Project MOVIESTAR (1 Viewer)

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scorcher1967 said:
Since we finally got above 0degrees, I got back into the garage today. (fun facts: air compressor lines freeze when it is below 0, and auto darkening welding helmets don't work right below 0.) Guess which two things I really needed last week?

Mostly I did an hour of finish weld and grind/shape on the drivers rear wheel lip.
But, I also thought to do a little modification I thought would be nice.

I took the interior light from Frank, cut it off, flipped it around, and put it above the cargo area in the rear. Relativly easy with the roof skin off. (I imagine this could be done with the roof on, and the headliner out)

dunno003.jpg

dunno006.jpg
Click to expand...

Jason,

I hope all is going well with this!

I was thinking about your rear dome light idea - I am not sure if it will interfere with the headliner bows in the location right behind that rear roof support.

We were cahtting about it here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-class...ed-interior-dome-light-mount.html#post5423567

Just wanted to give you the FYI while I was thinking about this...
 
PabloCruise said:
Jason,

I hope all is going well with this!

I was thinking about your rear dome light idea - I am not sure if it will interfere with the headliner bows in the location right behind that rear roof support.

We were cahtting about it here: https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-class...ed-interior-dome-light-mount.html#post5423567

Just wanted to give you the FYI while I was thinking about this...
Click to expand...

Yep, it sure will. Glad you pointed that out before I finished the roof. Should work just fine if I flip it around to the front side of the support. Easy enough, without the roof skin on.
 
And, after a job change, retraining, and a couple other setbacks, I can finally get back on track, or back on truck, so to speak.

Amazing what a couple uninterupted hours of work can do....ladies and gentlemen, I present to you......ONE NEW ROOF RAIL!!!!! :bounce::clap::bounce:

A little wider, and way stronger than sheet metal, should hold one hefty load on the roof rack.

PICT7207.jpg

PICT7206.jpg
 
Now, a little how it got there.
Lots of test fitting like this.
PICT7202.jpg


Mark areas that need to be ground down a bit, I shaped them around the B and C pillars, and at the front and back.
PICT7199.jpg

PICT7197.jpg


One cut, right at the B pillar to give it a bend at the front.
PICT7195.jpg


Marked where the spot welds on the roof skin will be, and ground through the POR-15, leaving as much as possible to delay the return of the most hated rust.
PICT7204.jpg


Clamped it back on, and tack welded it in place. Next step will be to lift the roof skin back off, and run a full bead down the top/inside of the new rail. That ought to hold it, and seal it up. Then, re-coat it with POR-15 inside, address the rear cargo light situation and repeat for the passenger side, and the roof is ready to button up. 3-4 months it should be good. (just kidding Elyse!)
 
after a week in mexico, celebrating my 40th birthday, I got back, expecting a good morning to get work done....but it is SNOWING?? But wait! It is Colorado. By noon it is 50 degrees and sunny. So I got some work done...

Welded the drivers roof rail on, and sealed it with metal patch (think wood putty, but for steel)
RoofRailPutty1.jpg
 
Thanks to a day of good weather, and a lack of family emergencies, I was able to get back to work today.

The roof is now ready to be welded on. I do not think I can do anything else to protect the inner structure of the roof from rust. POR-15 the rails, supports, anywhere that would not/did not get painted with the roof in place. It is the big payoff for doing it the hard way, and ignoring traditional wisdom. (which says to just cut the roof at the pillars) I sprayed cold galvanizing compound on all the areas that will be welded, to protect the gaps after the roof is in place, so....pictures!

Oh, and I flipped the rear cargo light. (thanks again for catching that one TJ!) Should work fine now with the headliner.

LexiesPics005.jpg

LexiesPics003.jpg

LexiesPics001.jpg
 
How about I get back to work on this thing? All I need is to take a week off work, and hit the garage.

I touched up the roof a bit, banged the three big dents out. Feels stronger now, won't cave in if you blow on it. Got some little ones left to work out. Wait till the whole thing is back together, closer to paint time.

But, what else did I learn this week? 1. Even if your fingers are too cold to feel, you will still feel the acid burning your skin. 2. Safety glasses are far less useful on top of your head vs. in front of your eyes. 3. I am a slow learner (see #2, repeat twice) 4. You can get a sunburn on the inner elbow, if you don't wear sleeves when welding. 5. POR-15 will get on your skin no matter how many latex gloves you are wearing.

Ask me how I know. Go ahead, ask.
 
You didn't think I would let you hang without some pictures?

How about some Body Mount surgery. Front passenger heel area. Ready, GO!

Here it is. Looks pretty good, no? Notice the body mount bolt. I did not just forget to take it out. We will get back to that.
Drilled out the spot welds.....
floorrepair005.jpg


Then, try to figure out why all welds are gone, but its still there? Notice Sledge Hammer, body bolt still there, and a huge pile of debris that fell out of the mount.
floorrepair006.jpg

The pile of tools needed to get one body mount off.
floorrepair007.jpg

What the inside looked like after the bolt was cut off, ground down, and hammered out. Brutal 2 hours.
floorrepair008.jpg
 
Why go through all that trouble? Because this is what was hiding underneath!
floorrepair012.jpg

Here is the mount, after half a day of chisling (sp?) scraping, pounding, soaking in Muriatic Acid, and sandblasting. But, the bolt finally came out!
floorrepair010.jpg

And, coat that bad boy with POR-15. Sucker will probably outlast all the other body mounts now.
floorrepair011.jpg

Cut out the old floor/side wall
floorrepair013.jpg

Discover that the rust beneath extends much further that you thought....cut it out, drain another 2 lbs of mud and sand from the rocker....coat the inside with POR-15...
floorrepair014.jpg

And what do you do, when waiting for POR-15 to dry? You hand fabricate floor pan patches, duh!
floorrepair015.jpg


Got to wait to put the other two in, wait until the POR-15 dries. Not a good idea to weld near wet POR-15...again, ask me how I know.... :doh:
 
Jason...
Glad to see you're back at it. Looking good. Hope you got the pics of my parts rig body on your parts rig chassis. I'll get a build thread going when I have some extra time...have more than 100 pics. The drive train in that chassis is super. I've driven it about 500 or so miles before and after body and paint and it's much peppier than the SBC in the one I sold. Just replaced the external gaskets and hung a new starter, water pump, alternator, redid the radiator, had the gas tank cooked out and a small leak repaired, and gave it a bit of a tuneup. Still need to refresh the Q-jet but I'm very pleased.
Keep up the good work now that you're back at it. Maybe we can get the two pigs together before the Moviestar heads back to CA.
 
riderjgs said:
Jason...
Glad to see you're back at it. Looking good. Hope you got the pics of my parts rig body on your parts rig chassis. I'll get a build thread going when I have some extra time...have more than 100 pics. The drive train in that chassis is super. I've driven it about 500 or so miles before and after body and paint and it's much peppier than the SBC in the one I sold. Just replaced the external gaskets and hung a new starter, water pump, alternator, redid the radiator, had the gas tank cooked out and a small leak repaired, and gave it a bit of a tuneup. Still need to refresh the Q-jet but I'm very pleased.
Keep up the good work now that you're back at it. Maybe we can get the two pigs together before the Moviestar heads back to CA.
Click to expand...

Hey Jim, I did get the pics. Nice work. Glad Frank lives on a bit! Far as I know, Grand Junction is on the way to California from here, would make a great photo op!
 
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