71 FJ Build- "UGLY BETTY"

[bsmith123]

Thanks

Thanks for the good words

It was builds like yours that inspired me to start a restore I originally planned on a little fixing up then driving it.

That and one day I quit Jeep and never picked one up again!

 

[bsmith123]

CAMOCLAD dash and tub paint

Here's the latest on Ugly Betty:



I did the CAMO Clad on a whim and am now thinking of doing over the rear fenderwells in the back just to balance out the dash.

The off white is called Hatteras White by Brightsides, it's a maring single stage polyurethane. Under that is POR 15 topcat primer and under that chassis coat and under that por 15!

Overtop the poly I will be doing the floor areas in DURABAK sand color--that's being shipped now


I posted the CAMOCLAD dash seperately and some folks mentioned they were thinking of doing the whole vehicle. It looks pretty good but I don't think I have the guts to take the leap.

 

[bsmith123]

Durabak

Well seems a shame to cover that nice white poly but I was concerned about wear and tear so in the end I decided to go over it with DURABAK.

The DURABAK isnt as pretty but it will protect well when I start hauling stuff around in it

 

[alwayscme]

Very nice work! Watching you guys do this definitely gets the wheels turning on ideas.

 

[4x4 Station Wagon]

Wow you put some work into removing the undercoating!!!!! Maybe if i stay on you and you stay on me we will both get our builds done in a timely manner!!!! Yours looks great! I like that you are planning for longevity that is my plan also.

Keep it up

 

[bsmith123]

9 mos and counting

It's been 9 mos since it showed up at my house and yes this part of the build is a whole lot more fun than the undercoating! I would really love to be driving it this winter!

 

[tmarx]

She is looking much better then my Betty

 

[bsmith123]

Progress on Betty

The long weekend has helped move things along

At one point I had all the dash assembles but a few switches had to com back out to allow wrench access for the throttle and choke knobs.

Heater FAN installed
Steering box painted with POR-15 Silver
brake lines por'd and installed
brake booster painted and installed
Clutch slave cylinder installed

Bench seat installed
The bench seat will need new covers but at least it's up off my garage floor now

Tomorrow hopefully will finish with the dash and steering and start installing the heater core

 

[bsmith123]

more pics

a few more pics

 

[bsmith123]

Modifying the trans tunnel cover for 3 on the floor

Here's progress on Ugly Betty

The dash is together and with the steering wheel in it is starting to look like a vehicle again!


Today I cut the holes for the shift levers in the tunnel cover.

I was a little worried about getting the holes located correctly since there are 3 of them to do but it wasn't a problem.

I did the shifter first. To remove the stick I just opened up the jaws on a pair of channel locks and pushed down and rotated CCW on the stick base and presto the stick popped out real easy!

I put some grease around the shifter mount and dropped the cover over it and it made a perfect round mark which I drilled all round then smoothed with a dremel.

Next I did the PTO lever just by reaching up and marking with a sharpie and on the 4wd select lever I traced the pattern through the bracket that bolts to the top of the trans (guide bracket) with a scribe and a sharpie and also tracred the outside of the bracket, I put an x at roughly the middle of the area the lever sits.

When I pulled the cover off I held the bracket up against the cover and aligned it with the marks then shot it with spray paint using the braket as a template.

For the PTO lever I just stuck a piece of masking tape where I marked and used it as a guide for the side cuts.

Cut it all out with a dremel. Still have some cleaning up to do on the holoes but at least the cover doesn't look like swiss cheese! So another hurdle passed.


I thought I'd show my temp seal for the steering column. I had some dense foam I used in my tool box about an inch thick and wrapped it in aluminum tape and stuck it in place.

It'll do till I get a new rubber one but I may have to make a more permanent one anyway when I put in my Scout PS which is one the way to me now.

I've been on vacation and we decided to just stay around here since we live at the beach anyway---so I have had some good time to work on it but all the little things take time!

I thought I did a good job marking everything but there has still been stuff to figure out like I think I may have hooked up my hand throttle where he gas pedal is supposed to go! Hmmm got to look back through my photos

 

[tmarx]

Coming along nicely !

 

[Coolerman]

Did you spray or roll the Dura-Bak on? Looks great! Now I know what mine will look like!

Not too sure about that camo dash though, makes it hard to find the switches.

 

[bsmith123]

roll on

Thanks

I rolled on he durabak, 2 rollers come with the kit my advice is to do a couple coats the first day then let it dry and do another looking for touch up spots. Use a brush for hard to reach places just dab a little to get the texture right.

I noticed that it is best not to reuse the roller the next day even if you clean it cause little bits will come off and look "clumpy". Use one roller one day and a new one the next.

I got it as a "kit" off Ebay took 1 gallon of the stuff but I will most likely order another qt to touch up any places I ding while working


Cheers

 

[bsmith123]

Tank and Heater in

I got the gas tank and heater in, well almost

I bought some mats for the floor they don't fit exactly right but I like them.

Look at the size of that Cobra 148, there is no place to put it! I'll be looking at the posts again to see what everyone else did.

I want to have a look at my 3 piece seat; I had an idea to make the center small seat flip forward that way I can mount it on the back and unless I have passengers flip it forward


Don't know if that is practical ---My seat has been buried for ages! Time to dig it out!

My seat foam and covers are shot-I mean practically non-existent thats gonna look sad until I get them recovered. I wouldn't worry if they were useable but they're not even able to be used appearance aside.

The Camo dash does not actually hide the switches like in the photos! in 3-d it looks as normal as any dash but in the photos it really does hide them some!

Went out looking for some hose for the drivers side defrost duct-no dice, hmmmm, later I'll be having a sneaky look at the wifes vacuum cleaner hoses

If anyone has installed a full sized CB in a soft top 40 post it up!

 

[bsmith123]

Plodding along

A little more done today, with the tank in I set the seats inside and played with the idea of the center seat flipped forward as a mount for the CB

might be easier to go with buckets and a console but I like the idea of the extra seat but then again I really really like easy! hmmmm

 

[antFJ]

update.

 

[bsmith123]

update on Betty

Well,

I've been traveling a bit for work but the good thing is that means a few extra $ in the pocket for the FJ

I got these seats but the install is on hold for the brackets from Summit racing till end of this month. They sent one of the seats in one day but get the brackets from a third part--early FJ---they probably build as ordered

I also have a 1979 2F engine, trans, and xfer case being shipped from PA and am waiting to here it is done being crated up and is actually being shipped. It has only 88K miles on it so I lucked out there. I am hoping to do a good write up on the install

I still have all the outside body work, and fenders, windshield and so on to do but I really am most excited about getting the engine swap done
once that is done I'll have a good reason to work hard on the body and get it on the road.

I just got my antique plates for it---Kinda cool

I hope to be on the road by DEC-JAN

I've also got everything to do the Scout PS swap but I think I'm going to get it up and running first and worry about that and disc brakes later.

How you coming along?

 

[antFJ]

sweet! good to hear! i would just hate to see this build end up like so many others that drop off the face of the earth.. I got my frame powdercoated but I've been away at school and every weekend has been packed for me so I haven't been able to go home. luckily we have quarters at WPI so I'll have an 11 day break in october when I hope to get a lot done.

The frame is powdercoated i just don't have pics.. and everything else is ready for me to get a rolling chassis put back together..

 

[bsmith123]

a little more progress

Here is the dash cover I got off EBAY, looks pretty realistic but it is hard plastic.

The seats are just sitting in there awaiting the mounts

I got the rollbar in

 

[bsmith123]

But more importantly!

Here is a pic of the motor getting ready to travel

This build wont drop off You will see it on the road and with dirt in the tires!