3 more pictures. The booster mounting holes were done, and the new holes drilled, but I had to stop welding because the mig gas ran out (it took me a little while to figure out what was going on).
With a bit more grinding and then some primer the corner looked acceptable I thought. It coud stand a little more work, but that can wait until later.
Then I parked the rear cab section on to make sure everything still lined up properly, which it did.
With the welding having to wait until Monday, I will see what sort of wrenching I can get into tomorrow - probably some more work on the steering column conversion, and the rear axle.
I finally figured out the correct mounting bolt sizes for the ZF Bandeirante steering box: 12x1.5mm. I thought I had picked up these previously, and that they were the wrong size, but it turned out that the industrial supply place had the boxes mislabeled Oh well, at least that is sorted out!
Managed to get some work done on Henry James yesterday, and another 2.5 hours tonight. the rear disc hubs are installed, though I still need to torque the nuts properly. I'm waiting on 0.25" wheel spacers from CCOT before I put the wheels on. Next will be some brake line installation.
I decided to pull all the u-bolts off, except for the cad-lated square one, and paint them as they were showing signs of starting to rust. When the weather warms up tomorrow I hope to get the black enamel on them.
I picked up a new cylinder of gas today, and was able to get back to some welding. I needed to media blast a few pieces first, and then welded the window frame lock-down brackets to the dash. Next I will be continuing work on the dash piece-together fun.
Also, I re-fitted the steering column and checked clearances to the seat. It looks like it will work fine with the mini-truck steering wheel.
Nice work. Doing those windshield brackets are a bitch. Did you have the top on too when fitting them? Shouldn't be too big of a deal, but I have had issues with FJ40 tops not wanting to go, due to the windshield frame angle
Nice work. Doing those windshield brackets are a *****. Did you have the top on too when fitting them? Shouldn't be too big of a deal, but I have had issues with FJ40 tops not wanting to go, due to the windshield frame angle
2.5 hours on the HJ47 tonight, concentrating on the dash re-configuration work.
I picked up a piece of 16g. sheet stock this afternoon to work with I actually ordered 18 g. but they got it wrong. No biggie.
First I cut a 9" x 12" section, clamped it in a woodworking vise against a steel pipe, and bent a curve onto one side. This forms the lower dash lip. In the first picture you can see the patch piece, to be attached to it, as a template for the bend.
Once I had this patch piece looking reasonably close to a fit, I started on cutting out an opening for the factory tachometer. I wonder if I'm the first person to do this particular mod? I can understand why the factory ever offered the tach in LHD vehicles, especially those with the defroster nozzles, since there is really no-where to put it within easy visual range of the driver. By reshaping the dash sheet metal to extend the flat surface down to the lower edge of the dash, it became a viable change. when Iput the patch in place with the tach bezel attached, I can see it just fine through the mini-truck steering wheel. I'm feeling psyched!!
More pictures coming tomorrow, and I'll leave a couple more shots, showing the painting progress on the u-bolts and air cleaner. The u-bolts are now back on the axles - for the last time
Well, I appreciate your kind words, and pride goes before a fall, as they say. And those falls have been plenty frequent without any pride so far in this project.
I'm just trying to survive this and not make a mish-mash of it -that's how it feels some days
Today was good, as is any day when I avoid the 'two steps back' routine. onward, march!!
I had a pretty good day, 3-odd hours on the truck.
Work was good too - put the ridge beam on! It snugged down into place atop 7 tenons, and is mostly pegged into position on the trusses now. That's a milestone on the project - the purlins are next to come and that will complete the timber frame ascpect of the job.
The truck work tonight centered around fitting the dash back together with the tachometer.
I started by fabrication a rib to accept the catch on the driver's side of the plastic bezel. Two screws at one side, and a clip at the other.
Then I went about welding 6x1mm nuts for the mounting screws themselves.
a whole lotta grinding and welding and flap wheeling (and repeat) later, I had the dash back together and the tach in place. I still need to do a little welding around the instrument cluster, along with the dash lip seam welds, and the inside corner formed on the right side. Those inside corners are tough to access for sanding/grinding, and i haven't figured out a good way to get it really smooth (yet).
The view from the driver's seat gives full view of the tach.
Tomorrow I'll weld closed a bunch of holes on the dash, some of which are PO add-ons, and some of which will be switch mounts no longer needed. I'm thinking of removing the ash-tray too and blanking it off, but I haven't made the decision 100%. Then there are the warning light options and placement choices , and I haven't exactly figured out a really good solution yet for that either.
Personally, I would leave the ashtray. Mine is full of coins and little items. It is actually very good storage for small articles you don't want to rattle around or get lost in a cruiser. Plus, it is just part of the dash, it looks kind of out of place, and different, but that is just part of a cruiser dash.
Looks like the seatbelt and brake light will go back in above the tach and look alright. Then above the tach, I'd put the heater blower switch, the warm coolant valve thing and the cig lighter back in, and the recirculate cable. Blank off the lower line of holes.
Also you may want to leave a hole, with a factory blank in it for a light switch. A stock headlight swtich would make a sweet switch for running 2-4 lights, such as fog lights/driving lights, or fog lights/utility lights, or rock lights or something. It would look stock, and operate multiple lights depending on which click you are in.
Just some ideas, dash looks awesome though. I've been trying to figure out a way to mount a tach nicely, the stock one looks good there.
Oh well, at least that is sorted out!
