I reckon it might be cheaper than buying one. I want a two door flatdeck 4x4, have you seen the prices they want for anything decent! Curous about what engineers have to say about anchorage points etc.
a.woodrow,
May 18, 7:04am
Buy something with a removeable back and you won't have cert issues. I have done this with a few early surfs and a daihatsu rocky, but there are a few newer trucks that would suit.
franc123,
May 18, 7:20am
Get yourself a D21 Terrano thats got a rusted out seatbelt pan in the rear and is unwarrantable, cut off everything from the b pillars rearwards and fit the rear wall from the same model datsun ute/navara, and fit a flatdeck. That makes a cheap turbo diesel ute with full electrics, nice bucket seats, auto trans if you want, coil spring rear for a more comfortable ride etc You can use most of the redundant rear body mounts for the tray.
r15,
May 18, 7:36am
buy my surf and chop the arse off that everything from a 98-02 hilix should visually match then you'll have a fast comforable hilux with electrics!
oops self promotion - but its another idea all the same
fordcrzy,
May 18, 7:39am
there was one in 4x4 magazine a few months ago where they took a rear ended Prado and made it into a really nice alloy deck ute. really nice job they did of it
r15,
May 18, 7:42am
and then there is the guy on trademe that seems to chop quite a few landcruisers and prados
NZTools,
May 18, 7:50am
No shortage of VX Cruisers and Safari's get chopped into double/single cab utes. Are they good!, hell yes. Are they cheap, hell no!.
mrfxit,
May 18, 8:07am
Careful . TM already spat at me for something less clear but similar. **** All I need is a bolt in back panel /window fabricated & something like a molded Tuff deck & then i will already have my high riding REAL 2 door4x4 ute
grangies,
May 18, 8:09am
A friend of mine has chopped about ten 2 door Surf's and Safari's into utes. Not flat decks though.
He modified the rear quarters into wellsides.
The engineer's certificates were easy, as what he done to body actually strengthened it, due to the bracing and rear panel being behind the front seats, instead of being an open station-wagon body.
friendly_prawn,
May 18, 8:11am
You could always use it as a deposit on my listing.
rob_man,
May 18, 8:16am
What I had in mind was a complete chop off and flat deck so I can carry my quad. I've been looking at the most unlikely candidates and weighing them up, Suzuki Escudos and the like. The bigger SUVs like VXs and Safaris are worth too much and are uneconomical for trips down country. The D21 Terrano is a very likely candidate.
mugenb20b,
May 18, 8:21am
Over 13 000 views and hasn't sold! Nice Zonda by the way.and the motorhome and the view out of the window in pic 9
rob_man,
May 18, 8:31am
I actually have a BJ74 mid wheel base Cruiser but it's getting a bit too tired to use for a ute. It would probably have made a good one.
chris241,
May 18, 8:34am
There a good old work horse i still love my 60 serries.
poppajn,
May 18, 8:48am
Theres a firm here that specialise,s in going this to all makes of SUV,s etc.
friendly_prawn,
May 18, 8:50am
re photos! heh heh, got bored so thought I would have a play with photoshop. Yeah, 43 watchers too and it still hasnt sold. Got a fewinterstedbut they either havent the money or have to sell their house first. Quite frustrating.
fordcrzy,
May 18, 8:55am
thats an awesome anti burglar system you have there prawn!t rex
A D21 should be easy to certify as long as you don't need to modify the ladder chassis.
As far as anchorage for the cab goes. I guess the chassis is the same as a Navara, and it will only be the Terrano body (if at all) that needs a bit of a tweak to make secure, like a 2 door Navara.
Would definitely pay to look further into it first though. But I reckon it wont be rocket science.
rob_man,
May 18, 9:18am
The chassis is essentially the same except for the coil rear end.
friendly_prawn,
May 18, 10:08am
imagine the steaks on one of them things.
kaymay88,
May 18, 10:22am
in blenheim a few years ago, there a guy driving around in a turbo skyline that had been chopped down into a ute, it actually looked reasonably nice.
mugenb20b,
May 18, 10:29am
Sorry to hijack the thread everyone. Yeah, it's frustrating alright. I tried selling mine in Upper Hutt a couple of years ago, so I could buy a house in a different town (which would've made it freehold + some change). To try and improve its value, I invested around $12k into the house I was selling and 5 months worth of my and my wife's time tiding a few things up.
When it came to building, painting and plumbing I had a very limited amount of skills, knowledge, tools, and help so you could say I lost X amount of dollars worth of rent over that time. I still couldn't get the price I wanted and by then I was under pressure to do something as money was going out faster than it was coming in (hopefully, you are not in the same position, very stressful). I ended up renting the house to a very nice family and I ended up with another two mortgages to buy the house I'm in now.
Best of luck with sale fp, it's a very nice house indeed.
friendly_prawn,
May 18, 8:05pm
I thought the man sized garage would be a massive drawcard for the men folk but apparently not. It was why I bought the place. I thought it was every male's dream. So far its dont stuff all to attract anyone. It seems its the woman that have more interest in the house. Got me beat. Yeah, thats where we are at now. Probably just going to keep it rented and get another mortgage on another property but thats a bit scarey in the current financial market. Who knows what the future is going to bring with the American and Euro current crisis. I could add value to it by doing some landscaping but unfortunately Gisborne is just too far from Auckland to enable me to do the work. Other than a little landscaping the place is nearly new.
I have dropped the price about as low as I can go so am now out of ideas to sell. Oh well, I have a few people interested although nothing concrete at the moment.Oh well, if it dont sell, I'll have some where nice to live if I ever move back there. cheers for the comments mugenb20b
friendly_prawn,
May 18, 8:06pm
and yeah, sorry for wandering off topic folks. apologies.
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