[esky]

Yes this has been done a thousand times, but Im after information to help me decide, not a bunch of people telling me not to do it because it looks stupid, its hard, no benifits ect.

Ive never had anything against a zook ute, but ive never really thought they look great, untill I saw the pics of GRPABT1's. Im now thinking of doing one in the future but am after some helpful input as to weather its realistically possible.

First up reasons why I want it.
Looks. If I do it how I plan It will look good to me.
Little bit more resistant to damage.
A project to keep me entertained.

The Pro's
I wont loose storage space. They tray will be the same height as my false floor, and I can still have my drawers under that in the wheel arch cavity's.
This also means my COG will not be raised when the vehicle is full or empty, compared to as now.
With the back of the cab I plan to run a custom cover from the roof to the tray, which when open will give me as much open air as normal with a standard SWB, while my fibreglass hard top cover will remain. Over the tray I will design it so my fibreglass canopy can still be attached, giving me a dry storage space when I want it.
I work at a laser company so material will be free, and cut to exact dimensions. Means everything will go together that much more easily, and any welding can be done by our sister company.

con's
Money
time

I want to know under what section of the VSI for victoria does it state that this will need to be engineered. As this will not adversly effect the strengh of the vehicle I cant locate the rule around this mod.

Im not definate I want to do this, but I probably will try. Im after helpful information about this idea, and ways to improve it. Im planning to talk to an enginnner after I get a better idea, and I talked to vicroads earlier about running only two seats in a SWB and they were happy to change my vehicle description to a ute, so assumably wouldnt mind about this mod.

Any help would be great guys, Vince.

[just_cruizin]

Hi Vince,

May not apply down in Vic but I am doing a similar thing up in Qld, the only mod plate required here is for the change in seating capacity, from 4 to 2. The actual cut means nothing.

[foolsp33d]

I like the look of Grpabt1's to.. although not keen on how the chop has been done with no rear section..

tjm_tj wrote:

i think you should take advantage of the chop and extend your wheelbase



i did a 4-5" stretch.... but it needs to be longer

agree it would be more functional with a rear extension..

the 'tub' rear end looks good to...




but I really like the way 'the yellow thing' and 'Hot Stuff' Have come out.. both are fully functional and sealed, the extra space behind the seats would be very handy.

[joeblow]

mmm....big call vince. many, many years ago we built a swb cab chassis from spares i had lying around. it was cheap but it still didn't look right as it was on a swb chassis. i'm still yet to see achop that a: looks good and b: on a swb chassis it will still look a bit 'goofy'. granted lwb chassis are hard to come by, but at the same time a shmick as f#@k hard top always pleases my eye. always been a fan of the hard top and its one of the most practical of the zooks. if you were cutting up a soft top body i'd say go for it as there are plenty of these around. if it were don properly you would have to move the tray so far over the rear wheel s that once again it would look goofy. the only adr i can think of is the seat belt. you will have to as-per softop, incorporate a strengthening rod from the b-pillar. good luck vince, but i hope you don't cut up a swb hardtop.

[esky]

fools, I like the idea of the open back, gets all the all the benifits of a soft top.
I dont really like the tub style ute. not sure why, but not my style.
The yellow thing and hot stuff have both been executed well, but again I want the open back. Ive also found that I have enough space behind the seats for my tools and spare parts, and my seats dont protude past the B pillar anyway. Plus a bit more fabrication.

Joe, mine is a soft top, I imagine this might be a bit more involved for a tin top. And those are the things im looking for (The seat belt supports). I agree that most SWB utes are average looking, But with my work benifits I can make some sample's (probably alot) to test them untill I get something I like.


So who is the best persn to speak to about the VSI? When I built my escort there were a few items that were just within the laws, and I had to ring Vicroads to confirm things, but they were relativly minor. In this circumstance (assuming I dont need an engineers report), is there a place where I can get an authorised approval from the RTA? or will an inspection and change of vehicle description at a vicroads office be sufficient?

[royce]

ive got nothign to add other than make the tray look nice and functional and not a $2 add on, and cut the bottom of the cab on an angle so you dont have a bit of wheel arch left

I think you should look at the design so you have a bit of room to extend the wheel base and incorporate anything else you may want like a bigger fuel tank and stuff

[Damo]

I really like my ute cab, a chopped down lwb with a Maruti fibreglass roof.

My problem is that I need 4 seats now (kidlets!) and it's a whole lot harder to weld the arse end back on, than it is to chop it off!

[Scrawny]

joeblow wrote:

but i hope you don't cut up a swb hardtop.

x2 on this one!!!!!

[moose]

that is all !!

[GRPABT1]

Yay! I've inspired someone! (actually I cannot take credit as I bought it with the ute chop already done). Yes I will be extending the wheelbase some more (already moved the front diff forward gotta do the back one yet).

I also like the Extra cab style like the yellow thing but remember that is a LWB and you have to work with what you've got. I've got enough room to fit my camping table, two chairs, air mattress, and various other bits and bobs behind my seats when I go camping (albiet at the sacrifice of a little leg room).

[esky]

Royce, It definatly will be functional, but I honestly dont think it will look "great". good thing I like function over form. I will be using all the space under the tray for drawers, hi lift and spare tyre, and if possible a water tank and a fuel tank move. ( im pretending there is more space then there is)
Ill also move the diffs a little as this is quite easy so while im there.

As for the wheel arch, I dont mind the slight arch instead of the angle, and that will also save me a fair bit of cutting and fabrication. Ive already accepted that alot of people arent going to like the look of it when its done, but so be it.

Damo, Good thing im (sort of) single. and when the kids come they can ride in moms car.

GRPABT1, yours is one in a million so hopefully someone just made number 1,999,999. If you get a chance could you post some pics of the plate at the back? and is it flat sheet, supported with a frame, folded? any help before I start this will make the on the job fabrication a little easier.

Vince.

[GRPABT1]

Yeah mate the plate is just checker plate screwed onto a box section frame, there is actually a hole in it where the tyre used to sit half in/half out vertically. But I put a tool box there and use the hole to get to stuff in it. It's a bit of a squeeze to get stuff in and out of but you work with what you've got in a zook. When I go camping I stand the tyre up against the 2 jerry's which are hard up against the back wall of the cab and then tent, esky etc etc. The tray is actually wider than the cab and that's where I get alot more storage space, it's about 2 inches wider than the stock front flares so lines up ok with my flexy flares. I'll get some pics up when I can but for now check out the rest on my photobucket account, just search GRPABT1.

[just_cruizin]

Here's what I've done so far.

Yes I know this is the same stage I was at weeks ago but good things come to those that wait.

[GRPABT1]

That's probably the perfect amount of space behind the seats IMHO, with a wheelbase extension and a nice tray to suit that'll be plenty of room. I suggest doing the wheelbase ext first to work out departure angles etc while designing the tray.

[mrw82]

just cruisin's is going on to a LWB chassis.

[GRPABT1]

I'd still extend the wheelbase, if only to improve approach and departure angles but the reasons are many.