Builds 76 Fj40 Face Lift (2 Viewers)

[micdon]

no really I would paint it baby blue. As long as your wear a straw hat, pink scarf and those trousers that come halfway between your knees and ankles

Cavalry Blue - 5 / All Challengers - 4

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Put me down for the challengers! Pass on that ugly blue.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

I was able to take a few pics of some of the completed work this week end. Local shop did a really nice job on the seats (skins and foam). The old seats were shot, so this was a complete rebuild. Colors just look different due to the lighting conditions and my cell phone.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Getting ready to install the polished valve cover. Everything checked out good. Valves were just adjusted within the six weeks of the destruction phase.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Out with the old valve cover and in with a "new" polished cover. Friend of mine did an outstanding job on this cover. With the repaint on the air cleaner the engine bay is starting to take shape

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Aft section of my LC. A lot of paint build up on the sill, general grunge and abuse.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Face lift of the rear section begins.....Wire wheel, rough and a medium sand. Primed and ready for the "can". I decided to stick with the original plan and hold off on the sill area until next winter when I do the tub..More on the tub to follow...

 

[Chungas Revenge]

New emblems arrived and promptly added..The new "bling" looks good on that sea of black diamond plate. Tossed in the Grote for good measure.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Long day Saturday, working the aft section. Added tail light lenses. Re-purposed old buckets until next winter. I did use the new lenses. Added, taillight protectors and new bumpers ready to install.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Finished up the rear section with the addition of the bumpers. Looks clean, and should get me through until next year...

 

[TheHardWay]

Good job! I think you can get by til next year. Now, take it out and show off.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

LoL - I'd luv to take it out for a romp ....Still a bit of tweaking to do. I made the mistake of starting to scrape the inner tub...Found all kinds of festering goodies underneath the bed liner. I have some pics to post from this weekend. Need some advice from the distinguished forum...........

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Alternator bracket before and after. Media blasted, primed and painted satin black. Put it on for a test fit. Getting close to having the engine bay wrapped up and ready to fire.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Just before the bumpers went on and the roll bar came out. Black Steelies need a good cleaning and I need to have the white letters turned inboard. More to follow on the "tub". Trying to get this "mini project" wrapped up by the end of June 2015.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

My new strategy to locate parts, sheet metal and gratuitous labor (See pic below). The facelift is coming along and should be complete (IE drivable) before the early rut. So far, true to the original intent, it has been a face lift. I knew I had some rust issues, I know crazy right, rust on a 70's LC?!!!
Anyway, for the most part it has been minimal.....I believe the PO did a very respectable job of keeping this old rig functioning over the years...Finished up the "stern" (that's for you Sarge) this weekend and I believe it will see me through the coming season. While standing around accomplishing nothing, I decided to have a peek at what was lurking under the roll bar/bed liner on the right wheel well. Now the roll bar was apparently very happy atop the wheel well. It refused to budge at 1st. A can of WD, a few scraped knuckles and a string of curses that almost peeled the bed liner (almost, no quite) the roll bar was evicted. The tell tale "weep holes" were there. So I selected a 12" gasket scraper as my weapon of choice and went to work peeling back the bed liner. Surprisingly after about an hour I was able to remove most of it from the top of the wheel well without the aid of heat, chemicals or liquid libation. Not as bad as I thought.

The source of the "weeping fender wells" is pretty obvious. Keeping with my original intent and trying to avoid "mission creep" I intend to patch the tops of the fender wells this year. I searched around on the forum for "patch panels". All I can find is the complete wheel well tops. (The tub is phase II of my COA).

Sooooo, anybody out there know where I can find a piece or two of "used metal" (old fender wheel well tops) I can cut into submission? Barter system is alive and well. I started on the left fender well also, same area gave up the ghost....A new skin is about 150 sheckles x 2. That's not fitting into the LC=Time+$$ equation at this time... Assistance or charitable donations, while not tax deductible, will ensure a front row seat at the "Grand Meade Hall". 1st "horn" is on me!!

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

The worms are out of the can. Never to return.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

That whole "Red pill / Blue pill" thing......!!!!! Do you think I could get re-inserted back into the Matrix?...Maybe drive a new Lexus?

 

[TheHardWay]

Too late, Dude. You're in it to win it.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

When you are finished you could come help me with the same problems.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

This may go down as a "LC" technical foul but, I really don't want to restore the tops of the wheel wells this year. I was hoping to come by a piece of "old" wheel well sheet metal I could use to patch the holes I have. Push comes to shove I may just cut out a patch and "Re-seal" with a fresh coat of bed liner. Temp fix until I can devote Time + $$ to the tub next year. Priority is just to have it reasonably "water tight" in order to keep my kit dry on the hunting trail. Order of precedence for future funding is a suspension upgrade....