Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

My very first vehicle was a 1980 chevy luv 4X4. Bright yellow with the huge graphics that let everyone know it was a 4X4. Just like this one

http://www.luvtruck.com/Gallery/John...%20luv%201.jpg

At 14 and I thought it was the greatest thing ever.:mrgreen: Always day dreamed of the things I wanted to do to it.


25 years later I inherited my dad's 79 luv. Since mine was long gone this was my chance to build the truck I dreamt of when I was a kid. This is how it sits now.



https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...badef13f06.jpg

I still have a lot of work to do to it. A motor sway is in the long term plans. The stock motor runs ok. It does sounds like it is about to blow every piston out of the oil pan and uses oil by the gallon not the quart.



I really wanted to build a r/c version of it. I had a tf2 when they first cam out and liked it but sold it. 6 months later I picked up the luv. :roll:


Today I broke down and picked up another TF2. I have been working on a 3d printed body of the luv for some time now and am at the point where I need the chassis to make sure everything is going to fit.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ec6de9a0b7.jpg

I need to lower the body about 1/2 inch to get the proper stance. Tire are going to stay the same but stretched over 1.7 wheels instead. I really am thinking on trying to design a ifs for it like the real truck. I don’t plan on doing a solid front axle swap on mine. At least not yet.

I’m excited to say the least.

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

That is gonna be sweet! Once you get it lower, the 1.7's will look awesome.

The new RC4WD Milestar Patagonia A/T 1.7" tires would be perfectly scale for the size of your Luv.
https://www.rc4wd.com/ProductImages/Z-T/Z-T0181-7.jpg
https://www.rc4wd.com/ProductImages/Z-T/Z-T0181-6.jpg

Just my opinion.

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Those are cool. I actually looked at putting those on my truck. One of the few brands that makes the odd size 27x8.50x14. Went with the general grabber at2 instead. If I stay true scale of the 1:8.24 based on the wheel base those tires are perfect at the 85mm. The kit mud thrashers are close to 30x9.50 tires but with a 12” wheel.

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Following along. Excited to see how the Luv turns out!

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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

This is gonna be great. Really great. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Always loved the body lines of those old Luv trucks! Buddy's dad had 2wd baby blue long bed 5speed that we used to flog! 58Wills nailed it with those tires, looking forward to this, body is off to nice print start! :)

Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Well I have the wheels and tires on order. Should be here beginning of next week.

The lwb chassis arrived and I installed it. Unfortunately the body isn’t lining up as well as I thought it would. The specs on the lwb tf2 is supposed to be 314mm so that’s were I scaled the body to.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e0897f29c5.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bfe9a13d4d.jpg

The rear section is still printing. I did remove the springs out of the shocks and only using the two larger leafs. The chassis is squatting a lot. The front shocks are almost bottomed out. That’s without the motor and tranny installed so I guess the springs are going back in. At least in the front.

I also ordered the reverse mount front spring mounts along with the rear spring mounts. That I’m hoping will fix a bit of the wheelbase issue. With it squatting so low the wheelbase is longer. With the reverse fronts it might shorten a bit. The rear springs are already jamming so that’s why those are ordered.

This is will be more of a shelf rig so overall performance isn’t a real high priority but I still want it to crawl with out major issues.

A shot next to my scx10ii. The scale of the luv is based off of it. So they look proportional sitting next to each other.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b1c7125604.jpg







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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8a82680d97.jpg

Bed is finished. Wheelbase is off by about 10 mm or so. If I lift the truck back up it does line up better. So kinda debating options. Be easy to add 10 to the bed and reprint. Just takes 30 hours. Lol.


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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Wow, this is amazing! I am totally blown away. I own a 79' LUV 4x4 and my goal with one of my Tf2's was to do the same, replicate my LUV. So stoked to see you actually doing it, man looks sweet. I'll attach a pic of my truck.

https://scontent-den4-1.cdninstagram...ninstagram.com

Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Your truck looks great. My 80 looked just like that except I had the chrome roll bar in the back. Hard to find the 4x4 luvs anymore. The 2wd are common but they normally have a big v8 in them. Lol. Where in Colorado are you. Would not have expected a luv to survive there. Mine barely survived Nebraska winters

This is going to be slightly slow build unfortunately. Even though I want to drive it with my full size sometime this summer I just have to buy a few parts with each paycheck for now.


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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

I love Luvs as well! From the moment I first saw one as a kid I've been in love with those trucks. There's an older guy not too far from me that drivers a mint Luv.

Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Figured I would let it be known. The body isn’t my design. I am changing some things and I scaled it up. It came from scale 3d Rc. https://www.scale3drc.com/?fbclid=Iw...zjjbzjlDCWiIyE

I was trying to 3d scan my actual truck with little success. Then I found their site. It’s not a perfect model of the luv but very close. It does print very well.



So build a Luv
Not a Jeep.



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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

The pics take this build to an entire new level. The body is looking fantastic. I can’t wait to see more.


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Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

I am not the beat at 3d design yet. So far this is what I’ve come up with for the radiator support

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1e56c5e98b.jpg


Compared to this

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...cf5815ff45.jpg

There is just some detail I can’t print and will have to add later.

I’m glad everyone is enjoying this build so far. I was worried that the pic was a long forgotten truck. Lol.


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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

What material do you print with? I haven't gotten a 3d printed body because I worry about warping. This one looks great though!


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Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Right now it is normal pla material. It will warp if left in a hot car. Once I get all the mounting and changes made I am going to reprint everything in pet-g material. Which is stronger And more flexible. Heat doesn’t effect it as much. A being left in a hot car isn’t an issue. I want to try abs but there are a lot of issues with printing it. Pet-g has all the same properties as abs more or less with the same easy to print as pla.


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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Agreed and sweet LuvTruck! "thumbsup"

Looking good so far! "thumbsup" Keep it coming, Luv's got great lines.

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Wheels and tires arrived and mounted. At least just one side[emoji849]. Much shorter then the stock ones but they look soo amazing.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...131c47351a.jpg

Just need some scale lugnuts and some hubs. There is soo much little details on the tires. It shows the how many of each type of plys there are. At least the real one not the scale ones. Only thing they are missing is the little DOT number. Lol.

With the new front and rear mounts the wheelbase did shorten up a bit. Still sits a little high in the front. Once I get the motor and tranny in there it should level out a bit.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d88677d0e2.jpg

Not sure if I like how much the front hangers extend pass the frame though. Could be a major hang up spot
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4f1ef0666e.jpg

Now it’s time to start really figuring out mounts and reprint the body.


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Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Please sell this body!

Re: Chevy Luv. My baby truck
 

Wow! This is coming along well. I LUV the body work that you printed so far.

If you drill new holes in those front mounts and cut off the excess, that could lower the front, down where you want it.