79 RHD Troopie frame-off Resto.

[Sloop Imports]

I've been working on my troopie from OZ that turned into a full frame off restoration. It's amazing how much time it takes to complete each step along the way. I take my hat off to the guys that do this full time. Definetely a labor of love. After fixing the tub, steel patch panels, body work, straighting the body, a full coat of epoxy primer, and a sprayed in bedliner inside and the underside it was time to sand some more. Two coats of high build epoxy primer and then 400 and 600 wet sanding it was time for the ole' 653 OEM Olive Green. Five coats later and then two coats of clear she is looking pretty good. Time for more patch panels in the roof, and pretty much every corner of the side panels and doors.

Here are several recent pictures from this last Friday.

Peter

 

[Sloop Imports]

here is a picture of how she looked after the initial sanding down to the org color.

 

[4XLT]

Very cool. Not used to seeing that color on Troopys but I like.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

X2 - very nice. Was that color available originally on the Troopy, not that it matters - just curious - its a cool color.

 

[2manycruisers]

looking great Peter, can't wait to see it back together. It will definitely be a troopy to envy.

 

[a.greenspan]

X2 - very nice. Was that color available originally on the Troopy, not that it matters - just curious - its a cool color.

It was available ( think between 1978-1984). In Europe you can/ could see some olive 653 Troopies.

Cheers
Peter

 

[Sloop Imports]

I've seen a couple posted from Europe in the Olive Green. Definetely trying to stay with the stock resto look. I had the split 16's, but I'm putting on the oem disk wheels , 33X10.50's with hub caps front and rear. I'm still sanding and repairing body parts. If I could just take a week off from work I could easily prep the rest of the body for paint.


Here are several photos of the side panel rot!!! The b pillar 1 inch support and side is gone, replaced, and then the c pillar end is replaced too along with several splices on the top where the roof rests. I'll post more tonight of the somewhat completed welding.

Peter

 

[flaminbandit]

looking good but it scares me cause i know my troopy is gonna be this bad when i get around to repairing it

 

[RufusTheDufus]

This thread is motivational for me. I'd like to do a frame-off on my HJ45 someday. I just need to convince the wife that having two Troopies is not excessive.

 

[2manycruisers]

sorry it's so bad, peter. with the visible bondo, one could only wonder how extensive it was. At least you know it will be fixed right. Wish I could send mine up for olive at the same time.

 

[Sloop Imports]

The sheet metal repairs have actually been pretty educational and fun. Working on the cruiser and trailer build is a big release for me. Work is pretty boring; this is stimulating. My wife calls it my man cave time!

Slow going since we painted the tub, but hopefully I can get back on track in another week or so.


Peter

 

[Chamba]

Peter,

I love the Olive color, and it will look incredible on that Troopy. If I had it to do over again on my troopy, that is the color I would paint it.

I can't get over how much better your troopy looks already! Does it have a name yet?

Cheers,

Josh

 

[Sloop Imports]

Her name as of now is Rusti (Rusty) , but have not fear the rust is almost all fixed. Work is impeding my forward progress. Any one have any lines on a 1HD-t? Rusti needs a turbo diesel.

I need to find a yard or two in OZ and bring several back this winter.

Peter

 

[Chamba]

Her name as of now is Rusti (Rusty) , but have not fear the rust is almost all fixed. Work is impeding my forward progress. Any one have any lines on a 1HD-t? Rusti needs a turbo diesel.

I need to find a yard or two in OZ and bring several back this winter.

Peter

Rod at 'Just Wrecking' is a decent fellow (hard to find down here in junk yards). His number is +61 8 8359 4499. Be prepared, though. Parts are very expensive down here. Because the hourly rates are so high and taxes are through the roof, daily life is about twice the price of America. They have a nearly new 1HD T- FE there right now in a rolled 100 series.

What about putting a Cummins in it? Much cheaper and easier to get parts for. That is my plan for my FJ40 LX. Proffitt's Cruisers does a really nice install.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[dingbatt]

Hey mate, I'm digging up a bit of an old thread here, but I'm really interested to see how the frame off is coming along, if at all ........

I also have a question ... how did you remove the rear sliding windows from that panel?
I've started fixing mine up, but can't figure out a way to remove the window frames without bending the metal of the panel, or destroynig the rubber.

Keep up the good work, she's looking sweet thus far.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Chamba]

Hey mate, I'm digging up a bit of an old thread here, but I'm really interested to see how the frame off is coming along, if at all ........

I also have a question ... how did you remove the rear sliding windows from that panel?
I've started fixing mine up, but can't figure out a way to remove the window frames without bending the metal of the panel, or destroynig the rubber.

Keep up the good work, she's looking sweet thus far.

Cheers,

Matt

G'day Matt,

You have to prise that rubber strip off carefully to keep from ripping it. It is simply held in with metal lips and a bit of contact cement.

Then for the window frame, I went through it with a razor blade to cut the tar. Once I did that, I carefully prised the frame away with two wide, flat screw drivers. The hardest part is cleaning all the tar off.

To put the window back in, I put it in with windscreen tar and then glued the rubber back on with contact cement. Seems to have worked: they have been in place on my troopy for almost 10 years and on my 40 for nearly 5.

I'd love to hear other ways of doing it.

Josh

 

[dingbatt]

Awesome, thanks once again Josh!

I put Old Yella on her side during a bit of hard dune driving a few weeks back, and the right hand panel is all bent up, so I'm fixing up a spare I have, your advice will come in handy . I'll start a thread about this soon.

Enough hijack....

 

[2manycruisers]

What ever happened to this rig? Was in Telluride this summer and saw an olive troopy that I hoped was this one. Turned out to be a Euro-spec LHD.