i know a guy who makes/sells new gutters for the fixed top roof, if you are interested. He is in Australia though
Builds 1963 FJ45LP SWB Fixed Top "Sweet Simplicity"
- Thread starter middlecalf
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My truck looks like that Inside the gutters. I treated them and did not worry about it. It’s about 1/2 that bad though
KT40
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You could try to make this kit work.
www.coolcruisers.com
Rain Gutter ~ Deluxe Kit ~ Full Set '67 to '84, Pre Fitted
Rain Gutter ~ Deluxe Kit ~ Full Set '67 to '84, Pre Fitted - Click Photo to Enlarge Panels "In the Raw" Pre Cut Sections and Jointed ready to assemble Deluxe Set Saves fitting time Full set, complete Horseshoe & Visor Just connect sections and spot weld ~ Save Time Rivet holes are not...
I had a hole in my top about in the same place. antennae or light wiring was my guess. Welded a plug in and ground it smooth.
Those gutters are repairable. Better than having no top for sure.
The hole in the compound curve part of the top is gonna be tough.
Wonder if you could use your top for a fiberglass mold. For that matter, you could use mine for a mold if you wanted to deal with the shipping and everything. I'm not interested in selling mine, but it will never go back on the truck. I can't fit in it with the top and doors on.
Those gutters are repairable. Better than having no top for sure.
The hole in the compound curve part of the top is gonna be tough.
Wonder if you could use your top for a fiberglass mold. For that matter, you could use mine for a mold if you wanted to deal with the shipping and everything. I'm not interested in selling mine, but it will never go back on the truck. I can't fit in it with the top and doors on.
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middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #605
Gutter build getting there, a lot of cleanup/grinding still. Thought about fiberglass, but I’ll see what I can make of the metal remnant. Have sand bag and shaping mallet in hand. Probably be a 10-footer at best.
good from 10 is good enough!
tahoe40/45
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Did you make that gutter from CCOT parts?
middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #608
Nope, 18-ga steel sheet metal, China freight break press, dewalt and Dremel cutoff wheels and grinding disks, and Lincoln electric mig welder. And some guessing and inventing. Couple of swear words. No injuries or virus infestation, so far. Hard part is next, fitting what’s left of the dome onto the gutter with replacement flange and front corners. Bang bang bang. Ok, maybe this’ll be a 20-ft’r.
CCOT probably would have been easier, and faster.
CCOT probably would have been easier, and faster.
tahoe40/45
SILVER Star
Nice work!
How do you like the HF break/press?, does it have the roll also?
Been thinking of getting one of those.
How do you like the HF break/press?, does it have the roll also?
Been thinking of getting one of those.
middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #610
This is the one I have 36 in. Metal Brake with Stand
It works good with pieces in the teens of inches in length and shorter, 18ga and even 16ga. But the 30 inch 18ga pieces I was bending for the drip rail were tough and a challenge to get sufficient clamping in the middle of the pieces. So I was able to get a start but then “finish” in my vice with a rubber mallet (not metal or hard, it will dent the metal). Maybe the roll one (x2 cost) has better uniform clamping. So this is with new mild steel. The old John Deere steel I bent for the fixes on the cab bent much easier, even some that was heavier - 14ga. Not sure why, the old stuff just had surface rust, but maybe it was less annealed???
One thing I figured out (but towards the end of the build
) was to bend flanges wider than needed (needed is around 0.4” for the outside drip rail) if possible, then trim them to size after bending. That helps with the clamping, not a perfect solution, but better than trying to clamp narrow pieces.
It works good with pieces in the teens of inches in length and shorter, 18ga and even 16ga. But the 30 inch 18ga pieces I was bending for the drip rail were tough and a challenge to get sufficient clamping in the middle of the pieces. So I was able to get a start but then “finish” in my vice with a rubber mallet (not metal or hard, it will dent the metal). Maybe the roll one (x2 cost) has better uniform clamping. So this is with new mild steel. The old John Deere steel I bent for the fixes on the cab bent much easier, even some that was heavier - 14ga. Not sure why, the old stuff just had surface rust, but maybe it was less annealed???
One thing I figured out (but towards the end of the build
) was to bend flanges wider than needed (needed is around 0.4” for the outside drip rail) if possible, then trim them to size after bending. That helps with the clamping, not a perfect solution, but better than trying to clamp narrow pieces.
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middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #611
The curved sections are built pieces, not bent/rolled. That takes a serious bead roller. So a flat piece cut to shape of bend, then two pieces bent to curve for inner/outer lips, tack welded to flat piece. Then lots of grinding, and given the size and access, the Dremel with grinder disks is the tool. Yawn tech over.
middlecalf
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- #612
Filled a few dash holes. Had the volt meter for a while otherwise I’d prefer one with a red needle.
middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #613
Capt Booger Welds
Welding from inside with copper backing on outside, will get the four new straight flange sections in, then good corners, then bad corners, then bad spots on top. That’s the plan. We’ll see, not a lot of great metal left.
Welding from inside with copper backing on outside, will get the four new straight flange sections in, then good corners, then bad corners, then bad spots on top. That’s the plan. We’ll see, not a lot of great metal left.
Michael B
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Keep at it! I have actually seen a few on the forum repair a lot worse.
middlecalf
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- Thread starter
- #615
No pictures but all of the cruisers survived a 6.5 earthquake 75 miles from us at 5:53pm today.
You feel it?
KT40
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Yikes! What else can go wrong?
middlecalf
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- #618
Yeah. I was online with guys all around the country. The guy from California immediately said “you‘re having an earthquake“ from the bouncing zoom screen, lol. We rocked and rolled for 20+ seconds, no damage though (yet) thank goodness.
we just had one here in SLC two weeks ago, along with a few hundred after shocks...
middlecalf
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- #620
Yeah you guys have been rockin‘ a lot lately. I guess it keeps our minds off of viruses. “We don’t need no stinking virus”
