Puparossa resurrection

well since im an old schooler mini trucker...since 1991....i got my hands on an Isuzu pup with a Mazdarossa body kit on it. it was hacked up so now im in the process of rebuilding her and actually FITTING the panels to the body like as if they were actually ment to go on. this is going to be a project and a half. but heres what i started with and where its at one week later.

before:




currently:


putting on a better bed to work with and building a hard top convertable roof for it from another cab i have in the garage (you can see it in the one pic above)

going old school here....a few people are like WTF and/or WHY????? some like it most hate it....either way as long as i do it tastefully, i should hear no complaints when its completed.....a long long time from now
let me know YAYs or NEYs!!!!

looks like a neat project i would definetly check it out if i seen it at a show

i had my brother order me some epoxy for the door skins. EZ100, 33.50 a tube and i got 2 tubes. heat activated at 150 degrees, so i can work it for abit then use heat lamps to bond it. the cool part is, its sandable, fillable (use to smooth edges) and its paintable. MOST epoxies are NOT paintable, like the ones GM uses to bond the 1/4 panels onto the fullsize trucks....yup GLUED on. fast,cheaper and stronger then welding, so hopefully i can get these skins to lay right, considering they were ment for a Mazdawg. i still have to smooth a bumper for my 94 pup and get that painted....and i take on another project..... OH BOY!!!

more recent pics of the metal converable build up and back wall:




the inner fenderwells were MINT (i undercoated them), one of the reasons im keeping this truck and not starting on another cab. overall very clean STRAIGHT cab. im herculining the inside since ALL verts leak and this will prevent further rust, i had to patch a few areas where water sat and rusted from the inside out (bottom of cab was perfect). the metal convert is much nicer over the plastic AIM crap only because you have better control over how the design goes and to prevent leaks. i have a truck with the AIM kit, it leaked at the top front edge and it was like chinese water torture while driving,,,,, drips on your leg...drip......drip.......drip......AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

ill post more pics as it progresses. im smoothing the back wall for more cab room for speaker boxes and puttin on a newer vleaner bed to start with. still have to glue the panels on the new doors and rip out the dash for the 96 Rodeo dash to go in....wiring should be fun
laterz
Ron

looking great man!!! make sure you take lots of pics when you do that dash i was thinking about doing that upgrade aswell haha

ive done the swap ONCE.....you need EVERYTHING from the firewall back...the main support brace all the way to the door panels. the 88-95 fit but rub the dash and dont fit overall very well. the wiring....OMG!!!! what a nightmare. since the headlights and wipers are now on the stalks, you need the column and all that stuff...stalks, airbag clock ring for the horn to work on the 95.5-97 steering wheel....its alot of parts. i had a 96 Rodeo that grenaded the motor so i KNEW what i needed and i took it all and its sitting in the bed of my crewcab project under the bed cover....waiting for the donor truck. well that donor truck is the puparossa and i have to finish welding before i would even consider taking it out from the bed. welding splatter finds its mark every time.
ill post pics when i get around to actually doing the swap. i have ALOT of wiring converting to do first with the old dash in so its a plug and play when im ready.....................

so after mucho problems with rot from the inside out, ive scrapped the cab and frame......BUT.....i have a nice CLEAN RUNNING 94 pup that i recently rebuilt is now the donor truck for the kit. I was fighting a losing battle of repairing rot. i said F-it and took out the sawzall and made a fatal cut to the cab.....DONE working with shit and having too many projects going. couldnt decide what color i wanted to paint the 94 truck....two tone but what colors???? repaint the whole truck??? or just work with the grey.....you know what.... put the wide body on it, primer it and decide on ONE color for that and two tone the Rodeo im ALSO working on....atleast that one is black and i can drop another color below to two tone it.... ok i feel better

PLUS i can put the kit on the cab the RIGHT WAY!!!!!!!!

Ron... you have issues.....

Cant wait to see the truck when it is finished. Keep us posted.