M1010 expo build. The Mountain Turtle

stevo-mt

Member
Well after 4000 some miles of fun and bebopping up to Alaska we finally made it the other day to start another summer in the land of the midnight sun. We left Colstrip, MT with the Mountain Turtle and my girlfriend driving my friend Travis's toyota 4runner. Travis was going to fly into Kalispell and meet us there. We camped out along the way outside of White Sulfpher Springs, MT on the first night after taking a dip in the hot springs there. The next day we drove up to Kalispell and met Travis at the airport. After that the three of us headed up north!
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Kmehr

Adventurer
I love it man. very jealous of your adventures, makes me want even more to get my truck on the road! I really like your graphics too!
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Stevo it looks like the 2 of you are having tons of fun. Good to see the winch installed. Always good to be able to pull yourself backwards out of a tough spot. The mountain turtle pic on the side looks cool and lets everyone know who you are. Lots of nice scenery in your pics. Awesome and thanks for posting!:) Cheers, Chilli..:wings:
 

stevo-mt

Member
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Found a Zodiac before I left for King Salmon!

It fits right in the back compartment on the rear door. A fifteen horse outboard really scoots! Should be a fun addition to the Mountain Turtle.

The other fun toy to pack is the packrafts. They roll up the size of a 2 person tent. DSCN6722.JPG
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I ran into these guys out towards Togiak!

Lots more fun and adventure on the horizon!
 

crockett028

New member
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Thank you for giving m1010 owners everywhere the best build and feedback on the internet. Who knows how many m1010 owners out there have read this and gathered inspiration. I know I have. Your build was one of the driving forces for me to fly down to Arizona and buy this beauty. Then drive it 2100 miles back home to florida. I wish my budget was as big as my imagination. Thank you so much for all the great project photos and descriptions.
 

stevo-mt

Member
It's great to hear that others are building off this platform. They aren't as super comfy as some other options that's fit sure. The rear height is a bit tough for taller folks. I'm working in Bristol bay again this summer and happen to be in a village where several of the set net fisherman/women use 1980's gmc/Chevy s on the beach exclusively. This is probably one of the toughest environments with the salt water and sand. There are at least 8 cucv military trucks and a dozen more civvy versions. It makes me feel reassured that the old Chevy platform is bulletproof.

As far as doing a build on a budget I'm pretty convinced that it is possible. Huge tires and lifts drain pockets quick. It's free to cut fender wells and medium tires aren't too expensive. There are some costs that are unavoidable but can be mitigated with creativity.

Once I became happy at driving 55-65 mph on highways, I have pretty much just enjoyed the truck for what it is. A slower, reliable, go nearly anywhere rig. That gets decent fuel economy. If you have to be worried about driving more than 55-60 in my opinion your doing it wrong. The only other owertrain change in making is the turbo banks kit. After putting a decent amount of miles the only thing it needs is to breath a little better at altitude.
 

krebsatm02

Observer
Steve, after seeing your M1010 I'm starting to get the itch to build mine again, at least it's seen some use as a tailgating rig for the past 3 years. Anything you would have done differently?
 

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