GA 55 left in woods for 20 yrs- 10/73 model

[Midgainc]

I didn't get a chance to look much today, but tomorrow, I hope to do a more thorough inspection. I think most of the body mounts are decent, but I did find one that had a rusty hole in it. I will try and post more photos tomorrow. I have a garage at my office, and I piddle when I get a free moment. But...sometimes I have to WORK....I have torn everything out of the cabin except the dash, and I will leave that in for awhile. I wasn't supposed to start this for about 6 weeks, but I just can't seem to leave it alone. I will start wiring my c10 next week, and I have to get it off to the paint shop so I can get jiggy with the 55. I hope I can get this beast on the road by the end of the year....

 

[Midgainc]

in case you have not looked in my garage...I have parts scattered all over my shop now...

 

[Delancy]

Nice work.

 

[bobm]

DONT START CUTTING YET.

Thanks Bob.

 

[Midgainc]

Ok, after not wanting to get too involved with this, yet.....I have torn everything but the dash and steering column, and the windshield and cargo windows. Per the usual for this thing, I need to do more than I thought. I want to now take the windows and windshield out and get the rust removed under the window rubber. After that, I can start on replacing body parts, working on the firewall, priming, sanding, patching nick back rusty spots, rebuilding the engine, and wire brushing the underside and treating that with rust treatment and seam sealer and undercoating. I can't stand knowing that rust is eating away at the vehicle, even though I could make it look good on the surface. I already know that I will not be able to take it back OEM on the interior and some of the exterior refinements, so I am thinking up some ideas, like using diamond plate for the cargo area liner and bed lining the back of the seat, tailgate and floor.....I will not put a headliner back in, but instead, I am thinking about using a 12v electric radiator fan as a ceiling fan. I want the windows and rubber to be right, and I want the tailgate to work as it should. I want the body 99% rust free, I want the drivetrain reliable for a thousand mile trek. I am going back with the seafoam green factory color with a cream/white top. I am looking into a old man emu spring system for the front and back, any comments on that? Any pitfalls about shackles, bushings, pins, etc? I also want to overhaul the steering system with new joint, ends, damper, etc. I am on the look out for a a front disk brake system too. Sound ambitious?

 

[scrapdaddy]

Sounds like a great plan to me. Keep your list and start knocking them out.

Hard part for me is trying to decide what should be done first. Everything effects something else and I don't like to back track.

Small steps!

 

[Midgainc]

I made a new friend today, and just got back from N. Atlanta with my goodies. 4 doors with glass and rubber intact, small amounts of rust and only a couple of holes...plus what you see in the photo. I have a good start on my nick knacks plus when my parts truck gets here, I should have 90% of the trim stuff. I am still looking for a couple of front turn signals....oh well back to BBQ-Ing my ribs. Have a great 4th.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Nice stash!

 

[Delancy]

Nice hoard!!!

 

[Midgainc]

Scrap daddy, I have been thinking about what you say about not knowing what to do first since so much is inter related. Well, I keep taking it back more and more until, I am convinced that the only thing that you can do with these things, since they rust so badly, is to strip them down to the core and remove or stabilize the corrosion as you put it back together. The hard part is finding suitable parts to use as u do this. I feel certain that I will be having to replace all of the rubber on this beast, the windshield, and several body parts as I go back. About the only thing that I will not have to rework is the wiring harness on mine. Since the 1F is not running, I am presuming that the transfer case and tranny are good. I cannot take the chance on the clutch when the engine is out, so I will replace it when I rebuild the engine.

Sometimes, you have to make up your mind, is it better to constantly work on something, or is it better to spend the money and time upfront so that you can ride trouble free. My philosophy is that I am willing to sacrifice now, so that I can enjoy years and possibly decades of trouble free use after I am done.

My aircraft friends say that some aviation guys enjoy building, and some enjoy flying. In the case of the pig, I anticipate enjoying using it and not just having the pleasure of saying that I have it to work on it. I have some canoeing/camping/hunting trips with my son planned for it. For you, I guess you have to decide what your priorities are. Think about that and then proceed. I admit, I know so little about a LC, but I will learn what I need to get this beast on the road again, and then maybe, I will useful to someone else on a later day.

I am going to do something every day to get this thing going again.

 

[Delancy]

Sometimes, you have to make up your mind, is it better to constantly work on something, or is it better to spend the money and time upfront so that you can ride trouble free. My philosophy is that I am willing to sacrifice now, so that I can enjoy years and possibly decades of trouble free use after I am done.

That's it, right there.

My philosophy, too, and hope to rebuild in a manner that it'll see another 41 years of life.

Hats off for the dedication and commitment.

 

[nuclearlemon]

blah blah blah .

i agree with you...i'd rather do it right now and not have to fix it at an inopportune time. knocking on wood (hard), i've been fairly trouble free in both wheeling and daily driving...i am sure that is my fix it right attitude, because i am not nice to my rigs, so fix it right now, and don't be "that guy" on the trail.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Midgainc,

That's the road, I'm taking also, but doing it right the first time and jumping in with both feet, means you have to throw alot of money at it all at once. Some like to stretch it out and fix as they go, so it doesn't hurt so bad. I've done both over the years, but this time I'm just getting it done. This way, I'll be worn out before the wagon will.

Keep it up!

 

[Midgainc]

I wanted to brag a little about my parts find....I also got two tailgate regulators with motors and wiring intact, no apparent rust, a carburetor..and ......A Tailgate Latch, a steering column with key, and another cylinder lock...not sure about the key. I am slowly digging up the pieces I need to get the beast altogether again. I have twp more gauge clusters too. I will not need all of these when I am done, so keep that in mind. I also posted tonight in the brass gear thread that I may be able to source some new gears for the tailgate window. I want to help a little if I can. Now that I have a tailgate handle, would you guys want me to check around for sourcing the tailgate handle? No promises.

Windows channels and felt.....anyone satisfied with jcwhitney's stuff? I am not sure about diving in for the $2300 deal.

Update on my 55, no action since last Wed. I talked to bobm today about parts. Trying to thoroughly inspect before I order, and I am waiting on my 46mm socket to get here so that I can try and break the engine free. Once that is done, the 1f is coming out for a tear down and order up the engine kit. If you guys could choose between Napa, JCOutfitters, or a small machine shop in Utah, who would you get the kit from?

 

[nuclearlemon]

If you guys could choose between Napa, JCOutfitters, or a small machine shop in Utah, who would you get the kit from?

i did one engine with napa/felpro and a friends dad did her engine with napa/felpro. both of us blew headgaskets within 8 months. he put a stock toy head gasket in after that and it lasted decades, so i would skip them. i also would skip jtoutfitters, first search and you'll find they have a 50% suck rate, plus they do nothing to support the community (tech help on forums, raffle prizes etc). look for genuine toyota parts. have you tried kurt at cruiser outfitters? justin at redline? couple good sources to look at.

 

[Pighead]

If you guys could choose between Napa, JCOutfitters, or a small machine shop in Utah, who would you get the kit from?

I usually ask the machine shop that's doing the machine work to order parts for the engine...

 

[daniel.watters]

Hey. I'm in Macon if you ever need help or just want to kick tires!
Daniel

 

[Midgainc]

Who is the toyo dealer that is part of this forum? I read somewhere that they offer good pricing to forum members. I would like to check with them about what oem parts are available, especially the head gasket.

I will post a few more photos today about what is left on the pig. I basically have left the steering column and the wiring harness in it, but still need to remove the cargo glass and the windshield. The cargo rubber lets moisture in and there is rust around the lower window on the inside of the quarter panel. I want to fix that and then start working my way back.

I keep asking springs but no one answers. Who has the best replacement springs? I don't want anymore than 2-3 inches of lift. Will 40 springs work? I am not interested in re-arching the old springs. Is it a big deal to swap them? Should I use pins with grease fittings? Oversized pins? I know nothing about the suspension on these. Any comments would be helpful.

 

[Delancy]

Onur Azeri. (beno)

Personal friend, enthusiast, and now your neighbor.

He's transitioning to a new gig in GA as I type, but will be available for parts the 16th of this month.

I'll PM you his personal email address (hate posting personal) and I'd recommend a introductory email be sent immediately, describing what you need, because he's a very long list of similar he'll be researching availability for mine already.

If you've inhibitions about sending unsolicited emails, note that Delancy sent you in email.

PM sent.

On the springs, Alcan's for custom or Cruiser Outfitters for adapted.

I'm not an OME fanboy, have had less than stellar experience with any of their products (many here will disagree, so take for what that's worth) BUT Cruiser Outfitter's does have an inclusive kit.

Question though.

Why not re-arch?

 

[Midgainc]

Thanks for Omur's contact info. Metal fatigues over time. My springs are 40+ years old as it is, re-arching them will only make them weaker and they will probably not hold up for very long....at least in my mind that is what I think. I want to do this once.... Will the 40 springs work? There a lot of places to get them.