Builds Good Times - 1992 HZJ73

[Blue1]

Another option instead of welding is to use body adhesive. If you can cut all the rust out or the worst areas around the holes then you get all the loose or flaking rust off and treat it with phosphoric acid which turns the rust into iron phosphate. Scuff it down and paint it with a DTM rust inhibiting paint . I have been using a product called zero rust which has held up really well and is less expensive than some of the other coatings like POR15. Probably not as durable but in areas like a tail light bucket or the inside of body panels it holds up well. Then hammer out a patch panel to fit and paint it up. I bought a cheap 1/2" x 18" little electric belt sander on amazon that has been holding up well and I grind the areas back to bare metal that are going to be glued. The body adhesive acts as both a glue and a seam sealer so depending on the location can be better than welding because it also seals all the bare metal.

After writing all this I remembered you are in Winnipeg without much heat in your workspace so this may be of no help at all to you as I think the area needs to stay warm until fully cured.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Another option instead of welding is to use body adhesive. If you can cut all the rust out or the worst areas around the holes then you get all the loose or flaking rust off and treat it with phosphoric acid which turns the rust into iron phosphate. Scuff it down and paint it with a DTM rust inhibiting paint . I have been using a product called zero rust which has held up really well and is less expensive than some of the other coatings like POR15. Probably not as durable but in areas like a tail light bucket or the inside of body panels it holds up well. Then hammer out a patch panel to fit and paint it up. I bought a cheap 1/2" x 18" little electric belt sander on amazon that has been holding up well and I grind the areas back to bare metal that are going to be glued. The body adhesive acts as both a glue and a seam sealer so depending on the location can be better than welding because it also seals all the bare metal.

After writing all this I remembered you are in Winnipeg without much heat in your workspace so this may be of no help at all to you as I think the area needs to stay warm until fully cured.

I believe I showed him mine from back when I did just that as well. 3M panel glue is amazing stuff and has held up great for over four years now. But you're not wrong - needs heat to cure. I did mine winter time and heated my garage with elec heaters overnight to get it to cure.

I'd also recommend the pneumatic tool that creates an edge so that you can make two mating surfaces without bulky overlap. Details are in olBetsy's thread if needed.

 

[LDRF]

How are your cab mounts?

Mine are in good shape. The rust is just concentrated in the back corners of the cab and quarters, and the rockers between the door post (b-piller?) and the wheel arches. My front fenders were rust-eaten around the edges so I’ve got factory replacements. I wish all the panels were bolt on!

@Blue1 - I’m prob going to stick to the welder. I’ve reviewed @JDM Journeys thread a number of times, especially his bodywork stuff, so I’m familiar with the panel adhesive stuff.

I’ve got to get a mini belt sander to take care of grinding out the rust in the taillight buckets. I’ll be using all the tricks available to get rid of and stop the rust in the areas I’m working on.

I’m not too concerned with doing it, but I sure wish it was warmer. When it’s below -20, I don’t have a lot of motivation to do the work. My car doesn’t want to start and everything is metal, so it is COLD!!!

I’m not sure I’m going to get at it today.

 

[Felde]

I feel you. Keep up the spirit, though!

 

[JDM Journeys]

Mine are in good shape. The rust is just concentrated in the back corners of the cab and quarters, and the rockers between the door post (b-piller?) and the wheel arches. My front fenders were rust-eaten around the edges so I’ve got factory replacements. I wish all the panels were bolt on!

@Blue1 - I’m prob going to stick to the welder. I’ve reviewed @JDM Journeys thread a number of times, especially his bodywork stuff, so I’m familiar with the panel adhesive stuff.

I’ve got to get a mini belt sander to take care of grinding out the rust in the taillight buckets. I’ll be using all the tricks available to get rid of and stop the rust in the areas I’m working on.

I’m not too concerned with doing it, but I sure wish it was warmer. When it’s below -20, I don’t have a lot of motivation to do the work. My car doesn’t want to start and everything is metal, so it is COLD!!!
View attachment 3813956
I’m not sure I’m going to get at it today.

It'll be spring before you know it... But in the meantime... I'm sending you some Chinook vibes, buddy.

 

[LDRF]

I finally got to work this weekend. It was -13 on Saturday and -5 Sunday. Balmy!

I bought a WEN 6307 1/2" detail sander to help make cleaning up rust and drilled out spot welds. It came in handy for the left taillight housing.

Before...

After...

Ready for repair!
I will have to do the same on the right side.

 

[LDRF]

I started on the inside back corners. I've never done any metal forming or bending so I dove in and made the first patch for the left side of the sill.

The first bends, with the piece of what remained of the corner...

Trimmed up so it fits...

And in place ... whoops....I marked the correct spot, but cut on an old line, so it came up a little short!

So I cut a piece to fit and I'll fix it with the welder.

I still need to drill holes for the spot welds, but it's ready to go. I need to run a new electrical circuit for my welder, so I've got to get that done before any serious stuff can happen. It's going slow right now, but it's going.

 

[Blue1]

Even if it has gone up to a tropical manitoba -5 I'm betting the inside of your shop is still holding strong at a much colder temp. I'm impressed that you are out there and getting after it. i'm spoiled by a pretty ideal shop situation and I am still having a hard time moving forward. nice work!

 

[LDRF]

Last weekend, on Saturday it was -13 outside and -11 in the shop according to the thermometer in my ‘73. After about 6 hours with my 80,000 BTU diesel heater, the shop warmed up to -1. On Sunday, it was warmer, starting at -8 inside, warming up to a tropical +1 after about 6 hours.

It’s warm enough to work, but metal parts are still quite cold. The diesel tank had a layer of frost and ice on it, where the ice cold diesel inside had frozen the moist air from the heater and me.

I worked about 6 hours this weekend. I’ve been fabricating the small pieces for the inside corners. It’s a slow go as I’m pretty new to shaping metal and not very good at it (yet????). I’m thinking I should by a cheap sheet metal brake from Princess Auto to help with some of the standard bends.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Last weekend, on Saturday it was -13 outside and -11 in the shop according to the thermometer in my ‘73. After about 6 hours with my 80,000 BTU diesel heater, the shop warmed up to -1. On Sunday, it was warmer, starting at -8 inside, warming up to a tropical +1 after about 6 hours.

It’s warm enough to work, but metal parts are still quite cold. The diesel tank had a layer of frost and ice on it, where the ice cold diesel inside had frozen the moist air from the heater and me.

I worked about 6 hours this weekend. I’ve been fabricating the small pieces for the inside corners. It’s a slow go as I’m pretty new to shaping metal and not very good at it (yet????). I’m thinking I should by a cheap sheet metal brake from Princess Auto to help with some of the standard bends.

I bought exactly that and it helped quite a bit. Mushroom dolly held in a vise was also helpful. I made my pieces from paper first and then tried to replicate in metal.

Powerfist for the win!

 

[LDRF]

It’s been a slow winter for working. So, shopping therapy to the rescue. Megazip had a 20% off sale, so I decided the sale would offset the shipping costs so I pulled the trigger on some exhaust parts.

Front Assembly: 17401-17180

Middle Assembly: 17403-17060

Plus the various parts to make exhaust parts happy:
Gaskets for the between the pipes: 90917-06054 * 2
Gasket for the header: 90917-06059
Header studs and nuts: 90126-10006 * 3 and 90179-10070 * 3
The cushions and bolts for hanging everything: 17567-17010 * 3 and 90179-06007 * 12

The nuts and bolts were out of stock (wtf???) so I'll have to get them. I'll fab have up the muffler and tailpipe section, but I figure I can make that happen

Powerfist for the win!

Hopefully!!!!

I celebrated the sucessful opening of of the boxes with one of the best IPAs you can drink, the Octopus Wants to Fight from Great Lakes Brewery. If you are in Ontario, hit up Great Lakes and Bellwoods for the best beers.

It's going to be another coldish weekend here. -17 high on Saturday and slightly warmer on Sunday. I'm going ice fishing tomorrow, so I'm hoping I'll be at the garage working on Good Times on Sunday.

 

[Blue1]

New purchases are the best way to get through those times when you cant work on your project. I used to have that brake and its a great tool for making smaller pieces.

 

[LDRF]

The last two weekends were too cold to work. Last weekend, on the holiday Monday, it was -30 when I got up. Needless to say, I went shopping. It started with one the basket and then like rabbits, they multiplied. From
Japan, all JIS.

The cold spell is ending, so I’ll be out to the garage to do some more body work this weekend. I’ll have to find a Phillips screw to undo to justify the buy!

 

[joekatana]

The last two weekends were too cold to work. Last weekend, on the holiday Monday, it was -30 when I got up. Needless to say, I went shopping. It started with one the basket and then like rabbits, they multiplied. From
Japan, all JIS.
View attachment 3844466

The cold spell is ending, so I’ll be out to the garage to do some more body work this weekend. I’ll have to find a Phillips screw to undo to justify the buy!

Those are my favorite screw drivers to work on the 70 series with , especially the large grey one for things like the mirror screws

 

[Blue1]

Where did you order these from ? I’m sitting at the airport and this seems like the perfect way to kill some time.

 

[LDRF]

Where did you order these from ?

Amazon.ca
Not my favourite place to buy. Another place is Home - https://www.vesseltools.com/ in the States, but exchange, delivery and duties makes it $$$$

 

[LDRF]

I’ve been working on the little, fiddly, areas in the back. Taillight buckets and the rusty corners. I posted some pics earlier, and I’m making progress.

Left taillight before:

Cleaned up with my mini belt sander:

Three hours later… a two part patch. I’ll weld in the flat piece on the door frame side:

… then the rusted out section of the bucket:

 

[LDRF]

I don’t have a before of the right side taillight bucket, but it was a little worse the the left. Here’s the after, after chiselling out the seam sealer and sanding with the mini belt for about 3 60 grit belts

A close up. The body side was a lot more rusty

I’ll fabricate two pieces like the left side to patch it up.

 

[LDRF]

Other then the floor piece on the left, I’ve got things fabricated and ready to go in the back

Left side from the door opening

And looking towards the door

Right side:

After some contemplation, I’m just going to weld in a flat panel where I’ve cut out the floor. I’m not going to bother trying to shape the three beads of the floor section. There is only about 4” so I’m not fussed.

I used my new sheet metal brake to bend the one piece for the inside of the door lip.

Soooooooooooo much easier. $100CAD well spent. It took about 5 minutes, from out of the box, to set up, to the bent piece. I wish I bought it earlier for the other pieces that I hand bent.

 

[Broski]

Nice work!