Builds A Restoration Gone Wrong

[alex cortopassi]

Great restoration!
Very good and hard.
I had a 2H on a HJ60, but it was always a disaster.
And change it with a 12H-T?
Alex

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Great restoration!
Very good and hard.
I had a 2H on a HJ60, but it was always a disaster.
And change it with a 12H-T?
Alex

Thank you Alex!

Definitely something to consider but getting a 12H-T in Austria is almost impossible. We are looking at around 5.000 - 6.000€ for a beater engine only (8.000 - 12.000 if you buy a rust bucket that you can carry in shovel), which obviously we would need to rebuild...

I would love the idea to go with it but a 2H is just way cheaper to rebuild.

 

[mongoose2231]

Great job! I also watch your YouTube channel. Also, I like my 2h!
Keep on trucking.

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Great job! I also watch your YouTube channel. Also, I like my 2h!
Keep on trucking.

Really appreciate it! Means a lot!

 

[Rockslinger]

Yep that can happen if there isn't anything to protect the weld.

On this built we are going with a full on cavity wax diat. (Filling it until there is no space left haha). Also there is rust protection on every welded piece.
For a full on restoration I would go with putting into a zinc bath. But the truth is this is a built for a daily. On top of that here in Austria there are not a lot of companies doing that.

The problem is you need to completely sand blast it before putting it into the zinc bath. Sand blasting and then zinc bathing it costs around 3500 - 4000 € here. So where do you stop this built? On top of that there is the engine (and yeah also here were some nice discoveries made ).

There is a point where you have to decide is it enough your are going to invest another few thousands euro.

Method	Cost	Durability	Complexity	Notes

Zinc Bath

€3500–4000

50+ years

Very high

Best but expensive

Media Blast + Epoxy + Wax

€800–1200

20–30+ years

Moderate

Excellent cost-benefit

Rust Converter + Epoxy + Wax

€400–800

15–25 years

Moderate/Low

Easier, cheaper, riskier

Line-X / Polyurea

€500–1500

20–30 years

Moderate

Great abuse resistance

Thought this table might be helpful. Sorry about the spacing, but I think you'll figure it all out. Looks like Media blast + epoxy + wax might be a good way for you to go.

Media Blasting + Epoxy Primer + Cavity Wax Strategy

Steps:

• Media blast (but NOT as aggressive as sandblast): Use softer media like walnut shells or garnet. It cleans off old paint and light surface rust without severely pitting or weakening the steel.
• Immediately apply a 2-part epoxy primer (like PPG DP90, or Raptor Epoxy Primer). Epoxy primer bonds directly to clean steel and seals oxygen out, which stops rust permanently if properly applied.
• After paint, inject all enclosed cavities with high-penetration cavity wax (like Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 or 3M Cavity Wax Plus) until fully saturated.

Pros:

• Far cheaper than galvanizing (€500–1000 total).
• High rust protection if properly applied.
• No sandblasting-induced warping risk on thinner steel panels.
• DIY-possible if you rent a small blasting setup.

Cons:

• Requires good access to frame cavities.
• Not 100-year permanent like a zinc bath — but realistically good for 20–30+ years if maintained.

In Your Situation (Austria, Daily Driver HJ60):

Media blast (garnet/walnut), apply industrial-grade epoxy primer immediately, and do a thorough cavity wax injection.

Example Products to Use:

• Blasting media: Garnet 80 grit or walnut shells.
• Epoxy primer: PPG DP90, Raptor Protective Coatings Epoxy, or Eastwood Epoxy.
• Cavity wax: Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 or 3M Cavity Wax Plus.
• Topcoat: Industrial chassis black paint or Raptor bedliner if you want extra toughness.

Cost estimate: Probably €800–€1200 all-in — and realistically gives you 20+ years of rust protection with touch-ups. Good luck.

 

[alex cortopassi]

And find a magnificent HZ engine, there are those who have done it...

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Hey guys, hope you’re all doing great!

Last time I cracked into the 2H engine and got a not-so-lovely introduction to what was hiding inside. Turns out that was just the beginning. So here’s the next round of discoveries in this never-ending restoration adventure…

Started by pulling the exhaust manifold, and right away it was clear—this thing had never been off. Rust was just flaking off everywhere like old paint.

Pulled the glow plugs and yeaaaah. They were twisted like a banana ...

Then I moved on to the oil cooler to get a better look at the water jacket and freeze plugs on the block—aaaand yep, more rust. A lot of it. This engine is basically a crusty history book at this point.

But the real “fun” started when I got to the rocker arm assembly.

The 3rd and 4th valves (also first and second a bit) were clearly hammered, so bad that it actually left a dent on the rocker arm itself. Took the valve springs apart and discovered the that even the valve wedges were broken.

I also checked the exhaust valve, and you could clearly see it wasn’t even fully closing.

No idea what they were thinking when they replaced the head gasket, but to do that and not even inspect the valves is just wild.
Pulled the camshaft next, then took a look at the conrod and main bearings—and here’s a rare twist in this project:
They actually look good.

No serious wear, everything within spec from what I could see. So at least some part of this engine still wants to live.
Also the bore and and top of the cylinders look actually good! Just some minor wear and tear after 43 years!

But of course, had to end with a classic…
When they pulled the last gear off the crankshaft, they clearly went full Volkswagen Method—just hammered it off. There are visible impact marks on the crank where someone clearly didn’t own a puller or didn’t care.

I packed all of this into my latest YouTube video if you want to see it in detail. It’s nothing fancy, just documenting everything for those who are curious or might go through something similar. Thanks a lot if you check it out—it really helps keep the motivation up.

 

[Beams37]

Great work man. It's wild to see the changes you're making.

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Really appreciate, already looking forward to finishing this

 

[knuckle47]

To move along with such enthusiasm says a lot. Had you any preconceived notions that some of this was going to be a nightmare or were you expecting it to be in good condition?

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

To move along with such enthusiasm says a lot. Had you any preconceived notions that some of this was going to be a nightmare or were you expecting it to be in good condition?

The first time I saw it it looked pretty nice! But upon a closer inspection I already saw that there was a lot wrong (rear spring hangar, rear crossmember, reverse c-channel ...). So I was already waiting for something and didn't expect something different with the engine.

And one thing I noticed first sight was that it was already a bit louder than usual (never adjusted valve clearance). But we will make the most out of it!

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Hey everyone,
it’s been a bit quiet here lately—some things came up outside of the project, but rest assured, the build continues!

This time we moved on to the right rocker panel. What started off looking like just a small hole quickly turned into the usual story: once we cut it open and really inspected it, it was pretty much completely gone.
Talked it over with the owner and we decided to postpone the full rocker repair for now, since it's not critical at this stage and we want to prioritize other areas first.

While I was at it, I had a closer look at the front mask, and surprise surprise—the body mount there was almost completely rusted away. No real support left.
I went ahead and rebuilt the entire mount, including the lower and upper layers that connect to it. Everything’s solid again, and now that section is finally back to where it should be.

When I removed the front mask, I also discovered some “questionable craftsmanship” on the left fender—just sheet metal pieces welded over each other, layer on layer. No shaping, no blending… just stacked metal. It honestly looked awful and definitely not how you'd want to repair anything long-term.

Also, for those who are following the full journey, I’ve put together a new video on YouTube showing the process. It’s nothing fancy, just documenting things step by step if you’re interested in the details.

Thanks for sticking around—more to come soon!

 

[cruiser86]

Nice! watched it on YouTube last night

 

[WRNG Lifestyle]

Nice! watched it on YouTube last night

Really appreciate it