Hood repaint

[lostmarbles]

Originally Posted by bsmith123

Cutting out the holes was a great idea they look like they belong there! Looks Good, Love the color

Great Photos

How do you like the diesel?

I am thinking of one in the future but After all the work on my FJ it will be a while before I could give her up and start over

Thanks.

I could never part with my cruiser. It holds too many memories and too much work has gone into it.

Besides, I've looked after it for so long now. Heck. I just drained the coolant yesterday and the stuff I drained looked as good as the new stuff I was replacing it with. In fact, I can't remember ever seeing even the slightest sign of any corrosion in any of the coolant passageways. How many other 30 year-old vehicles would be in that sort of condition?

The B diesel is a bit low on power but I'm happy enough with it.

Perhaps all that metal I'm shedding by "laddering" things will improve its power-to-weight ratio.

Actually, - the only time I notice the lack of power is when I'm towing. So, coupled with it's condition (very good) - I wouldn't swap the engine for any other - whether petrol or diesel.

[dreko]

Good work Tom,
keep up the posts

I agree with Joe (Brooklyn) that this is the right approach for me. When my diesel rig gets here, I'm going to be referencing this thread for motivation.

Very nice work and documentation

[mikealeus]

Tom,

Thanks for all the photos!

[M5driver]

Super work, Tom Always enjoy your posts. I always learn something from you, and get some really great ideas to steal

I really like the stainless lips on the hook catches. Pity I don't have the materials or gear to do something like that here.

And, like you, I can't imagine ever letting the 40 go. It's been such a great truck.

[Ziffdaddy]

awesome stuff! I'm getting ready to replace my passenger side fender/apron due to a small accident. Keep it up! Thanks for the posts.

-Steve

[Finally Mine]

Tom awesome job, what did you use to seal the apron panels to the fender? It looks like a white caulk of some sort.

[lostmarbles]

Thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by Finally Mine

.....what did you use to seal the apron panels to the fender? It looks like a white caulk of some sort....

I had already taken a photo of the mastik I used (which was supposed to go in the earlier posts) but I must have dumped it by mistake. So I just went out and took another couple of photos now. (If you're like me - you prefer to believe photos than words.)

It is "Soudal Carbond 940FC"

Here's the tube ---- The black tape on the end is to try and stop the remainder of the contents from "going off" (because I want to use it on the "steps" when I get around to refitting them - which could still be a number of months away).



And here's a close-up of the barcode showing the colour. It sure looks white against the blue paint - but it is actually "grey". (A colour that I think Americans spell as "gray".)



I put a thick layer of this mastik on the "apron-panel" before bolting it down. Then I scooped off most of the surplus that "squelched out" using the blade of a rather-blunt penknife, before cleaning it up with lint-free rag (old singlet actually). In the end, I dampened the rag in "mineral turpentine" which takes off the surplus mastic cleanly without taking off any of my fresh blue paint.

[jabxyz]

Tom,
Great job. I really need to learn to weld as I don't plan on giving this rig up ever and I'm coming to realize more and more that welding is an essential skill to the care and feeding of a cruiser long term. I take it that you have your own compressor too in order to spray down that great paint job.
John

[lostmarbles]

Originally Posted by jabxyz

Tom,
Great job. I really need to learn to weld as I don't plan on giving this rig up ever and I'm coming to realize more and more that welding is an essential skill to the care and feeding of a cruiser long term. I take it that you have your own compressor too in order to spray down that great paint job.
John

The paint job is far from "professional - standard" (even though it looks OK in the photos). - My key aim is "rust prevention".

Yeah. I do have my own air compressor that I bought secondhand. It was designed for use with a nailgun. But at 12.5cfm - it's fine for spraypainting and all the other things I do with it. And it's built-to-last.

As far as welding goes. I still prefer my old "stick welder" to my little mig welder. I've haven't yet got the "mig" to work properly with "bare-wire and gas". And the little bottles of gas are so damned expensive. So I just use the MIG with "flux-cored wire" (instead of gas) these days.

I can do reasonable looking welds using the stick-welder - provided I'm using it on reasonably thick metal (like the chassis) and provided I'm not welding "overhead". But I'm yet to do nice-looking beads on thin metal with either type of welder. The stop/start method I use to prevent burn-thu (not always successful at preventing burn-thru either ) seems to turn my welds into bird-sh#t.

My electric welders are second-hand too. In fact I seldom buy new stuff.

Oh - I can do neat welds on thin sheetmetal using oxy-acetylene. -- But that method is generally out-of-the-question on body panels because of the distortion the flame would cause to the panels. (OK for exhaust tubing though.)

[jackbrad]

Thanks for writing this up I really enjoyed reading it.