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Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

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Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:42 am

CHASSIS PAINTING TIME
After the painstaking process of wire wheeling / sanding / cleaning the old chassis i wanted to lay down a coat of paint to protect it. IT took me weeks and multiple conversations / endless googling to decide on what to use on the chassis for future protection. Whilst the Chassis was rust free, i wanted it to stay that way. After much deliberation i decided on KBS Chassis Kit - AND IT WAS AMAZING. The degreaser that came with this kit was nothing short of amazing and the finish it has given me looks top dollar. I also added a black top coating to this kit (extra UV stable layer) But i was advised that this wasn't necessary. Whilst i had everything so accessible the extra $80 for UV stable black top was a no brainer. I can Highly recomend this product! Easy to apply, tough as nails and looks great. I also Painted the transfer and engine bash plates with this.
Just make sure you wear gloves... this stuff DOES NOT come off. I had to wait for 1.5weeks after getting it on my left hand :/


7. KBS.jpg

9. Paint.jpg

10. Painted Chassis.jpg

11. Chassisfront.jpg
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topgun94
Isuzu Senior
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:52 am

Part 3 of 98745276.
Next step was to remove the Sassed Chassis from the original Blue Mu Body. Some say it would have been way easier to keep the black body and modify it just as much. And they are exactly right. It would have been. But the blue mu is sentimental and has all the memories that come with it. So It was to be the body to live on. All interior was ripped out, seats, carpet, all of my dodgy aftermarket wiring, radio, drawers.
Using the side of the House, 2 Block and Tackles, 1 x Engine Crane and a couple good mates we made short work of the removal.
13. Chassis.jpg

The next step was to Prep the body. I washed, wheeled, brushed, scrubed, sanded. When talking with the boys around the campfire i told them i want a 'Nofuss' Car that i can come home and simply hose out after a Mud run or Beach sesh. We deliberated on removeable carpet, vinyl, no floor and settled on painting it in Bully Liner! http://www.bullyliner.com/index.html
Made out of recycled tyres and tough enough to use in the bed of a Ute it was perfect!! Easy to spray on and looked great. I loved it so much that i painted the walls (Will not be putting the plastic back on) whilst it has some noise Cancelling properties i am expecting it to be a little louder then stock carpets.
14. Body Clean.jpg

18. Rear spray.jpg

17. Door Spray.jpg

16. Body spray.jpg


After the spraying of the body the Bucket seats finally came on sale at AutoBahn so i Snapped up a couple and brought them home to Mock up.
15. New seats.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:13 am

Winch and Sliders.
I wanted to go low, wide and Slow with this build. When i first built the MU i wanted to be as big as all my mates. Wanted to Stand next to the cruiser and match bonnet heights. I put body lift in and thought i was the BOSS MAN. But turns out i just made everything way harder for myself. I would body lift again? If i wanted a simple solution to fit 32 - 33 inch tyres only yes. If i wanted to build a beast Mu2 with low center of gravity? No. Apart from the fitment of tyres and looks it does absolutely nothing for the capability of the car. For this Reason i removed it from my build. But this meant, winch bar, front bar, sliders, radiator, rear bar, gear stick and exhaust would all have to be modified.

I found 5 x set of Aggressive 33's to go on the car for a bargain and jumped at them!! While the tyres fit the rear perfectly the front would definetly require some work if i wanted to go in any direction except straight.
12. Tyres.jpg


In this build i wanted a better approach angle which meant bring the winch closer to the radiator and modifying the bullbar to be closer. I shaved close to 4 inches o the front of my car with this setup. After Coming back from the cape we also had bent the front right body mount.. So we cut the two body mounts off and made our own.
19. Winch mount.jpg

20. Winch Side.jpg


Next up were the sliders. The car (or i guess the body now) prior to me owning it had a relatively hard life and at some point copped some pretty extensive driver side sill damage. I also wanted to maintain streamlined look and maximum clearance. I had seen a style of 'bolt on' sliders to defender and jeeps with there square lower edge and with some further research found people were in some models welding to the sills with great success. BINGO. Lets make it happen!!
I have opted to not cap the ends. Risk of a small hole being somewhere and water getting in. Left them open so i can easily wash them out when required.

Had these pressed up to suit.
21. Sill Slider.jpg

22. Sill slider.jpg

23. Sill slider painted.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:24 am

I wanted a offroad mapping system that i could use in the MU (Hopefully for a High Country Trip) and i also wanted a system for navigation and music system. While at cape york i used HEMA maps on my Ipad and it was AMAZING. Great information and accuracy we used it as a bible. SO why not intergrate a Ipad into the dash... This car does not have air conditioning and i thought why not use that space for something useful. I am able to use Spotify, youtube, Google Maps, Hema Maps all why connected via bluetooth to the stereo. I made a fibreglass holder with assistance of a mate who is a boat builder. Have also taken into consideration room to plug the charger in and where the lock button is. The volume can be adjusted on the screen. I am yet to paint the surround but it will soon be black.
25. Ipad dash.jpg

On the left hand side you can see the Just Race Parts Multi Guage. https://www.justraceparts.com.au/
I will try and get a better photo but this tells me my Boost, EGT, OIlPressure, Water Temp, Voltage. AND THE GUY IS A LEGEND - Real Helpful!!
24. Ipad Dash.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:37 am

BUMPERS, GUARD CHOP AND INNER GUARDS
Well in this episode of MU2 we Paint the modify Bumpers.
After loving the finish of the floor and walls of the BULLY liner i purchased another 4L. It painted the Rear Bar and the front bar with it.
The Front Bar was shortened and the hoops cut off to bring approx 4inch closer to the front of the car. The hoop holes left however make great fishing rod holds. The rear bar was also shortened in height after the loss of body lift and to suit the rear quarter chop.
35. Black Bumpers.jpg


You can see in this photo how close the front bar sits AND how well it works as a Rod holder :lol: :lol:
36. Front Bumper Fishing.jpg

The stock inner guards was non-existent on the driver side and a little worse for wear on the passenger. TIME TO REPLACE AND UPGRADE
There is a gentleman on gold coast QLD who builds vehicle specific parts (is also a legend) and makes / imports parts for our beloved isuzus. https://munji.com.au/
He makes - Inner Guards are now CNC'd out of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE). They don't just look amazing but work amazing! I have them on my Dmax and love them.
26. Munji Side.jpg

After fitting the Bundera steering box during the SAS some of the body was cut away to make it fit. IF this body was still there i would not require a Zip Tie at the Front. (they worked perfect on the other side)
27. Munji Side.jpg


Guard chop!
To make the the monster 33's fit on the front i need more clearance!! Out with the trusty 4inch and off with a inch and a half of guard.
38. Guard Chop.jpg
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Last edited by topgun94 on Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
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topgun94
Isuzu Senior
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:59 am

DRAW SYSTEM
At the heart of every good camping car there is a quality drawer system!!
This car was not different and i wanted a rough and tumble draw system to max the attitude of the rest of the car. The Drawer system is made out of Painted marine ply and Galvanised RHS. With little worry i will be able to grab the hose and wash the back down if required. I also wanted a water tank. After only having a jerry bounce round in the back for many years i wanted something bigger and more pernament without the sacrifice of precious room in our SWB vehicle. After much measuring and thought i opted for a 43 L tank to hide behind both Seats. The entire draw system is removable however i wouldnt want to do it on a regular basis.

The drawer slides are a big decision when building drawers. After learning from the DMAX drawer system i chose to opt for Sealed Roller Bearing Slides. They at 700mm long (drawers are 900mm) and have sealed ABEC bearings. They are the best slides i have found for Dirty and dusty conditions. My dmax Drawers survived 6500Ks of Cape York Bulldust and Corrugations. https://dunnandwatson.com.au/shop/drawe ... es-100kgs/

43L water tank hidden. Will Be attached to a 12LPM Pump and maybe even a hot water system!
Comment about a big boy - My Old man is a Boilermaker by trade and helps alot with my projects
37. Drawer Frame.jpg


Drawer view - Fridge slide on the Left for ARB 47L. Drop down Stainless steel table.
31. Drawer rear view.jpg


A 140AH AGM battery hidden in the drawer system - It is layed on its side as they can be mounted at any angle.
The Fridge slide can also be seen here. Housing the ARB 47L
32. Drawer battery.jpg


A 'secret' compartment or a good use of useless space. A cupboard for spare CVs, Tie Rods, Hubs, Grease, hoses, belts, oils Etc.
I wanted a spot out of the main drawers that i could put these items if required and not always in the way.
33. Draw compartment.jpg


A couple Dividers to organise tools, food, cooking equipment etc.
34. Drawers.jpg


Cupboard behind the Seat. Bigger then my last set of cupboard built to take up almost all the room behind the seats / ABove the water tanks.
30. Cupboard.jpg


High and Dry and Close to the 140AH AGM battery i have a DC to DC 20A CTEK charger.
In time an inverter will also be homed on this wall. One Anderson for the Fridge and one anderson is for Solar Input.
ALl the wiring is hidden behind and in between the Cupboard wall and Secret compartment.
29. Drawer Electrical.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby DAKARMU94 » Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:32 am

What a great looking MU!
Definitely a lot of hard work and time spent making this beast. I'm especially a fan of the rear bar, amazing work.
I too have a MU very similar to this one but without all the drawers in the back (kept the seats) and some different personal touches.
I like your table idea on the tail gate but I took that as an opportunity to put in a switch panel (5 switches, voltage metre for second battery and 2 USB ports) for 2x 7" camp lights on the back of the roof cage. I also placed a 1 metre LED strip below the panel to act as a low camp light with another strip for the boot section. I'll take a photo of the set up tomorrow.
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Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:48 pm

Been a while.
Heres a vid from the ol girl at Glasshouse Mtns in QLD. Not alot of mods to the MU lately been sorting the rear brakes out that have been leaking :evil: :evil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmTZg-Esn84
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby PUMPS » Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:19 pm

great build. thanks for sharing. You could your dinner out of that engine bay.
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Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby mumanbeing » Sat Jul 17, 2021 5:20 pm

Epic. Thankyou for sharing the journey and tips, anothy old gal lovingly saved for more great memory making.
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Intercooler/scoop modification
Snorkel, custom bar work, spotlights
Much love needed

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:39 am

Back from the beautiful cape York!
So I took my dmax to the cape but my wife's sister asked if she could borrow the MU! With no 4wd experience she absolutely smashed it, I drove a few of the harder lines but otherwise all driven by the newbie! While it was a bit of work to get it back upto standard for a 6500km corrugated round trip she absolutely loved it! This is the second time we have taken a MU to the cape and the second time it's been the most capable car in the group! No aircon or creature comforts made for some interesting bull dust tans but needless to say she made it back and did us proud! We lost the starter motor on the first week, melted a throttle cable and driver's door handle stopped working!
We completed the telegraph track, pajinka 4wd track, Frenchman's track, PDR and all of the water crossings between!
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topgun94
Isuzu Senior
 
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:49 am

Couple more photos from the trip!
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Sat Jan 06, 2024 10:51 am

Few pictures and updates to keep the build thread updated.
The ol MU gets out for the occasional trip, used as transport to work when the weather isn't to hot and whilst I spend most of my time with the MU out enjoying it, occasionally I spend some time repairing, fixing, tinkering.
I have recently been on a few 4wd trips with her breaking a CV at a 4WD park in Warwick QLD and broke my welded front differential whilst in the high country Victoria!
I have basically completely run out of genuine CV joints, so I went to Repco who were having a clearance and bought 8 spares! To also accommodate the frequency of breakages that I think the Chinese CVs will bring i installed a quick release CV kit.
The CV I broke at the 4WD park was due to a bump stop falling out. The Differential broke due to 8 years of abuse.
Broken Diff.jpg


4wd park carnage.jpg

Quick release.jpg



HIGH COUTNRY PICTURES
Mu snow 1.jpg

Mu snow 2.jpg

Mu snow 3.jpg

Mu dargo.jpg

Mu high country river.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby topgun94 » Sat Jan 06, 2024 10:54 am

Mu high coutnry.jpg


NIGHT WORKS.jpg


Mu sunset.jpg


mu sunrise.jpg
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topgun94
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Posts: 190
Joined: Tue May 14, 2013 9:30 pm
Age: 22
Country: AUSTRALIA
City: BRISBANE
Vehicle: 1991 ISUZU MU. 4JB1T, Boosted, Intercooled, MIG front locker, Rear LSD, Reduction Gears, Stock Height but 33" muds

Re: Isuzu mu - winch, bulbar, lifted, MUDs

Postby geeves » Sat Jan 06, 2024 1:48 pm

interesting pictures. Last broken diff was in a Prado. Unfortunately it was the rear and the limp out to civilization consisted of 10 meters forward one back etc Only 2km to somewhere we could put it on a trailer. That lost 5 teeth on the crown wheel and 2 on the pinion but he saved the e locker
Sanding your knuckles before starting work can help. That way you cant skin them
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