The Sleipnir of City Sadar Road

[fouadhafeez]

This picture shows how the basic styling continues to evolve. After having removed the front bumper and the hooks and mounts for it, we planted the front grille at the front, by lowering it considerably. This was a truly pleasant experiment, because I think it looks absolutely smashing. The front of the car will be dominated by this gorgeous, massive front grille...rather than utilitarian FJ40 bumpers. The grille itself, will be redone, too...with some lovely, narrow-spaced iron lattice work, which will follow the curve at the underside of the grille.

I loved the side-on angle of the car, too. You'll see just how low-slung the front looks...and how the big wheels manage to convey a further sense of being lowered. The cabin (for now) still sits high and tall...but we're going to resolve that in a couple of days, so as to position the top edge of the engine's firewall, completely in line with the top edge of the radiator grille. The end product should look seamless, Allah be willing.

Interesting how the massive engine bay area makes the 1UZ look like the engine from a Suzuki Mehran, huh?

[cooldevil]

slowly it is taking the shape! best of luck

[usmanulamin]

I can now see the rat rod look, beautiful!!

[fouadhafeez]

slowly it is taking the shape! best of luck

I can now see the rat rod look, beautiful!!

Allah be willing, we'll be looking to perfect this very look. Hone and accentuate and sharpen it. Use tasteful styling cues and design ideas. The classic hot rod look, but done up desi ishtyle.

[hsumbal1]

That V8 looks tiny in there....

[fouadhafeez]

Update

We've removed all of the electrical instruments and lights. The front "bug-eyed" lights are getting the HID treatment, and all indicators etc, are going to be fitted with LEDs. We shall be reviving the original gauge clusters (after carrying out a 24 volt to 12 volt conversion), but will also include LEDs in them for the backlighting. Estimates for wiring, lights, gauges, and chrome embellishment of these parts: 42K. Expensive!

After having mounted the body to the frame, tightly, the next step will be bolting the engine to the frame as well. The 1UZ has been moved forward slightly...so as to create enough space for the firewall to be moved down, when we channel the body and drop it. We've decided on a vertical 'eight pack' exhaust stack, which will stay within the engine bay. This will be constructed out of sheetmetal, but we'll 'clad' the headers and mufflers and pipes with stainless steel, just to make them look nice and shiny. Another addition is the air-intake we've crafted. This has been made out of an old air cleaner from a '69 Buick, and will accommodate a modern cone air filter, hidden within that of the Buick's element. The surrounding assembly will be chromed and polished to make the V8 look 'period-correct'...as if it were a carb-driven car rather than an EFi one.

Tentative date for the body drop and roof chop: Saturday. Let's keep our fingers crossed for that.

[fouadhafeez]

That V8 looks tiny in there....

It DOES! But the positive side to all of this is that we're not cramped for space, at all. We're at complete liberty to add cosmetic bits or bobs, and tinker around with the overall appearance of the engine bay to our heart's content. As a matter of fact, we've moved the engine forward by a couple of inches, just to make it look a little more proportionate within the engine bay. Another positive aspect is that it also gives up plenty of space to add chrome pipes rather than rubber ones, chromed armoured hoses rather than tubing, and allows us to consider chrome pulleys and wheels rather than the boring painted ones...just to 'sass up' the engine bay.

[waqqasnasir]

Excellent going sir.....

[fouadhafeez]

You all probably know how I love to choose exotic names for my cars. I think this lends them character. Makes them more endearing. And differentiates them from the norm.

Here's one, that is going to be used for this current car I'm building: SLEIPNIR (pronounced "slip-near")

Wikipedia tells us: "In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse; meaning "Slippy" or "the Slipper") is an eight legged horse. Sleipnir is attested In the Prose Edda as well as the Poetic Edda from the 13th century, wherein Sleipnir is Odin's steed, is the child of the Trickster Loki and Svadilfari. He is described as the best of all horses, and has sometimes been ridden to Hell and back. The Prose Edda contains extended information regarding the circumstances of Sleipnir's birth, and details that he is silver-grey in color."

An eight cylinder car, that is silver-grey in colour, and is used to ride to Hell (with flames and all). Hmmm. Sounds interesting.

Besides...it has eight letters. Which would look perfectly symmetrical etched onto a tailgate.

[Basharatu]

This is coming out really good, very unique just like Phantom. I do recall the old discussion thread you had started on building a low ride FJ40. FQ is even better, the lines of the cabin goes back the styling of 20's when. I love it, and current ride height is not too bad comparing to the actual height of FQs. Thread added to my browsing in coffee break!

This cab could be mid 50s model, this was time when Pakistan was the only country on UN forum which took the stance to remove sanctions from Japan and it started trade as close ally.

Isnt it very high from the ground level ? As being a Rat rod, it should be lowered to the ground, right ?

Some ongoing brainstorming by the Denter Ustaad, while he sips a cup of tea. It looks like he's thinking: "yaar, aey kis kharafaat wich apney aap noon phassa lya aey mein?"

Front view of the beastie.

Gotta love me some IFS, and some thick, meaty rubber.

Yep. A V8, in what is an early sixties truck. Let's see how quick it'll go.

[QUOTE=fouadhafeez;4241115]

Another shot of the rear, which gives an idea about how the car is going to look from the back.

[fouadhafeez]

This is coming out really good, very unique just like Phantom. I do recall the old discussion thread you had started on building a low ride FJ40. FQ is even better, the lines of the cabin goes back the styling of 20's when. I love it, and current ride height is not too bad comparing to the actual height of FQs. Thread added to my browsing in coffee break!

This cab could be mid 50s model, this was time when Pakistan was the only country on UN forum which took the stance to remove sanctions from Japan and it started trade as close ally.

You may very well be right, Bash. I've been doing a bit of research on this vehicle (and while there isn't a great amount of info out there), and I'm inclined to think this is a 1956-1957 model, from some pictures of FQ15s I've seen..

Thanks for the kind words, mate. I'm quite glad with how things are coming along...although there aren't any templates to follow with this car, so it's pretty much a total exercise in creativity. Which, of course, can go horribly wrong!

I agree, with ref to FQ>FJ. The cabin is larger, more imposing, and wider, which should make it look naturally slammed when we get around to dropping it a bit. The front grille is also far more impressive and "hotrod-like", which suits the look just fine. Lastly, one thing that I love about this build is it's anonymity. This is such an uncommon sight to see, that you can get away with pretty much anything...and it would still look artful.

[Basharatu]

Totally agree on anonymity, I haven't seen a single FQ going through this, building the rear bed to match the 30s era styling would going to be big task!

You may very well be right, Bash. I've been doing a bit of research on this vehicle (and while there isn't a great amount of info out there), and I'm inclined to think this is a 1956-1957 model, from some pictures of FQ15s I've seen..

Thanks for the kind words, mate. I'm quite glad with how things are coming along...although there aren't any templates to follow with this car, so it's pretty much a total exercise in creativity. Which, of course, can go horribly wrong!

I agree, with ref to FQ>FJ. The cabin is larger, more imposing, and wider, which should make it look naturally slammed when we get around to dropping it a bit. The front grille is also far more impressive and "hotrod-like", which suits the look just fine. Lastly, one thing that I love about this build is it's anonymity. This is such an uncommon sight to see, that you can get away with pretty much anything...and it would still look artful.

[fouadhafeez]

The "tiny" V8...looking nice and comfortable between the grille and the firewall.

A shot of the grille; when positioned ahead of the shock towers. This is roughly about the height and position we will actually be aiming for.

I love these wheels. Deep-dish, five-spoke alloys (which we're going to eventually paint black and gold), with nice shiny chrome lugs and centre cap. 33 inch Cooper rubbers to go.

Front tire...after fitting in the custom-made front wheel spacers (1" wide).

Modified engine mounts, to keep that big V8 bolted on nice and firm.

Tire stance at the rear...after fitting on spacers (2.5" wide)

Nice and wide at the rear. Sufficiently so, to take the tracks outside of the massive FQ cabin.

Just another excuse to admire the work done on the IFS up front.

[fouadhafeez]

Totally agree on anonymity, I haven't seen a single FQ going through this, building the rear bed to match the 30s era styling would going to be big task!

Actually, Bash...I'm not going to build a complicated bed, at all. It's going to be a simple, flat frame made out of angled-iron...on which I'm going to bolt down some beautifully-varnished blonde-wood planks. The sides of this flat-bed, would be simple chromed pipes. On the bed will be nothing other than the cylindrical petrol tank (in chrome), the spare wheel, and a vintage toolbox (also chromed). We will have a tailgate though...a custom designed one, which will have the name of the car embossed on it.

[fouadhafeez]

Door Art

All hot rods MUST feature some sort of logo / emblem on the doors. It's almost a requirement for a rod to proudly proclaim itself. How about this...done up in beautiful bright silver, and black shading airbrushed on?

[fouadhafeez]

[U]A Hood Ornament

[/U]This is a reproduction of an ancient "rune stone" of the mythical Sleipnir. I bet it'd look nice, adorning the radiator cap atop the grille.

[farazarif]

The hood ornament is very interesting, how would you have have it made? It would need to be sculpted I think...

[fouadhafeez]

The hood ornament is very interesting, how would you have have it made? It would need to be sculpted I think...

Faraz...we'd probably have to get a mould made for it, and have it die-cast. Buffed, to remove any blemishes and imperfections, and finally screwed onto the radiator cap and chrome-plated. I'm looking into options to get it done, as we speak.

[usama37]

i finally had a chance to go through this amazing thread. its wonderful to see dreams turn into realities!

[fouadhafeez]

i finally had a chance to go through this amazing thread. its wonderful to see dreams turn into realities!

Thank you for the kind words, brother. As you're someone who owns an iconic car of his own, this is high praise indeed. This project had been in the planning and conceptualisation phase for a VERY long time, indeed. Almost from the time when I was starting to build the Phantom. Over this time, some ideas and thoughts and techniques I'd wanted to try out, had crystallised and become a little more do-able. Whether or not they actually turn out to become reality in Sleipnir, as well as they did in building Phantom, still remains to be seen.

Regardless...I plan on having a lot of fun attempting it!