[Radd Cruisers]

Frame off restoes make me all tingly inside, your doing a great job.


I have found installing the shroude this early can get in the way and ususally wait till the end or near.

You look to have a lot of expierence, I suspect you do a lot of pre assembly on the fire wall etc before mounting the body?


Again loooking real good.

Rob

[tucker74]

Damn Matt - you've got that chasis looking nice man. This is the first thread I check out every morning ... keep up the good work!



Tucker

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Radd Cruisers

I have found installing the shroude this early can get in the way and ususally wait till the end or near.

You look to have a lot of expierence, I suspect you do a lot of pre assembly on the fire wall etc before mounting the body?


Rob

I agree on the shroud getting in the way, it has already been off on and 2 x's now. But, it it extremely easy to take on and off and it's one more part that can't get lost, kicked around, damaged, and also forgotten about during fitment of body panels and other misc. engine components.

I guess my theory is bolt it on if you can and worry about it later

I don't think there will be any pre-assembly on the fire-wall before mounting the body........the first time. I haven't got into details yet on what I will be doing, but I will say the body is going on again after it has been sandblasted, re-worked and primed. The body will be on several months and will be coming back off. I will elaborate more on that later as I get closer



Ground up - Thanks for the pic on those metal sheets underneath the fender well. They looked stock, just wasn't quite sure.

Thanks, Matt

[buckroseau]

I think I'm going to track down the Toyota engineer or person who had this lv at one time and sprayed one hell of a tar like undercoating underneath this thing.........and then beat them.

I officially got my ass kicked sandblasting the bottom of the lv tonight. Whoever and whatever put that undercoating on the bottom was some damn tough stuff to get off. Sandblaster would take some, but I had to hammer on some areas with a chisel for about 3 hours to get some of it off.

I left work today at noon because it was really nice outside and they are now forcasting rain for tonight and tomorrow. I thought I would get further, but the bottom is all I could get done today? I talked to the other sandblast guy I was going to hire and he still might come over tomorrow morning if the weather holds out? If that happens both blasters will be running tomorrow. Stuff came off prett good where there was no undercoating, that stuff really slowed me up.

31 - 90lb bags of sand, and 8 hours later.......


shot a light coat of self etching primer, then 2 coats of DP50LF. Going to be grinding back into some areas where sheet metal work needs to be done, but at least it can't rust now and it's clean and easy to work on.

Blasted about and inch around the edge up onto the outside of the body, and then ran the primer up around the outside edge. When I continue blasting I will run it down to the bottom edge, little overlap, but should be good.

Those 2 pieces underneath the rear fenderwell, I will be making new ones.

Matt

[buckroseau]

more

[TJDIV]

man I can't wait to see this thing...


Stephen Radl's twin?

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by TJDIV

Stephen Radl's twin?

I don't get it?

[cruiserbrett]

Radl restored Landpimps FJ45lv, but as far as I know he did not go to the lengths you are going. I really cant wait to see the end result. Glad the truck went to a good home.

check here: www.stephenradlpainting.com

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by cruiserbrett

Radl restored Landpimps FJ45lv, but as far as I know he did not go to the lengths you are going. I really cant wait to see the end result. Glad the truck went to a good home.

check here: www.stephenradlpainting.com

I'll take that as a compliment

There will be some subtle interior changes as well, not huge, but changes. All in the name of, "user friendly". This truck will be driven.

Thanks, Matt

[buckroseau]

My Sandblast guy called me at 6:30 am this morning and asked if I wanted to get going since it wasn't raining. And of course I had to say yes! Had 2 sandblasters running at the same time, took both of us a total of 3 hours to get the entire lv blasted, excepted for the inside and outside of the roof.

I have another person I want to add to my list of people to track down and beat....... the guy who thought he was a body man when he fixed this thing. I don't think I've ever seen this much plastic on a vehicle ever. Almost everything could have been pulled out with a stud gun, I don't know why they didn't do that in the first place? I'm pretty sure this thing has been hit from almost every angle. The worst is the left rear quarter. That entire quarter panel has been replaced, you can see the writing also on the inside of it also. Extremely poor replacement and probably will have to be taken out to straighten out some other things. Right rear door post was tweaked back next to the that quarter and they never fixed that either. It may take me a bit longer than I anticipated to fix all this stuff???? But, it can be fixed.

Even got the wife out AGAIN helping scrape the remaining headliner off and vacumming up silca sand. Excellent helper, when I can get her to come out to the shop

1 light coat of self-etching and 2 coats of DP50LF. If I get time tomorrow I'm going to take a zip wheel and try to grind down the roof inside and out. Try to get that into primer also, we'll see?

Matt

[buckroseau]

more

[buckroseau]

some more

[buckroseau]

even some more

[buckroseau]

more yet

[buckroseau]

1 more

[cruiser_guy]

I feel good now!! You've got much more "cancer" than I do!! Mine's probably covered with bondo too though.

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by cruiser_guy

I feel good now!! You've got much more "cancer" than I do!! Mine's probably covered with bondo too though.

I'm always glad to help

I still don't consider it that bad as far as rust holes are concerned. The floor is basiclly all in tact and there, few areas need some attention. A complete driverside rocker panel will have to be made, but it's straight with a few 90 degree bends in it. Some of the bracing underneath will have to be made, but it's all 90 degree work in the break and shear. That's what my 52" metal break and shear is for, so not to scared about it. What will take some time is fabricating that rear quarter that is bent up and full of rust holes. I will cut the complete panel out and I will replicate a new one, it will take a little time to make that.

I'm just happy that it is all fresh primed steel now, ready to work on.

Matt

[Chef]

Buck, my left rear quarter was smashed too. I spent yesterday and today with a portapower, torch, hammers, dollies, and two quarter panel sections from MudMonster44 (thanks darrell).
Had to straighten all the under skin bracing, the driver's side rear door c pillar, all the bracing behind the cargo area cover panels.
My tail gate was *cashed*...one broken hinge had to be welded back together, and the bottom where the hinges bolt to was soooo bad I just cut those out, made new tapped steel plates, and started over.
Thought I'd be done with the major body work this week, but it was worse than I thought. It's also turning out better than I thought
I'll add pics to my thread next week, camera's still at the shop. Mine will kind of get posted all at once, not like your daily update saga-which I enjoy a lot!

Alan

[cruiser_guy]

How does it look around the rear side windows? I've got some perforation happening there on mine. Was the headliner original? Mine had sponge rubber on the roof too but it doesn't look like the FJ55 at all. In fact it looks more modern! The FJ55 had the rag stuff on the roof.

[Chef]

My headliner foam looked just like that...ick! I think daily heating and cooling cycles in Cali+ that foam as a mositure trap was directly responsible for my top door sill/a pillar rust damage...

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by cruiser_guy

How does it look around the rear side windows? I've got some perforation happening there on mine. Was the headliner original? Mine had sponge rubber on the roof too but it doesn't look like the FJ55 at all. In fact it looks more modern! The FJ55 had the rag stuff on the roof.

I've got some perforation under the cap around the rear side windows, also have some further forward. It's not all the way around, but there will have to be some sheet metal work on the bottom of the cap.

Pillars look good as far as rust, but the left C pillar is tweaked or dented would be more accurate. I have the one pic of a close up of the pillar, you can see about a 8" dent towards the back in it.

Chef, I want pics!!

Matt

[Mikesta]

Love the project.. it encouraged me to get going on mine

I wish I had your floors... just gutted mine... lots of rust in the floors!

http://www.fjtoys.com/project/05_07_05/

Anyone want to make a template?

I am on the total opposite spectrum of the experience level! "GRIN"

[Texican]

This thread rocks, how far are you from Duluth?
Might be up in Sept....
When I was into 65 Mustangs the center on the floors was rarely rotted so the panel replacements were 4 sections, is this a possibility on these , or is the entire thing usually gone?
Butch

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Texican

This thread rocks, how far are you from Duluth?
Might be up in Sept....
Butch

I'm about 5 hours NW of Duluth. Your more than welcome to swing by for a . Maybe by that time I can take you for a ride in the lv

I don't know how long your up in the area for, but if your serious let me know?

Matt

PS, Butch, I contacted a guy down in your area (James) about a used 2F for my brother in law. He lives in Dallas. From what he told me sounds like he needs a good used 2F for his 83 FJ60. Wondering if he ever got a hold of you?

Thanks, Matt

[Texican]

Originally Posted by buckroseau

I'm about 5 hours NW of Duluth. Your more than welcome to swing by for a . Maybe by that time I can take you for a ride in the lv

I don't know how long your up in the area for, but if your serious let me know?

Matt

You know Greg Kemper (shreg)from St Paul?
Been up to see him a couple of times and usually drive up to Duluth and around the North shore for some R&R, love the area in the ealy fall.
Went to your site last nite and looked at the planes, looks like fun.
Butch

[buckroseau]

Originally Posted by Texican

You know Greg Kemper (shreg)from St Paul?

Went to your site last nite and looked at the planes, looks like fun.
Butch

Don't know Greg.

As far as planes, we can do some low level re-con if you want too.......

Matt

[Texican]

One of my customers has a AT 6 he keeps at the local airport, went up with him once, quite a ride, loud MF.....
Butch

[Texican]

Greg travels, sells and services alarm systems and surveillence I need to alert him and maybe he could swing by, great guy, lived down here a year, so we got to know him well, we nicknamed him D A Y, dumb ass yankee.
Butch

[buckroseau]

Kinda nice and sunny out today. Figured I better snap on those OEM hubcaps and get a few pics outside.

Now your going to have to listen to me whine about my body since my chassis is done?

Matt

[buckroseau]

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