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Complete Corvette drivetrain in a '74 toyota Hilux

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  • Complete Corvette drivetrain in a '74 toyota Hilux

    Hello all, I am new to this forum and thought I would share my latest build. I have a 1974 Toyota Hilux that I bought because I love small cars, especially small trucks and I thought it would be an awesome vehicle to build. As these things do, the project got a little carried away. I knew I wanted it to be relatively lightweight, handle well, retain the stock width and most importantly not cut into the bed or mount anything in the bed- I want to use this as a truck, and thus it needs a fully functioning bed. What was originally going to be Miata suspension with an aluminum 5.3 LS truck engine resulted in me purchasing a wrecked 2013 Grand Sport Corvette. For those not familiar, these came with a hand built dry sump Ls3 (which we are adding an LSA blower to), a z06 6 speed manual transmission, z06 differential, z06 suspension and z06 brakes. To fit it all under my little truck we made a custom frame from scratch which narrowed the front suspension mounting points 13" and the rear suspension mounting points 15". I realize this does change certain characteristics of the suspension geometry, and if it's effected enough to cause problems I will redesign it later to fix whatever issues I find. It is getting a cage closely resembling an NHRA 8.50 cage, and if I ever run an NHRA sanctioned event (would really like to compete in Hot Rod Drag Week) I can easily modify the cage to be NHRA legal. Since this is Stanceworks, I'll mention wheels- I have 3 and half sets. I have a set of 3 piece CCW classics, custom made with specific offsets and spacers to clear the z06 brakes with a 16" wheel in the back. They measure 16x10.5 in the back, and 17x4 in the front, and this is my drag setup. I then have a set of 3 piece HRE 547r's, measuring 18x9 in the front and 18x11 in the back. These will either be "show" wheels or maybe get very sticky rubber for autocross/road course duty. Finally we found a 18x8" steel wheels for VW transporter van that fit and clear the 6 piston brakes with a very small spacer. I have 6 of these wheels, and they will be my daily driver and burnout wheels (hence why I have two extra). There is a lot more going on in this build than I could begin to explain in an introduction paragraph, so if you have any questions just ask!
    C4BA716D-18FF-425B-9E7E-5367559044EB-1.jpg
    IMG_0269.jpg
    Not sure if I like these rims.jpg
    looks like an rc car.jpg
    IMG_8796.jpg
    Last edited by hambler; 08-14-2019, 03:45 PM.
    I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

    '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

  • #2
    I seem to be struggling with pictures- a lot of the pictures I try to upload, either directly from my computer or through a link to the Imgur file, fail. Any tips or tricks, not sure what I'm missing?
    I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

    '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

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    • #3
      This is sick. S/w photos just suck.
      2 328i e36's
      Saabaru linear 2.5na
      Various projects.
      sigpic
      Intro;
      http://www.stanceworks.com/forums/sh...19#post1598619

      Comment


      • #4
        That's out of the blue!
        Good work on that minitruck, looks really cool. Keeping the patina, I suppose?
        For images, I use imgur , after I resize it to 1024x something , click on the small arrow in the upper right corner of the picture>get share links > BBCode (forums) and paste it directly in the text field on here.
        Now that you know that, don't be shy on pictures.
        "You could roll an E30 in a BMW showroom today and people would think:
        Well, they finally got the 1 series right!"

        3.0 L e30 ground up build

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by gnmzl View Post
          That's out of the blue!
          Good work on that minitruck, looks really cool. Keeping the patina, I suppose?
          For images, I use imgur , after I resize it to 1024x something , click on the small arrow in the upper right corner of the picture>get share links > BBCode (forums) and paste it directly in the text field on here.
          Now that you know that, don't be shy on pictures.
          Yep keeping the patina, I'm not into nice paint - then you're just scared to use the vehicle, and especially with this being a truck I want to use it and abuse it! I'm guessing the resizing of the pictures is the trick I was missing, if I get it figured out I have lots of pictures!
          I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

          '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

          Comment


          • #6
            Okay I think I got pictures figured out! Prepare for a photo dump, in no particular order!














            I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

            '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

            Comment


            • #7
              haha... this is nuts....

              Comment


              • #8
                Few more quick images, then from here on out it will just be updates. As a mechanical engineer, I had the ability to CAD model part of the chassis for this build. It doesn't necessarily perfectly reflect what we actually build, but it lets us cut out parts on the plasma table and have a rough concept of what we want things to look like before we build (although the more observant of you will notice that through the pictures, we changed large parts of the chassis multiple times until we were happy). As I said before, I cant begin to explain everything we've done so far but I'd love for you guys to ask questions or point out where I could have done things differently! This is my first true street car "build" and I'm learning as I go.



                I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

                '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

                Comment


                • #9
                  This is complete utter madness and I love it! Big fan of old minitrucks and hope you keep the patina, with steelies on it will be a hell of a sleeper.

                  I'd just point out one thing...from the "frontal" pic of your suspension it looks like your lower arm points up while the upper arm points down, if that is ride height did you check compression camber gain? It looks like you may get positive camber when the suspension compresses, at least in the first part of travel. Obviously I may be wrong but that caught my eye.

                  FB: @DumbassCarCrew - IG: @fruttolo_dumbasscrew

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    How did you manage to get a CAD Model of the engine with this level of detail? Did you use a 3D Scanner?

                    I'm planning to build a Model A in a few years and I also want to design most of it on the computer before starting the build.

                    I also work as a mechanical engineer and I'm always wondering why so little suppliers of aftermarket parts, especially in the Hot Rod business, offer CAD models of their parts... it would make any build a lot easier.
                    Tut DAS denn Not, dass der Karren so tief is?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Fruttolo View Post
                      This is complete utter madness and I love it! Big fan of old minitrucks and hope you keep the patina, with steelies on it will be a hell of a sleeper.

                      I'd just point out one thing...from the "frontal" pic of your suspension it looks like your lower arm points up while the upper arm points down, if that is ride height did you check compression camber gain? It looks like you may get positive camber when the suspension compresses, at least in the first part of travel. Obviously I may be wrong but that caught my eye.
                      Thank you! Definitely keeping the patina, that way I don't have to care about the paint when I'm doing truck things. Hoping to find an old school bed cap to hide the rear cage work when I want to.

                      As for the suspension, I'll have to look into it more closely. This is 1 inch into compression compared to our theoretical ride height of the Hilux, and I think even more when compared to the stock corvette ride height (we were to excited too get it apart and didn't take great pre-disassembly measurements). I agree in that picture it does look like they're angled away from each other, however in other pictures I just stared at they look more parallel. The upper a arm has a lot of rearward rake to it, where the lower a arm is flat. I do know when I cycle the suspension to full bump, it gets more negative camber, so possibly the upper a arm is short enough to compensate for the angle difference (if there actually is one)? I'll definitely double check it next weekend when I'm down there.

                      Originally posted by gestanzed View Post
                      How did you manage to get a CAD Model of the engine with this level of detail? Did you use a 3D Scanner?

                      I'm planning to build a Model A in a few years and I also want to design most of it on the computer before starting the build.

                      I also work as a mechanical engineer and I'm always wondering why so little suppliers of aftermarket parts, especially in the Hot Rod business, offer CAD models of their parts... it would make any build a lot easier.
                      I somehow got insanely lucky, and the only detailed CAD model of an LS engine I could find on grabcad is a dry sump LS3, which is not a super common LS, but what I have. It blew my mind that there weren't a plethora of 3d models for LS engines out there. There is a program called "SEMA garage tech transfer" where they offer a lot of OEM CAD files, however thus far I haven't been able to work my through it to becoming a member. There are several companies that offer relatively cost affordable (<$1000) 3D scanners that work with Ipads and things that do a pretty good job. I wish I had bought one before starting this project. They apparently don't give a level of detail that you could like just 3D print the scan file, but they're apparently excellent for checking clearances and mock up. I think a lot more technology in this area will be coming out in the next few years, and I will definitely be buying something before I tackle another project this big.

                      Also my advice to you from what I've learned thus far on this project is to scan/model as much as you possibly can before you start building. We used the CAD basically just to be able to cut things on the plasma table, so we would design a section and build a section one at a time, which resulted in us later having problems with what we already built.
                      Last edited by hambler; 08-19-2019, 08:19 AM.
                      I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

                      '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by hambler View Post
                        I somehow got insanely lucky, and the only detailed CAD model of an LS engine I could find on grabcad is a dry sump LS3, which is not a super common LS, but what I have. It blew my mind that there weren't a plethora of 3d models for LS engines out there. There is a program called "SEMA garage tech transfer" where they offer a lot of OEM CAD files, however thus far I haven't been able to work my through it to becoming a member. There are several companies that offer relatively cost affordable (<$1000) 3D scanners that work with Ipads and things that do a pretty good job. I wish I had bought one before starting this project. They apparently don't give a level of detail that you could like just 3D print the scan file, but they're apparently excellent for checking clearances and mock up. I think a lot more technology in this area will be coming out in the next few years, and I will definitely be buying something before I tackle another project this big.

                        Also my advice to you from what I've learned thus far on this project is to scan/model as much as you possibly can before you start building. We used the CAD basically just to be able to cut things on the plasma table, so we would design a section and build a section one at a time, which resulted in us later having problems with what we already built.
                        Thanks for your advices! Scanning and modelling as much as possible before starting the build as possible is exactly my plan.

                        I also thought about buying a 3D Scanner, but right now the cheap ones (<1000$) aren't good enough in my opinion. Since I'm planning to start my build in 2021, I decided to wait for the new generations of 3D Scanners. But I agree to you, there will be lot of development in this sector.

                        The company my brother works for has got a 30k€ 3D Scanner which they are using for scanning injection units of injection molding machines. It's pretty detailed he says. Propably we will be able to do some scans for ourselves.

                        Man, if I think about scanning a Model A body for example... it would be insane fun to design mostly the whole car on CAD first saving money, material and time!

                        Anyway, please keep us updated! And maybe we should think about starting a new topic for the 3D Scanning/CAD stuff or even create a new section here on S/W for collection useful models, talking about experiences on scanners and stuff... Since Mike also did some CAD work on his truck, he might also be interested in this?
                        Tut DAS denn Not, dass der Karren so tief is?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by gestanzed View Post
                          Thanks for your advices! Scanning and modelling as much as possible before starting the build as possible is exactly my plan.

                          I also thought about buying a 3D Scanner, but right now the cheap ones (<1000$) aren't good enough in my opinion. Since I'm planning to start my build in 2021, I decided to wait for the new generations of 3D Scanners. But I agree to you, there will be lot of development in this sector.

                          The company my brother works for has got a 30k€ 3D Scanner which they are using for scanning injection units of injection molding machines. It's pretty detailed he says. Propably we will be able to do some scans for ourselves.

                          Man, if I think about scanning a Model A body for example... it would be insane fun to design mostly the whole car on CAD first saving money, material and time!

                          Anyway, please keep us updated! And maybe we should think about starting a new topic for the 3D Scanning/CAD stuff or even create a new section here on S/W for collection useful models, talking about experiences on scanners and stuff... Since Mike also did some CAD work on his truck, he might also be interested in this?
                          If you're anything like me, you won't save a lot of time CAD modeling the entire build- but the end result will be far nicer. I quickly get carried away "over CAD modeling" things and obsessing over small details in the model that you could never notice or are beyond my fabrication tolerances in real life. To me, the ideal use of a 3D scan is to just "clearance check" parts I've designed. Would love to have a section dedicated to CAD modeling and 3D scanning, there's a lot more I still need to learn!
                          I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

                          '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

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                          • #14
                            Since we decided it was unrealistic to finish the truck for drag week 2019, I've been struggling to find motivation to work on it. I've been spending time working on other race cars and customer cars instead, and just trying to get back on top of my life after dedicating every weekend for the last 6 months to this truck. I think I found the motivation today though! My racing partner picked these seats up from the upholster for the truck, and I could not be more excited about how they came out. They have a very old school Porsche vibe that will fit the patina of this truck perfectly.

                            I over engineer the solution to small problems while ignoring the big problems.

                            '74 Toyota Hilux (under construction), '74 Lotus Europa (low mileage, ALL original), '95 Mazda Miata (supercharged), '99 Chevy C2500 (ratty sleeper, 650 rwhp turbo LS), '01 BMW 540i/6, '76 Dodge Aspen (Lemons Race car)

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                            • #15
                              I love it! Please continue!
                              Originally posted by getamongst-it

                              Lower your expectations, you'll be much happier.
                              Oh, and your car too.

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