1977 Complete Restoration (All The Way)

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Nice work! Keep it up. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

During what looked to be the rear end rebuild, I noticed a couple of pictures showing the carrier was taken out but the 3rd member housing was still bolted to the axle housing. Did you set up the ring/pinion with the 3rd still bolted to the axle housing? If so, in the future, its easier to do it by removing the 3rd.

We'll go back in time. Rear end rebuild. I bought a 100 pound pot blaster. Bad idea.
It takes way too much air and way too much sand. I now have a beach at the entrance to my shop. Seriously, the sand that i have inhaled will probably kill me, if you must go into restorations, buy a blasting cabinet. the larger projects just pay for it. I am still breathing funny.

How did you go about keeping the media out of the bearings and the nooks and crannies of the axle housing, etc? What media type are you using in the babinet? I'l like to see what kind of cabinet you are using. Thanks.
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sub'd

be back to go through in detail with a little more time--seen enough to know I want to go through the whole thing:clap:
 
I put the third member in the axle housing to torque the pinion nut. As for the blasting cabinet, It is a cheapo from Harbor Freight. 33" w x 22" h x 22" d. Using Black aluminum oxide. The axle housing was blasted using #4 sand through a 100 lb. blasting pot. cleaning the grit is a ROYAL "PITA". The cabinet does work pretty well, but if you put 40lbs. of aluminum oxide in it, it won't syphon, so only put 20 lbs. in and shake the cabinet every once in a while to settle the media. It also needs a circulating fan or something, it gets pretty hard to see through the lens with all of the dust. I'm thinking of installing a bathroom fart fan or something like that on it.
 
Nice work! Keep it up. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

During what looked to be the rear end rebuild, I noticed a couple of pictures showing the carrier was taken out but the 3rd member housing was still bolted to the axle housing. Did you set up the ring/pinion with the 3rd still bolted to the axle housing? If so, in the future, its easier to do it by removing the 3rd.



How did you go about keeping the media out of the bearings and the nooks and crannies of the axle housing, etc? What media type are you using in the babinet? I'l like to see what kind of cabinet you are using. Thanks.

Sorry Miker, I should have quoted you before the reply
 
You mentioned the subject of exhaust - are you going stock configuration, or re-routing over the frame and around an auxiliary tank? If you're doing an aux tank, make sure you find another fuel door off a wreck somewhere. This project is waaaaay too serious for any other approach.

You are an inspiration to us all!

I thought about installing an aux tank, but i already have the complete original pipes, and really don't want to reroute the exhaust right now. I guess I will blast or wire wheel the pipe and paint it with high temperature ceramic paint.
 
Fantastic job ! :clap:

Keep going and remember to enjoy those long hours working on it. You will miss it when you are done ...

:cheers:
 
I'll speak for M5driver and DSRTRDR as well as for myself here...."You couldn't have chosen a better colour."

(Completely unbiased opinion of course.) :lol:

anything blue is cool by me :cool:
 
Love all the pics. I'm about to start on my 78.
 
This is just what I needed to see! Subscribed.

One puritanical restoration offsets at least 10 Chebby swaps.
 
I didn't get to the brake lines today. I had a little more painting to do on the tee fittings and it's pretty cold today. I did get the center arm rebuilt and installed.
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There is the expected rust on the floor pans, and a nasty spot at the transmission hump on the driver's side. Otherwise, the floor is in good shape.

What's your plan for the body? How much rust in the rear quarters and sill?

Nice work so far. I like the shiny hardware bling offsetting the black.
 
Worked a little more on the brake lines. It was a nice day, so I removed and started painting the calipers. there was quite a bit of surface rust already. I put the silver base coat for the rust preventative. Tomorrow the calipers will be blue. I did get the steering stabilizer installed though.
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Worked a little more on the brake lines. It was a nice day, so I removed and started painting the calipers. there was quite a bit of surface rust already. I put the silver base coat for the rust preventative. Tomorrow the calipers will be blue. I did get the steering stabilizer installed though.

This is absolutely ridiculous!!!! This rig is TOO nice to DRIVE:steer: but man to I envy your skills......great work...keep the pics coming!:popcorn::beer:
 
The calipers still need another coat of paint before I install them. I did get the drag links and tie rod ends installed and finished installing the brake front brake lines. Still waiting on steering box rebuild parts from Japan, so couldn't install the steering box.
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Thanks for taking pics of everything, there have been times when I scratched my *** trying to figure out how stuff goes. You gotta love it when the PO takes it all apart and and puts it all in a big box with nothing marked :bang:
 
Thanks for taking pics of everything, there have been times when I scratched my *** trying to figure out how stuff goes. You gotta love it when the PO takes it all apart and and puts it all in a big box with nothing marked :bang:

Still the best projects to buy, there taken appart so you can see what is wrong and most of the time come with a lot of new parts which normaly cost more then you pay for it.:hhmm::hillbilly:
 

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