Builds FJfordy4DR12V (purists turn your eyes away from this one) (2 Viewers)

[Ditcherman]

Picture of said seats? What were they out of?

BMW M93.
That’s not a car (I don’t think?), that’s a seat model used across a few platforms. Convertible, so all I have to do is bolt them to the floor, not worry about a seat belt point on the roll bar or certainly not on my janky b pillar.

4 leather 12 way buckets, gray and cracked, repaired and dyed brown from eBay. $1400 IIRC shipped from Ca. off ebay.

Tons of threads to convert the seats from BMW canbus to regular old hotrod dude electrical.

 

[Mike Shull]

Excellent. Thank you. I am going to copy your specs a bit. It sounds like you have some help, which is great. I already broke mine just a few miles from the house so I know what you mean.

 

[Ditcherman]

Excellent. Thank you. I am going to copy your specs a bit. It sounds like you have some help, which is great. I already broke mine just a few miles from the house so I know what you mean.

Yes sir, great help.
They like to farm, like to dig ditches (ok maybe that’s the bonuses) and like to try new stuff. One guy had tons of experience doing everything and one guy is green and eager. Then my son is a very good Cummins guy. Very thankful for them.

not sure how good this link is

Nissan | P&P Engineering

But I bought sliders for my tundra from them 15 years ago and I patterned these after those.
Small central Indiana business local enough to pick up.
Their powder coating has endured very well.

 

[Ditcherman]

I’ve either gone full overlander mode, mounting a fridge, or I have an upgraded CAD (cardboard aided design) program for a roll bar.
Will decide later.

 

[Ditcherman]

Roll cage mounts burnt in. Glad that chore is over, also hope that’s all the underneath welding to be done.

 

[Mike Shull]

…also hope that’s all the underneath welding to be done.

Do you realize what you have done here? I thought that I was done welding upside down and in awkward positions a few years ago and I was under the rear welding upside down yet another time. Ha.

It is looking good. I’d move those front tubes and notch the plates so that they are tucked in closer to the A pillar. Just a thought.

 

[Mike Shull]

Do you realize what you have done here? I thought that I was done welding upside down and in awkward positions a few years ago and I was under the rear welding upside down yet another time. Ha.

It is looking good. I’d move those front tubes and notch the plates so that they are tucked in closer to the A pillar. Just a thought.

I might be too late on that previous comment. I see that those plates are bolted down…

 

[Ditcherman]

I might be too late on that previous comment. I see that those plates are bolted down…

The floor is sandwiched between two plates, bolted together, one welded (via the rubber bushing assembly) to the frame, and the top plate forms the base of the rollbar, in case that wasn’t clear.

As far as where that is next to the a pillar, I can’t move it any closer and still be able to weld the lower bracket to the frame, due to the original body mount being right there. I used the Aqualu body mounts the way they intended as much as possible, and the roll bar mounts are separate but both mounted on rubber.

I’m actually pleasantly surprised as far as foot room and ingress/egress with my size 12 boots.

 

[Mike Shull]

 

[clrussell]

I wish that there was a way to delete comments. That is one that I would have deleted after I realized what you had going on, but if I could delete my comment you probably would have seen it and wondered where it went.

Just edit it instead of deleting.

At least that is what I do

 

[Mike Shull]

Done

 

[Ditcherman]

Done

Oh no! I didn’t get to see it! What’d it say, I gotta know?!?

 

[Mike Shull]

Oh no! I didn’t get to see it! What’d it say, I gotta know?!?

I said that you are doing a very good job.

 

[Ditcherman]

I said that you are doing a very good job.

Oh uh huh.
I can take it. All in the name of truth!
I really do appreciate all the advice and constructive criticism here.

My helper said the electrical is done, except for the battery cable which I will get made.
Very excited for that. The electrical looks pretty much factory, all wrapped up.


Also American Auto Glass came out and put my corner windows in for me.
If you’re in central Indiana and need custom or any glass work to come to you, look them up!

We’re making headway on the doors, with the shortened door in the rear that actually takes a longer piece of glass, I needed to order the glass holder thingy as new and those parts came yesterday.
But it’s on pause for now, the corn planter calls.

 

[Mike Shull]

Oh uh huh.
I can take it. All in the name of truth!
I really do appreciate all the advice and constructive criticism here.

My helper said the electrical is done, except for the battery cable which I will get made.
Very excited for that. The electrical looks pretty much factory, all wrapped up.


Also American Auto Glass came out and put my corner windows in for me.
If you’re in central Indiana and need custom or any glass work to come to you, look them up!

We’re making headway on the doors, with the shortened door in the rear that actually takes a longer piece of glass, I needed to order the glass holder thingy as new and those parts came yesterday.
But it’s on pause for now, the corn planter calls.

Edit: looking good!

No, seriously, this sounds like great progress! I’d love to ride in it for a quick trip into town or something, perhaps to get ice cream. I’ve had a bit of panic during the last few weeks thinking that I won’t have enough weekends to finish mine before August so I have cut my list down a bit and I will finish the items that got cut (I.e. onboard air, center console, a/c, and other accessories) at the end of the year. I’m back on track.

Good luck with planting!

 

[Ditcherman]

Edit: looking good!

No, seriously, this sounds like great progress! I’d love to ride in it for a quick trip into town or something, perhaps to get ice cream. I’ve had a bit of panic during the last few weeks thinking that I won’t have enough weekends to finish mine before August so I have cut my list down a bit and I will finish the items that got cut (I.e. onboard air, center console, a/c, and other accessories) at the end of the year. I’m back on track.

Good luck with planting!

I go between hopelessness, panic, and confidence and determination.
2 1/2 months. So yea, some things might not get done.
I can’t wait to meet a bunch of y’all, learn, and just hang out. And I’m always down for ice cream.

 

[Ditcherman]

Got the engine started last week, ran pretty good for having double washers under 2 of the injectors, and 2 bad o ring seals. Went through the injectors (again ) cleaned them up and resealed.
Everything else was great except for the intercooler water pump which was really noisy, may be an overtightened mount, and I might need to rearrange one of the fuel returns to the tank.
Was very excited to hear it run, was inside barn so hard to judge but think it won’t be terribly loud.

The decision was made a few weeks ago to just go ahead with the front axle locker install now instead of waiting. Parts arrived and it’s apart now, feels like going backwards to take it apart.

Rear springs ended up way too soft, so replacements on the way from Accutune per their recommendations. They are fantastic to work with.

My big focus is on the roll cage. I bent one tube with the free bend-it program and went and immediately bought Bend Tech. Been quite the learning curve, my A pillar has 10 bends in it and b and c have 8 each. Bend Tech costs less than one stick from my close, instant supplier (way overpriced) or two or three sticks if I order it and pick it up from another supplier. I was able to use the ruined bend-it stick for cage under-body mounts.

We had the sides on to measure the cage but then went backwards again, taking them back off, so we could take the cage in and out to weld and paint.

Local window guy made the back door windows too thick even though I gave him a pattern so waiting on new glass…

 

[Mike Shull]

It might not seem like it but this seems like good progress to me. I can’t wait to see the cage come together!

 

[Ditcherman]

Go ahead and put the front locker in now, they said. It’ll be cheap and easy, they said.

I mean, it does make sense to do it now because by the time I get this thing out the door I’m not gonna want to work on it anymore!

It only added up because new knuckles were in order to fix the steering geometry and clearance, and the obvious bearing and u joint replacements.
That, and adding up is just what these things do…
Step one, build a diff spreader…

 

[Mike Shull]

…I mean, it does make sense to do it now because by the time I get this thing out the door I’m not gonna want to work on it anymore!

True story. Ha!