Build 1977 FJ55 west TN build: family wagon

[Lifelong40Fan]

Had just a little time this morning. Cut out the corner piece. It’s a good fit. I’ll try and weld in this afternoon or tomorrow.

It’s Good Friday!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

It may be difficult with the pieces you have, but a trick you can used to keep the heat up and get a good bead flow is to put a copper backing material behind the seam. This will help prevent burn-through and the weld doesn't stick to the copper backing plate.

Thanks @NikP I'll look for a copper block. That'll be a good heat sink.
Cheers!

 

[PabloCruise]

My skills don't match up with my ideas at this point!

Story of my life!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Had just enough tine this afternoon to get the passenger’s side tacked in and grind some on driver’s side steps. I’m beginning to think that weld thru primer isn’t that great. It really splatters a lot when you first begin and the wire/puddled doesn’t penetrate the surface well at all.

 

[RUSH55]

It’s looking like the new method for using this stuff, is to first clean the mother metal as well as your patch with something like acetone or wax/grease remover before and after the initial sand-down. Spray the primer and let it cure (which could be overnight or longer - info pending). Mock your patch and sand back down to bare metal anywhere you plan on welding. Clean again with your cleaner of choice (brake clean is not recommended) then weld. HTH.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Time to take a break from grinding the floors. The driver’s side is 95% done. I need to move the truck around to get to the passenger’s side.

After watching the butt welding video, I’m anxious to try to fill in the sunroof. So, I gridded the top and estimated the roof front/back and side-to-side contours and made a cardboard mock-up. I spent an hour at the junkyard yesterday measuring roof contours of different vehicles. It looked to me that a mid-90s S10 is the closest, so I got it cut out for $35. We’ll see. Now, time to clean off the roof piece and start working at fitting it.

 

[Ol Yeller]

Time to take a break from grinding the floors. The driver’s side is 95% done. I need to move the truck around to get to the passenger’s side.

After watching the butt welding video, I’m anxious to try to fill in the sunroof. So, I gridded the top and estimated the roof front/back and side-to-side contours and made a cardboard mock-up. I spent an hour at the junkyard yesterday measuring roof contours of different vehicles. It looked to me that a mid-90s S10 is the closest, so I got it cut out for $35. We’ll see. Now, time to clean off the roof piece and start working at fitting it.

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Good luck with the roof repair! Hope it turns out great, looks like your ahead with using that donor piece.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

One of the benefits of being the dad. I’m not the biggest fan of grinding/brushing!

 

[bobm]

Grinding is a part of making everyone a better Welder. Nobody likes it!! Smooth welds makes grinding smooth !!

 

[RUSH55]

Wow! How did you get them to do that? Better stock up on your PPE if you think that’s gonna happen again!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Food is a great motivator to young men!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

It’s tacked in. After lunch, it’s cutting wheel and butt welding. We’ll see. There’s 2 spots that I couldn’t get pushed together when tacking. They’ll make it fun for sure!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

That went okay, I guess. I have a few gaps that I have no idea how to fill. My mig is still inconsistent it seems for spot welding.
Here’s a pic of the piece that came out and some of the bad gaps. I put a backing plate in and that seems to help.

 

[RUSH55]

Magnet clamp and a piece of flat brass

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

The sunroof is gone. That was a lot of work. Lots of small tack welds, grinding, inspection, repeat..... Hopefully it won’t leak water. The roof was very wavy before I started, so that complicated the job. I’m pleased with it. It’s somewhere between a novice and a monkey.

Now on to finish the driver’s side floor. I posted a request for some measurements on the front bench seat bracket and seat belts. If someone could quickly grab those, that’d be helpful bc I need to put extra metal underneath those items.

Onward!
Mike

 

[PabloCruise]

Great job!

And I love your barn-raising idea! Too bad you don't still live in Los Alamos...

What measurements are you seekeing?

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Great job!

And I love your barn-raising idea! Too bad you don't still live in Los Alamos...

What measurements are you seekeing?

1. the distance from the driver's side door jam to the center of the mounting bracket for the front bench seats
2. the distance from the front of the mounting bracket of the front bench seat to the rise in the front floor boards by the gas, brake, and clutch pedals
3. the distances from the door jams (driver's or passenger's) to the seat belts bolts
4. the distance from the rise in the front floor boards to the seat belts bolts?

Basically, I'm wanting to put extra metal underneath the front bench seat brackets and seat belt bolts, but I need to know their approximate location relative to something common to all 55s (the door jams and the rise in the front floor boards).

Thank you!
Mike

 

[PabloCruise]

1. the distance from the driver's side door jam to the center of the mounting bracket for the front bench seats
2. the distance from the front of the mounting bracket of the front bench seat to the rise in the front floor boards by the gas, brake, and clutch pedals
3. the distances from the door jams (driver's or passenger's) to the seat belts bolts
4. the distance from the rise in the front floor boards to the seat belts bolts?

Basically, I'm wanting to put extra metal underneath the front bench seat brackets and seat belt bolts, but I need to know their approximate location relative to something common to all 55s (the door jams and the rise in the front floor boards).

Thank you!
Mike

Let me see how Momma wants to spend Mother's Day, I will try to get some measurements for you!

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Great! And no hurry. Probably can't get to it until Tuesday. Thank you!