Builds complete BJ45 rebuild start next week in Bolivia (2 Viewers)

[mailking]

some more images:

Esteban again playing with fire. Smoke coming from every corner.

We gather more hands in order to get the tub on the frame. A little adjusting and it sits good. Still al little high because we need more weight for the leaf springs to get lower.

ready to get started mounting stuff. The engine sill needs some cleaning and I want to look at the oily side, together with Caesar I will change some seals and get the valves checked out.

Looking good.

This is how the rubber cushions look like from underneath.

Here a close up from a cushion made from a truck tire.

The back also needs some adjusting. I guess that the previous owner never installed any cushions here, and we made some holes, but they do not even out, so we have to drill some new holes for the cushions at the back.

My new seat needs some adjusting as well, as the rails will not fit instantly on the original bars.

And yet another Cruiser, This one is pimped, but I like this one rather. All over covered in Stainless Steel alan bolts.

But still the thought of putting a wing on the top of your car seems a bit ridiculous to me. Why would you do that, it serves no purpose. Or am I wrong?

Coen

 

[twoyotas]

agreed - the "spoiler" is ridiculous

 

[lostmarbles]

....But still the thought of putting a wing on the top of your car seems a bit ridiculous to me. Why would you do that, it serves no purpose. Or am I wrong? ...Coen

It has a lot to do with Roundup Weedkiller, mercury amalgam fillings, the use of hormones (for a time) in poultry production, etc etc.

We've now tainted mankind with so many foreign chemicals that they've damaged that part of the brain that controls reasoning.

Scientific experiments have proven that putting yourselves and your children on liver-cleansing diets (LCDs) will help stop further degradation.

And it just so happens that I've branched out into that side of things and can now offer MUD members LCDs at bargain rates.

 

[TOBASH]

Might I make a suggestion.

Looking at the things there as they are, I think you need to be careful when you near the end of the rebuild.

If you plan to leave on say a Monday, tell everyone you are leaving first thing Wednesday, then leave at 11 PM Monday.

Also do not pre-load all your belongings onto your vehicle as they can then steal it and leave you with nothing.

People are always nice while you are giving them money, and they always appear to be your friends when you line their palms with Silver.

When the money dries up, people get unpredictable.

Right now, no mattter how poor you think you are, you are rich and an outsider in their eyes.

You need to take precautions, and be careful.

Best,

T

 

[mailking]

Might I make a suggestion.

Looking at the things there as they are, I think you need to be careful when you near the end of the rebuild.

If you plan to leave on say a Monday, tell everyone you are leaving first thing Wednesday, then leave at 11 PM Monday.

Also do not pre-load all your belongings onto your vehicle as they can then steal it and leave you with nothing.

People are always nice while you are giving them money, and they always appear to be your friends when you line their palms with Silver.

When the money dries up, people get unpredictable.

Right now, no mattter how poor you think you are, you are rich and an outsider in their eyes.

You need to take precautions, and be careful.

Best,

T

Hmmmm... Looks like you had a bad experience somewhere? To bad. I agree that you always have to be careful, and if I am to cross a international frontier, I never say when I leave or where to. I don´t want anybody sticking anything under my car. But in this case these are all my friends by now. All my tools are lying around and after a good days work, I don´t have the energy anymore to start collecting them and carry them home.
Anyways, I think you see the things too dark. The world is full of beautiful people. I remember we were walking in Rio de Janeiro and I took my back-up camera with me, just to be on the careful side. Then we met a friend with his big lens and stuff. I asked if he weren´t scared of ´loosing´it. He smiled and said. Sure, but I like nice images as well, and if I have to leave that camera at home, I won´t have any pictures. So if they really want it, they can have it, but I am not leaving that thing at home... Differend ways of thinking....

 

[mailking]

All of a sudden this little 1969 Toyota Corona is cheering me up when it drives up on the bridge behind me. Looking really nice.

Esteban is working his modeling magic with the grey stuff.

I am working my creativity on getting a solution for my new seat which doesn't like the Land Cruiser rail. So I am cutting pieces of left over steel and feet of the original rail and weld up something that will fit. Som black paint and all looks like new. Ready to get leathered up.

Alex is working his ass off on the pieces that litter the place. Sanding is his main job this week.

Simon is getting the fender super smooth.

Pieces lying all over the place in different stages of restauration. Degreasing, wire brushing, sanding, filler, sanding, primer, sanding, filler, sanding, paint, sanding, varnish.

The tub must get a bit lower on the frame which is not easy because of the great tension that is sitting between them.

When that happens, we see the pieces just under the doors bending. We have to solve that on a later stage. First we must get more pieces on the tub.

The gutter and seals aren't looking that great. Karin-Marijke found some original Toyota looking molded roof seal per meter.

We decide to redo the gutter by a specialist. 3 to 4 days work for 100 USD.

Coen

 

[otilly]

All in all I think the reason for all that rust is probably not cleaning the car. When your on the road try to find a hose or even nicer a powerwasher with a sputnik and clean out that new looking frame!!
Every month or after a muddy track will keep the cruiser in shape.

I recognized your remark towards the person who was afraid of theft: me myself am probably worse: I wouldn't dare to do what you are doing. That's why it's so great you share your adventures with us: because I'm too scared.

Now when the car is finished, maybe you should sell it and buy a used old one and continue your journey.

 

[mailking]

Now when the car is finished, maybe you should sell it and buy a used old one and continue your journey.

The car is going to look like new indeed.... But I bought some mud in spray cans, so we´ll keep it covered in mud all the time. Nobody will notice it is brand new underneath

 

[mailking]

We have many testing going on trying to fit every piece.

The cockpit is varnished so that I can start getting things wired when it is dry in a few days.

Little adjustments are made, but over all things are going great.

The other side brings more problems. Esteban redid the whole back curve and now doesn't sit well.

I separated the gutter from the roof. The roof is awaiting a big job. Initially I wanted a stainless steel gutter or even aluminium, but here in Bolivia that stuff is really expensive. It isn't used on a large scale, so pretty exclusive. To bad.

Alex and Esteban working with heavy tools to make the panels sit good on the tub.

The engine is clean and ready for the next step. New thermostat, clutchplate and pressureplate, setting valves, new seal on the breather side, and fixing a little hole that I punched in the carter. Unluckily Caesar is calling to say that he doesn't have any time any more to take these jobs and that I have to tackle this problem myself.

Simon is getting the fenders and grille on.

This begins to look like a car now isn't it?

Coen

 

[Andino]

Hi from Cochabamba
Glad to see that you are progressing quickly. Don't worry about the fine for overstaying your visa - it is about $2/person/day. You can get a lawyer to do the paperwork for you to pay your fines before you leave.

The Famacs springs are nice. I got a pair on my '55 and they are smooth. They have urethane bushings though.

Keep up the good work there!!

 

[mailking]

Hi from Cochabamba
Glad to see that you are progressing quickly. Don't worry about the fine for overstaying your visa - it is about $2/person/day. You can get a lawyer to do the paperwork for you to pay your fines before you leave.

The Famacs springs are nice. I got a pair on my '55 and they are smooth. They have urethane bushings though.

Keep up the good work there!!

Let us see what the future brings? They keep changing the rules of the game, so no use of speculating...

 

[mailking]

I redid the master brake cylinder and bought a new clutch cylinder.

Thinking about where the heck all those lines went.

Luckily I have the parts manual where I find good images of where all the lines, tubes and hoses go.

Now that we are going to have a spare on the back, we have to switch over the licence plate to the other door. So the carrier with the lights have to be transfered.

Several parts of the cockpit are getting a new coat of metallic grey.

As well as the light caps of the license plate holder [in the back].

Coen

 

[Andino]

"Let us see what the future brings? They keep changing the rules of the game, so no use of speculating..."

You've got that right!! I have friends (family of 6) that just got kicked out of the immigration system after applying in August last year. Supposedly they have to start from 0.

Question - where did you get your Mexican urethane spring bushings? I can't find them down here.

Thanks!

 

[CruisetheLand]

This is truly an amazing venture. I really appreciate your dedication to your thread.

 

[DanS HJ-45]

Coen:

That is really coming along nicely! The yellowish/tan paint really looks good on your truck. I really like the idea of painting EVERYTHING that color on your truck.

Dan

 

[John McVicker]

Coen, outstanding. Just truly outstanding.

Appreciate the time you are taking with your Cruiser AND this thread.

John

 

[mailking]

"Let us see what the future brings? They keep changing the rules of the game, so no use of speculating..."

You've got that right!! I have friends (family of 6) that just got kicked out of the immigration system after applying in August last year. Supposedly they have to start from 0.

Question - where did you get your Mexican urethane spring bushings? I can't find them down here.

Thanks!

The bushings I bought in a shopt called Vanguard near Plaze Sucre in the San Pedro region of La Paz.

 

[mailking]

Coen:

That is really coming along nicely! The yellowish/tan paint really looks good on your truck. I really like the idea of painting EVERYTHING that color on your truck.

Dan

Haha, this is so if I loose a part somewhere, it will stick out and be easier to find...

I remember changing a broken leaf in Pakistan. The guys gave me a Pepsi and sat me down on a tree trunk while waiting. Everything done by hand. Hammering with huge hammers to get a new leaf in the same curving. When done I did a quick inspection and saw a nice big tension washer in the sand. Picked it up and put it in my pocket without thinking. A few feet further I saw another one. Close inspection learned it was yellowish... !!! They were ours... The guys never got those washers between the nuts.... Lifesaver, or not, paint your stuff.

Coen

 

[mailking]

I don't know how many zip lock bags with parts are awaiting their turn.

Simon is adjusting the hood. Everything must fit exactly. Otherwise the door might not close correctly for instance.

I am still working under the hood.

Adjusting needs time and patience.

Esteban is cutting up the back a few times to weld reinforcements and nuts as to accommodate the spare wheel carrier. Our longbody Cruiser was never prepared for this as the smaller versions have, so we have to improvise here.

We are fitting the support here.

The inside of the side panel is getting the same treatment. Reinforcements and welded stainless steel nuts.

This is how it is going to look when finished.

This little socket is sitting on the inside of the glove compartment. Never new we had that until we took it all apart and discovered it. Don't know why it is there or what voltage it would be. I guess 24 volt. Maybe a light?

I am getting the wiring in.

Adventurous greetings,
Coen

 

[mailking]

Question: I want to connect the new fuel intake to the tank. I have a flexible radiator hose lying around with the good dimensions. But will that do for a diesel inlet? The hose hase metal wiring inside...