Merrill's 4G64 DOHC.

[Merrill]

Thanks for the compliments.
I'm not really chasing kudos on this, but it's cool to read. I just like to car talk is all. Lately it's been like talking to myself lol.

I do love my truck, but I just don't see it as ready as I'd like it to be. It looks fine in pics, and in person, but I just have a mental image of it and it currently doesn't match lol.

I'm very familiar with the Lotus seats. I had to install a pair into my client's 4 rotor RX-7 recently because there is very little space inside. They wouldn't fir too well inside the truck with the roll bar in because they have a serious amount of lay-back. My knees would be touching the dash lol. I'd definitely rock them otherwise.

Hopefully by next year I'll reach my goals with the truck. I'm just beyond pressed for time right now with other builds. It's getting into SEMA crunch time.

[steen3rddensity]

gets meaner every time i check the thread. digging the new colors for the interior too.

[tink]

Nothing wrong with talking to yourself so long as it's not at the doc's office

I know what you mean about that mental image of what it should look like... will look like. I do the same dang thing here with so many things, from the house to the garden to the truck & car. I've found after a while it gets easier just taking your time with improvements since you can look at things however you want! Besides that gives you time to think what about if I do this... or that & end up better in the long run.

[Merrill]

lol true story. I've just been writing a lot of blogs and making a lot of vids lately. There's been a ton of talking to myself hahaha.

I'm been considering a radical new direction with the truck for a while now. It's just a matter of pulling the trigger and making it happen is all.

[Redneckmoparman]

First thing i do every time i come to this forum is come check the progress on your truck lol. Always love seeing the amazing things you do to solve problems that come up. I think most here feel that too many questions will distract you and make it harder to follow the progress lol.

[Merrill]

The more questions - the merry.

Think of it this way, if I don't explain something enough, and someone is either not a member, or too shy to speak up, or whatever the case - you would be helping them by posting up a question. It might be the same for lots of readers.

Distractions are few and far between for me. The only thing that really derails progress on a build thread is running off topic.

So the cool news, I think I may have an open window to get my swap finished and installed soon. I'll keep it updated as I go!

[Merrill]

This year I decided to dress up the front a bit and have a little fun. I' had some left over steel tubing from a previous build, so I decided to update the front a bit. The 93+ front bumper is my favorite out of all the MM front ends, but the brackets I built years ago didn't really do anything except hold the bumper up where it needed to be. It offered no safety at all, but then again, it's not like the factory ones are much better haha.

I decided to build up a nice little combo piece that would offer up better protection in the unfortunate event of a collision, and hold the bumper on the truck. This could have been anything to be hidden behind the bumper, but I really wanted something to show off. I decided to go with dual purpose a Bash Bar design.

Bash bars are very simple in their own design. All one really needs is a few tubes and a mounting location to make one. In this instance, I wanted the Bash Bar to be tucked away and completely hidden under the bumper cover. I would like it to not be seen unless I take the cover off. This required a bit of clever fab work to make the Bash Bar take the shape of the bumper itself.

How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (3).jpgHow to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (4).jpgHow to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (7).jpg

While I was putting it together, I figured I might as well have something more than "just some tubes" to show off once the cover was removed. Since the Bash Bar is designed to take the general shape of the bumper, I decided to make it look somewhat like a bumper when the bumper cover is removed. This also gives the viewer something to stare at while the bumper cover is removed.

How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (2).jpg

I believe in practicality (for the most part haha). The idea of having a handful of tools to pull the bumper cover off sounds a little impractical to me. I really don't know when I'll really "need" to pull the cover off in only a few seconds, but the ability to do it is appealing, and makes sense. Nothing really says "race car" like actual race car parts. Dzus fasteners can be found all over the racing scene. They can even be found holding most cars together. The genius of a Dzus fastener is that they only require a flat shaped object (screw driver, a coin, or a key) to give it a quater of a turn to pop it out. They sit flush with the panel they are mounted to, and they hold up well. I decided to use 4 of them to mount the bumper cover to the Bash Bar itself. The result is nice and clean, and the cover can be off in only a few seconds.

How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (5).jpgHow to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (6).jpg

Here are some of my favorite shots of everything all put together.

How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (8).jpgHow to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (9).jpg
How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (10).jpgHow to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (11).jpg

Finally, I found a deal I like on a set of wheels. There was really nothing wrong with my 17" Enkei's, but I plan to get stupid on my brakes again and jump up from the 12" rotors up front to a set of 14" rotors. This will require bigger wheels. In addition to that, I really wanted something a little less "hover craft" on the truck. I wanted a decent lip on the wheels to fill the gap a bit. The result s a set of 18" XXR wheels. They're cheap, but they'll do for now. Once I get more build time, I'll definitely switch up a higher quality wheel.

How to build a Bash Bar Mitsubishi Mighty Max Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (1).jpg

That's all I really have for now. I do have a few other pieces to build for the truck which I will post up at some point. Hopefully it wont take as long to update as this time.

[geezer101]

My hat off to you Merrill, that is some very clever and well executed fab work on your bash bar. No wonder it has been a while since your last update. Now you're gonna have to detail the sub frame behind the front bar lol. It looks naked back there. What about the front indicator housings? Are there any legal issues with not having those connected while driving?

[meandmit]

Love to see some ideas for the rear, I need to do something there.

[Merrill]

My hat off to you Merrill, that is some very clever and well executed fab work on your bash bar. No wonder it has been a while since your last update. Now you're gonna have to detail the sub frame behind the front bar lol. It looks naked back there. What about the front indicator housings? Are there any legal issues with not having those connected while driving?

Thanks! It's looking like I'll just barely have the time to build my intercooler and oil cooler setup which will fill that space in nicely. I just started on it tonight. Im converting the corner lights to dual filament bulbs for the indicators and running lamps. The front lenses will go clear to serve as fog lights while the bumper cover is attached. Technically it is illegal here not having them, but I have yet to receive a citation for it.

Love to see some ideas for the rear, I need to do something there.

I have something pretty wicked planned out for the rear. I have to buy my sheet metal brake before I can make it happen though. It looks cool in my mind so far haha.

[crvtec90]

That bumper is serious stuff man

Are the stars press cut using a dye? Id like to see the mitsu diamond logo like that.

[Merrill]

The stars are dimple die panels which are CNC laser cut. I get the panels from one of my sponsors called IHeartGussets.

[Merrill]

This is where it gets really cool, but really sad.

I managed to find the time to build my intercooler and il cooler setup. It was so awesome to see it come together so quickly after getting it all drafted up and calculated for the truck. It was so perfect.

The day after I finished the oil cooler bracket/latch support, I was involved in a collision. The part that sucks is the other driver was at fault, but said she doesn't have insurance, and none was provided on the report. It has turned into an investigation, and it's looking like the truck is a gonner. I'll keep it updated as I know more.

Here are the pics of the intercooler and oil cooler systems.

How To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (1).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (2).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (3).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (5).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (6).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (8).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (10).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (13).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (14).jpgHow To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (16).jpg

This is the last pic of everything assembled. All I was waiting on was my oil cooler relocation pieces to arrive so I can finish mock-up and get the assembly pressure tested and coated. It was taken the day before the collision.

How To Build An Intercooler Merrill Performance The Fabricator Series (17).jpg

I always try to look at the bright side of everything. It sure beats sulking in misery for ever. The bright side is I was able to collect data to further back up the design behind my products. The bash bar did exactly what it was supposed to do which is bend ONLY the mounting brackets. That means the brackets themselves, about $5 worth of steel, can be rebuilt and reinstalled to the Bash Bar without the bash bar needing to be completely rebuilt.

The best news about all the data collected from this collision is calculating the damage based on a rather "unrealistic" circumstance. Bash Bars are primarily used in racing where there is contact to another vehicle or wall - not necessarily a collision. I T-boned the car that I was involved in the collision with. After running the math on it, I exceeded the average contact load on a bash bar and the intended damage remains the same. That is fantastic news regarding design and engineering principals.

The second bright side I see here is the intercooler is undamaged due to the design of the front end. Most of this is due to the design of the Mighty Max core support and how it impacts, but the intercooler was mounted to the sheet metal of the core support just like the radiator. The sheet metal is easily deformed which means the intercooler was simply pushed back. The oil cooler itself is destroyed, but oh well. A new Setrab Oil Cooler is about $150 or so.

Here are some shots of the accident itself

IMG_20160104_115512.jpgIMG_20160104_115617.jpgIMG_20160104_115649.jpgIMG_20160104_115708.jpg

While you might be looking at the pics and thinking something like: "Well, that doesn't look so bad."
You're right. It doesn't look that bad, but unfortunately lurking beneath the twisted metal is the real damage. I hit a Cadillac at the left rear door (mostly), but the C-Pillar of the car is what caused the whole right side of my truck to get pushed rearward about 4-5 inches at the top front corner where the corner light is. The whole right side of the Mighty Max structure is crushed. My door doesn't even open and close correctly anymore.

While it may be repaired, and it is not out of my ability to do, I'll lose entirely too much money and time in the end to only end up with a salvage titled vehicle. I have to assume that's all I will end up with since the other driver is not insured. Of course, I'm still waiting on the answer from the insurance company.

I'll keep everyone up to date on the details as I get them!

[Fordubishi]

Well that sucks big time. I know the feeling as I hit a Jeep and screwed up my cab pretty bad(He was charged for causing it). Stripped all the parts off then was lucky enough to find a rust free cab to rebuild the truck. Now granted I did strip the truck to the frame and went overboard with the rebuild. I don't know how your insurance works but I settled for 7/8th the write off value and the truck didn't get a salvage or write off title.So another bright side you can (maybe) change some of the things you didn't like about the first build

[Merrill]

Well that sucks big time. I know the feeling as I hit a Jeep and screwed up my cab pretty bad(He was charged for causing it). Stripped all the parts off then was lucky enough to find a rust free cab to rebuild the truck. Now granted I did strip the truck to the frame and went overboard with the rebuild. I don't know how your insurance works but I settled for 7/8th the write off value and the truck didn't get a salvage or write off title.So another bright side you can (maybe) change some of the things you didn't like about the first build

I'm covered, but they don't cover my truck because I didn't have collision coverage. If I do another build on a MM, I will probably go way overboard as well lol. We'll see what happens. It all depends on which one makes me lose the least amount of money. I still need a truck to run my business,and every day I don't have one, I lose more and more. My entire build schedule with my clients and everything else has been delayed big time. I likely can't afford to down the truck for a long period of time to repair it or build another one.

[camoit]

That's not so bad. Just buy it back from the insurance company if they total it. Then rebuild it. But do it nice. Then get it appraised and get an agreed value policy. Yes it will cost you but then it's covered. I could only get my value up to 150,000 on the truck.

[geezer101]

That is terrible news Merrill. At least you had the foresight to drive with 3rd party insurance - even more so was the fact that you had designed and installed the bash bar when you did. Insurance is scammy at the best of times and they probably would've rejected your claim for anything that wasn't stock on your MM. Hopefully you'll find a suitable truck to work with. You have poured so much into your MM and it's a shame that it looks like this now...

[Hiteshotrodshop]

Just curious to what would be a better build for my mm? 4g63 or 4g64. Would like a high review motor and turbo.

[geezer101]

Just curious to what would be a better build for my mm? 4g63 or 4g64. Would like a high review motor and turbo.

I'm guessing you got an auto correct and it ambushed your post - you mean a high revving motor? Might be a better question on another thread - more than likely there is already an existing one here. Me personally? The 4G63 6 bolt twin cam turbo engine. More support in regards to info and aftermarket parts. I read somewhere the 6 bolt bottom ends are beefier and these engines can make big numbers when tuned.

[Merrill]

Just curious to what would be a better build for my mm? 4g63 or 4g64. Would like a high review motor and turbo.

That all depends on how you build it. Technically, neither is really better than the other. I used a 4G64 block with Evo components, while others will use a full DSM 4g63. Some build 4G64 6 bolt blocks with DOHC heads.... It's really up to you and your abilities. I've built and seen dozensof hybrid combinations hit record breaking numbers in dozens of variants. It's all up to how you build it.

The biggest hurdle you will have to conquer is the transmission. You have to find the right trans for the block you use, and there are a few other little snags here and there depending on the hybrid/variant build you chose. In my case, I had to make a half a dozen adjustments to the front accessories of my block to mate up all the Evo accessories to the block. I also had to modify and change brackets and coolant tubes just to make it RWD compatible.

[thefreack]

Not to hijack. My build has a full dsm drop in if you want to see that. But just like Merrill said there are a lot of different options for these trucks. Some more work than others. So plan ahead and start building. Have a goal in mind first or you will spend a lot of money on things you might not need. Once again did not mean to hijack your thread.

[Merrill]

You didn't hijack... it's all good.

[crvtec90]

So your truck is going bye bye and I see youre selling off parts.......but are u gonna get another max and finish where u left off?

[Merrill]

So your truck is going bye bye and I see youre selling off parts.......but are u gonna get another max and finish where u left off?

Not sure yet. All depends on what I find and what I feel like buying.

[geezer101]

I know that this whole sorry story is still pretty green but will you be entitled to financial compensation from the negligent party involved? We had a vehicle accident case a few years ago where the owner of a BMW claimed added damages for 'emotional loss' due to his personal investment in his car. He actually won further compensation. Laws here have changed in regards to vehicle collisions. Insurance companies were able to weasel out of paying full entitlements by claiming that by driving on the roads you were automatically partly responsible for any loss or damages, cutting out a percentage of payment (I got burnt by this when my Lancer fastback got hosed - I lost 10% of my entitlement ). They got away with this for a long time until the courts clamped down on them.