Build: 40/80 Trash Panda (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Threads
37
Messages
161
Location
Taos, NM
It's been a while since I've been in the 40 forums. I'll keep this thread geared a bit more towards the build than my previous one, Travels with Elmo + Build.

I recently moved to middle Tennessee from Pennsylvania (trading country for COUNTRY) and knew I needed a project to keep me busy. Found a gem in Arkansas for the right price (just a few thousand more than 'free') and boy was it in rough shape.

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Friendly gents in the Bush Hog pushed it up onto the trailer. Threw a few new dents in there too, free of charge.

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The 80, 'ol Elmo, towed it just fine. (Thankful that TN is flat as a board, so the 80 didn't have to work too hard)


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Turns out this 40 spent lots of its life driving back and forth between Arkansas and California for summer trips. She was ridden hard and put away dirty. Original engine had long since been replaced with a SBC, which had blown sometime in the 90s, when this was last parked. Looks like a tree had fallen on its roof at some point, a hole cut out in the floor for the battery, gallons and gallons of bondo used even when unnecessary, and almost every fastener replaced with something found in a parts bin.

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She's got extra holes. And not the good kind.

I started disassembly right away. Got the fender, heater fan, front clip, hood all off. Whoever modified this did it with farm tools all the way. Oxy torch to the frame, Huge C-channel front bumper welded together with some leftover stainless rod, metal stakes chopped up and welded back on to use as radiator supports, etc.
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Powered by Pickles. (That's the shop dog's name)
 
This looks interesting.






So does this.
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Took off the doors, surprisingly little rust, will only need a bit of repair. Passenger door has a huge dent in the side so its pretty mangled. It came with a spare, so I'll likely use that.
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Another shining example of the fine craftsmanship of the previous owner. These were the various shims used to hold the steering wheel column to the firewall rib. Oof.
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Started working on the dash to get all the mess removed. We're starting from scratch!
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Working on removing the top. Rear glass was shattered so removed that oh-so-carefully. With a 2-lb sledge. EVERY bolt is rusted. 80% of the bolts have snapped off. No amount of oil penetrant or heat is gonna help with this one.
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I'm really digging the buck window stickers. Fancy.
 
@rkymtnflyfisher We're just getting started.

Here's the backside
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He liked to braze. Leak won't stop? Braze it.
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Top won't stay on? Braze it. (Then bondo the ever living crap out of it)
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But I digress....

Here we are marking out our cut lines...... oh wait. You didn't think this was a restoration, did you?

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Top and sides were removed without too much trouble.
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Pulled the roll cage (For sale!) and started cutting with the grinder. Some spots are tricky and can't get in there tight enough with the angle grinder, so had to switch to sawzall occasionally.
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I wanted to save the fenderwells for potential re-use, so I was careful to cut those out as intact as I could.
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No turning back now!
 
I'll be shortening the cab to turn it into a 'bastard 45' as @archie73 so eloquently put it. But leaving a bit extra so that I can actually have a bit of legroom and also to keep a little side window.

The length should end up somewhere around here:

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The square tubing channels that the top rests on are a little rusty inside, just some surface stuff. Wondering how I should treat that...? Would have to do it soon because I want to start tacking it back into place.
 
I'll be shortening the cab to turn it into a 'bastard 45' as @archie73 so eloquently put it. But leaving a bit extra so that I can actually have a bit of legroom and also to keep a little side window.

The length should end up somewhere around here:

View attachment 2992007

The square tubing channels that the top rests on are a little rusty inside, just some surface stuff. Wondering how I should treat that...? Would have to do it soon because I want to start tacking it back into place.
Glad to see the progress!!! Believe me, there is no disrespect meant in that moniker. I’m currently working on a bastard f100 and keeping my mutt ‘40 alive. The struggle is real.
 
No offense taken, the entire point of this thing is to bastardize the hell out of it.

Enter the newcomer into the ring.....affectionately named Dumpster Fire.

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She ain't much to look at, but that's OK. It's not the looks that count, it's what's inside. Or rather, underside.

This 80 had been parted out and passed around a few times, so I don't feel bad about what I was going to do to it next.
 
@Dusten Keep the lube, it wont do you any good; I've already removed the tailpipe.

Got Dumpster Fire all stripped down. Anyone want a rust-free 80 shell??

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Time to do some sketchy sh*t, doo dah, doo dah..........

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Had to remove the rear wheels to slide the frame out from underneath.

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30 years of dirt came off pretty easily with a pressure washer. Not a speck of rust in sight.

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@Dusten Keep the lube, it wont do you any good; I've already removed the tailpipe.


Time to do some sketchy sh*t, doo dah, doo dah..........

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If no one is looking, you gotta do what you gotta do…
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I was getting the axle under it so I could easily roll it off the trailer. OSHA wasn’t quik enough to catch me.
 
Sketchy sketchy, I like it!

The front of the 80 frame sticks out much further than the 40s, so I'll have to move this crossbrace back so that the front bib will have something to land on.

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Welds cut

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Brace flipped and repositioned. I won't weld back into place until I'm 100% sure on the placement.

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First mockup

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@archie73 No plans for widening the body. I'll extend the fenders out a couple inches so I'm not flinging mud everywhere though. I plan to make the fenders out of tubing, once I can find a tubing bender I like.

I shaved all the old body mounts off the 80 chassis, as none of them would line up to the ones on the 40 tub.

Got the tub and rear mocked up into place.

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Next up I'll have to start fabricating the body mounts and get those welded in. I'll be re-using the rubber pucks and cups from the 80 mounts because why not.
 
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Digging’ this, and I’m mostly an originalist 😂.

Flat bed with wheel wells or a ute bed?
 

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