Builds POTM - March, 2014 - Javelina By Pablo Cruise

[PabloCruise]

I love these two shots - Pig munching on a sunflower:

I thought this would have been a really cool cover for the Trails, but I guess it was not high enough res:

 

[PabloCruise]

Some cool detail shots:

 

[PabloCruise]

That is all for now!

Next time; brake master cylinder and interior panels...

 

[71greenpig]

Sweet ride so nice. .

 

[scrapdaddy]

Pablo,

Question: Did you separate the upper fender from the lower. If so, how did you paint them. apart, then bolt together or put together and tape and paint. Seam sealer?

We have been kicking this around. Mine are apart and the painter wants to paint separate, then bolt together with a rubber bead between them.

Thanks,

 

[PabloCruise]

Pablo,

Question: Did you separate the upper fender from the lower. If so, how did you paint them. apart, then bolt together or put together and tape and paint. Seam sealer?

We have been kicking this around. Mine are apart and the painter wants to paint separate, then bolt together with a rubber bead between them.

Thanks,

Ron, I did not seperate fenders.

Now I will obsess about this...

Just kidding. It did not look like there was any need to address between the uppers and lowers.

Jason (@scorcher1967 ) did seperate uppers and lowers on Elyse's Pig: Project MOVIESTAR

Are you able to bolt them together? I know they were welded together by spot-weld originally, so I was afraid that once they seperated you were limited to coating with weld-through primer, welding together, seam seal/body caulk, then paint...

If I were you I would make sure you can bolt them together and still get everything to align.

 

[PabloCruise]

Sweet ride so nice. .

Thanks!

It sure is fun now. When I was sweating my a$$ off, sandblasting in a bunny suit w/ hood on in the hot sun, knowing I still had months to go it was not as fun!

 

[scrapdaddy]

Pablo,

On mine the spot welds have been drilled out, so a bolt can pass. It seems to be an area where the water can get between the pieces and start to rust. I need to decide which product to use, when bolting the two together. Seam sealer or a rubber bead, like on the VW fenders. I would think seam sealer would work better.

Gonzo, used seam sealer on his, but his is a single color, no masking off.

I look at yours and envision how sweet it will be driving down a back road, enjoying the 55. You know what I'm talking about!

 

[PabloCruise]

You know what I'm talking about!

Ah yes...

 

[PabloCruise]

My sister and her family came out for the weekend. Her 3 boys begged to ride in the Pig every time we went anywhere. It was a good time to share it with them.

 

[PabloCruise]

That is all for now!

Next time; brake master cylinder and interior panels...

I had never pulled the front proportioning valve when we installed the disc brake front axle. I have read that you want to go to a smaller bore MC when you put discs on the front for better pedal effort. I thought I might as well try pulling the front valve and see if that changes the pedal effort. At the same time I could check the MC bore for pitting, clean it out, and bleed the system fir new brake fluid.

Nothing too crazy here. The bore looked really nice for such an old MC, so I opted to clean it out and run it. I did not sense any improvement in pedal effort after pulling the front valve. Oh well. Perhaps I'll grab an early (pre-ABS) 80 series MC when they had disc/drum and throw that on sometime.

 

[PabloCruise]

Next up - I'll write about interior panels.

 

[71greenpig]

I was also curious about this thanks for the info....

 

[PabloCruise]

When we took the photos for the Toyota Trails in late August of last year, I was thinking about how I could finish the interior. I needed door panels - bad! My originals had dry, cracking vinyl and damaged fiberboard that was cracking. And of course, someone had cut speaker holes in the front panels.

So after seeing others on here make their own, I was ready to take the plunge. I bout a 4x8 sheet of hard board and some padding, and some vinyl.

Just about this time, I figured out that Tucker was working with a guy to get a set of FJ-55 interior panels made! Too cool! I love how Pig owners try to help each other out.

Tucker posted up here: FJ55 reproduction door panels and i took the plunge. I ordered the set from Steve ( @a1500ram ) after some discussion about various options for ashtrays, fuel fill cut-out and colors. Steve really does outstanding work! I am very pleased with mine. I have installed the front and rear doors, still need to do the cargo panels and the kick panels. He was not making the B pillar panel when I ordered, but I want to go back and get those from him.

 

[PabloCruise]

The panels showed up on my Birthday and they look great!

I'll get some pics posted of the door panels installed.

 

[subzali]

Where's the emoticon with the eye balls bulging out and the tongue hanging down?


...via IH8MUD app

 

[PabloCruise]

Where's the emoticon with the eye balls bulging out and the tongue hanging down?


...via IH8MUD app

Thanks Matt!

I sure do feel fortunate to have the free time and resources to turn this Pig into something.

Whenever I see her I can't believe I have a Pig!

 

[scrapdaddy]

And a very nice example, of a 55. You should be proud!

 

[PabloCruise]

Not too many things left to cover before we get up to present day...

After I got the interior panels from Steve, I took a while to get them all on.

First I did a test fit to see how they fit. The front and rear doors fit well, but the cargo panels had some problems. I spoke with Steve and we ultimately ended up with me sending him my original hardboard panels for templates that he created new cargo panels from. Thanks Steve!

 

[PabloCruise]

I thought I would start with the front door panels.

First up was some moisture barrier. I used a plastic cling wrap that we use at work. I had also gotten some urethane spray for the back of the panels, but I ended up not using it after Steve said that he has left his hardboard outside in the rain with no damage.

After the moisture barrier was applied, I started looking at the new clips Steve supplies with the panels. They are a little different in that the tab was shorter and the wings were a little wider and shorter. I ended up pinching the wings in a little. I also ended up using some of my original clips for holes where the new clips could not reach. I know my hands are soft now from a desk job, but it is a little hard to get the clips into the holes in the hardboard and spun around into the right locations. I found a pair of needle-nose pliers helped with getting the clips slid between the hardboard and the vinyl and padding.

The last comment I had for Steve was that the ash tray cut outs were a little narrow, and required widening. I used a flat file to clearance these holes.