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I took a truck to the beach

Discussion in 'General Truck Info' started by TRAX and HORNS, Jun 1, 2010.

  1. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    This past weekend we went to Crystal Beach on the southeast shores of Texas. I took a Suz DD51 which had H/L 4 speed. It had 14" wheels/street tires. The truck came from Oklahoma and was tagged in Oklahoma. When I got it to Texas I filled out the Texas title application transferring the Oklahoma title. It was pretty cool running around Crystal Beach on the street / beach legal. Little did I know that most UTV's are legal anyway in Crystal Beach(Gators, Kubota's, Yamaha Rhino, Polaris and any golf cart ect). I saw some of the most tricked out golf carts that I have ever seen. I am talking upper end golf carts that would cost 6/7000 maybe more $. Yes I should have taken pictures but no I didnt.
    I didnt really think this truck would have been my best choice to take because of the street tires. But it had plates so I wanted to run around the street. Next time I will take a lifted truck with some AMS Swamp Foxes installed and stick a slow moving sign on the ass end and will be legal. Thats all you need. No plate needed down there. Needless to say I was the only mini truck on the beach. I had people pointing fingers and stopping what they were doing just to come over and look at truck. Most people have never seen one.
    One afternoon we ran way down the beach where no else was and the sand was 6" to 8" deep. The truck plowed right though it with no problems. I was using 4x4 2nd and 3rd gear. Couple of times I had to go to 1st. We had a great time.
    I also took a 48v Yamaha basic golf cart. It had the standard cart tires and did pretty well. The girls used it most of the time. If you stayed on the hard surface close to the water the cart was fine. The girls got stuck a few times but were able to get unstuck by simply getting out of it and hitting the the go pedal.
    They call this part of the Texas coast "THE ZOO". I know why now. It was party time for these people for 3 days. Music blasting till 3 am every nite. Oh and the sight seeing was pleasing to the eye. I only got the back of my head slapped twice. My wife gave up on me after that.
    On the way home we went though Galveston down the beach road to Freeport Texas. Its about 40 miles between the two. there was only about 8 miles of beach that had know one on it. The rest 30 miles was solid cars parked on the beach. I never knew that many people went to the beach this holiday.
    Once you get out of Galveston county going west I saw everything on the beach. Dirt bikes, 4 wheelers, utv's ect. The only thing you cant do is ride on the sand dunes. Which is fine. The dunes are the protection for the island.
    I am taking a truck to the paint shop this week. Sun flower yellow, some good looking wheels, 24" swamp fox, front brush guard w/winch ect. for the 4th of July trip.
    It was pretty cool seeing all the people out and about. I am talking 10's of 1000's of them from Crystral Beach to Freeport Texas. Those southeast Texas people love their beaches and they go and they party. Next time I'll take some pictures.
    If you are looking for a crazy place to go, go to Crystal Beach.
    Crystal Beach area is slowly building back after the last storm. That storm wiped it clean, there was nothing left. The storm surge was 18ft tall. I was surprised at how many new beach houses were already built and being built right now. The good side which is less fortunate to some is that it got rid a lot of old buildings, houses and trailers that needed to be torn down anyway.
    I spoke with Paul which lives next to the house we stayed in. His home now is a 35 ft goose neck travel trailer till he gets his house built. He said he stayed in his house when the storm arrived. At 12 a.m. his house split in to. He and his wife went into the water and were swiped 4 miles towards the ferry landing. At 6 am the next morning a Black Hawk plucked them out of waist high water. I asked him if he would ever stay again, He said "H*** No" I am out of here when that next storm hits Cuba. Its by Gods grace he and his wife are here today. They are both 70 yrs. old. Another guy rode on the roof of his house all the way across Galveston Bay. He found a small boat and paddle his way to safety.
    Anyway put a slow moving sign on your mini truck and go to Crystal Beach. You'll have a great time. oh, you can camp right on the beach.
    I am building a cool mini truck beach buggy
    Cheers,
    Terry
    Trax and Horns Mini Trucks
    Austin,Tx
     
  2. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    Awesome post, Terry. Thanks!
     
  3. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    Cool post.sounds like a good time.any pics??
     
  4. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Well I started on the Beach truck a couple of days ago. I stripped it down hand sanded it. Took it to the paint shop and left for Florence ,Ky to pick up 17 motorcycles that GE Finance had on the auction block. That took 3 days. I stayed in the hammer lane going and coming back. Got to go back to Florence, Ky sometime. Its a nice as the Texas Hill Country. Cincinnati, Oh has got to be the coolest looking city in all the USA at nite. The grass is green and the trees are tall. Beautiful country.
    Anyway I thought a blue color would work for the beach truck. I picked # 5208 blue. Glad I did, it turned out perfect. I'll come back and trim it out with yellow pin strips. I cut the back out so when the rear seat gets installed (maybe two of them) the passengers can talked to whom ever is up front. I have a tan canvas being made to cover up the back during cold spells so the heater will be effective. I am trying to figure out if I should use snaps are velcro to secure canvas. I put a 1 3/4" lift and installed AMS Swamp Fox 6 ply mud grips. The truck is a 97 S110 P Daihatsu with a 5 speed high/low and has the 12 valve engine. little puppy runs like the wind. I'll install a (3000 lbs.) winch from Harbor Freight 69.95 last time I checked.
    Here's a couple of pictures before and after. Its not finish yet. Middle of next week.
    For the sharp edges from the cut I used the trunk rubber seal off a Honda civic. Couldnt have found anything better. It fit really well. I guess any vehicle trunk seal would work. We had several part cars laying around. This truck will be for sale after its finished. However I do have to take it to the beach July 4th.
     

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    Last edited: Jun 19, 2010
  5. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    Very cool. Looks like it will be a lot of fun!
     
  6. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    whats with the missing back of the cab? looks good with that blue!
     
  7. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    neat....ty for the pics...you could secure the canvas with hook and straps like this ...they never come loose
     

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  8. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Is that just the thickness of the leather holding it?
     
  9. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    Yeah...it's thick like saddle leather...the vw transporters with canvas backs always had these straps..so did the Unimog:)
     
  10. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Stuff99, iIcut the back out so the passengers could talk to whom ever is up front. Most of the golf carts and utv's that I saw at the beach were fully open. Everybody can communicate while driving down the beach. I'll make this truck at least a 4 passenger rig or maybe 7 passenger if I can get a good deal on the seats. The last seat I bought for a custom hunting rig I built was 600.00 my cost. So 2 of them = 1200.00, a little steep. They are cool seats, cup holders and storage area under seat. got a foot ladder that folds up when not in use. I could use a 50.00 school bus seat but want to stay in the unique look.
     
  11. Mighty Milt

    Mighty Milt Active Member

    terry,

    got a call from a guy last week about a roll cage in a K5... he was from austin... said he knew you from the auctions but didn't knowyou personally.

    small world isn't it?
     
  12. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Dude, where you been? How's the family? You about ready to get back in the mini truck transportation world? I gave someone one of your business cards some time ago. Dont remember where. Might have been the same guy. At one time I had a Independent Jeep shop doing a few things for me. Who knows. Last time I went though your neck of the woods a storm had knock down a power line across I10 and I sat there for a couple of hrs. It had just happened. By the time they moved it off the hwy there must had been cars stacked up for miles. It was killing me seeing everybody else going down the access road around it. I was like the 10th car in the line.
    Hey good to here from you again.
     
  13. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    lol you're gonna turn that truck into a jeepney! lol
     
  14. Mighty Milt

    Mighty Milt Active Member

    just sent you an email about picking up a couple...

    i have just been hiding in that cave i call a shop.. it's a little bigger now we out grew the old shop and moved across the parking lot. the complex is pretty empty so we renegotiated the lease from 50 cents a foot to 35 and got a shop 50% larger for about 50 bucks a month. i was booked out 6 weeks for an appointment for any type of build and had a couple employees but the extra help didn't make extra money so i'm back to doing it all alone. we've started some production lines to go along with all of our custom stuff. but all of this has earned me only 15 days off this year...

    the family is doing very well, Lincoln is already 8 months old and the most fun i have ever had, the kid cracks me up... i just wish i could make it home before his bed time more often. he's just starting to crawl but can't figure out how to get out of reverse and into drive, but when he does we'll all be in trouble.

    i can't remember the name of the shop the guy called me from in austin but when we got to talking i was telling him i had a buddy there but the name of your biz wouldn't come to mind but he knew you for you "little golf car trucks" and making things out of the old plow discs. said he saw you at auction a lot, i passed along your number so he could get a truck...

    as for the top of your truck, i would recommend a light weight roll cage type of thing for the back so you can mount some seatbelts and add just a little more protection in case things get hairy out in the sand. when i do the rhino and ranger cages i have a great upholstery shop that does the tops for me and they just velcro aroud the cage and when he does the side curtains they velcro to a flap in the top, kinda like the jeep side curtains, and he uses the twist locks, like the old 1970 tonneau covers for truck beds. if you give me dimensions i can bend up a simple and light cage for you that you would just have to weld out, shipping wouldn't be much, the guy that called from austin said no one in that area does that stuff, i thought i seemed odd, maybe he just doesn't know anyone.

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  15. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    Very cool, Milt!
     
  16. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Pretty much finished the truck. I went with the cheaper rear seat than last time. It came from Cabela's for 150 green backs. It is functional and it does have seat belts. might find some different covers seeing this is " a beach truck". The wheels covers came from Auto Enhancement. 39.95 a set I think. The canvas for the back opening wont be finished till next week.
     

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  17. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    Hmmm....yeah the "Fall Forest Camo" might be out of place. You need something with surfboards and boat drinks on it. :D
     
  18. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    I know. I was in a hurry. Its the only ones that Cabela's had. I'll sweet talk the mother-in-law into some custom seat covers. She can whip out a quilt in a about a month, shouldnt take her more than a hour do something with this.
     
  19. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    looks sweet....how are you keeping the seatbacks upright??
     
  20. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Not sure what you are asking. Its all bolted together. Has frame rails that bolt to bed. If you need to remove seat takes about 2 sec. Pull 4 pins and seat is removed. Frame rail still bolted to bed.
     
  21. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    No not the rear seat..the front cab seats....how are they locked upright...All the stock ones I've seen are held from reclining by the back wall of the cab...
     
  22. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    I gotca. The Daihatsu's bucket seats are self standing unlike the Suzuki's. A lot of the Daihatsu's seats also have a storage netting area behind on seat back. It's just one of a few things I like better about Daihatsu than any of the other models. At one point or another Ive had every model and Daihatsu's fit my buyers needs the best. On top of that I seldom ever have to work on a Daihatsu. They are bullet proof. Ive punished them and taken them to the limit and they flat hold up....
     
  23. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    Ahh ok thanks for the info...I removed the seats from my Daihatsu the 2nd day I had it and thought I remembered them being held in place by the rear cab wall..my mistake..thanks again
     
  24. erixun

    erixun Member

    That made me laugh! This was on going joke in the Navy... "How many people can fit on a jeepney? ONE MORE!"
     

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