miltons mighty boy

[milton]

I popped the rear window out today to fix a "small" rust hole. Which turned out to be not so small.
So now its cut and weld.

[milton]

So I finally managed to find a spare day to work on the ute.
got the front bumper from an alto,(which already had the round headligh grooves modified to suit a MB) and cut the MB fenders to make it suit.

Then modified the centre of the bumper to accommodate the original grille.

Now I just have to make some mounts to hold it on and tidy it all up.

I also re-inforced the rear tray panels, because as you would all know someone only has to look at them and they pop in

[Trav]

Looking good. Can't wait till I strip mine down for it's new paint job. Just got to find the time to sort out my supercharger and EFI setup and then it time to strip!

[milton]

Got a few more hours in on the MB on the weekend, made the mounts for the front bumper, filled the welded parts and small dents with bog

yes i know it looks like a lot of bog, but the spray painter said it's better to have lots and sand it off than sand it off and realise you need more

then pulled off the door seals and took the windows out, ready for high build primer.(the only glass ive left in is the windshield as im worried ill break it if I try to pull it out, the others were simple and I have spares)

[milton]

I've also been keeping a running total on how much ive spent on the MB since I bought it. Just thought id put it up for interest sake. (not including things like fuel, rego, etc)

$1,200 Mighty boy - private sale
$80 battery - auto elecs
$175 half of second mb for parts - private sale
$28 door handle - suzistore
$50 stereo - from a mate
$49 speakers - ebay
$8 wiper blades - servo
$14 intake gasket - suzistore
$20 speaker spacers - from a mate
$80 indicator lenses, aerial, door handle - suzistore
$95 rubber bailey for tray - suzistore
free rims 15"x6.5" - from a mate
$10 get reverse switch fixed - auto elecs
$40 coolant, eng oil, gb oil - servo
$44 put tyres on new rims - tyre service
$235 front bumper + freight - private sale
$50 tin of body filler - smash repairs

total so far = $2,178 so thats $978 not including the ute

[milton]

It seems that everytime I get a bit closer to finishing my ute I decide to buy something else for it which delays it even more
I now have a nice new hardcover to fit up. (thankyou colin)

Also on the way is a small, low profile bonnet scoop, (for looks not need, only running a stock F8B)
And a small spoiler to fit on the back of the hard cover.
But, I now have a deadline and tighter budget, as I am going to be a dad at the end of the year
So I need to get it back on the road before then as spare time will become a rarity

[milton]

so this is the scoop im going to put on. its going to be moulded in before its painted so theres no seams.

got a bit more time in so ive taken all the panels off to be rubbed down ad prep for high build primer.

[Brayden]

If you want a flush finish on the bonnet scoop I would strongly suggest getting a metal scoop. The bonnet material is so thin that it will flex and crack the blend on a fibreglass/plastic scoop.

[milton]

If you want a flush finish on the bonnet scoop I would strongly suggest getting a metal scoop. The bonnet material is so thin that it will flex and crack the blend on a fibreglass/plastic scoop.

That was my original plan, but after a bit of searching the only steel scoop I could find was a camaro style which are about twice as long as the bonnet
I could have made my own but the pannel beater reckons he can make it stick no Probs, so if it cracks out I can blame him

[milton]

So I started the ute up this morning as I do every few days or so to keep everything ticking over, and oily fuel poured out the side of the fuel pump. So I'm assuming the diaphragm has died and I'm better off getting a new pump rather than trying to find parts and repair the old one???

[gadj]

You might find a Maruti fuel pump avail.for the F8b from one of the Suzuki parts specialists. I bought one a few years back at a good price & they are serviceable too. Fuel pump parts might be harder to find but I would still try.

[milton]

Thanks gadj.
I found a place where I can get a brand new f8b pump for $125, which seems pretty reasonable. But I can't find anywhere that I can get parts, or a rebuild kit

[Brayden]

I'm pretty sure the standard pump is non-serviceable.

[gadj]

I think you should be able to get a new pump around half that - admittedly mine was on special at the time it wasn't more than $40.00. I got it from (the somewhat maligned) SuziSport at Strathpine. I'll have a scout around to see if I can find a better price.

[milton]

I'm pretty sure the standard pump is non-serviceable.

Spot on. Pulled it out this morning and there's no way of dismantling it, so a new one is on the way.

On another note, I asked my boss who's a mechanic about the port where the fuel came out, and he said its a tell tale hole so you can tell when the diaphragm is shot and your sump doesnt fill up with Petrol.
But I was thinking, what if that had happened after I'd been driving around for some time and the engine bay/ hot exhaust was covered with fuel!
Is there some sort of system that prevents this from happening and BBQing a MB?