.

Engine oil going back in.

Clean interior.

Vital fluids all changed...now to go have some fun with it!

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Paint! Time to make the Red and Green disappear

Finished sanding and painting the bed pieces. Here the remaining pieces are waiting for paint.

I found a body shop that could get the truck in right away so we rolled to the shop with the bed in tow. Luckily didn't get stopped on the way to the shop since the MOG had no bumpers, lights, fenders, blinkers etc

At the shop. Glass removed and the doors fully disassembled.

Starting to sand/prep the cab for paint. Pretty much an empty shell at this point.

Skim coats over my welded repairs on the antenna mount holes.

First glimpse of color! I went with Toyota Quicksand for the color, it's a desert tan color with a hint of sage green. Here the bottom of the hood is fresh out of paint.

Inside of the doors are painted....prepping the outside.

Parts in the booth! Top side of the doors and hood painted.

Truck painted and clear coat being applied.

And out of the booth! I'm really liking this color, sooooo much better than the fire red Should look great with all the satin black bits bolted back on. Glass is going back in at this stage.

Direct sunlight the color looks a little lighter...lovin it!

Hood fresh out of paint.

Now on with assembly! More pics of that process on the way....

Hodakaguy

 

[Hodakaguy]

Nice. But after all that work, you did not want to add the the passenger side doorpocket ??

I may add that later or build a center console...not sure yet.

Hodakaguy