Tachycardic
SILVER Star
I'm loving this. Thank you for posting!
Just another 80 series diesel swap....
- Thread starter c2dfj45
- Start date
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The combo of the lift and roller dollies must make getting the body lined back up pretty smooth. I definitely appreciate all the pics.
c2dfj45
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- #24
Back to where we were.....this was last week but since we’ve been off since Tuesday.....it’s all kind of blurred together. Been cranking on this thing for 8 days straight. Someone wants this truck to be done 
Transmission is a H151 we pulled out of my 79 pickup when I went to the FT.....installed an H152 so this 151 was another ‘on the shelf’ part. Bellhousing is one I had from a diesel swap kit I had bought for my 80 a while back
We’ll run a 275mm flywheel and clutch on this setup....I had moved my 79 FT swap up to a 300mm clutch setup so this 275 is another shelf part(s).
I was out for something whenever this went in.....got back and crossmember was welded up. We ended up moving it 2.5” forward I believe. We usually end up building elaborate crossmembers for our builds because we usually don’t have them. WAY easier to do it this way than the fabrication it takes on some of our past setups.
I believe the 3FE auto trans mount was used....seems to fit.
Transmission is a H151 we pulled out of my 79 pickup when I went to the FT.....installed an H152 so this 151 was another ‘on the shelf’ part. Bellhousing is one I had from a diesel swap kit I had bought for my 80 a while back
We’ll run a 275mm flywheel and clutch on this setup....I had moved my 79 FT swap up to a 300mm clutch setup so this 275 is another shelf part(s).
I was out for something whenever this went in.....got back and crossmember was welded up. We ended up moving it 2.5” forward I believe. We usually end up building elaborate crossmembers for our builds because we usually don’t have them. WAY easier to do it this way than the fabrication it takes on some of our past setups.
I believe the 3FE auto trans mount was used....seems to fit.
c2dfj45
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- #25
We welded nuts to washers and dropped them into the frame and welded them to thru these holes from the bottom. I’ve seen where guys have fit the washers perfectly in the holes and welded them, then finished so they are seamless. We just welded ours up in the frame. Worked pretty good but not as nice looking as welding them flush in the frame. Will add pics when the frame is up in the air next.
c2dfj45
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- #28
Today was body work day. This truck is super clean minus some rust around the left front drain hole in the floorboard. It looks like the truck got hit or crunched on the lower left front fender/rocker area. Inner fender area is wrinkled a bit and torn, some filler in the rocker, lower fender has some filler coming apart. For a 34 year old truck...this thing is remarkably clean. Will be ready for another 34 years when we’re done with it.
Crunched lower inner fender.....maybe if it gets painted, we’ll throw a straight inner and outer fender on it. Nothing to worry about now.
Rusted area around drain....I’ll go back and add a before pic when I get them(I was out of the shop today....missed all the good stuff). About 10 years ago when I was restoring my LV, I had stumbled on Mastercoat Rust Sealer. Spoke to the owner of the company and ended up trying some. It’s unlike anything I’ve used and I’d like to think I have used more than most....lots of rusty old trucks In any event, we got a couple quarts and did the whole floor of the LV....it was truly incredible stuff. The story goes it was what POR15 used to be....aluminum paint. So much aluminum in fact that stirring it when it’s settled takes some work. The guy was saying this is what was used on bridges. When it hit the car restoration industry, POR15 changed it’s formula to make it black....when they changed it, they changed how good it was. The guy who kept the Mastercoat still sold it in the original formula. This was 10 or maybe 12 years ago so I can’t remember the specifics but I think that’s how it went.
He gave me some cool tips when I bought it....one of them was to use it with fiberglass....chopped mat or woven fabric to seal up pinholes in floorboards(I think this stuff was big in the VW community). We started using it with strands of fiberglass and it was tremendously effective in sealing up floor boards. When this stuff dries, it’s like metal. With fiberglass in it, it’s even stronger.
Of course we have pushed this further and we’ve filled in some bigger holes on trucks
Today it got used to fill in this hole in the floor. You can see the mat pretty clearly. Once Raptor goes over this...you’ll never see it and it will never rust.
This mid body crossmember rusted pretty good. There was a tiny little drain hole under it but I would guess it got loaded up with crud and rotted out. It had rotted the inner and outer portions. Mat and Mastercoat applied to the inside, then fiberglass mat, then more Mastercoat. We’ll let this dry then we’ll build up the outside with the same process before we spray Raptor. It won’t be perfect but it will work for this build.
We will be shooting Eastwood’s inner frame rail rust coating in the frame rails along with any portions of the body that we can get to. Started using their stuff on one of our 60 builds and it’s been great stuff. On newer stuff we have been using Cosmoline’s satin back coating and it’s been great....super nice to spray in newer frames and underbody stuff....actually everywhere under the truck. Beautiful stuff.
Crunched lower inner fender.....maybe if it gets painted, we’ll throw a straight inner and outer fender on it. Nothing to worry about now.
Rusted area around drain....I’ll go back and add a before pic when I get them(I was out of the shop today....missed all the good stuff). About 10 years ago when I was restoring my LV, I had stumbled on Mastercoat Rust Sealer. Spoke to the owner of the company and ended up trying some. It’s unlike anything I’ve used and I’d like to think I have used more than most....lots of rusty old trucks
In any event, we got a couple quarts and did the whole floor of the LV....it was truly incredible stuff. The story goes it was what POR15 used to be....aluminum paint. So much aluminum in fact that stirring it when it’s settled takes some work. The guy was saying this is what was used on bridges. When it hit the car restoration industry, POR15 changed it’s formula to make it black....when they changed it, they changed how good it was. The guy who kept the Mastercoat still sold it in the original formula. This was 10 or maybe 12 years ago so I can’t remember the specifics but I think that’s how it went.He gave me some cool tips when I bought it....one of them was to use it with fiberglass....chopped mat or woven fabric to seal up pinholes in floorboards(I think this stuff was big in the VW community). We started using it with strands of fiberglass and it was tremendously effective in sealing up floor boards. When this stuff dries, it’s like metal. With fiberglass in it, it’s even stronger.
Of course we have pushed this further and we’ve filled in some bigger holes on trucks
Today it got used to fill in this hole in the floor. You can see the mat pretty clearly. Once Raptor goes over this...you’ll never see it and it will never rust.
This mid body crossmember rusted pretty good. There was a tiny little drain hole under it but I would guess it got loaded up with crud and rotted out. It had rotted the inner and outer portions. Mat and Mastercoat applied to the inside, then fiberglass mat, then more Mastercoat. We’ll let this dry then we’ll build up the outside with the same process before we spray Raptor. It won’t be perfect but it will work for this build.
We will be shooting Eastwood’s inner frame rail rust coating in the frame rails along with any portions of the body that we can get to. Started using their stuff on one of our 60 builds and it’s been great stuff. On newer stuff we have been using Cosmoline’s satin back coating and it’s been great....super nice to spray in newer frames and underbody stuff....actually everywhere under the truck. Beautiful stuff.
c2dfj45
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- #29
Inside we had a few issues to contend with. Driver’s floorboard had some nice surface rust. We pulled the factory sound deadening and coated everything. Normal way we like to do it. Need to do the passenger side next.
We’ll go back and add new sound deadener where we removed factory stuff. We are thinking we will be coating the full floor with Second Skin Audio's Spectrum coating....we use it and only it on all our builds. Top quality stuff. Doors and quarters will get our typical sound deadening treatment, stick on sound deadener with Spectrum on the top. Great setup.
Clean truck. We’ll leave this as is....just a good cleaning and then Spectrum sound deadening.
Couple issues with seized bolts.....rear seat mount tore out as well as the drivers seat outer rear mount. Not sure if these got welded yet or not.
We’ll go back and add new sound deadener where we removed factory stuff. We are thinking we will be coating the full floor with Second Skin Audio's Spectrum coating....we use it and only it on all our builds. Top quality stuff. Doors and quarters will get our typical sound deadening treatment, stick on sound deadener with Spectrum on the top. Great setup.
Clean truck. We’ll leave this as is....just a good cleaning and then Spectrum sound deadening.
Couple issues with seized bolts.....rear seat mount tore out as well as the drivers seat outer rear mount. Not sure if these got welded yet or not.
c2dfj45
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- #31
And that catches this thread up...
This week our goal is to prep the frame for coating(basically scuffing up all the surfaces for adhesion of our coating), coat the frame, coat all the suspension parts and axles.....while that is drying, we need to finish the underside of the body. The body needs to be back on the frame so we can get it outside and of course the frame needs to be put back together so we can move it around Out of the main shop, into the outside lift area, body up, frame out, spray Raptor. Then back together before we start back up after the 1st
So just a little bit of work to do in 3 days
This week our goal is to prep the frame for coating(basically scuffing up all the surfaces for adhesion of our coating), coat the frame, coat all the suspension parts and axles.....while that is drying, we need to finish the underside of the body. The body needs to be back on the frame so we can get it outside and of course the frame needs to be put back together so we can move it around
Out of the main shop, into the outside lift area, body up, frame out, spray Raptor. Then back together before we start back up after the 1st So just a little bit of work to do in 3 days
c2dfj45
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- #32
Painting complete.....the Eastwood Rust Encapsulator Plus is really nice stuff....good coverage, sprayed very very well. We used their Rust Encapsulator matte black in a spray can to topcoat the Encapsulator Plus. A little more flat than matte but it looks REALLY good. I think we’ll stick with this from here on out.
Used about 2 quarts for the frame and maybe a couple of spray cans. Before we did any spraying, we used their internal frame coating to do the rails. I would say this frame is coated better now than it was when it came from the factory.
Used about 2 quarts for the frame and maybe a couple of spray cans. Before we did any spraying, we used their internal frame coating to do the rails. I would say this frame is coated better now than it was when it came from the factory.
c2dfj45
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- #33
Prepped most all the other stuff......same treatment, coating of the Plus then the matte black Encapsulator spray. Going to be like factory new under this truck.
Not sure the axles had matte black sprayed on them yet in these pics.....they look really glossy. The Encapsulator Plus is super glossy when wet.
Not sure the axles had matte black sprayed on them yet in these pics.....they look really glossy. The Encapsulator Plus is super glossy when wet.
c2dfj45
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- #35
Back in the shop...
And then back outside only to have the body come off again....
Did some light prep under the body....fixing a couple of the areas with minor surface rust. Had to fix the crossmember where it was rotted. All done with that....Raptor tomorrow.
And then back outside only to have the body come off again....
Did some light prep under the body....fixing a couple of the areas with minor surface rust. Had to fix the crossmember where it was rotted. All done with that....Raptor tomorrow.
nice work. enjoyed reading that!
c2dfj45
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- #38
And finally.....Raptor. This stuff has got to be the most forgiving stuff in the world to use. We sprayed this underside with the supplied gun so it’s more of an aggressive texture...we typically use their Pro gun or an HLVP spray gun and get a super fine texture. For this truck though, the heavier texture is perfect.
Thanks for all of the progress photos. How much work was it to separate the body from the frame?
