Builds Doc's 1978 FJ40 Rebuild (1 Viewer)

[Jdc1]

Looks great. It looks like we might get a little bit of a warmup next week. The snow today was worse than the storm that was supposed to take us out earlier this week. I can't wait to see the front clip in color.

Out of curiosity, how many of the dogs were labs? I had a chocolate that would eat anything. Straw, gravel, rocks, undies, socks, wrappers, etc. The thing that finally required surgery was part of a groundhog skeleton that a sock got wrapped around. My current GSD will chew things but doesn't eat them like all 3 of my labs did.

 

[TractorDoc]

Out of curiosity, how many of the dogs were labs? I had a chocolate that would eat anything. Straw, gravel, rocks, undies, socks, wrappers, etc. The thing that finally required surgery was part of a groundhog skeleton that a sock got wrapped around. My current GSD will chew things but doesn't eat them like all 3 of my labs did.

Hey Jesse,
This weeks participants included a basset hound, blood hound, and pit bull.
In my experience 95% of "stuff" that gets eaten will get brought back up or simply pass thru. One of my technicians has a lab that she left at the clinic for a weekend awhile back and I was in charge of walking/keeping an eye on it. She brought in a cantaloupe size hard plastic ball and left it in the dog run with the pooch. I walked him in the morning and the ball was there, when I came back later in the day the ball was gone. I thought someone must have taken the ball out and didn't give it a second thought. . . until I walked him the next day and he passed a bunch of small ball colored plastic pieces!

The items that usually cause problems are fabric/string or something with an irregular surface. Over the years Ive removed lots of fabric and the occasional oddity like a baby pacifier, rubber ducky, chunk of corn cob, an almond (from a cat. . . never could figure out why a cat would eat a whole almond), fish hooks, etc. I have found a lot of incidental items on x-rays that never did seem to bother the patient. . . one of my favorites was a yellow lab that had several golf balls in its stomach. . . during its stay at the hospital he yacked one up and it rolled over to and down the PVC drain pipe in the dog run. . . a hole in one.

 

[mrboatman]

Yellow labs are good dogs. Ours has to go in for surgery on Monday to have a few fat mass removed 1 is kinda large pretty much goes down the length of her side and up to the shoulder. The other we just adopted about a week ago and has been great so far. Dave your truck is looking good keep up the great work.

 

[Disasterman]

Sorry Doc, have to comment on the dog eating stuff stories, god bless the vet's. My first Britt, Shelby ate my wife's diamond earrings, I brought home some latex gloves and my wife found them in a couple days. Same Brittany ate a pile of staples that one of my workers had handled with greasy (McDonalds) hands, fortunately passed them though. On another occasion, we had a pig roast, Shelby was laying underneath the roaster catching the fat dripping down, later during the same party she grabbed and ran away with a giant round loaf of bread and ate the whole thing. By the end of the night she looked like she swallowed a watermelon. Great, determined bird dog and grouse master, I miss her every day.

 

[TractorDoc]

Yellow labs are good dogs. Ours has to go in for surgery on Monday to have a few fat mass removed 1 is kinda large pretty much goes down the length of her side and up to the shoulder. The other we just adopted about a week ago and has been great so far. Dave your truck is looking good keep up the great work.

Thanks JP.
Fat growths called "lipomas" are pretty commonly found on dogs. . . especially larger dogs with a couple of years to them. Most of the time they do not cause a problem but they can grow in awkward locations and removing them can help with mobility. Good thing is they do not spread and can usually be removed without trouble.

Sorry Doc, have to comment on the dog eating stuff stories, god bless the vet's. My first Britt, Shelby ate my wife's diamond earrings, I brought home some latex gloves and my wife found them in a couple days. Same Brittany ate a pile of staples that one of my workers had handled with greasy (McDonalds) hands, fortunately passed them though. On another occasion, we had a pig roast, Shelby was laying underneath the roaster catching the fat dripping down, later during the same party she grabbed and ran away with a giant round loaf of bread and ate the whole thing. By the end of the night she looked like she swallowed a watermelon. Great, determined bird dog and grouse master, I miss her every day.

Not sure what triggers some dogs to eat what they do. . . I do not know if Id have the stomach to put the earrings back in my ears no matter how thorough I cleaned them!
You will not hear any complaints from me for a good dog story, I hope everyone is fortunate to have at least one good dog in their lifetime. As mentioned in an earlier post I was lucky enough to have the companionship of Earl, a heeler/beagle mix, for 15 years. He never needed a leash, would chase a frisbee for hours, and loved riding in whatever vehicle you were in. . . and would let you hear it if you tried driving off without him no matter if it was the Kubota, Pickup Truck, or even the Dozer. I took this picture in his last year. . . even though his body slowed down his mind was sharp to the end.

Earl never had a chance to ride in the 40, but Im sure he would have enjoyed it.

I gave the air compressor a workout today. While the weather warmed up some it is still way too cold to consider any type of painting. I did take advantage of today's lack of precipitation though to roll out the the little sandblaster and clean up the front bib. I elected to use the sandblaster outside vs. the blasting cabinet because it is a little more aggressive and makes quicker work of cleaning up old paint/rust. I did not clean up the fenders this way because the metal looked to be a bit thinner and I did not want to warp the flat areas. The bib had a couple layers of paint and was rustier than the fenders so taking this step was a real time saver.

I also cleaned up the driver side fender. Team effort again with the DA sander and blasting cabinet. Visibility inside the blasting cabinet has become an issue. . . inside the cabinet the glass window has a plastic film stuck to it to protect the glass from the abrasive (kind of like a protective cover on a cell phone). The plastic starts out clear but after enough abrasive hits it the view fogs over and the plastic gets replaced. I am on my last plastic cover and need to order some new ones. . . I am trying to get by with peeking thru a tiny hole of visibility and going by feel. I sprayed the fenders down with metal prep solution to kill any remaining rust and gently etch the surface prior to primer.

Most of the time today was spent in front of the blasting cabinet or outside with the sandblaster in hand. Not very exciting stuff, but hopefully worth it when the time comes for paint. I have more blasting in front of me. . . I want to also have the side hood supports ready for the next round of painting as well. My goal is to get the bib, fenders, hood side supports, and vent doors ready for paint when I get a good weather window. I will also give the new brake lines and any other piece I can have ready in the mean time a good coat of epoxy primer at the same time.

I did decide to go with the original instruction plate for the glove box cover. A couple coats of clear coat brightened it up but it still looks authentic. Instead of rivets I found some brass screws to secure the plate to the lid. Yes, I am that OCD that I made sure all the slots on the screw heads were in the same position.

I do not know if "pocket" on the glove box handle is supposed to have white letters or not. . . I will have to do some research on that. More parts cleaning and preparation will be goals for the upcoming week. To add a little variety to my work I may have to start some steering wheel restoration as well. . . standing in front of the blasting cabinet does not make for a stimulating work environment or for interesting thread posts.

 

[TractorDoc]

The last few days have been a blast. . . at least for the parts in the blasting cabinet. I accomplished my goal of cleaning up the front fenders, bib, hood aprons, and vent door covers as the first step of having them ready for paint should a good weather window arrive.

There is a small amount of finesse work that needs to take place. Someone decided to drill two small holes at the top/center of the bib that need welded up. The hood aprons were solid but there were several areas of spot rust that actually penetrated thru/made a hole in the metal. Amazing that everything is nearly full thickness but several spots had pinpoint rust that ate completely thru. Those holes can be welded up as well. . . and while I had the welder out I was having thoughts about mixing up the apron emblems a bit. I will be using '78 aprons that do not have the hole for front marker lights and should be using the plastic "Toyota Land Cruiser" emblems for the side. (Purchased the proper set of emblems from Racer's website -- if you look closely at the label it says "Ornament Food Side" -- wonder if the label technician at the factory was hungry?) The problem I am having is I like the earlier style emblems better. The font appeals to me more and I like the fact that they are metal vs. the other's being plastic. Probably cheap, rust prone metal but metal still. The PO of the '72 truck kindly provided me with a box full of parts purchased for the truck years ago -- items like emblems, windshield wipers, seat belts, mirrors, and such -- items very low on the list of priorities needed for the truck given the condition it was in. I will weld up the original holes then drill new holes for the old style emblems (Thank You PO) on the '78 aprons and use that look for my build. Hopefully this is not some kind of "Toyota Taboo."

In the background of the last pic you can see the mesh grille screen that I also took the time to blast, spray down with Spray Max 2K Epoxy primer and then a topcoat of gloss black. Add the new grille badge and it will be ready and waiting for the blue bib. Blasting the years and coats of old paint on the mesh screen was an exercise in patience.

While I had the epoxy primer and black paint out I decided to carry my efforts over to the charcoal canister and associated brackets. There is one extra bracket in the picture that is not associated with the canister -- bonus points for those that know what it is/where it goes.

Finally, I epoxy primed the brake, clutch, and other associated lines then gave them a topcoat of silver before installing them on the firewall. I was down to installing the last line mounting bracket and realized I was one short. The missing clamp should secure the bottom two lines (front brake and clutch) just to the left of the brake booster in the picture. I had to crawl inside the blasting cabinet and undertake an excavation project to find the missing clamp -- it had slipped down into the media during the cleanup process. Finished cleaning/painting the clamp today and should be ready for installation by the weekend.

What will the weekend bring. . . bleeding brakes? Metal work on the front end pieces? Stick pickup in the yard? That probably should be done but wont likely happen due to rain in the forecast. There are all sorts of pre-spring activities looming; all the more reason to make as much progress in the shop while I can.

 

[handcannon]

I did decide to go with the original instruction plate for the glove box cover. A couple coats of clear coat brightened it up but it still looks authentic. Instead of rivets I found some brass screws to secure the plate to the lid. Yes, I am that OCD that I made sure all the slots on the screw heads were in the same position.
View attachment 1424086

Your OCD sounds like what I have put up with over the years. For the last several years that I worked I installed cabinets. One thing that always haunted me was when replacing electrical plates. The screws holding the plates HAD to have the slots in a vertical position.

On another note, the non-puppy Boxer (Jasper) in my avatar (about a year old there) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime dogs. He is now over 11 years old (beyond senior years for a Boxer), and as grey as can be. But he is still sharp minded, and the puppy still comes out at times. I have a small run and a large run for the Boxers, separated by a fence with a gate. Several years ago I had the dogs in the small run while I mowed the large run. Suddenly I noticed Jasper out with me. My daughter put him back in the small run, and within a very short time he was back out with me. My daughter put him back in the small run again, and then watched him, trying to do so without him noticing. He went over to the chain link gate, used his mouth and tongue, opened the gate, turned and looked directly at my daughter as if to tell her "don't do that again", and then went and laid down.

Don

 

[GHalll]

Intake scoop bracket? Everything is looking fancy!

 

[TractorDoc]

Your OCD sounds like what I have put up with over the years. For the last several years that I worked I installed cabinets. One thing that always haunted me was when replacing electrical plates. The screws holding the plates HAD to have the slots in a vertical position.

I have the same problem Don. While I am not a professional cabinet installer by any means I did make an attempt to gut and remodel an 1800's farmhouse a number of years back. When it finally came time to installing the electric box covers I always had to have the screws turned the same way. . . but the slots were in the horizontal position . . . now I am wondering if I should go back and turn everything vertical. . .

On another note, the non-puppy Boxer (Jasper) in my avatar (about a year old there) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime dogs. He is now over 11 years old (beyond senior years for a Boxer), and as grey as can be. But he is still sharp minded, and the puppy still comes out at times. I have a small run and a large run for the Boxers, separated by a fence with a gate. Several years ago I had the dogs in the small run while I mowed the large run. Suddenly I noticed Jasper out with me. My daughter put him back in the small run, and within a very short time he was back out with me. My daughter put him back in the small run again, and then watched him, trying to do so without him noticing. He went over to the chain link gate, used his mouth and tongue, opened the gate, turned and looked directly at my daughter as if to tell her "don't do that again", and then went and laid down.

Sounds like Jasper is not a fan of confinement! Boxers are great dogs; 98% of boxers that come to visit me at the office are happy, fun dogs with great dispositions. Same for my niece boxer (sister's dog, so I guess that makes me the uncle??) -- although it does not care for cats and will give one a good chase if the opportunity arises.

Speaking of dogs. . . yesterday was a wild one at the office and was topped off with a 145lb. Mastiff in labor that was having trouble. Not the best picture but tried taking a one of an x-ray to show a couple of the puppy skeletons:

The film quality is not the best as the dog's thickness maxed out the penetrating ability of my radiograph machine. Ended up taking the dog to surgery for a C-section. One pup was stuck on its way out but we managed to pull out seven more lively ones. . . combine that with the six mom already had at home and all I can say is I feel sorry for her!!

Intake scoop bracket? Everything is looking fancy!

@GHalll sure knows his FJ40 Anatomy!

I did not paint the intake horn as there was a bit of rough stuff on the surface that Id like to smooth out first. Maybe try some welding today -- this is if I can make it over to the workshop. Still have some carry over from yesterday to deal with here at the office plus a number of errands to run. . . at least the weather is taking a turn for the warmer and I am thinking I will finally get a haircut. Usually I am just happy the hair is on top of my head and during colder weather it acts as a natural hat. Every couple months or so when I can find the time I stop into one of the hair chains (I affectionately refer to it as "Crooked Clips") and when they ask how Id like it cut I just tell them not to make me look too ugly. I am at a point in life where I am not out to impress anyone; I am lucky enough that if they do not respect my request the hair has always grown back!

 

[TractorDoc]

This weekend's efforts involved getting serious with the welder. I am not a huge fan of flux core wire but it is convenient and works great for removing broken bolts and in situations where the grinder can compensate for lack of technique. Last fall I was looking thru the clearance section at TSC (Tractor Supply Company -- not sure if they are a nationwide chain or not. Great place to buy a flannel shirt or dog food but very little tractor supplies actually in the store. . . ) and found a small CO2 bottle marked down to $25! Snagged it up and drug it out today -- hooked it up to the welder, swapped out the wire, and filled in several of the holes drilled into my sheet metal.

If you look closely at the picture the C-clamp Vise-Grip is holding down a small piece of copper pipe that I squished flat. I filled in the hole from the backside -- the weld will not adhere to the copper and left a flat surface on the front side. I did have to touch the front up a little bit but the openings were closed in short order.

A good part of my time was spent on the hood aprons and emblems. A couple posts back I brought up the idea of using the '72 emblem on the '78 apron. I apologize in advance to Toyota purists but I went forward with my plan. Feel free to skip thru the next group of pictures. . . you have been warned!

I started by determining where to position the emblem. Once I had placement figured out I had to mark where to drill the new holes. The easiest way I could think to do this was to dab orange paint on the emblem studs and touch the surface of the apron in the desired location.

With my commitment issues (usually I cannot) out the window I went forward with drilling holes. I quickly learned that the holes for the older style emblem needed to be much larger than I thought -- if you look at the backside of the emblem you can see a "shoulder" that passes thru the holes in addition to the studs. Once the new holes were drilled I proceeded to weld/fill in the original holes. . . as well as a couple of rust holes. With one side finished I took a picture of both styles side by side to make sure I was still happy with my idea.

Full disclosure -- after I finished everything I showed the above picture to Mrs. TractorDoc and asked her which she liked better. Of course she said the top one . Whatever. I did not have her opinion to make me rethink my efforts at the time. . . so onward I went. Seeing the two options side by side I still preferred the older style and I made the same modifications to the passenger side. Once the welding was done I did give the aprons a light coating of metal filler that still needs sanded/smoothed, but wanted to take a picture of the "finished" product.

I am happy with the result. It will probably leave some folks scratching their heads when trying to "date" the truck by its appearance. I think of it as a way of personalizing the truck and making it mine while still keeping it true to (an) original design. Even though the Mrs. likes the original emblem better (now she says she likes them both after I told her my side of the story ) at the end of the day I will own my idea. . . I really do like the look of the older style!

Of course I had to take a few minutes to install a few more hoses, lines, etc. to the firewall. I just about have all those empty holes filled with bolts.

No brakes bled today but there is always next week. Ran out of time after pulling an enormous tree out of the stream due to the strong winds awhile back. It was not good for firewood (soft wood -- cotton wood or poplar?) but was damming up the water and would have caused erosion of the stream banks if not removed. We also had to spend some time getting the excavator unstuck after it slid down the bank and in between two trees. Just another day in the life. . .

 

[TractorDoc]

Another week (or more) has come and gone and I thought it was time to make a post. . . even for little things.
Warmer weather brings more demanding activities and I do not get to sit down much; much less spend some significant shop time working on the 40. Greenhouse is in full swing; took a picture today. Does it look any different from last time?

I did sneak a couple hours out on Friday to go a pinball show of all things. . . I wanted to drag a fellow MUD member along with me but sadly we could not get our schedules to match. Picture a gathering of 40s, parts, and people that enjoy them; then replace the 40s with pinball machines and here you go:

Only spent an hour or so there as stuff at the office needed my attention but I was able to play a few machines I had not seen before. Yep, there is a show/meet for anything!

Back to the important stuff. Ive spent a good bit of time disassembling the heater unit and carb cooling fan as well as getting the metal pieces cleaned up. Luckily the mouses that lived in the heater did not damage the core or chew up the plastic. . . just hope I can wash it out well enough to eliminate any rodent stench.

A side thought, my heater blower assembly works fine but I will be needing a new lower piece as mine is cracked up / missing pieces where it meets the louvers on the cowl. Will have to remember to put a wanted ad in the classifieds.

I have the rough filler work done on the fenders, bib, and hood aprons. They will be ready for primer when the weather permits. A few nice days have popped up here and there with some sunshine but nothing warm enough to justify bringing out the paint gun. Looks like rain the rest of this week (and maybe even snow on Friday??) so this collection does not look to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Lastly, I was able to clean up and paint my steering wheel. When I first started with it I thought the wheel may have come with some sort of rubberized coating from the factory. Reading the archives the "coating" is/was likely oxidized plastic. I gave the wheel a good sanding down and cleaning, then sprayed several coats of SEM's satin coating for vinyl/plastics. I originally bought the "paint" (they describe it as more of a coating) to spray the headrests but will probably have to order more as I used up the can on the wheel. Not perfect (only because I tried to move it too soon ) but I still think it turned out nice. Much better than what I started with.

The little white horn details on the buttons were worn off before I started. The original and previous owners must have been aggressive honkers!

I plan to keep plugging away at the little stuff until paint weather arrives. I am also getting closer to bringing the tub back over to set back on the frame for a test fit. I know everything (fenders, cowl, tub, etc.) fit fine when I started but that was on the '78 frame. I also want to set the tub in place so I can start drilling holes for seat brackets, roll bar, etc. Not my most productive week in the shop, just more distractions than usual going on outside of it!

 

[TractorDoc]

Ill start off by stating that I cut the grass Tuesday. The dogs were having to jump thru patches (they have nubby legs in their defense) and if I did not get after it the clippings would soon start to clog the mower. That being said, I took this picture as I headed down the drive this morning. Love Ohio weather. . . but more on that later.

Today's project was to fab up a bracket for my battery cut out switch. I needed to make the bracket and finalize the switch's location so I can properly measure/make the correct length battery cables. I started out with an old piece of angle from another one of my stashes of stuff too good to get rid of, made some measurements, and drilled the initial hole for the switch opening.

The largest bit I could source up was 23/32. I needed a 3/4" opening (or even a touch bigger) so after drilling I filed the opening to the desired size.

Layout of the switch and bracket in the making:

A few more holes drilled and a few more cuts with the cutoff wheel produced the finished product:

I know the shape was 90% there to begin with and I am no master fabricator but I am pleased that I was able to make something I needed out of nothing. For security reasons I will not reveal the exact mounting location of the switch. . . but a little common sense and I think you can figure it out (just don't tell the perpetrators that my vehicle is equipped with such a device !). I try to put a cut out switch on most of my projects for security as well as safety; I think standard shift and manual steering would be enough of a deterrent but the things people will steal or do to avoid work never ceases to amaze me.

That was all for today (except for painting the bracket). All the measuring, cutting, fitting, etc. took the couple hours I had to spend in the shop this afternoon.

So, if you've ever rolled your eyes when someone says "If you don't like the weather in (location here), hang around for a few hours and it will change. . . " I apologize in advance. I took a picture of the return trip home up the driveway. . . totally different scenery. . . yet still the same.

Supposed to be near 70 on Sunday. . . could primer be sprayed this weekend?? Stay tuned to find out.

 

[powthief19]

View attachment 1433490

Hey Doc, have any more pics of you cleaning up the steering wheel? Did yours have any cracks in it?

 

[TractorDoc]

For @powthief19
Here is a picture I took of the wheel after most of the sanding had been done. Should have taken a before shot. . . the wheel was all scuffed up and would feel sticky in areas .

Luckily no major cracks. . . although I did find a small hairline crevice on the back of the hub after I had done the sanding/painting. It probably will not be visible so I did not worry too much about it. Picture of the SEM Satin Black Spray Can:

I put my fabricator cap back on today (actually its more of a beanie for under a welding helmet) to work on a support bracket I wanted to install for the rear hitch. While the back of the frame was not terrible the rust did make itself known there. It nibbled away at the angle braces that go between the side rails and rear frame cross member leaving only the rear channel with hitch mounting holes. I picked up a receiver hitch and wanted to beef up/spread the mounting force out across the rear frame channel -- to be honest I doubt I will ever pull a trailer with the 40 but had thoughts of putting one of those hitch mounted cargo baskets on the back should I ever need to include a jerry can or other cargo. Not as cool as a body mounted jerry can holder but much fewer holes and less complicated.
I started with my rusty piece of angle again and cut out the measured shape with the cutoff wheel. The plasma cutter would have probably been quicker but not worth the one way hour drive to the tractor shop. Sadly, no computerized laser cutting machine in the budget anytime soon.

With the desired shape in hand I measured and remeasured locations for the mounting holes. A few trips back and forth to the drill press and the bracket actually fit on the first try. View from the rear, nuts are just in place hand tight:

There is a second "buffer" plate sandwiched between the bracket and frame channel to fill in the gap left behind by the rust eaten cross braces. I left the top piece of the angle in place as I did not think it would be in the way of anything and it should add rigidity. Looks like I could have left a little more material on the bottom -- must have gone light on the measurement when I was looking at the tape measure curled around the frame rail and upside down.
View from the outside.

Bolts instead of rivets? Only because the previous owner welded a ball hitch mount on the frame rail itself and obliterated them. Look close and you can see the driver side bottom rivet almost suffered the same fate.
Was this project really necessary? Probably not, but I feel better and wanted to cross it off the list before test fitting the tub. Mission accomplished.

 

[TractorDoc]

Switching gears today.
Primer on a Sunday? Certainly, if the sun is out and the temps are in the 70s. Set up the fenders, bib, vent doors, and hood aprons then wiped them down with degreaser and a tack cloth before spraying with several coats of epoxy.

I sprayed the bottom sides first; when that was dry everything was rotated and the topsides had their turns. After the first epoxy coat the wind picked up a little and I was worried the fenders would be lifted off the table but they held their ground. Once the topside epoxy was dry I sprayed several heavy coats of the high build primer. . . did not use the high build on the back sides as those areas are typically out of sight. I have actually gone back and forth between painting the fender undersides blue to match the body or giving them a heavier/thicker coating in black for stone/chip protection. I have seen finished trucks done both ways and the black fender wells look sharp. I will start with the blue and worst case scenario I can always go a different route later.

The build primer actually dried enough that I could have started sanding today but I left that project for later in the week.
The rest of the day was spent on other outdoor activities to take advantage of the warmer weather. After a beer run it was on to stick pickup patrol in the big yard outside the dog fence (that did not get mowed on Tuesday). Had a couple big "sticks" come down this year awful close to the wife's "glamper."

The glamper (for glamorous camping???) was something I fixed up for the Mrs. last year. It over looks the pond and she goes out there in the warmer weather to do girl stuff I guess. She would have been a bit upset if the log branch had taken it out -- glad I parked it where I did.

Didn't get the tub set on the frame this weekend but I am getting close. I finalized the installation of the receiver hitch and I hope to tie everything into the rear wiring harness this week then I will have no excuses. . . just distractions from other areas of the 40 that catch my attention first.

 

[handcannon]

After a beer run it was on to stick pickup patrol in the big yard outside the dog fence (that did not get mowed on Tuesday). Had a couple big "sticks" come down this year awful close to the wife's "glamper."
View attachment 1437815

That last pic of yours looks like what I was doing today, only with my pickup and trailer. See this thread, Wife saved 40 from falling tree today . I was in this same storm, but we fared better. All we had blow down was branches. I expected to lose power since our power comes through a field first, but all we had was a lot of power blinks.

Don

 

[Disasterman]

That is a great little camper! I heartily recommend the bed liner under the fenders/body if you plan on using the vehicle as intended. It provides sound deadening while adding extra protection to the substrate. It was a beautiful spring day in the midwest to do some work outside or to run the dogs (ran one of my Brits in a field trial Sunday).

 

[TractorDoc]

That last pic of yours looks like what I was doing today, only with my pickup and trailer. See this thread, Wife saved 40 from falling tree today . I was in this same storm, but we fared better. All we had blow down was branches. I expected to lose power since our power comes through a field first, but all we had was a lot of power blinks.

Don,
I wish I could have used the pickup/trailer combo. . . it would have been much more efficient but the ground is too wet/soft and I would have sunk down to my axles. Had to make so many trips with the stick buggy but it likes to float over soft ground. I read Mr. Walkers post about the 40 and the tree; a thumbs up to his Mrs. for having the foresight to move their 40. Glad you fared ok. . . one of the bad things about being a grown up with your own stuff is that you can lose it. There have been many a nights that I sit up during wind and lightning storms hoping that the old bank barn and all its contents are still there after the weather passes. The barn has been there for well over 100 years so I have that going for me.

That is a great little camper! I heartily recommend the bed liner under the fenders/body if you plan on using the vehicle as intended. It provides sound deadening while adding extra protection to the substrate. It was a beautiful spring day in the midwest to do some work outside or to run the dogs (ran one of my Brits in a field trial Sunday).

Thanks Disasterman. The Mrs. found that little camper for sale on the side of the road one day. We pulled it home and I spent last winter gutting the inside and redoing the interior. It was something new for me and we were able to work on a project together so I did not mind the experience. I looked into a couple liner options today including tintable options to keep the color consistent. Glad you (and the pooch) were able to get out and enjoy the day yesterday. . . asked one of my office staff today what they did this weekend and they said "sat on the couch and watched Netflix." Its a different lifestyle than what I know but to each their own. Luckily (for me, but not Mrs. TractorDoc) I live in an area that does not have cable hookup at this time so the potential distraction is not an issue.

Forgot to post a picture of the installed hitch yesterday so to add a little more color to this post here it is:

I think it gives a more complete look to the back of the frame. Also had a chance to paint the carb cooling fan housing and lower heater unit. . . just need to find the time to put them all back together. Will start sanding this week and see if I need another coat of high build primer on the fenders. They look good so far but you never know until block sanding starts.

Not sure what is up with the double pictures. . . trying to edit the second one out but apparently Im not smart enough to accomplish the task. Also, lights not hooked up yet, just camera flash.

 

[TractorDoc]

This week's distraction. . . Fungus.
I usually have to wait until Mother's Day, but with the mild winter and wet spring they have decided to pop out early. My grandpa Joe always looked forward to Morel Mushrooms in the spring and Ive gone looking for them as long as I can remember. Found a nice patch of them in the wild:

Here is a picture of the haul. Ill keep a bunch around to cook up for the next week or two and dehydrate the rest for later in the year.

As for the 40 I managed to block sand the primed parts from last weekend and put another coat of high build over the remaining low spots. Didnt bother to take pictures as I know people can only take so many shots of the same parts in primer.
I did, however, manage to enlist the help of a visiting brother and we lifted the tub back onto the frame. Ran out of time to do much else but install a bolt or two. . . and stare at it for a bit.

So far I am glad I went with the "normal" (vs. heavy) OME springs as the light aluminum body did not influence the ride height one bit. Some holes are pre-drilled in the tub while others need to be created. That should take some time and planning -- I do not want to create any unnecessary holes in the aluminum as my little welder will not fix those up so easy. I also think it will be a good idea to have the tub secured in place when the time comes to install the painted fenders and bib for easier alignment.

Happy Easter to everyone this weekend. . . have some family stuff planned so shop progress will be less of a priority. Probably will not stop me from dropping in to take a look though!

 

[White Stripe]

What's going on with your rear sill? It looks like something is wrong with it. Maybe it's just the light creating a optical illusion.