Wildebeest build thread. The story of the little 85 that could.

[Aquafbody]

I bought my 85 runner about two years ago, and it's been quite a journey, I wish I still had the pics from when I first saw it. I picked it up for $1170 from a tweaker in Breckenridge with a blown head gasket. It had 4 mismatched tires on 4 mismatched rims, three of them were for an IFS and would not clear the steering knuckles and allow the truck to turn. :Wow1: As I'm towing it home on a tow dolly just east of the continental divide the drivers rear wheel shears off and passes me and continues down I-70 on it's own. It even made the corner. Lesson #1 don't assume the tweaker you bought it from tightened the lugnuts. So $400 and a flat bed later I get it home. Put a fresh head gasket in, new timing chain, new axle and of course 4 new rims and tires. I finally got it running and noticed the rear glass didn't open the PO had bypassed the broken switch with about 20' of wire that he would stuff inside the bumper run it to the fron of the truck and touch the battery to roll it up and down.:Wow1:. That was a fun fix.

Here it is out on it's maden voyage.



Not long after I was driving to pick up my cousin from work and my rpm shoot through the roof. CRAP a just blew my clutch. My buddie and I pull the tranny and low and behold the clutch and flywheel come with it.:Mechanic: Lesson #2, if the PO is two dumb or stoned to check lugnuts, it's a safe bet he didn't torque any bolts he has ever touched.


Time to garage it again:coffeedrink:

 

[Aquafbody]

It was down for a few weeks and during that time it got a face lift.

 

[Aquafbody]

Here I am a year later and It has been running rougher and rougher. Time for a rebuild.

New Pistons

The heads on

 

[Aquafbody]

Had to drill out and re tap A TON of broken bolts and studs.

Engine went in last Saturday and spent all SUNDAY wiring and running new vacuume lines.

 

[eblau]

I couldn't imagine the fear after seeing that tire pass you!! Nice truck.

 

[Aquafbody]

I was sitting in the truck and someone knocked on the window. A CDOT worker saw it rolling down the road and brought it back to me, he said "it was easy to find where it came from" lol. Putting the tranny back in tonight after work and I will attempt to start it for the first time on the fresh engine

 

[Rdy2offrd88]

Sounds like you have had quite a time with this thing already. Can't wait to see the rest of this build.

 

[Aquafbody]

So I hit a snag. Last night I reconnected the battery for the first time and after a while I saw smoke coming from the alternator or near it?! After I unhooked the battery it stopped, I could not find any melted wires and nothing was hot to the touch. Any thoughts?