4.5LV build

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The projects are looking good.

Keep the updates coming.

:cheers:
 
Cool, I bought the Harbor Freight one, yesterday. I hope it works OK. I've never used a stud welder. I'm wondering how 'deep' a dent can be pulled with a stud welder....I guess I'll find out soon!:)

EDIT: The HF stud welder is a POS - the studs pull out and don't attach no matter how long I pull the trigger. I returned it and found a good used Matco gun.

Gumby said:
This one

Stud Welders & Accessories - Eastwood Company

I didn't take any pics. Basically just welded studs in all the low spots and slide hammered them up while using a body hammer to knock down high spots.
Click to expand...
 
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1ton, here is a decent video re: stud gun dent puller. Key is definitely working from outside in so to speak. Don't get greedy...don't go right at the main impact point first...slowly work to it relieving the metal.

ABRN HOW2 Use A Stud Welder Gun To Fix Dent - YouTube

Also if you are straightening major carnage, like a caved in qpanel, then you probably need to start moving the structural steel bits with a porta power or something similar first then work into the puller, hammer and dolly.
 
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If I ever meet the guy who decided it would be a good idea to use a sponge for a headliner I'll kick him square in the nutsack.

Three hours to put in two patches in the roof. The second one was some pin holes when I started and was about 5 inches long when I finished. Total of about a foot of roof line patched. Hopefully not too much more than double that left.

I flanged three sides of the patches and slid it in from inside. There was no way to get a copper backing plate behind the weld so I wanted to have a flange to back up the weld. My bead roller makes pretty good flanges.
top [atch.webp
 
About four more feet of roof patch, but it's all done.

The studs work pretty well to pull the patches into place and follow the curves in the roof.

I pulled the body off so I could do the roof standing on the ground. I also needed to get the part above the w/s. It would have been a giant PIA with the motor in the way. Got the roof all cleaned up and sealed too.
studs.webp
blacktop.webp
 
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Are you putting body filler on bare metal, or are you putting SE primer then body filler? I'm doing body work, now, too. I'd like to put SE primer on bare metal, now, b/c I don't know when I'll get to putting body filler. If I put SE primer before doing the body filler, should I plan on removing the SE primer?

Basically, wondering what the order of application should be. Is this correct?
bare metal>body filler>SE primer>Epoxy primer>high build primer (?)>base coat

and what purpose is 'high build primer' vs. 'epoxy primer'?
 
Body filler should stick to bare metal or epoxy primer. I don't put it on SE primer or high build.

Epoxy primer is very hard. It doesn't sand. When mixed with reducer it becomes a sealer. SE primer, filler and high build are all moisture permeable so I like to seal the steel either before or after using filler. The self etch primer treats the metal against rust, but it has to be sealed or it'll rust through.

High build primer fills pinholes and scratch marks and is very sandable. Once everything is done I'll block sand the high build with finer and finer grit paper to get it as smooth as possible. Then paint goes on top of that.

So my suggestion is put the SE on the bare metal, then seal it with epoxy primer mixed as a sealer. When you do the filler scuff the epoxy and the filler will stick.
 
The inner panels were bare metal, but were all surface rusted, so they all got sanded down.

The tailgate panel got all the big dents hammered out.

Got all three primers on them.

Everything else got another 2-3 coats of high fill primer too.
cornerpanels.webp
tailgatepanel.webp
innerpanels.webp
 
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Cut out the holes in the fire wall. I couldn't decide if I wanted to cut out everything to the left of the trans tunnel and make it flat or work with the stock beads and fill a jillion holes. I ended up with a combination of the two.

I hit the bead with a flap wheel so I could see what I was dealing with. I cut along the edge of the bead and welded in a thick piece of steel. So I still have the ridge on the outside, but the inside of the oval shape is smooth. The upper arm was cut out and a new piece welded in too. It was bent and holey. The new steel is plenty thick to support the booster and I can choose where I want to put it now with everything flat. The plan is to put it on the clutch pedal side so the booster clears the intake of the 1FZ.

The other holes I'll just end up welding up, I guess.
firewall.webp
firewallpatch.webp
 
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Went to Harbor Freight today to get some sandpaper for my sanding boards.

They didn't have any, but I still left $350 lighter.

Got a bunch of disposable HVLP cups and a gun that some forums say is unbeatable for the price. Got masking paper and tape. A bunch of sticky discs for the RO sander. Some more sizes of blocks. And, of course, a whole bunch more stuff that I hope will be OK. Some won't but that's the game at HF - finding the stuff that's not crap.
 
Busy day

Started off ordering paint.
All PPG Concept single stage
1 gallon Pyrite Mice
2 gallons Lily white (for the SWB too)
another gallon of K35 high build primer
1 qt of Cygnus white for the bezels and top of the SWB
assorted reducers, hardeners and such.

I cut the booster mounting plate off of the pedal assembly and moved it over to the clutch side, then welded it back on where the booster would line up right with the clutch pedal.

Bolted the hanger in place so I could locate the holes. marked them and drilled them.

Found the booster in my boxes of parts and lined it all up. Looks like it's going to work.

Then I stripped the firewall from what was left; the VIN plate and wiring and such.

I had a bunch of holes to fill including some big ones. For those I welded a washer in the hole and then filled the washer.

There was a bunch of holes to be filled.
booster.webp
washerhole.webp
firewallholes.webp
 
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Painted the firewall

The booster was ugly so I disassembled it, sandblasted it, polished it with the wire wheel.

I powdercoated it with clear, but baked it at too high of a temp which yellows the clear and makes it look pretty cool, more like the zinc coating. Unfortunately my phone didn't save the pic for some reason. I bought a camera just for this build and haven't been able to find it for the past couple of weeks.

Sandblasted the master as well, but again no pic.
firewallpaintedbooster.webp
boostersandblaster.webp
 
I didn't rebuild it with any new parts. It worked OK and I don't know if parts are available. I just disassembled it to get the canister to bare metal to sandblast and powdercoat it. It's pretty easy. The big clamp around the outside unbolts. I put it in a vise in case the spring was really tight, but it's not really that bad. The diaphragm and air valve are an assembly and don't have to come apart. The front and rear seals are held in place with a push in star ring.

The whole process including powdercoating and baking took less than an hour.
 
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