Great job! I always love to see vehicles get rescued from the tin worm, enjoying this very much. I've always wanted to learn to do body work, someday I need to restore my dad's crusty 1970 VW Bus and this is great inspiration.
Builds OL'BETSY ZX: 1991 HZJ77 (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter JDM Journeys
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JDM Journeys
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- #42
If you look back a bit, you might remember that in Nov/Dec I bought some factory fresh fenders. Also pulled off the rusty original ones, which had suffered silently under the factory flares, the same as the rears. But before installation, I had to take care of some business.
ENTER POR15. I've known about it for years, and had it filed away as the product I would use someday when necessary, but why in the hell did I wait so long. I absolutely love this stuff, and would probably coat lots of inappropriate things if it was UV stable. (That may have been misconstrued, so let's move on). Inner wheel wells? Yep. They got the first nod. Beauty.
That airbox was looking a little tatty. Best cover that too?
And you know what it's like once you open the can... may as well get on it. Back to my new inner rockers we go.
Yes, the light gray is seam sealer, and yes Ian speaks the truth (shocker). The 70's seam sealer was suffering a fair bit in a few places (thankfully the roof and raingutters are still good). I seam sealed my new panels everywhere there was a joint, a weld (okay, especially a weld) or a seam, after the POR15 cured.
I did leave a strip of virgin metal along the edges for reasons which will be disclosed later (here's a hint: THREE M). I think this is looking better?
Inside taillights had seam sealer deterioration as well, so I did some scraping, a small patch (tiny rust hole) and then seam sealed that too. Well, both sides actually.
Now where was I? Oh yeah, fenders. FRONT fenders. But first they needed paint. And it's winter. A local shop mixed me up some color matched base, and I rattled on two coats of Blue Slate Metallic 183, and then two coats of clear. It looks like crap, but at least it's sort of matching crap, and once summer comes, a little wet sanding will make it more palatable. But for now... good enough from 100 feet.
After they dry...
It was easier to make these levitate than it was to get the old fenders off. What a giant pain that was!
ENTER POR15. I've known about it for years, and had it filed away as the product I would use someday when necessary, but why in the hell did I wait so long. I absolutely love this stuff, and would probably coat lots of inappropriate things if it was UV stable. (That may have been misconstrued, so let's move on). Inner wheel wells? Yep. They got the first nod. Beauty.
That airbox was looking a little tatty. Best cover that too?
And you know what it's like once you open the can... may as well get on it. Back to my new inner rockers we go.
Yes, the light gray is seam sealer, and yes Ian speaks the truth (shocker). The 70's seam sealer was suffering a fair bit in a few places (thankfully the roof and raingutters are still good). I seam sealed my new panels everywhere there was a joint, a weld (okay, especially a weld) or a seam, after the POR15 cured.
I did leave a strip of virgin metal along the edges for reasons which will be disclosed later (here's a hint: THREE M). I think this is looking better?
Inside taillights had seam sealer deterioration as well, so I did some scraping, a small patch (tiny rust hole) and then seam sealed that too. Well, both sides actually.
Now where was I? Oh yeah, fenders. FRONT fenders. But first they needed paint. And it's winter. A local shop mixed me up some color matched base, and I rattled on two coats of Blue Slate Metallic 183, and then two coats of clear. It looks like crap, but at least it's sort of matching crap, and once summer comes, a little wet sanding will make it more palatable. But for now... good enough from 100 feet.
After they dry...
It was easier to make these levitate than it was to get the old fenders off. What a giant pain that was!
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JDM Journeys
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- #43
Thanks a lot! The best thing to do is just dive in, and be prepared to do it over, or in my case over and over...
Right now, my "arsenal" of tools (emphasis on the "arse") for bodywork consists of a cheap brake, a mushroom dolly, a body hammer, a piece of 3 inch tube with a nut welded on one side for clamping in the vise, a grinder, some clamps, a panel edger and an impotent (no gas) mig welder. My goal at this point is as little filler as possible, (if any at all), and rust gets cut out, not covered up. This will obviously have some effect on aesthetics, but I'm in this one for the long haul, so durability is more important.
Get some sheetmetal, mock a panel up in cardstock first, and then see how closely you can get the metal to do the same thing. There are so many youtube vids out there now its not even funny. And some of them are actually good!
Obviously the above panel is not the finished product. I'd need to at least step up to construction paper!
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JDM Journeys
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- #44
I apologize for the string of posts. I can only post five pics at a time, and apparently I've gotten very behind on this build, so I'm attempting to get close to present day. Right now I'm posting for progress from late January ( so about a month ago).
I'm skipping a lot of cussing, fussing and general debauchery in saying that "I bolted the fenders on". Anyone who's removed these, and has hands larger than barbie knows that it's not the most fun you can have with your coveralls on. Or possibly I'm incompetent. Either way, they're on, and they have no holes.
Oh. Yeah, I need to fix that soon. They actually NEED holes to attach those love em/hate em factory flares. Hmmm. Here's a terrible pic after the temperature dropped to arctic levels in early february, and parking all three in the garage was more than just a convenience. So a little crowded, but you get the gist?
And back we go. To the back.
At one point I had myself convinced that the panel I'd so painstakingly bent and welded (ad nauseum) was going to be just fine. Such delusion even led me to try welding it onto the existing body work (still gas-less, flux core). It turned out worse than you might've thought. I really shouldn't even corroborate this with evidence, but here it is:
Don't judge too harshly. This was only my second attempt at creating a port side patch panel. Ultimately, it was too pourous, too patchwork, too overalapping, and too UGLY to stay there, even if it was going to be mostly covered by the bumper endcap. (yes, I tried to justify it to myself too).
It needed to be cut off. And while I was at it, what is up with the irregular panels anyways? And you all knew the corner had to go. So it went. Gulp. No turning back now...
I started over. Again. But this time I was working with a much less convoluted shape as it turned out. And it went quick. Within hours I had roughly fashioned what was going to become the final piece.
All the time I'd spent on the previous iteration was not really wasted I guess, since it gave me at least a little experience in shaping metal.
I even managed to weld the tabs up without burning through. Small miracles...
Next time, we go for broke! I buy some space age, high tech fancy shmancy adhesive which probably has no place on a 70 series, and GLUE these panels in place! That will get us mostly up to speed...
I'm skipping a lot of cussing, fussing and general debauchery in saying that "I bolted the fenders on". Anyone who's removed these, and has hands larger than barbie knows that it's not the most fun you can have with your coveralls on. Or possibly I'm incompetent. Either way, they're on, and they have no holes.
Oh. Yeah, I need to fix that soon. They actually NEED holes to attach those love em/hate em factory flares. Hmmm. Here's a terrible pic after the temperature dropped to arctic levels in early february, and parking all three in the garage was more than just a convenience. So a little crowded, but you get the gist?
And back we go. To the back.
At one point I had myself convinced that the panel I'd so painstakingly bent and welded (ad nauseum) was going to be just fine. Such delusion even led me to try welding it onto the existing body work (still gas-less, flux core). It turned out worse than you might've thought. I really shouldn't even corroborate this with evidence, but here it is:
Don't judge too harshly. This was only my second attempt at creating a port side patch panel. Ultimately, it was too pourous, too patchwork, too overalapping, and too UGLY to stay there, even if it was going to be mostly covered by the bumper endcap. (yes, I tried to justify it to myself too).
It needed to be cut off. And while I was at it, what is up with the irregular panels anyways? And you all knew the corner had to go. So it went. Gulp. No turning back now...
I started over. Again. But this time I was working with a much less convoluted shape as it turned out. And it went quick. Within hours I had roughly fashioned what was going to become the final piece.
All the time I'd spent on the previous iteration was not really wasted I guess, since it gave me at least a little experience in shaping metal.
I even managed to weld the tabs up without burning through. Small miracles...
Next time, we go for broke! I buy some space age, high tech fancy shmancy adhesive which probably has no place on a 70 series, and GLUE these panels in place! That will get us mostly up to speed...
JDM Journeys
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- #45
This whole resto is based upon ridding the rust. And like everyone, I wanted to keep it at bay, not introduce new places for it to get hold. So... that meant having a way to cover/coat/protect every side, every edge, and every nook and cranny. Luckily, the construction of the rear panels allowed full rear access. So anything I applied from the outside could be duplicated on the inside. The edges were where it was trickier.
And I think I've already proved I'm not a welder, in any functional sense of the word. So... how about taking advantage of some high tech to accomplish several goals? 3M has been making (and I'm assuming improving) their adhesives for years. OEMs use this stuff to attach panels in non-structural areas. The extra bonus in this case, would be sealing the lapped edges from oxidation. Here's the stuff I bought... (0815 if you're a numbers person).
It has a fancy mixing tip that sends the two parts through a maze where they meet, fall in love, and come out the end as a fully integrated adhesive family, with a working time that starts the clock ticking... (I borrowed the gun, thankfully, because the best price I could find on the glue was $70CAD. Yikes.)
Matching those edges though, whether welding or gluing, was going to need one more tool to keep things on the level. So I bought a pneumatic panel edger.
With these two pieces of the puzzle, it was time to move forward. All mating surfaces were brought down to bare metal. I mocked my new panels in place multiple times to make adjustments.
And finally, with garage heaters running on high, I got cracking.
Starboard side:
And port side:
I used whatever I could on the inner walls to brace against the new panels, and then from the outside I used a combination of straps and visegrips to keep the two parts clamped together to dry. I read that there were glass beads in the adhesive to keep clamping pressure from pushing out all the glue, but I'm not sure that was even a concern.
Now I just had to let it cure.
And I think I've already proved I'm not a welder, in any functional sense of the word. So... how about taking advantage of some high tech to accomplish several goals? 3M has been making (and I'm assuming improving) their adhesives for years. OEMs use this stuff to attach panels in non-structural areas. The extra bonus in this case, would be sealing the lapped edges from oxidation. Here's the stuff I bought... (0815 if you're a numbers person).
It has a fancy mixing tip that sends the two parts through a maze where they meet, fall in love, and come out the end as a fully integrated adhesive family, with a working time that starts the clock ticking... (I borrowed the gun, thankfully, because the best price I could find on the glue was $70CAD. Yikes.)
Matching those edges though, whether welding or gluing, was going to need one more tool to keep things on the level. So I bought a pneumatic panel edger.
With these two pieces of the puzzle, it was time to move forward. All mating surfaces were brought down to bare metal. I mocked my new panels in place multiple times to make adjustments.
And finally, with garage heaters running on high, I got cracking.
Starboard side:
And port side:
I used whatever I could on the inner walls to brace against the new panels, and then from the outside I used a combination of straps and visegrips to keep the two parts clamped together to dry. I read that there were glass beads in the adhesive to keep clamping pressure from pushing out all the glue, but I'm not sure that was even a concern.
Now I just had to let it cure.
JDM Journeys
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- #46
A few days later I took away all the supports, and was happy to see that the fenders were SOLID. They even "sounded" better. Nice to have a truck that is whole instead of holed? 
I decided to throw some primer at it first, and get a look at how the seams were. Sometimes it's hard to tell in raw metal.
And it wasn't terrible. Some sanding, a tiny bit of filler for transition, and I can live with it. I was a little burned out on body work by this point (two weeks ago) so I moved to other things needing attention...
Fiddly bits on the front like the little plastic barrier under the front right fender edge (to protect the air intake I assume?) and fender adjustment...
This truck clearly sat under some trees for a long time, so I pulled the windshield cowl and set to work cleaning things up...
Yucky. A shopvac did most of the work here...
Much better.
Okay, I need to get back to those rear quarters and put them to bed once and for all. Let's mix up some filler and get this over with!
I decided to throw some primer at it first, and get a look at how the seams were. Sometimes it's hard to tell in raw metal.
And it wasn't terrible. Some sanding, a tiny bit of filler for transition, and I can live with it. I was a little burned out on body work by this point (two weeks ago) so I moved to other things needing attention...
Fiddly bits on the front like the little plastic barrier under the front right fender edge (to protect the air intake I assume?) and fender adjustment...
This truck clearly sat under some trees for a long time, so I pulled the windshield cowl and set to work cleaning things up...
Yucky. A shopvac did most of the work here...
Much better.
Okay, I need to get back to those rear quarters and put them to bed once and for all. Let's mix up some filler and get this over with!
JDM Journeys
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- #47
Well, it's never a bad time to do upkeep I guess, so as I was putting the fenders back on, I realized that I hadn't finished baselining my maintenance yet. And I had the fuel filter assembly off the inner fender to make room to bolt up the new wings. So... may as well change the fuel filter?
Looked like it hadn't been done for a long time, and it took considerable convincing (as well as some counterclockwise whacks on the edge of the can with a chisel) before it yielded to the strap wrench, and I was able to spin the new one on. Glad that's changed! (If you look closely you can see the damage I had to inflict to get it moving).
Okay, in looking at this pic, it reminds me that I did the clutch fluid but not the brake reservoir. Ewww. That looks nasty. It just moved up the queue!
And of course you can see a void where the airbox lives, so you know what I'm going to change next. Genuine toyota filter for the win!
Okay, enough delaying. Let's get those damned rear quarters covered!
This was after primer, and a couple of thin skims of filler and some spot putty because I'm a terrible filler mixer (LOL).
Here's the RHS:
I filled the holes where the bumper end-cap moulding normally screws through the plastic nuts. And yes, I know the two sides don't match now. You might feel better knowing it's one of many things that keeps me up at night. Truthfully, I ALMOST went back to this side with the cutting disc to cut the whole thing up to the line, and fashion a completely new bottom like I did on the other side. But it's kind of silly, since both will be covered anyway. But I haven't eliminated the possibility of going back in eventually.
Anyways, next up a little more sanding, primer, and then base/clear...
Looked like it hadn't been done for a long time, and it took considerable convincing (as well as some counterclockwise whacks on the edge of the can with a chisel) before it yielded to the strap wrench, and I was able to spin the new one on. Glad that's changed! (If you look closely you can see the damage I had to inflict to get it moving).
Okay, in looking at this pic, it reminds me that I did the clutch fluid but not the brake reservoir. Ewww. That looks nasty. It just moved up the queue!
And of course you can see a void where the airbox lives, so you know what I'm going to change next. Genuine toyota filter for the win!
Okay, enough delaying. Let's get those damned rear quarters covered!
This was after primer, and a couple of thin skims of filler and some spot putty because I'm a terrible filler mixer (LOL).
Here's the RHS:
I filled the holes where the bumper end-cap moulding normally screws through the plastic nuts. And yes, I know the two sides don't match now. You might feel better knowing it's one of many things that keeps me up at night. Truthfully, I ALMOST went back to this side with the cutting disc to cut the whole thing up to the line, and fashion a completely new bottom like I did on the other side. But it's kind of silly, since both will be covered anyway. But I haven't eliminated the possibility of going back in eventually.
Anyways, next up a little more sanding, primer, and then base/clear...
JDM Journeys
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- #48
Okay, two coats of base, two coats of clear. Hastily applied because its winter, garage is dusty anyways, and its a rattle can. I'll go back with some 1500 grit and wet-sand it if it bothers me once it gets in the light, but for how much will show above the bumper rubber, I'm not sure I'm worried about it. It is covered, metal, encapsulated, and solid, so I'm putting this one in the win column. (Looks kinda crappy in the below pic, but that's beacuse it's actually got some reflection going on. Amazing).
Let's go back to the LHS... Might be apropos to reflect on how this side looked when it first came into my care...
OUCH! That pic still makes me cringe when I see it. Here's the antidote (color match is actually good, but pic makes it look darker since its on a different reflection plane. Again, it'll be mostly covered by the bumper anyways). But even if it was hot pink, it would still be preferable to the above pic, wouldn't it? Okay, BEHOLD:
Having the jack compartment back there gave me lots of room to prime and paint behind as well, before reinstating the jack.
But of course there's always something that keeps the experience from being 100%. In this case it was the cracked grilles in the rear inner panels. Can't be putting those back in. Luckily, they are still available NEW! I love the 70 for being such a long termer.
Let's go back to the LHS... Might be apropos to reflect on how this side looked when it first came into my care...
OUCH! That pic still makes me cringe when I see it. Here's the antidote (color match is actually good, but pic makes it look darker since its on a different reflection plane. Again, it'll be mostly covered by the bumper anyways). But even if it was hot pink, it would still be preferable to the above pic, wouldn't it? Okay, BEHOLD:
Having the jack compartment back there gave me lots of room to prime and paint behind as well, before reinstating the jack.
But of course there's always something that keeps the experience from being 100%. In this case it was the cracked grilles in the rear inner panels. Can't be putting those back in. Luckily, they are still available NEW! I love the 70 for being such a long termer.
JDM Journeys
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- #49
Putting those retaining clips on the new grille is made easy with a 7mm, so when the 10mm runs aways with all the others, I'll still be able to do this job. Although the first ones lasted close to 30 years so maybe I won't be doing this one again?
Anyways, much better:
Okay, now that hatch cover is looking all scratchy in the pic isn't it. Maybe I oughta go look at the peeling clear coat on the hood so I can forget about the hatch. I digress. Again.
Got the rear bumper (or is it bumpers?) on. I may put some silicone on the inside lip of the end cap gasket thingy to hold it on, since it is no longer attached through the rear quarter. The endcaps are now attached to the quarters via stainless bolts and nuts at the (new) wheel-well lip. I think OEM may have been plastic inserts, but that was all gone by the time I got her, so who knows? They are pretty secure.
I've ordered the factory split trays to go under the bumper on either side of the hitch, and will attach them when they get here... For now, here is the rear view:
This officially gets me up to today, so from here on out I'll try to update in real-ish time, as I go.
Anyways, much better:
Okay, now that hatch cover is looking all scratchy in the pic isn't it. Maybe I oughta go look at the peeling clear coat on the hood so I can forget about the hatch. I digress. Again.
Got the rear bumper (or is it bumpers?) on. I may put some silicone on the inside lip of the end cap gasket thingy to hold it on, since it is no longer attached through the rear quarter. The endcaps are now attached to the quarters via stainless bolts and nuts at the (new) wheel-well lip. I think OEM may have been plastic inserts, but that was all gone by the time I got her, so who knows? They are pretty secure.
I've ordered the factory split trays to go under the bumper on either side of the hitch, and will attach them when they get here... For now, here is the rear view:
This officially gets me up to today, so from here on out I'll try to update in real-ish time, as I go.
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JDM Journeys
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- #50
Some more progress! Yesterday I made some small patch panels for the corners of the outer rockers in front of the wheels, and today I "glued" them in with the last of my 3M body panel adhesive. This I believe ends my quest to cut out every bit of rust and replace with new metal.
I pre-painted them (masked the mating surfaces) so that the back sides would be rustproofed.
Once the adhesive is cured I'll smooth it out a bit, throw some paint on, and call it good.
Meanwhile, my parts order came. So I immediately put my new rear bumper trays on. No good pics yet, but here's a brief glimpse...
Unfortunately, there were several broken bolts in the mounting holes, from a previous bumper platform of some kind, sometime in the past. I was able to drill out two, and retap them. The other one was a lost cause, but luckily I could reach the backside to put a nut there. They are a bit flexy, but finish off the rear end nicely.
Speaking of finish off, this evening was spent with a rivet gun and a box full of mysterious looking little brackets to hang my factory flares. It was quite tricky to find the right pieces. I bought all new ones before Christmas, and used the parts diagram to match them to their spots. I have the rearmost flare now mounted on each side, and have started on the back door. Hopefully I'll make more progress tomorrow on this.
I pre-painted them (masked the mating surfaces) so that the back sides would be rustproofed.
Once the adhesive is cured I'll smooth it out a bit, throw some paint on, and call it good.
Meanwhile, my parts order came. So I immediately put my new rear bumper trays on. No good pics yet, but here's a brief glimpse...
Unfortunately, there were several broken bolts in the mounting holes, from a previous bumper platform of some kind, sometime in the past. I was able to drill out two, and retap them. The other one was a lost cause, but luckily I could reach the backside to put a nut there. They are a bit flexy, but finish off the rear end nicely.
Speaking of finish off, this evening was spent with a rivet gun and a box full of mysterious looking little brackets to hang my factory flares. It was quite tricky to find the right pieces. I bought all new ones before Christmas, and used the parts diagram to match them to their spots. I have the rearmost flare now mounted on each side, and have started on the back door. Hopefully I'll make more progress tomorrow on this.
Well, it's never a bad time to do upkeep I guess, so as I was putting the fenders back on, I realized that I hadn't finished baselining my maintenance yet. And I had the fuel filter assembly off the inner fender to make room to bolt up the new wings. So... may as well change the fuel filter?
Looked like it hadn't been done for a long time, and it took considerable convincing (as well as some counterclockwise whacks on the edge of the can with a chisel) before it yielded to the strap wrench, and I was able to spin the new one on. Glad that's changed! (If you look closely you can see the damage I had to inflict to get it moving).
View attachment 2604599
View attachment 2604600
Okay, in looking at this pic, it reminds me that I did the clutch fluid but not the brake reservoir. Ewww. That looks nasty. It just moved up the queue!
And of course you can see a void where the airbox lives, so you know what I'm going to change next. Genuine toyota filter for the win!
View attachment 2604604
Okay, enough delaying. Let's get those damned rear quarters covered!
This was after primer, and a couple of thin skims of filler and some spot putty because I'm a terrible filler mixer (LOL).
View attachment 2604605
Here's the RHS:
View attachment 2604606
I filled the holes where the bumper end-cap moulding normally screws through the plastic nuts. And yes, I know the two sides don't match now. You might feel better knowing it's one of many things that keeps me up at night. Truthfully, I ALMOST went back to this side with the cutting disc to cut the whole thing up to the line, and fashion a completely new bottom like I did on the other side. But it's kind of silly, since both will be covered anyway. But I haven't eliminated the possibility of going back in eventually.
Anyways, next up a little more sanding, primer, and then base/clear...
That fuel filter saga gives me deja vu! I think every JDM Cruiser I've owned has had terribly stuck fuel filters (and generally oil filters, too). Is your welder gas compatible? If so, don't wait to get it set up with gas, you wont regret it!
JDM Journeys
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- #52
It is gas compatible. And Ian and some of my friends IRL have said the same thing. It is definitely in the plan. Funny enough, not having gas was the reason it sat unopened in the package for three years after I got it, until right before Christmas when this truck told me I REALLY needed to get off my posterior and spark it up. So at least I've been using it.
Sometimes I get caught by analysis paralysis.
JDM Journeys
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- #53
I've had the same experience with fuel filters in every diesel JDM I've ever brought in. Lol. Thought I was just unlucky.
It's interesting how creative you have be to get those things unstuck eh?
JDM Journeys
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- #54
Made some more moves in the right direction yesterday.
Like em or not, the flares belonged on my ZX and I was determined to reunite them with the truck. Well. The ones that weren't broken. I had to buy one new one and am considering another. But first... Those hangers. It was a puzzle of Rubik proportions to figure out where each hanger went. And in what orientation.
Plus, OEM front fenders aren't predrilled so I had to figure out the holes first. And 32 holes drilled in your brand new fenders is worse than the 52mm hole for a snorkel in my opinion.
Here goes nothing...
Like em or not, the flares belonged on my ZX and I was determined to reunite them with the truck. Well. The ones that weren't broken. I had to buy one new one and am considering another. But first... Those hangers. It was a puzzle of Rubik proportions to figure out where each hanger went. And in what orientation.
Plus, OEM front fenders aren't predrilled so I had to figure out the holes first. And 32 holes drilled in your brand new fenders is worse than the 52mm hole for a snorkel in my opinion.
Here goes nothing...
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Good luck and godspeed on drilling those holes. Found some rust under my fenders and removed but have been hesitant to fill in as I go back and forth on the look. Your work is inspiration! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
JDM Journeys
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- #56
I think inspirational might be overselling it, but I appreciate the comment.
Holes drilled, and then POR15'ed ...
Then began the deciphering of the flare hanger codex. Here's the pattern I came up with:
It appeared to be the right one, since suddenly this happened:
They look like crap, with peeling clear etc, but they are at least reunited.
Mudflap reintegration is the next project. And I guess I need to do something about that lack of front porch. Besides, you know... putting the front porch back on.
Holes drilled, and then POR15'ed ...
Then began the deciphering of the flare hanger codex. Here's the pattern I came up with:
It appeared to be the right one, since suddenly this happened:
They look like crap, with peeling clear etc, but they are at least reunited.
Mudflap reintegration is the next project. And I guess I need to do something about that lack of front porch. Besides, you know... putting the front porch back on.
JDM Journeys
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- #57
The mudflaps have metal inner structure laminated around rubber. At 30 years old, there is rust coming through and some of the mounting holes are torn through. I had some POR15 left, so I thought why not try it there too? Lol. They are currently drying. I've also fabbed some simple tabs to sandwich the inner rubber mounting hole, so hopefully I can get them secured again soon?
Then it's on to the side steps, which are so high that I may just put them back on. Not much fear of pretzelling them compared to the normal running boards that I'd typically take off and toss.
Then it's on to the side steps, which are so high that I may just put them back on. Not much fear of pretzelling them compared to the normal running boards that I'd typically take off and toss.
GTSSportCoupe
2LTE abuser
Great work on all this! When can I drop mine off for repair?
Really though, thanks for documenting your work. I'll be referring to this when I go to work on mine. I realize you're not a pro, but neither am I, so this is perfect.
Really though, thanks for documenting your work. I'll be referring to this when I go to work on mine. I realize you're not a pro, but neither am I, so this is perfect.
JDM Journeys
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- #59
I'm glad it might be of help to someone. Good to give back when so many others have already contributed. @GTSSportCoupe your contributions alone over time have been super helpful, esp when I was considering an LJ or KZJ70 a few years back.
I like to think of my work as "easily emulated". Hehehe.
So my mudflaps currently look pretty crappy, but once they are in place, the shiny black will be hidden behind the flare, but maybe the rust through will be minimized. Also, you can make out the brackets I bent, if you look closely (they are POR15'ed already). I'm going to rivet them through the rubber, and they should hold the inboard part of the flap.
This ain't glamorous work, but I just hate putting things back together dirty, rusty, or incomplete. These flaps are all of those things, but at least they stand a better chance of staying attached now?
I like to think of my work as "easily emulated".
Hehehe.So my mudflaps currently look pretty crappy, but once they are in place, the shiny black will be hidden behind the flare, but maybe the rust through will be minimized. Also, you can make out the brackets I bent, if you look closely (they are POR15'ed already). I'm going to rivet them through the rubber, and they should hold the inboard part of the flap.
This ain't glamorous work, but I just hate putting things back together dirty, rusty, or incomplete. These flaps are all of those things, but at least they stand a better chance of staying attached now?
JDM Journeys
Moderator
- Thread starter
- #60
Parts order arrived today! Woot woot! Nothing major but the small details are always fun...
Got a bunch of these little plugs for the lower rockers...
Replaced all of them on both sides, after I blew out the cavities with compressed air.
Got a new gasket for the rear RHS flare.
But my best find this week was the little dust collection cup that clips to the bottom of the air filter. It seemed perenially out of stock, but suddenly it showed up as available. My old one was gross and crusty but could've been cleaned up. Sometimes you just want new though, right? And it was pretty cheap, once available.
Today I'm hoping to put the mudflaps back in place.
Got a bunch of these little plugs for the lower rockers...
Replaced all of them on both sides, after I blew out the cavities with compressed air.
Got a new gasket for the rear RHS flare.
But my best find this week was the little dust collection cup that clips to the bottom of the air filter. It seemed perenially out of stock, but suddenly it showed up as available. My old one was gross and crusty but could've been cleaned up. Sometimes you just want new though, right? And it was pretty cheap, once available.
Today I'm hoping to put the mudflaps back in place.
