Build My Father-in-Law's 1980 FJ40

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@BrownWolf …stick or MIG?
 
Frankly, I started with stick welder and took me 30 years to get over the frustration of jamming the rod into the metal and getting it stuck. Once I switched to MIG…and that AUTO-SET feature… it’s like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I started on 1/4” and 1/2” steel which was simple as you’re not burning through the metal…then adjusted my wire and technique for thin 16, 18 and 20 gauge metal…within a few weeks, I was filling in holes and closing gaps. I still use a few flap disks to really smooth out the bead but it has saved me thousands of dollars doing it myself.

Good luck to you
 
knuckle47 said:
Frankly, I started with stick welder and took me 30 years to get over the frustration of jamming the rod into the metal and getting it stuck. Once I switched to MIG…and that AUTO-SET feature… it’s like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I started on 1/4” and 1/2” steel which was simple as you’re not burning through the metal…then adjusted my wire and technique for thin 16, 18 and 20 gauge metal…within a few weeks, I was filling in holes and closing gaps. I still use a few flap disks to really smooth out the bead but it has saved me thousands of dollars doing it myself.

Good luck to you
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Thanks! I'm starting on 1/8" to learn how the the MIG welder works before graduating to patching the rear quarter panels on my Cruiser.

Here I am psyched to get going!

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If you value your clothing…. Pick up a welding jacket…. I must have had a dozen shirts with holes all over the front. As dumb as it sounds, once you get going and feel a few sparks…instead of getting a long sleeve shirt, all I did was take a step back trying not to get burned…hell, I was on a roll.

1/8” is great. Your not burning through it and you can see the effects of heat. Excited for you
 
I took a few welding instruction sessions from Drew at Boulder Welding (Boulder Welding – Powered by solar energy - https://boulderwelding.com/) to get comfortable with a MIG welder. It was time and money well spent. Great instructor!

I also ordered a pair of rear quarter panel patches from Cruiser Corps (Quarter Panel Corner Patch - Passenger / Right Side - FJ40 1979-1984 - https://cruisercorps.com/products/quarter-panel-corner-patch-passenger-right-side-79-84 and Quarter Panel Corner Patch - Driver / Left Side - FJ40 1979-1984 - https://cruisercorps.com/products/quarter-panel-corner-patch-driver-left-side-79-84). They match the rust areas remarkably well. A common rust problem, I guess. :)

I created paper patterns to mark where the holes are needed for the emblems, reflectors, and rear tire rack. Transferred them to the patches and drilled the necessary holes. The emblems seem a little off level, so I'll have to fix that after I have the patches in place.

I still have some prep work to do before cutting away the rust and I certainly want to take my time to get it right. I don't want to have to do patches on patches.

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@BrownWolf …it’s great reading the progression from your not welding to…WELDING! I can say it is going to be terrific. Congratulations on doing it the right way. You won’t need to worry about those rusty spots for a very very long time. I am looking forward to your progress and success!
 
knuckle47 said:
@BrownWolf …it’s great reading the progression from your not welding to…WELDING! I can say it is going to be terrific. Congratulations on doing it the right way. You won’t need to worry about those rusty spots for a very very long time. I am looking forward to your progress and success!
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@knuckle47 Thanks! It's all new to me and it's all about the learning experience.
 
BrownWolf said:
@knuckle47 Thanks! It's all new to me and it's all about the learning experience.
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I can’t begin to tell you the s#!t that I have learned in the last 55 years…. It could fill a 53’ trailer…😉

Of course, despite that…I don’t use Google. My wife knows everything

You know I routing for you !!
 
I removed the winch to deal with the rust on the front. I wanted to make sure that I didn't need to do any cutting, patching, and welding in that area before tackling the rear quarter panels. Fortunately, it was just another case of Bondo repair.

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Reinstalled the winch. I wasn't happy with the way I had mounted the fog lights originally. The standoffs were too flimsy and they vibrated too much. I replaced them with simple angle brackets and gave them a little cockeyed look. I'm happier with this solution.

I also decided to see exactly how much rust I need to cut out in the rear quarter panels. It turns out it wasn't nearly as much as I thought and thus yet another lesson learned. I really didn't need the quarter panel patches I bought from Cruiser Corps and of course I should have checked this out before buying them. Oh well, just getting older and perhaps a little bit wiser. Another resale on ih8mud!

I am going to have to figure out how to repair the rear body support that got rusted out along with the body itself. I welcome any suggestions.

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Here’s an odd question: is there a technical name for the wedges used to keep the gaps level?
 
knuckle47 said:
Here’s an odd question: is there a technical name for the wedges used to keep the gaps level?
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@knuckle47 they are Butt Welding Clamps Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08464DZCJ?ref=cm_sw_r_cso_sms_apin_dp_D00B0ANK393B903MMVFN&ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_sms_apin_dp_D00B0ANK393B903MMVFN&social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_sms_apin_dp_D00B0ANK393B903MMVFN&starsLeft=1&newPreview=1 I wanted something that would provide the right gap to weld and they help align the patch with the body
 
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Making progress…. Looking forward to seeing your parts fitted and attached ready to grind…those 4 1/2” flap discs were a big part of my smoker building cabinet skins. These were 16-18 gauge sheets at a 90* corner butt welds and they smoothed nicely
Wrapped these parts after using the firebox insulation 2” Roxul 80 and then sealed them up. Buy a box of them…😳
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I rented a MIG welder and my inexperience shows. I wasn't going to post any pictures of my crap welding, but I need to own up to it.

I do have to keep in perspective though. Originally, I was going to pay someone to do a complete restoration (but not for $100K). Then I was going to pay some one to just do the body work. Then I decided I would give it a try, even though I have never done anything like this before.

All things considered, it could have been a lot worse, no really! Now I can say I messed it up all by myself! After all, it's not a Maserati!
:cool:

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