GQ UTE

[Wambat]

gday fellas. hows the week end treated you?


at the moment, im reserching GQ patrols. i had a 60 sereis for aover a year, but i killed it as it just wasnt the truck for what i want to do.

so having seen quite a few gqs in the bush, i have decided that that will be the better car for me.

but i want a ute, and as ive looked around there are not alot of them and they are still pretty expensive.

if i were to cut the back section off a wagon, what would i need to know? would it be wise to get an engineer in before i start any work, and then just follow his plans??

i am a 3rd year apprentice fitter, i weld alot at work, and do alot of sheet metal work. im also intreted in alot of automotive things, and want to get into hot roding but like i said i love all kinds of motoring, and the first car i actualy want to create is a 4wd. also i miss getting out on the week ends.


i want to set the gq up as a bush only car basiacaly, my plans at the moment are, 4 inch lift, 37s, custom tray, and exterior rol cage. at the moment.

also i must add. that at the moment im just aquireing knowlege. im not planing on buying the car for atleast a year. but i do need to know how to go about things so that when i come to it i can do it quickly and properly.

any info is welcome fellas cheers. if you can help that would be great


Alistair

[rover1]

wagon's can be had cheaper, lots more of them around, easily be able to have an extra cab for the same price as a ute. if you are going to chop a wagon, put the cage in as you go (chop, cage, than weld in the back wall)
you can weld the back wall in yourself, for the easy way you have square corners, little bit harder and you can have a more standard looking rounded corners.

have a look through the members section and pm some the the guys that have done it themselves, between the gq and 60 choppers you should able able to have all your questions answered

[bogged]

Would it be wise to get an engineer in before i start any work, and then just follow his plans??

always....

[nastytroll]

main thing is there must not be more then 250mm from last body mount to rear of cab and rear wall must have stiffiners either rhs frame or presses dimples with pressed channel across the inside. I have done a few not hard but check with the engineer with design and cage and it will need to be seam welded and inspected before filling and painting. Extra body mounts must be equivalent or stronger then origenal

[Wambat]

cheers fellas.

so i can just add a body mount if i need to. thats good, i think that it would be pretty easy to make them stronger than original.

if i was to do the chop and all welding myself, id basicaly only be looking at paying for the materials, and the engineers cert yes??

now i do do alot of welding at work. and have done the basic welding course that fitters and turner do( i will be going to night school and doing all of them, but that will take a few years) but just incase i dont know, if any one can explain seam welding that would be great. (chances are i might know but just dont know that i do)

and if its legal to have an exterior cage i want that, (i think it should be as ive seen many wagons and troopys with a roof rack with bars on the out side all the way to the chassi near the doors)

but if it has to be internal, well it will be. the rig wont be for comp use, it will be for personal use,

[Wambat]

how common is 4 corner coils on gq utes from factory.

is that the main reason people cut there wagons to utes??

and if not, would it be hard to fit a ute body to a wagon chassi??

how hard is it to convert the leaf rear to coils?