JNH Classics Posted January 4, 2020 Report Share Posted January 4, 2020 Hey Guys, I just started a new project on my youtube channel that you might like, its an 84 Bushmaster which was made from a king cab pickup as a dealer option back in the day. Heres a link to the first video. There is much more to come on this build. https://youtu.be/beneU2wNQJw 2 Quote Link to comment
MaxChlan Posted January 4, 2020 Report Share Posted January 4, 2020 (edited) Subbed on here and Youtube. She looks really rough in the video, but the nice part is that you're starting with something really rare and really cool. If you need help with posting pictures on this forum, see my write-up here. Please DO NOT use photobucket. If you'd like, I have a PDF version of the service manual for the 1986 model year that I OCR'd and bookmarked, so you can use the search function within Adobe. I'm fairly certain your truck is a later model 1984, so everything should be mostly the same. One question I have right away, is where the fiberglass starts, and how much modification you think they (Matrix3) made to the rear of the truck in order to make this work. It doesn't seem like there is a good source of information on the details, so if you document your progress right, you could be the definitive source on the topic! Edited January 4, 2020 by MaxChlan 1 Quote Link to comment
Bleach Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 There was a Bushmaster in a wrecking yard in the last year. It would have been crushed by now though. 1 Quote Link to comment
ckm319 Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 Very cool vehicle! Were the tops removable like a bronco? 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted January 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 Thanks for the comments guys. I just posted part 2 where I clean it up and see what I’m dealing with. Here’s the link The truck is actually in very good condition. I tried to show how the top attaches in this video, it’s definitely not removable. I will strip more of the interior to see all the modifications they did to the truck soon. I can’t find much info on the Bushmasters so I’m very curious to see what they did to make it. I will show you everything I find as I find it. 1 Quote Link to comment
MaxChlan Posted January 5, 2020 Report Share Posted January 5, 2020 From what I can see, it seems like the bed and cab are mostly the same. The roofline seems to be extended with fiberglass maybe an inch or two, with steel tubing used to reinforce for new roof and bed area. It’s no doubt that the fiberglass isn’t meant to be taken off. 2 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted January 31, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 Hey Guys, Here’s part 3 of the Bushmaster Project. This was an Incredible Transformation! The Bushmaster Looks Amazing Now! I'm still looking for an engine. I need a Z24 engine that works with a Carburetor, not Fuel Injection. Pleas let me know if you know where I can get one. 1 Quote Link to comment
captain720 Posted January 31, 2020 Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 I would get one from a wrecking yard and put a Weber 32/36 on it. Do you have a Z24 in it right now that is broken? I have used D21 Z24s before no problem and can tell you how to do that, they are easier to find. Car-part.com is a great resource. Great to see other people making 720 videos too! 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 7 hours ago, captain720 said:I would get one from a wrecking yard and put a Weber 32/36 on it. Do you have a Z24 in it right now that is broken? I have used D21 Z24s before no problem and can tell you how to do that, they are easier to find. Car-part.com is a great resource. It has to be all original to pass smog. The previous owner removed the engine to have it rebuilt and lost it many years ago. It has all the original intake and smog equipment just no engine. 1 Quote Link to comment
bottomwatcher Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 Nice! Glad to see other folks not afraid of work, rare these days. Keep it up the truck is looking good! 1 Quote Link to comment
captain720 Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 2 hours ago, JNH Classics said: It has to be all original to pass smog. The previous owner removed the engine to have it rebuilt and lost it many years ago. It has all the original intake and smog equipment just no engine. You can stick a D21 block in there and swap timing covers and distributors and oil pumps and distributor drive shafts and you will be all stock. Some say the compression ratio is 0.4 different but I am unable to confirm this and they all run fine on pump gas. D21 Z24 would be all stock unless they are checking vins 1 Quote Link to comment
ckm319 Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 Quesstion sir, So heating up the fender skirts make them turn back black? Does it last? Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted February 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 Yes it should last. I used the heat gun to carefully melt the outer surface of the plastic, which burned off the dried crusty stuff. There is a pattern created by the melted plastic as it cooled so it’s not as nice as a new set of fender flares but it’s much better than before. 👍 1 Quote Link to comment
NC85ST Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Nice work so far. Paint came out a whole lot better than I would have ever expected. 1 Quote Link to comment
Seven Two Oh No Posted February 8, 2020 Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 On 1/31/2020 at 8:21 AM, JNH Classics said: I'm still looking for an engine. I need a Z24 engine that works with a Carburetor, not Fuel Injection. Pleas let me know if you know where I can get one. Not sure where you're at in CA, but there's an 85 at the Pick n Pull in Oakland that I checked out today (2/7). It was missing the carb but everything else seemed to be there. Doubt it will stay this way for long with the weekend coming up. 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted February 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 Thanks for the heads up. I’m in SoCal so I won’t be able to make it there anytime soon. I have a lead on an engine a little closer hopefully it will work out. 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted May 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2020 Finally making more progress on this project. Part 4 1 Quote Link to comment
MaxChlan Posted May 17, 2020 Report Share Posted May 17, 2020 Awesome video! I did the exact same job on my 720, but I had auto-locking hubs, which I recall were a bit more finicky than the manual hubs, as it doesn’t come out as a nice clean assembly like yours did. I remember thinking to myself how on earth I was going to tighten the weird nut for the hub. Keep these videos coming! 2 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted May 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2020 Here’s part 5 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted June 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 Part 6 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 Nice work. What size is the CO-Z Ultra Sonic Cleaner? Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 It's the 10 Liter Version 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted June 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 Part 7 1 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted July 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2020 Part 8 Quote Link to comment
JNH Classics Posted March 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2021 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 2 Quote Link to comment
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