Rank Amateur Painting HJ60: ISO Advisors

[apocalypsegrrrl]

This is probably a very bad idea. But I need to do some body work and paint my HJ60 and I'm too cheap to pay somebody who knows what they're doing to take care of it for me.

I'm not looking for a car show finish, but I want to remove and stop some rust spots, and I want the paint to stick and last.

Here's what I have going for me:

1. 1982 Aussie spec HJ60.
2. A big huge shop.
3. An air compressor.
4. A spray gun.
5. 6 weeks before I have to go back to work (teachers get no respect and very little compensation, but we do have lovely summers).

Here's what I'm working against:

1. No experience or skillz, to speak of.
2. Small budget.
3. two kids.
4. A husband who thinks this is a bad idea and doesn't share the shop nicely.

What I need from willing Mud Advisors:
1. help with what to do and what order to do it in.
2. Product and tool recommendations
3. Advise on what I should absolutely pay somebody with a clue to do.

So who's in?

Here are some pictures of the project:

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Wow. The interest was intense.

Anyway. I cleared myself a shelf on the storage rack and gave the HJ an OCD wash with Dawn and Scotch Bright pads. (Exciting photos below.)

Tomorrow I'm going to start taking stuff like tail lights and bumpers off. Should I pull the inside door panels off and paint the whole inside of the doors? Or just tape and mask the panels off and paint around them? If I do paint the inside of the doors, do I have to take the windows out? How big of a pain in the but is that?

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Thanks, J. I've studied the 101 Sticky a lot. I think I'm taking it to a welder to get the patches done. Although another forum user recommended panel adhesive.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Today's Adventures

I pulled the inner panels off the two rust through spots and sanded down the outside to bare metal.

Questions:

1. What is the point of this insulation stuff I scraped off the inside of the door and the quarter panel? Can I buy more of it and what do I use to stick it on?

2. These are the only two rust through spots. What are your best ideas for patch options, now that you see the scale of the issue?

Thanks!

 

[fjbj40]

That is pretty minor if that is the only rust you are dealing with. You can see there is still rust present in the deep pits. That has to be removed.

You could ask a body shop to patch it for you, it would be quick and easy for them to do and should not cost much. You can then do the rest of the work to prep it and paint it. I am saying for them to just patch it that's all.

Or you could by some rust dissolver and etch it out or cut it out and bond some sheet metal inside and then just fill it flush. Make sure you remove all residue from the inside if you are going to bond on repaires.

The stuff inside that you peeled off is a damper. It is to stop the panel from vibrating and make noise. Seeing it is a diesel I highly recommend you replace it once you are finished. It can be sourced from a lot of places in different degrees of quality.

In the previous post there was talk of basecoat clearcoat. Personally I find it harder, I have sprayed a reasonable amount of single stage paint, mostly polyurethane for aircraft and I have tried the clearcoat several times and me no like, that is just me. I am sure I would get the hang of it if I tried it more!

You seem pretty determined so with a little more research and advice from others you will do fine. Even if it does not come out great you have slowed down the rust so that is a good thing.

Daryl

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Turns out the worst was yet to come...

So I'm thinking I'm going to do it right, as long as I'm going to do it. Can someone talk me through the weld patch process? I'm going to have someone else weld it so I don't melt the headliner, but I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to take it to a welder or a body shop (or an exorcist).

Thanks,

Sarah



My Life In The Gutter

 

[PAToyota]

Probably best to remove the headliner before attempting to weld.

This video goes through the basic steps for making such a repair: Patch Panels-Installation and Hand Forming Automotive Panels from howtoASAP - YouTube

As to who to take it to - body shop or welder - that depends on who you have in your area.

Most of the welders listed in the yellow pages are going to be more on the structural end of things. They want to deal with 1/8" thick material and up - not so much sheet metal. But you could find an old-school welder who can do the whole thing in metal and you'd never know there was a patch.

Likewise, a lot of the body shops will want to just tack something on the backside and fill it all in with Bondo. Then there are the artists who will do it right.

Probably best to ask around in your area for who does good work for a reasonable cost.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Down The Freakin' Rabbit Hole

So the rust damage to the roof was worse than I thought. I spent a few days in denial and then accepted that I needed to take the headliner out. Today was the day. I made my kids help me, which was fun. It's never to early to start learning to restore cruisers, I guess.


The whole thing is almost out with no rips or damage, but then I came to the place where it goes under the inner windshield gasket. How the heck do I get it out of there?

 

[lostmarbles]

Hi there.

Wow. I'd sure be proud of you if you were my daughter! You're not afraid to get right into it.

What's probably happened there is that the windscreen (which you people call "windshield" I think) has probably been replaced and the installers have probably got adhesive on that liner edge that tucks in there.

So if you can't pull it out then maybe you'll just have to cut it neatly around the rubber.

Sad to say, whatever the case, getting that headliner back up and looking good again will be a difficult task, even for a professional vehicle upholsterer, in my opinion.

But if you've removed it so far without damaging it, I know you won't want to cut it. So maybe try and gently pry the rubber off the edge in one place first to see how stuck it really is, before deciding to cut.

And repairing that roof gutter rust is a toughie too.

But rust like that has to be tackled or else the water ingress will cause escalating rust problems so I think you've done the right thing (despite you no doubt having second thoughts about that).

Even if you run with no headliner for a while ... being able to inspect the whole gutter area internally is worth it and the improved access enables you to get the repairs done and stop water from getting in to cause further damage.

- Tom (from ther diesel section)

Ps. I'm sure there'll be lots of local guys wanting to help you. Just watch the bastards carefully and eliminate those with ulterior motifs

PPS. I recommend getting a professional to fix one corner. Then, depending on their quality-of-work and whether you think you can copy it, decide whether you or other professionals tackle the rest.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Thanks, Tom. I might just see what it would cost to pull the wind shield out. Maybe not. I'll fret about it for a while. So far I haven't been needing to fend any help off with a stick. When I mention to welders that I need advice on welding, they tend to start avoiding me.

As long as I'm at it, I'm going to look into buying somebody's salvaged hood, preferably a white one. I think I can replace it cheaper than I can fix it. I'll post in the classifieds, but wanted to float that out here as well.

 

[fitzmooney]

You have to remove the windscreen as the liner is folded and glued to the outside of the cavity.
Also make sure you wet down or remove that cotton insulation before you weld the roof area, as it is highly inflammable.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

OK. Thanks. I'll price it out tomorrow. Do you think I need to take ALL of the insulation out or just within an 18" radius of where I'm going to weld? Will it come out with a heat gun and a putty knife?

 

[fitzmooney]

I would still wet it down before welding.
The windscreen is not that hard to remove if the rubber seal is still flexible.
If it has gone hard, you will have to replace it anyway.
If that is the case just cut it away with a box cutter on the inside and lift it out.
The other thing you don't want to hear is that the plastic liner is almost impossible to replace, as it is usually heat shrunk into place.
I replaced mine with a velour one, that is easy to fit and looks 100% better.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Fitzmooney, where did you get your headliner? Mines in pretty good cosmetic shape and I think I can get it back in. At least I was really hoping to since I've heard a new one is $1000. But once I saw what it consisted of, it seems pretty simple for $1000. If I can get one cheaper (A LOT cheaper) I might do that.

Thanks,

Sarah

 

[45Kevin]

SOR has a sale on headliners.
Specter Off-Road Land Cruiser Parts - Page 114 Land Cruiser 60, 62, 80, 100 Series & FJ Cruiser Body Panels

I repaired a round corner on my roof last summer. I'm a rank amature and it turned out fairly nice.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/502648-im-going-tackle-my-roof.html

If the front of your roof doesn't need any welding,just leave the headliner where it is,rather than cutting it and or dealing with the windshield.

 

[apocalypsegrrrl]

Thanks for the link, Kevin. You did a great job on that cool truck of yours. It gives me hope! Was that a new rain gutter you put on?

 

[PAToyota]

4. A husband who thinks this is a bad idea and doesn't share the shop nicely.

Boooo..... I'm sure there are an awful lot of guys who would love to have a wife who shares their shop interests...

 

[fitzmooney]

I took my liner to my local upholsterer and he used as a pattern to cut out a new one.
He made it a good inch oversize, so that I could trim it to fit.
The cost was only $150.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[45Kevin]

Thanks for the link, Kevin. You did a great job on that cool truck of yours. It gives me hope! Was that a new rain gutter you put on?

I replaced several short sections of it with new metal welded in.

 

[Heirloom]

If you were closer to Dallas, I would trade you some help with your rust repair in return for help finding a teaching job. Oh, well.

You are off to a good start. The holes you exposed may need to be trimmed back just a bit in order to leave the edges at full thickness. Sometimes rust leaves the metal too thin to weld.

Have you checked your local clubhouse forum to see if anyone has insider knowledge of a good tinsmith in your area? I bet there is one out there that you just have to find. Just a google hit:

Jack Rods & Kustoms Sheetmetal Repair
2103 Harrison Ave NW #2-377
Olympia, WA 98502

This project seems up their alley.

Don't be afraid to tackle this independently. If you don't already have the equipment, it may be cost-prohibitive unless you really want to start endless welding projects. There is a lot of information to be found about rust repair on Mud, just keep reading and searching (especially in the 40 section). EDIT- Read this Welding in patch panels - The Garage Journal Board

Good luck to you, and feel free to convince my wife that she could spend more time in the shop.