Because the WIFE said I COULDN'T 1973 Frame off
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- #42
Well on Tuesday I knew I needed something to do with the shop being closed. So I ran a few errands for the wife and ran to the nearest HF about 45 mins away and picked up a filter/drier for my Air Compressor (which doesn't seem to work worth a s***) and their sandblasting cabinent on sale. Cabinet good. My 2HP air supply with s***ty drier not good.
So after running around all day getting stuff to make that work and setting it up I only managed a little bit of forward progress. I did end up finishing one wheel, and my air filter. My eventually wet sand and my air comporssor's ability to only keep up with 100% blasting at 70 PSI makes it take a long time. Time to upgrade to a 5hp model for the next shop. I need at least 90 for it to take off the deep pitted rust. 70 does OK for flake and clean metal with paint comes off really quick. 6 more wheels to go and a lot of little parts.
Before
After
So after running around all day getting stuff to make that work and setting it up I only managed a little bit of forward progress. I did end up finishing one wheel, and my air filter. My eventually wet sand and my air comporssor's ability to only keep up with 100% blasting at 70 PSI makes it take a long time. Time to upgrade to a 5hp model for the next shop. I need at least 90 for it to take off the deep pitted rust. 70 does OK for flake and clean metal with paint comes off really quick. 6 more wheels to go and a lot of little parts.
Before
After
- Thread starter
- #43
I finally got into a bay!!! I got a late start as I was trying to work out my OBA/Dual batt setup for my LX450. But I got to the shop about 30 mins after they opened at 1030 and I worked on the FJ outside for about 2 hours and they finally got the bay cleaned up. So I hooked a small rope to the FJ to my LX450 and pulled it over. Then I found a couple of guys to help me push it in and viola! We were in. I spent the next hour cleaning up my old mess and setting up shop. After that I got back to work.
First order of business was taking out of all of the knobs and switches and labeling them with tape so I know what they are later on. I'm going to need to buy a lot of rubber peices and a windhseild wiper plug (dan UV rays). Clean Dash.
Can someone tell me what this plug is and what it does? Inside glove box.
First order of business was taking out of all of the knobs and switches and labeling them with tape so I know what they are later on. I'm going to need to buy a lot of rubber peices and a windhseild wiper plug (dan UV rays). Clean Dash.
Can someone tell me what this plug is and what it does? Inside glove box.
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- Thread starter
- #44
Last few. As you saw in the last pic I removed all peices that would keep the cab on like the Pedals/brackets, brake master/booster and clutch master. Also going to need new brake lines but that was a given. Removed all of the steel lines for the fuel tank and vents. Going to go rubber there. Just to easy that way. So all I have left is a few body mounts that are going to get the grinder/sawsall treatment and one clutch line.
Forgot to take a picture but the wiring harness is out as well. It is a beautiful thing. I'm going to make a few ammendments to it and clean it all up and reinsulate. Should be bright as new. Not sure what does and doens't work on the gauge cluster so I'm going to be replacing most of the sensors on the engine.
Front side
Needed to get my two other seats home somehow. If my sandblaster keeps giving me s*** I'll try my hand at upholstery today.
Forgot to take a picture but the wiring harness is out as well. It is a beautiful thing. I'm going to make a few ammendments to it and clean it all up and reinsulate. Should be bright as new. Not sure what does and doens't work on the gauge cluster so I'm going to be replacing most of the sensors on the engine.
Front side
Needed to get my two other seats home somehow. If my sandblaster keeps giving me s*** I'll try my hand at upholstery today.
It's a twelve volt socket in which you can plug the inspection lamp that came standard as a part of the tool set with the cruiser.
Here is an example of an inspection light from the Cool Cruisers web site.
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- #46
I'm amazed how they had all of these cool things but couldn't give me power steering 
.
Thank you very much I would have never figured that out. And yeah you can guess I don't have the tool kit. I have about 2 pieces of the handle for the bottle jack.
. Thank you very much I would have never figured that out. And yeah you can guess I don't have the tool kit. I have about 2 pieces of the handle for the bottle jack.
Still loving this truck 
- Thread starter
- #51
Made good progress today as was only there for about 4 hours (where does the time go?).
Spent quite a bit unpacking my tools and setting up and then went to town on the rear lights, bumperttes, step, etc. Then snapped the two outer body mounts and had to cut the other inner two. Also had to grind off all of the bolts for the rear step, then went to the front and actually had to cut the welds of the body mount off of the cab. Not pretty but after 30 mins I was getting pissed and I can weld so not to worried.
Then I cleaned up a few things and wire wheeled the entire frame. I will use the crappy sandblaster there to get the corners. But I still have to pull the engine and tranny which I will do on Sunday hopefully.
I purchased some Chassis Coat as it had way better reviews then POR-15 but nothing I read on it mentions anything on frame prep. So I think I'm just going to get the big stuff and put it on.
Forgot the camera but I rolled the frame outside and took the wire wheel to it and it looks good. The cab is on the two post lift 5 feet in the air. I love it.
Looks like I'm going to trollholes parts swap tomorrow (hopefully) to see if I can't find some barn doors and a couple of other small parts so no updates for a bit.
Spent quite a bit unpacking my tools and setting up and then went to town on the rear lights, bumperttes, step, etc. Then snapped the two outer body mounts and had to cut the other inner two. Also had to grind off all of the bolts for the rear step, then went to the front and actually had to cut the welds of the body mount off of the cab. Not pretty but after 30 mins I was getting pissed and I can weld so not to worried.
Then I cleaned up a few things and wire wheeled the entire frame. I will use the crappy sandblaster there to get the corners. But I still have to pull the engine and tranny which I will do on Sunday hopefully.
I purchased some Chassis Coat as it had way better reviews then POR-15 but nothing I read on it mentions anything on frame prep. So I think I'm just going to get the big stuff and put it on.
Forgot the camera but I rolled the frame outside and took the wire wheel to it and it looks good. The cab is on the two post lift 5 feet in the air. I love it.
Looks like I'm going to trollholes parts swap tomorrow (hopefully) to see if I can't find some barn doors and a couple of other small parts so no updates for a bit.
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- Thread starter
- #52
Lots of filthy work today getting done. Made good progress. Shop is closed Monday and Tuesday again but on Wednesday we will get a 90% solution on the tub I feel. Depending on how the sandblaster goes for the smaller areas we couldn't get to.
Pulling the Engine. I love that two person lift. There was a lot of sludge in the bottom of the pan after we drained it so we pulled the pan and will clean it out. All of the bearings and everything looked great inside though and no buildup. I think it will be fine.
Pulling the Engine. I love that two person lift. There was a lot of sludge in the bottom of the pan after we drained it so we pulled the pan and will clean it out. All of the bearings and everything looked great inside though and no buildup. I think it will be fine.
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- #53
More pictures of today. Removed the running boards and the few last parts. Can not get the windsheild screws off to save my life. Even went and bought one of those big screwdrivers you hit with a hammer. Only could remove one and it bent the bit. Gave up. The rest of the screws I had to find creative ways of removing. Like the soft top tie downs, and a few other parts here and there. All body work from now on.
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- #54
Fun times with my dad visiting. Not much of a vacation for him.
Heat the crap out of those hinge screws and soak them, then repeat numerous times! Since your painting the truck anyhow take advantage of it! Dont break em off or you'll have another whole project to deal with!
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- #56
I have sprayed them with penetrant almost every day for two weeks. I heated the s*** out of them with my torch and even used that hammer sledge thing and it just bent the bit on it. The one that came out had some sort of glue on the bottom of it. It is going to be a pain but we are going to leave it on and work around it.
Used the couple days the shop was closed to blast some parts here at the house, shop around town for materials, redid all of my seats (paint and recovered), and some body work on the fenders, and drink a s*** load of beer and ponder about life with my old man.
Made good progress today but only took one picture and then forgot the rest of the day. Finshed breaking off, drilling out, and tapping all of the broken bolts, welded in all of the patch panels, and laid the first few passes of body filler in. I got a bit of work done on the frame as well tearing off the last few peices that needed to come off and tackling the last bits of surface rust. No rust thru anywhere and actually worried the chassis coat won't stick as 50% of the frame had some sort of overspray from the coating they used on the tub and it is brand new the day it was made metal. Tomorrow I'm going to focus on sealing the frame with the chassis saver after I clean up a few more small spots and my dad is going to try and finish most of the body work on the tub, fenders, and hood.
Decided to go with a U-POL spray on the bottom and on the bottom of the interior. Going with the tintable and matching with my color (though I hear it may be a bit lighter). Hopefully it makes it here soon as we are hoping to spray Saturday and Sunday. Don't think it will arrive in time and I will be doing a lot of this work by myself next Friday as they are closed on Thursday as well for Thanksgiving.
More pictures tomorrow I swear. Just lots of boring time consuming work lately and not much to show for it, besides a few small interior parts and some bumperettes.
Used the couple days the shop was closed to blast some parts here at the house, shop around town for materials, redid all of my seats (paint and recovered), and some body work on the fenders, and drink a s*** load of beer and ponder about life with my old man.
Made good progress today but only took one picture and then forgot the rest of the day. Finshed breaking off, drilling out, and tapping all of the broken bolts, welded in all of the patch panels, and laid the first few passes of body filler in. I got a bit of work done on the frame as well tearing off the last few peices that needed to come off and tackling the last bits of surface rust. No rust thru anywhere and actually worried the chassis coat won't stick as 50% of the frame had some sort of overspray from the coating they used on the tub and it is brand new the day it was made metal. Tomorrow I'm going to focus on sealing the frame with the chassis saver after I clean up a few more small spots and my dad is going to try and finish most of the body work on the tub, fenders, and hood.
Decided to go with a U-POL spray on the bottom and on the bottom of the interior. Going with the tintable and matching with my color (though I hear it may be a bit lighter). Hopefully it makes it here soon as we are hoping to spray Saturday and Sunday. Don't think it will arrive in time and I will be doing a lot of this work by myself next Friday as they are closed on Thursday as well for Thanksgiving.
More pictures tomorrow I swear. Just lots of boring time consuming work lately and not much to show for it, besides a few small interior parts and some bumperettes.
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Bodean
Hot Damn
Try some Kroil on those hinge screws. Kroil is the best penetrant made. Google it. Your Wal Mart or Auto Zone doesn't carry it I'm sure.
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- #58
Old seat new seat. The second one turned out better. I'll take some better pictures as I cleaned up and painted all of the hardware as well.
Quick review of the Cruiser Corps seats. Don't have anything to compare them to but for the money they need a tad bit of work. Fit and finish is good. It is the details though. The front seat tops have a poor seam (on both seats) near the bottom outside. We managed to rip them both while putting them on. We were very careful the second time and it happened again with minimal pressure. It is hidden so not a bid deal but still something I wasn't happy about. Also the original seat covers come with metal bands to help hold the hog rings and keep them from ripping. These do not and you have to use the threads as support. Something tells me these will not last long. Being made in America I was expecting more. I guess I should have bought Japanese. But over all again they are very nice seat covers. I guess $400 doesn't buy what it used to.
Quick review of the Cruiser Corps seats. Don't have anything to compare them to but for the money they need a tad bit of work. Fit and finish is good. It is the details though. The front seat tops have a poor seam (on both seats) near the bottom outside. We managed to rip them both while putting them on. We were very careful the second time and it happened again with minimal pressure. It is hidden so not a bid deal but still something I wasn't happy about. Also the original seat covers come with metal bands to help hold the hog rings and keep them from ripping. These do not and you have to use the threads as support. Something tells me these will not last long. Being made in America I was expecting more. I guess I should have bought Japanese. But over all again they are very nice seat covers. I guess $400 doesn't buy what it used to.
- Thread starter
- #59
Todays work. The frame looks like crap in these pictures but I got it all covered and it layes out nice. I'm very impressed with the Chassis Saver that I used. Everything I read gave it better reviews than POR-15 and it was cheaper and could pick it up locally. Once I pull the springs off and put in new bushings I will put a coat on the springs and finish off the axle housing. I'll clean up the front when I rebuild the front axle and put in the new tie-rods.
My dad is a perfectionist and I just want to keep on schedule. The body is going to turn out very nice. Nice materials and a lot of good old body work. Sure wish I would have had time to get this sandblasted but not in the budget or in the timeline.
Hope to have some more final shots tomorrow. Think we will get the U-POL shot on Sunday but I will be on my own after Thanksgiving to shoot the rest of the parts.
My dad is a perfectionist and I just want to keep on schedule. The body is going to turn out very nice. Nice materials and a lot of good old body work. Sure wish I would have had time to get this sandblasted but not in the budget or in the timeline.
Hope to have some more final shots tomorrow. Think we will get the U-POL shot on Sunday but I will be on my own after Thanksgiving to shoot the rest of the parts.
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- #60
It looks like a lot of body filler but it is a very light skim and most of it was sanded off. This will be 10X straighter than any LC from the factory.
