JD great thread. I will be watching this closely but you are making me scared on what I might find if I start pulling the panels off Ruby. I really want to pull her down and see what is underneath all the panels.
JD Cruiser's 1981 BJ42 Body Repair & Restoration
- Thread starter JDCruiser
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- #142
Hey Ken, the only way to know is to start at it. I regret being so ginger with her in the beginning, did stuff thinking I was going to save panels but then got so deep I needed to get them out anyway (ie. quarter panels and wheel wells). I wish I have have spent more time surveying to focus on which panels I could save rather than making assumptions and moving on in that path. The few things I learned:
- A panel that I knew was rotten - just crumbled when trying to remove
- A panel I though would be iffy - wasn't even close and needed replacement
- A panel I thought would be salvageable without repair - needed to be patched
It is always way worse than you think. Rust never looks better from the inside, only worse. These trucks rot from the inside out, they didn't have advance ED coating systems or dip tanks back then, just welded the panels together and slapped some primer and paint on it. Anywhere that the 2 panels meet they rot, rust starts at the spot welds where the welding process made it more prone to rusting. You only see the tip of the iceberg, what lies beneath the surface is much bigger than you see. I am switching my repair to a frame off, just in the process of building a shed so I can make room in the garage for the additional space needs. I wish I had of done this from the first day as half the stuff that I have done already could have been done quicker with a frame off. As well, I think I would have bought a 3/4 or full tub. I have about $1000 bucks in panels so far and will likely need another $1000, doesn't save much when I could have bought a replacement tub for around $3500. Just my 2 cents worth... Good luck, welcome to the addiction that is Land Cruiser.
- A panel that I knew was rotten - just crumbled when trying to remove
- A panel I though would be iffy - wasn't even close and needed replacement
- A panel I thought would be salvageable without repair - needed to be patched
It is always way worse than you think. Rust never looks better from the inside, only worse. These trucks rot from the inside out, they didn't have advance ED coating systems or dip tanks back then, just welded the panels together and slapped some primer and paint on it. Anywhere that the 2 panels meet they rot, rust starts at the spot welds where the welding process made it more prone to rusting. You only see the tip of the iceberg, what lies beneath the surface is much bigger than you see. I am switching my repair to a frame off, just in the process of building a shed so I can make room in the garage for the additional space needs. I wish I had of done this from the first day as half the stuff that I have done already could have been done quicker with a frame off. As well, I think I would have bought a 3/4 or full tub. I have about $1000 bucks in panels so far and will likely need another $1000, doesn't save much when I could have bought a replacement tub for around $3500. Just my 2 cents worth... Good luck, welcome to the addiction that is Land Cruiser.
Thanks JD for the info. The more that I look at her the more I think that I will pull her down to the chassis. There is a sandblasting company up here in Cooktown who reckon that they can sand blast the chassis and paint it with 2 pac paint for about $500.00. I have just taken the tow bar off and given it to them to see what sort of work they do. Full sand blast on the tow bar and respray with 2 pac for about $35.00. Seems worth while to give it a go and see what their work is like.
- Thread starter
- #144
Hello all,
Been awhile since I have been on here or actively working on my cruiser but I am back at it yet again. Last summer I decided that because the mid body support member (runs under the floor right behind the FR seats) is toast, I have switched from a Frame On to a Frame Off restoration, which means I needed to free up my entire 2 car garage and to do so I needed to build a shed and move everything out. So that was done in the fall and I am now prepping for taking the body off the frame. I have also been cataloguing, indexing and storing all the parts I have so far taken off the truck. I should have done this from day one, would have made it a lot easier, but is now essential with the amount of parts that will come off with the frame off.
So after catching up on the part indexing over the holidays, this weekend I put some wrench time into the truck. I removed the air intake end pipe, bezel, headlights, and front grille which was no fun getting off. Couple of the bolts don't have weld nuts and thus had to get dual wrenches on it in a very tight spot. Other bolts were completely seized, even after soaking in WD40 for days, snapped right off. As well the hinge at the bottom was seized so I had no access to getting the bottom center bolt out. Had to air chisel the hinge bracket bolts off to and work the hinge down to get access to it. Nasty, but I guess that is what 30+ years does to a truck. A couple of questions I want to throw out there:
1) Does anyone know of the purpose of having the bottom hinge for the front grille? I could understand maybe for access to the screen on the rad to roll it down, but with all those bolts, not a quick activity...
2) Any proven formula for loosening up rusty old bolts? I am using WD40 and letting soak but that doesn't seem to be working. Snapping a ton off. Tried using impact drill but same thing...
Here are some of the pics of my recent progress..
Been awhile since I have been on here or actively working on my cruiser but I am back at it yet again. Last summer I decided that because the mid body support member (runs under the floor right behind the FR seats) is toast, I have switched from a Frame On to a Frame Off restoration, which means I needed to free up my entire 2 car garage and to do so I needed to build a shed and move everything out. So that was done in the fall and I am now prepping for taking the body off the frame. I have also been cataloguing, indexing and storing all the parts I have so far taken off the truck. I should have done this from day one, would have made it a lot easier, but is now essential with the amount of parts that will come off with the frame off.
So after catching up on the part indexing over the holidays, this weekend I put some wrench time into the truck. I removed the air intake end pipe, bezel, headlights, and front grille which was no fun getting off. Couple of the bolts don't have weld nuts and thus had to get dual wrenches on it in a very tight spot. Other bolts were completely seized, even after soaking in WD40 for days, snapped right off. As well the hinge at the bottom was seized so I had no access to getting the bottom center bolt out. Had to air chisel the hinge bracket bolts off to and work the hinge down to get access to it. Nasty, but I guess that is what 30+ years does to a truck. A couple of questions I want to throw out there:
1) Does anyone know of the purpose of having the bottom hinge for the front grille? I could understand maybe for access to the screen on the rad to roll it down, but with all those bolts, not a quick activity...
2) Any proven formula for loosening up rusty old bolts? I am using WD40 and letting soak but that doesn't seem to be working. Snapping a ton off. Tried using impact drill but same thing...
Here are some of the pics of my recent progress..
PB blaster worked ok for me, but I've read that 50% acetone with 50% auto trans fluid is the bomb. I started pre soaking all bolts as soon as I started to take it apart. Don't forget the pitman arm too. The hinge was for rad access / motor removal, I can't figure out why else.... Glad to see you're back at it! beats going outside....
Yeah , the acetone and ATF fluid beats anything out there easily - just be sure to use a container that doesn't melt from the acetone and be very cautious around heat sources - it's seriously flammable . Over time the acetone evaporates very easily , may have to add some once in awhile . Be careful with it as some paints do not like the stuff and it's not good for the central nervous system and skin . I don't see that bottom mount so much as a hinge , just a mount of sorts that allows fore/aft movement for adjustment to the radiator/hood/fender alignment .
Just how bad is that center cross member in the tub ?
Sarge
Just how bad is that center cross member in the tub ?
Sarge
Great to see you still going on the rebuild. That last pic is that a roll down shutter to cover the radiator. Never seen one before but I figure that it would help to stop it freezing over there in Canada.
I'd love to duplicate those for cold-weather Cruisers , I know mine could use one .
Sarge
Sarge
It's a really basic roll shade made of pleather. Problem is, it's a corrosion trap. The ones that have survived are usually pretty rough and they are unobtainium otherwise. If one could find the extruded tube, then the rest could be duplicated.
It doesnt prevent from freezing. The purpose is to block off the radiator to prevent the coolant from "over cooling", keeping the engine at a steadier temp.
It doesnt prevent from freezing. The purpose is to block off the radiator to prevent the coolant from "over cooling", keeping the engine at a steadier temp.
That is the problem with mine in cold weather - the thermostat has to fight to keep it at running temp , brand new oem unit too . I used to run a homemade winter front on the Suzuki with snaps like the big rigs but no way I'm doing that to my Cruiser . From the pics I've seen , I bet those things rust out bad just due to the way they are designed . Maybe I'll just build a one-off for mine .
Sarge
Sarge
- Thread starter
- #151
Hello Weber Sarge,
Thanks for the info and the reply. Will give the PB blaster a try, see what I can get out of it. Read up Acetone, not particularly nice stuff.
In terms of your question on the mid cross member, there are some pictures of it on page 6 and then 7 of this thread. On side has holes in it. Also the front body mount sections are shot.... Those were the factors that lead to me deciding to do a frame off.
Thanks for the info and the reply. Will give the PB blaster a try, see what I can get out of it. Read up Acetone, not particularly nice stuff.
In terms of your question on the mid cross member, there are some pictures of it on page 6 and then 7 of this thread. On side has holes in it. Also the front body mount sections are shot.... Those were the factors that lead to me deciding to do a frame off.
- Thread starter
- #152
For those of you interested in the roll down rad cover. Yep it is one indeed but not sure if it has ever been used. I doesn't stay in the down position. Fabric is pretty beaten up and rust at the core. I don't see how that was ever really very functional, hard to reach and roll down. I think if running too cool is a problem I would have a custom snap style bib fabricated up to go on the inside of the front grille..
If anyone is interested in having the rad shield, they are more than welcome to have mine off the truck since I won't be reinstalling it after the reno.
If anyone is interested in having the rad shield, they are more than welcome to have mine off the truck since I won't be reinstalling it after the reno.
good to see you back, JDC ... time you've invested in cataloging your parts will no doubt pay dividends when you put it back together ... with the body off, you can put a real beefy cross member and body mounts in ... I had to do a bit of a repair on my cross-member ... kind of surprised me, looked solid enough ...
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I'll take it!
If Ambrew backs out , I'm second for the roll down unit - can fix anything here .
Sarge
Sarge
The cold weather front does not stay down on it's own. There is supposed to be a length of stainless wire that attaches in the center of the bottom edge. It loops through a bracket on the front cross member and there is a hook at the lowest bolt on the right fender. You pull the wire from the center of the xmember and hook it on the hook to deploy it.
There are pics somewhere in my thread in the diesel section.
There are pics somewhere in my thread in the diesel section.
Hey Sarge, I'd be interested in trying to reproduce it if I can get my hands on a clean one. I'll keep you posted, maybe we could work together on it.
Follow up - here is a link to my thread where I refurbished the winter front roll-shade device - starts at post #735 - - > https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/81-bj42-i-have-to-bring-it-home-and-pass-inspection.604934/page-37
You can see the mounting hardware and dis-assembled spring return as well as the way the unit deploys.
You can see the mounting hardware and dis-assembled spring return as well as the way the unit deploys.
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- #159
He Ambrew, send you a PM.
Weber Sarge, agreed, your second in line.
Weber Sarge, agreed, your second in line.
To make a reproduction would not be easy - especially that spring and the design of the tube . I could fabricate something I'm sure using existing parts from other things as usual . Just need a working solution to keeping the engine up to temperature in really cold weather .
Sarge
Sarge