Jolls VY SS Ute Project (Jimi Hendrix)

[Just Damo]

So that is probably about 75% of the modern 4x4 utes getting about on our roads these days. All the bling with big tyres that head straight to the car wash when they get close to a little mud. ******* pavement queens that just **** the traffic up for everyone else.

It's the same on this side too, 3-5" lifted rigs with 26" chromies with rubber bands. Shinier than my grandfathers dome.

About 8 years ago I bought myself a nice 2010 3.0L Patrol ute, I drove it straight of the dealership to our local hill climb (we had a name for it, there were 5 climbs, all different and challenging) I nearly lost my ute a few times from admittedly going a bit too hard but also had a nice tree dent in the drivers door from hoppin a rock and bouncing into it. Wish I still had the old girl. But Why buy a 4x4 if you aren't going to use it.

 

[vc commodore]

With a big air filter sitting inside it?

I'm going reverse cowl on the senator but it will have a big ass K&N filter sitting in it.

Not 100% sure...Just remember that they had an opening in the bonnet, right above the carb/air cleaner assembley.....

 

[Jolls]

Didn't get as far as I wanted today because of the rain. I did sort out the issue with not being able to close the hard lid properly. It turns out that I miscalculated the positioning of the lower strut mount. I did a radius calculation to determine the initial position - clearly got it wrong as the strut bound just short of closing. I relocated the lower mount as shown in red below.

It works a treat now so I will start on the towbar, construction of the barrier and mounting of the tie down rails next.

Fortunately I can use all of the torx head bolts in the upper rails from the VY and from the VZ to mount the rails. Unfortunately I now need to grab two more nutserts as I wasted two on the initial positioning of the strut.

While the rain came down I did tidy up the wiring in the kick panel and put the trim back in on the passenger side.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls

 

[Jolls]

Reverse cowls are interesting things. I had a reverse cowl on my VH, grp3 style that was closed off from the engine bay except where it was sealed for cold air into the intake system. This works because the bottom of the windscreen is a high pressure area (as I understand it). Having an open reverse cowl straight into the engine bay would mean you have high pressure in front of the radiator pushing air into the engine bay (normal method of cooling) as well as high pressure air at the cowl that is pushing back down into the engine bay which would disrupt the airflow through the engine bay and cause potential cooling issues.

I have done a heap of research on this now. Pretty confusing at times and there are pros and cons. If I was living in a city with stop start traffic the cowl would be a plus, open road (like where I love) a minus.

The research has also made me think about other cooling related mods that have been done.

• the PWR radiator mod (done by PO) is a plus, but the removal of the top radiator shroud is a minus.
• K&N CAI is a plus but losing the OTR due to the height and width of the PWR is a minus.

I guess it is all about how much the improvement is in relation to the compromise made. There is no way to easily measure the overall benefits. If I do go ahead with the scoop I don't think I will cut holes in the bonnet as the PWR keeps it pretty cool in stop start traffic. So now it is all about aesthetics.

May simply put it up on ebay!

Really appreciate you guys setting me on the straight and narrow.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls

 

[Fu Manchu]

Yes! Put it on! Just for cosmetic reasons.

 

[Immortality]

It's your ute, if you like it, put it on and don't let anyone else bother you.

 

[Fu Manchu]

It's your ute, if you like it, put it on and don't let anyone else bother you.

Boooo

 

[ephect]

Listen to the advice and consider all options but you do you.

I say drop it on, a scoop always turns heads

 

[Jolls]

I trust everyone had a great Christmas

Welded up the barrier for the tub today and mounted it the ute.

I failed to think through the second and third order effects of my design so there are a couple of minor changes I would make if I did it again. The design issue is that I centred the mount for the rail from the front face instead of the rear face. Because of this if I turn the barrier around it impinges on the hard cover strut mount. I had to add another rivnut 25mm towards the rear of the tray to overcome it. Not a big deal; however, a design issue I should have thought through.

From here you can see the position I expect it will be located most of the time. Easy enough to shove small purchases in that will not move about the tray. I have some bungies, small tie downs etc to secure items to the barrier of required. On the cab side of the barrier (in its current position) I will add some clips for a wheel brace and the spare wheel lowering/raising brace. I do need to make up a small box for the trolley jack as well.

There are four mounting points at this stage, fully to the rear (out of the way), where it is shown, forward of the hard lid strut mount and almost to the front of the tray. The barrier can be mounted forward or rear facing at all points bar the fully forward one. This gives me seven different cargo positions. I can add more rivnuts if required, but will work the system for a while before I go adding anything.

I have identified some M8 tiedown rings that I will use as required in the vacant mounting holes as required to hold light loads. Heavy loads will be tied down using the wagon tied down rails. I have to make the ply floor inserts and modular drawer system yet. I will make a smaller barrier system (similar design) that will sit on top of the drawer units as well.

I need to find some 30 x 30, 25 x 25 and 75 x 25 end caps to tidy it up, purchase some M8 knobs (currently using stainless socket head bolts) and give it all a paint. But for the time being it is fully functional and works a treat.

Cost:
$20 worth of M8 rivnuts (nutserts)
$10 worth of 25mm SHS
$10 worth of 75 x 25mm RHS
Upcycle gal barrier from an old trailer


Cheers n Beers
Jolls

 

[losh1971]

Nice work. Funny you should mention things flying about in the tub. My old VR everything had to be tied in or it would slide everywhere, even after I carpeted the tub base but with the VE I can leave a empty or full 5L jerry can in the tub and drive to work and back and the flaming thing stays upright the entire time and doesn't even appear to move. I can not for the life of me work out how this is possible considering all I have on the base is a shag pile rug.