Andy Zook's '74 Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[caz]

Went wheeling with the PA crew on Saturday at the new Anthracite Park. Did not enjoy the soft top flapping in the breeze the whole 2 hour drive to the park!

I decided that with fall weather well on it's way I would really like to have the hard top on it. I have never touched the top since I bought the truck 10 years ago - has been sitting in my dad's barn.

Pulled it out last night and put in on the truck so I could drive it back to my place. Planning to disassemble to clean it up and paint it. Not sure I can afford to do it right at the moment - will probably just clean it up and spray bomb it to make it functional and to preserve it until another day.

Tonight I got the windows out of it and removed the rear hatch.

 

[caz]

Got the hard top broken down and am ready to take the parts to be blasted on Monday. The rear hatch needs some serious help along the bottom - thinking about cutting the inside piece off about 1/2" up from the bend before blasting so I have clean metal behind it and then welding in a new piece. Skin of the hatch is not too bad.

There are a few places on the sides that are not too good, and the rear header is toast.

The sides

Will need to patch here - broke a bolt too!

Bottom where it attaches to the tub is salvagable.

Rear header piece - looking for a new one. Too far gone.

 

[caz]

Bad news on one of the sides. I threw them up on a set of saw horses and was checked them out - straightening some things and repairing some broken spot welds.

I found bondo on one of the sides - lots of it. It is 1/4" thick at places!

Looks like it is pretty bad behind the bondo - no rust, but it is not even remotely straight. Want to get the bondo off to see how bad it really is and if I can do anything with it. Most of the damage I can see so far is around the windows where I can't get to the back of it to pound out the dents.

 

[caz]

The pile of Bondo.....

Now looking for another passenger side panel.

 

[caz]

New purchase yesterday! Going to try my hand at fixing the top side that had all of the Bondo. It really isn't that bad if I can massage it a little.

Harbor freight stud welder and slide hammer for pulling dents - was on sale for 99, and yesterday was 25% off!

Did not get to try it last night - was my anniversary......

 

[John Smith]

Happy Anniversary! And let us know how that spot welder works.

 

[caz]

Thanks John. Should have a chance to try it out by the weekend.

 

[Steeler58]

Hi Andy. Thanks for the build thread. I'm working up the courage to begin posting things and officially start my build thread. I have everything removed except for the tub. I'm working on a pulley hoist system in the garage so I can lift it off and start blasting the frame. Curious if you sent your hardware out for cad plating or if you did that yourself with a homebrew kit. I would like to keep as much of the original hardware as possible.

 

[caz]

Hey Mike,

I send it out. Not a bad idea to head to the pick and pull on a Saturday to get as many extra Toyota bolts as you can before you take them! Platers charge you the same for 10 items or for a 5 gallon bucket full.

It takes a ton of time, but wire wheel the bolt heads to get all of the packed in grease and paint off. This does not come off at the plater.

I use Jet Plate / Reading Plate in Reading. They do a true Cad plate where most places these days only do zinc. Cad plate is softer and does not flake off like zinc.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

those stud welders are pretty well constructed (kind of amazing for HF), but do yourself a huge favor. The welder came with a slide hammer that grips the wires and allows you to pull on the wire. Two problems happen, the 1st, the gripper doesn't hold on and you don't get a good pop; and 2 (maybe the worst part) sometimes it grips too well and the only way to get it to release is to wack back in the wrong direction (into the dent) to get it to release. Fortunately the fix is simple. Buy a pair of vice grips and weld a nut on the end of the adjuster. Use the nut to screw onto the slide hammer. Why a nut? the teeth on the vice grips eventually say "enough" and you need to replace them... if you didn't weld it to the slide hammer that's a pretty easy process. And don't use HF vice grips.... all they do is make you mad - they don't grip anything (YMMV).

 

[caz]

Works pretty good! Operator needs practice though - luckily this top has enough wrong with it for me to get the practice I need.
I keep pulling the studs out and leaving a hole. Too much heat, or should I be using the larger diameter studs?


You are right about the slide hammer. Have a blister from the stupid thing!

 

[caz]

Happy Halloween!

Discovered this from a recent wheeling trip picture.... don't believe it was anyone from our group! Spooky.

 

[Wayneraintree]

Cool project refurb'ing the top Andy! My 74' needs a top refurb too but I just rattle canned it last winter and have been running it until I have the time to redo it. Watching with interest... always liked your 40.

 

[caz]

Thanks Jeff,

Have not really made much progress the past month. I have been busy painting doors and trim - and not the kind on a Cruiser! Doing some remodeling around the house.

I do want to get back to the top and doors soon though! Will likely just have them blasted and spray bomb so I can get them on the truck and functional for the spring. Fall is slipping away quickly!

 

[Wayneraintree]

Looking forward to the top work, I busted a few of the rivets on mine out after we spray bombed it so it could use a reworking. I do like the hard top on mine, all season-ability!

 

[caz]

Up for sale!

 

[iptman]

Dang Andy! Say it aint so. This should be snatched up in no time.

 

[caz]

Yup it's so. It is time for me to move on - worth too much to wheel how I like, need the cash to make some life changes.

You will continue to see me on the trails - hopefully more often and in my own truck!