Official Project Thread for Mikesta's 1964 FJ45 LV

[Mikesta]

Thanks Matt!

I am getting very excited about working on this rig for the next 12 days of vacation. Worked it out to where I hang out with my wife and kids till around 2 each day and work on the LV's after that.

With the frame I am going to follow foxfab's 25 series process...

Pressure wash
Blast
Acid wash
rinse
dry
Primer
Paint with eastwood's frame paint.

After that, the axles get inspected, rebuilt if needed and put back under the frame... I will be keeping the ball and claw on this one. Definitely needs to be inspected. I hope that 60 hours will be enough time to do this... Just a goal to work toward. 3 of those hours will probably be spent reading Matt's thread again... wish I had it in hardcover.

 

[Mikesta]

I'm Back

Son and I drove down to the back 40 and picked up the frame that sat out all winter. Kid loves driving without a seatbelt at 2. I remember those days... standing up in the back seat... jumping up and down. Well because of the short drive, I let him have his freedom.

The frame is in the staging area ready to go.
Wife went to a musical tonight so I only had around 45 minutes to dink around.
Found an effective way of removing tar from metal. A square flimsy razor and a pair of vice scripts. Scraped right off... much quicker than a chisel and gets closer to the metal as well.

Took a couple bumper plates off... left bolt sized and broke... right one saved.

Buddie came over who does commercial pressure washing and dropped off his pressure washer. Tomorrow is going to be rainy here in Seattle... so I figure tomorrow will be a good day to PW the frame.

Went out to home depot and picked up some "must for rust" which will be used after I blast the frame on the next SUNNY day.

Here are some pictures. Goal is to finish the frame in a couple days and stage the axles for rebuild.

I ordered some shackels but they arent the originals... does anyone know who might sell the original shackles? NOS? or Reman?

 

[foxfab]

I know this guy that is having shackles cut

$50 for the set delivered. The holes are a little smaller so that you can fit the shackles to whatever pins you have by drilling them. They're being cut as I type. I should have them in my hands in the next week. I'm waiting for them for my FJ25 also

Then you'll have to buy pin kits from Cruiserdan or find your own pins at a spring shop. I think I can get pins that will work, but I dont think they'll be metric threaded.

 

[Mikesta]

Because I have a ton of junk around the yard.. decided to clean it up a bit. Worked on the LV though on Sunday.. degreased, pressurewashed and sandblasted a bit... blast 10 minutes... wait 25. Taking too long... called around and found a place around 30 miles away that will blast the frame for $150 or so. I ripped the frame out from under the 60 series and will be ripping out the Pigs frame as well. Might as well get er done all at once.

Today I also build 2 sets of $16 Axel horses... waist high for easy rebuilding. Going to cut up the rest of the 60 series body and cut out some pieces of the Pig to merge into my good one... then off to the scrap yard with a couple tons of metal. Will clean the yard up a bit and make the neighbors happy.

 

[TEQ]

Mike, whats the name/# of the place you are taking the frame to get blasted? I have some stuff I need blasted...

 

[Mikesta]

Mike, whats the name/# of the place you are taking the frame to get blasted? I have some stuff I need blasted...

Powder Vision Inc
8110 304th Ave Se
Preston, WA 98050

(425) 222-6363

Watcha got? I can take it for you if you drop it off by noon on wednesday...

Cheers

 

[TEQ]

Ha. My wheels are there right now, ready to be picked up .

 

[AATLAS1X]

Ha. My wheels are there right now, ready to be picked up .

Just an FYI

Les Schwab Tire centers will ship your wheels to thier ware house in Prineville Or, and sand and pwder coat for $18 a wheel.....2 week turn at the max!

 

[AATLAS1X]

Got the replacement glove box in... probably going to blast it and prime till I'm ready to cut and install..

Any wise tips for this swap?

I know someone who will restore that glove box door for you.....Is it pewter in color? I can paint or powder coat and install new shift plate. replate all screws and cable.

Let me know I would be happy to do it.....

Best,

Shane

 

[Mikesta]

I know someone who will restore that glove box door for you.....Is it pewter in color? I can paint or powder coat and install new shift plate. replate all screws and cable.

Let me know I would be happy to do it.....

Best,

Shane

Thanks for the offer Shane... I've see the work you did on Buckroseau's rig. Great work. I think I want to take a stab at the glove box assembly (requires welding and cutting and all that fun stuff).

As far as replating... can I take a raincheck? I am working on the chassis right now. Taking 3 frames up to be blasted / powder coating for 2. Looks like tomorrow now as I still need to degrease and pressure was 2 of them.

I need to go play with my son... he has 4 dump trucks we need to load up and a 10x20 area to grade out with his grader.

 

[AATLAS1X]

Thanks for the offer Shane... I've see the work you did on Buckroseau's rig. Great work. I think I want to take a stab at the glove box assembly (requires welding and cutting and all that fun stuff).

As far as replating... can I take a raincheck? I am working on the chassis right now. Taking 3 frames up to be blasted / powder coating for 2. Looks like tomorrow now as I still need to degrease and pressure was 2 of them.

I need to go play with my son... he has 4 dump trucks we need to load up and a 10x20 area to grade out with his grader.

Im no welder.......I just wanted to get my hands on the door... Fire me an e-mail any time.

Best,

Shane

 

[Mikesta]

Well... I don't have a plane (comparing to buckroseau)... but my kids are my passion outside of cruisers.

Here is my 2 yr old in his glory.

 

[Mikesta]

Nothing to do with the LV... but things that are keeping me from it.

- Cleaned up and got 95% of all bolts nuts and accessories off the 55 and 60 series frames
- Loaded up a Z600 that I gave away on craigslist... fit in the back of some dudes car.
- Buddie came over with his pressure washer and cleaned the 55 and 60 series frames.

Tomorrow... I'll sawzall / grind off more accessories and load them and the LV frame up and trailer them over to the sandblaster.

Oh yea... got the axles on the horses as well.

 

[Mikesta]

Frames before blasting.

 

[Mikesta]

frames after.. pressure washing

 

[Mikesta]

axles

 

[AZkick-n40]

I need to go play with my son... he has 4 dump trucks we need to load up and a 10x20 area to grade out with his grader.

Your LV is gonna be a cake walk compared to the grading you need to do w/ the Tonka.

Keep up the great work!

 

[Mikesta]

Had a change in mind... with all the frames ready for the blaster and a ton of other metal that needs to go and is not prepared.. I decided to hold off.

However because it is a frame off resto, I am going through the axles right now. Ordered bearings and gaskets and a few other goodies from Steve-0 at man-a-free... much better service that SOR... but thats me. I also sent back the shackles to SOR as they sent me the wrong parts and one of the wrong parts were back ordered. So far I am 0 and 2 with them... working with 5 rude reps. Oh well... I guess cruiser heads shouldn't expect customer service. Or should they. Sor seemed to busy to take my order. Steve-0 and I worked together a order in about 30 minutes. Good guy.

I started riping into the axle and realized that I need that 54mm wrench! Off to Sears tomorrow to pick it and some brass punches up. I will be doing my knuckle rebuild on my 80 series sunday. Then back to work till my hawaii coverage on the 29th for 10 days. This project was delayed.. partly because of funds, partly because of family and partly because I need to scrap a few tons of metal in the back yard. Lot done over this vacation.

 

[Mikesta]

Went home today... been at the hospital and taking care of my chillins for the last 7 days. On the porch, front/rear axle rebuild kits, warn hub rebuild kits and wheel bearings for Pacino! Then I look over and find some LV PORN!

It was a breath of fresh air to even think about the LV after the week of madness I've had. May be 2-4 months before I open the garage again... but I can dream right!

I will completely rebuild the axles on Pacino, blasting the axle housings and applying fresh paint then assembly. Then springs, shackles and blast / painted frame. If I can get this all done this year, I will have met my goal. Just a couple speed bumps to get over.

Cheers

 

[cruiser_guy]

I started riping into the axle and realized that I need that 54mm wrench!

Mike, I assume it's still ball and claw. If so and if you're keeping it that way it's NOT a 54mm it's something smaller. When I went to tear my axle apart for the disc swap on the LV last fall I thought how loose the nuts were until I found out that my socket wasn't catching them! I ended up being able to use a large pair of slip joint pliers.