Builds 3 days and 3300 miles later

[buckroseau]

About 2.5 hours on the lpb tonight.

Spent a little time removing the front seats again so I could work on the mounting on the stereo. Didn't get that done, but got some good thoughts and want to think about it for a bit.

Mounted up the rear tailgate. The lower hinges lined up really good, not to much massaging to get those to fit. Also bolted up the chains, just to make sure if the tailgate came down it didn't hyper extended it. The openings where the catch comes through for the latch is going to need a little love'n there. I think I might have to use the die-grinder and open that up a bit, but shouldn't be to hard.

Bolted up the rear taillights and rear marker lights, via cruiserdan Love those new OEM parts

Plan is to keep bolting up parts and get that tailgate to fit.

Matt

 

[buckroseau]

last 2

 

[MDH33]

Only a week left until Cruise Moab Matt! Are you going to have it ready?

 

[buckroseau]

About 3 hours on the lpb tonight.

Pretty much realized last night that the tailgate was not going to work as it was made. The 2 square holes where the catches go through were a bit off....the more I looked tonight, about 3/8" of an inch off. I had 2 options: I could take the die grinder and grind up that 3/8" and open the hole up. Problem with that I think, it would look like ass and the latch would have nothing to pull against on the bottom since the hole was so big. OR...I could cut and weld the hole back up and re-cut it in the correct place. More work, but would look 100% correct and I know it would work........I chose the the latter.

Pics pretty much say it all...and there's a lot. I had to cut back the material on the inside and fab a new piece for the one side first. Welded that up, ground down and then fabbed and welded the 2nd sheet. I only welded the bottom and the side since I was going to be cutting up....so no reason to weld the top. Lot of pissing around, but after I cut it out and re-welded the brackets back in it was absolutely perfect. I threw the handles in the blast cabinet and cleaned those up. Bolted everything back up and with very little adjusting I got it closing perfect.

After looking the tailgate over more I still have a little re-work to do, but shouldn't take more than an hour or so to whip it into shape. Try to pick up the sodium tomorrow and maybe blast. If not tomorrow probably Saturday.

Matt

 

[buckroseau]

more

 

[buckroseau]

more 2

 

[buckroseau]

more 3

 

[buckroseau]

more 4

 

[buckroseau]

more 5

 

[buckroseau]

more 6

 

[buckroseau]

more 7

 

[buckroseau]

last 3

 

[Bear]

Matt,
Excellent work. I applaud you for taking the high road, and doing it right. It's a real pisser when you buy a product, especially one with a good reputation, that just doesn't fit correctly. I guess that's why using the OEM pieces is preferable if you can bring them back to life--usually they fit better. And taking the time, is why a good restoration costs so much more than something that is just so so.
Perhaps a quick note to Paul with a template of the accurate placement of the cut-outs and bolt holes will help him adjust his next batch of tailgates for the rest of us!!

Nice job.!!

 

[subzali]

Looks good! I think you took the right route, even though I know what it feels like to buy something only to try it and find that it's all whacked out. At least you gots the skills to fix it! You gonna drive the LV to Moab or what?

 

[rutbeer]

For what it's worth, the original chains on the tailgate had a canvas sleeve over them to cut down banging and scraping. With your sewing skills, why don't you whip some up and sell a few extras to those of us that need them? If you can find some old firehose material, that would be just about perfect if I remember right.

 

[buckroseau]

About 2.5 on the lpb tonight.

Bought a couple bags of sodium bi-carbonate today. When I got home this evening I fired up the blaster loaded up with the soda and blasted the tailgate and my front bezel. Worked like planned....cleaned all the primer off the tailgate plus just a bit more to clean it up nice.

Blew everything off in the booth and went over everything with the scotchbrite pad to make sure it was scuffed up. Shot a couple coats of DP50LF on everything, waited an hour and shot a good couple coats of ureathane primer in a few areas that need to be blocked out. Only a few areas need sandable primer and will easily sand out with 220 on the first pass. Basicly cleaning up the areas where I had to patch and a couple other areas that had some grinder marks. Should turn out perfect.

Hoping to block out tomorrow and get a top coat of DP on the top....then hopefully shooting some SEM sauce on the inside Saturday and base/clearing on Sunday.

Matt

 

[buckroseau]

last 3

 

[Kief]

Were the tailgate clasps original or replacements-if replacements where'd ya source them?

 

[pardion]

last 3

Bezel police called add said that your bezel getting primered is upside down. Just trying to help. John Pardi

 

[buckroseau]

I think about 7 hours on the lpb on Saturday and about 8 today on Sunday. I would have got a bit more in today, but a buddy of mine was in the area for a few days on leave. You guys might remember mud member, "Heavylift" fly's those flying twin rotor trailer house's....he's the guy who has been working on that 78 BJ40 project in the 40 section. He's heading back to Iraq on Saturday for his 3rd tour over there........15 months (at least) vs the usual 12....so spent a few hours bullshitting with hime tonight before he headed back tomorrow.

Not a ton of pics because I was kinda all over the place. I was doing a lot of little stuff, hood latches, door locks, weatherstripping, etc.... I also got the running boards on, took a photo of the body mounts I had to make for those. About 3/8" think with a 1/2" hole in the center. I had some 2" 90A durometer rod laying here so I cut them off in the chop saw and drilled the center hole in the drill press...worked perfect. Manage to get the back of the tailgate SEM's up....pic of that I think. Worked on the front bumper...cut to 54" with miter'd corners. Used some of the same 1/4" sheet steel that I bent up for the lv...nice radiused corners.

Sunday was a little bit all over the place also...I think a took a few pics of the amp and speakers mounted underneath the seats. Nothing fancy, but worked out great. I test fit them back in and then pulled them back out, pulled apart and painted. Hoping to get the seats back in tomorrow. Got the tailgate and latches base/cleared...they should be dry tomorrow, but I'll give it another day or so before I throw those back on.

Hoping to round up some steel this week for the rear bumper. Going to be very similiar mount to the lv which worked great. Few other little parts to round up (which I will be posting pics of), but might be able to wrap it up in a week or so.......maybe???



Matt