1986 Toyota Hilux
Built from stock from 2020-2021
View gallery for photo descriptions and dates
Bought from a junkyard in California, this truck was half built in California while I was on co-op, driven to New York, and completed in New York while in school. This truck was built using mainly scrap and old items in order to cut down the overall cost. I have a strong passion for designing and building things but funds are tight in college so repurposing existing parts and using whatever I can get for free is a necessity.
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Modifications:
1970's Chevy front axle narrowed with 1980's jeep axle shafts, 4.88:1 gear ratio, factory limited slip differential.
1980's Jeep Wagoneer 2.5in lift springs in the front with custom spring hangers.
Relocated steering box for better steering geometry.
Dual transfer cases with Advanced Adapters adapter plate.
Factory rear axle with 4.88:1 gears and a Lockrite ratcheting differential locker.
1990's Chevy 1/2 ton 63in rear leaf springs with custom spring hangers.
37x12.5x17 Procomp MT2 tires with weld on rock rings on Procomp steel wheels.
1979 Ford F150 gas tank custom mounted in-between frame to maximize clearance.
Total Metal Innovations internal weld-it-yourself roll cage.
Custom built bed made from 1 1/2 square tubing.
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Arduino Controlled Ethanol Distillation
Completed in December 2020
A 15.5 gallon beer keg was converted into a home distillation system with a PID algorithm controlling temperature written to an Arduino UNO. All components were machined using leftover materials found in the RIT machine shop and machined during my freetime at work. All copper tubing was purchased with the home depot gift card given at the end of my internship at Cummins. The only out of pocket expense was the Arduino UNO (~$35). This was an individual project taken on to help stimulate me on my free time when I wasn't working on school.
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The biggest hurdle of this project was the PID algorithm. Before this project, I did not know what a PID algorithm was, but through research and discussing things with classmates, I was able to write one from scratch and tune it to actively control the temperature of the vapor being fed into the condenser. This experience gave me a good head-start for my System Dynamics class taken the following semester.
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1973 Toyota FJ40
Worked on intermittently from 2017 - 2020
A 2UZ-FE V8 engine from a 2004 Toyota Tundra was swapped into my brothers 1973 Landcruiser. I re-wired the entire engine to an aftermarket ECU (Megasquirt MS3 Pro). All engine sensors were calibrated and fuel/timing maps were written and tuned to the best of my ability with no dynamometer available. (Summer 2018)
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Front leafsprings cut out and a 3-link suspension with a panhard bar was installed. (January 2020)
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Jet Ski Engine Swap
Fixed over the winter of 2021
A 1995 Seadoo jet ski was converted from a 657cc engine to a 787cc engine.
This project was taken on because I have never owned nor have very much experience in any watercraft and thought it would be a fun opportunity to learn something new.
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Mechanical:
The old (blown up) engine and engine mount were put on a flat table and measurements from the power output and engine mount holes were taken. Leftover material from the machine shop was used to adapt the old engine mount to the new engine. The new engine mount was built inherently stronger out of cold drawn 3/8 x 2 in steel compared to the 1/8 in stamped steel factory mount.
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Electrical:
Many hours were spent staring at the factory wiring diagrams to get the new engine to run. Things such as the engine temperature gauge, oil light, and tachometer were bypassed as they did not exist on the jet ski hull. The old Vertical Stability System (VTS) module was spliced into the new computer box to minimize the need for further fabrication. The starter relay had its own waterproof box mounted on the other side of the hull compared to the old one which was in the main computer box. Printouts of the schematics were marked-up with what was bypassed and modified as well as some notes to assist future owners in their wiring needs.
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Financial:
This pair of jet skis was bought as a winter project to keep me busy and to make some money. They were bought at the beginning of winter at the end of 2020 when the market was low and planned on selling them at the beginning of summer when the resell market was higher but decided to hold onto them as they were much more fun to ride than expected (still own them). Expected profit if sold at the beginning of summer is ~$1000.
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1988 Toyota Hilux
Owned and modified from 2013 - 2017
Bought in high school, this truck fully immersed me into the rock crawling hobby and helped me realize my natural ability and passion I have for engineering. Converted to Chevy solid axles, built an internal roll cage, and ultimately fabricated custom body mounts to mount a newer generation cab acquired for free and wired things such as power windows, mirrors, etc. to maximize profit when reselling before starting school at RIT.Â
Total amount invested: ~$4500
Selling price: $6500
Profit: ~$2000
Random Car Stuff
From 2014 - Today
Buying broken cars to fix them on the side has been an ongoing side hustle pretty much since high school. I have profited thousands of dollars and have gained lots of experience in the diagnosis and repairs of various mechanical and electrical systems. The gallery below shows just a few vehicles and projects I have owned and/or worked on over the years.
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