Builds Shipwreck (20 Viewers)

[SuperBuickGuy]

hole filling

if you look carefully, you'll see I got hole-fill-happy and filled two too many holes (brake booster).... ah well I still need to deal with the divot so I'll solve that issue as the same time


more colander holes

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

woohoo, body work

yep, doing the seams inside as well, but more as camo since the interior is getting bedlined


as is the firewall


onto the metal work on the tub

 

[chappohj47]

Looking good mate might have to steal the idea of the lights in the side

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

when I first started doing SAR, I was on a mission in the middle of the night and the road was on the side of a mountain. There were several hairpin corners and not my light bar, my fogs, nor my headlights were illuminating where I was going... ever since, I've put the side lights on. What's cool is that they are useful for a variety of mundane things including getting the mail (for a couple months, 9 to 5 means leaving at dark and getting home at dark).

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

now we're to the stage of the project where it really doesn't look like much is happening because all that's really happening is bodywork (which may explain my mood).

last light installed


got parts today


they even work - hallelujah



mud

lots of mud


oh well, it'll be purdy when it's done...

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

not a lot of work done again, other stuff needed doing

time to fix the dash


by cutting a huge hole in it


then relocate the vents


more holes


now the vents are out of the way

 

[SSCR]

I see you added cats to your rig, what's the info on them? I would like to run them on my LC9 just so not to have any fumes while I have the top off and sitting at a light.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

2 1/2" diameter Flowmaster cats - and they're also a reason why I wrapped the headers. Cats work better the hotter the exhaust is (as does also the o2 sensor). I'm also running a stock(ish) GM TBI system so it's already programmed to interact properly with the cats (too lean will burn them up).

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

got a bit further



new vent tube



test fit




and a skim coat to try to keep this sealed


and a bit more body work while I'm at it


and really sealed the former vent hole to keep water out of filtering into the new box

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

so do I bolt it in place or put it on a hinge (the panel for the electronics)? my plan is to, if I bolt, to put the upper and lower bolts through the existing pad bolt holes... thus basically hiding them. The benefit is no seam, and harder access - after all, beside the "keep schmidt from getting wet" is the security of having none of the start-wires within easy reach. Thief-proof? no, but they'll steal the Jeep next to it before my FJ40 because it is a heck of a lot easier to get. With that said, I don't have a solution to keep it locked in gear or lock the steering so, while not easy, it's also not hard to take the whole thing.... of course, I have a solution for that as well.... but you'll have to stay tuned. Unless you're from that other website, you were silent when they were pricks which makes you just like them... so then why are you here?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

it can still be towed away because the differential and the transmission can be shifted with the engine off. Also the steering column doesn't lock

As for the batteries, those are probably going in the very back under the floor so they'd be tough to get to

a bit more done tonight
the vent is gone.. forever


and the electronics cabinet is installed


you can't see much of the top or the bottom because of the pads, but figured I'd make it flat while it's easy


and in that same vein, I had extra mud so I filled a hole that no one will see but was bothering me.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

so the frightening bit.... what am I going to do about the dash pad? it didn't come with the purchase price (the lower ones did, fortunately) and my fear is between the roll cage and the dash mods that a 'stock' one won't work. It's okay on one level because I really need to put a grab bar on the dash and incorporating one in now would be pretty cake.... but still, I think I backed myself into building a custom one - which is really easy except for the grab bar and the eyebrow over the instrument panel (which still fits, I check )

I wonder if a later pad would work?.... I want to have the tub ready to shoot primer on Sunday, so I need to finish the metal work... and yes, that even means if all goes well, I'll paint the tub Sunday night.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

This thing needs a dash pad of finest mahogany.

 

[Flipper1938]

...get rid of the pad all together

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I could put spikes, maces, and oak for the dash - but I want carpet and the passengers bleeding all over the interior after hitting the dash would be bothersome to clean up.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I think this is a neat idea - not the Heep, silly, the step.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

So, onward.
Tonight I did several things, I'll start at the second bit....
these, ROCKCRAWLER.com - Getting Rid of an Oil Mess in a York Air Compressor are awesome instructions. they are, also, my second printing. I started on the air compressor
and got here


and realized the instructions I printed out had blank pages (the last 2 of 4)
so I slogged back up to my house to reprint the instructions. What I didn't find was my original site, but google took me to another site that had pages 3 and 4. On page 3 were these words "okay, now the simple way to do this" the prior instructions included disassembly, saving of a part that's irreplaceable, drilling and tapping a hole, and running a plug in.

page 3 said "well, if you go to the top of the compressor, you can do this same thing in 10 minutes... uh score!

you take the top off (you do have a 12 point 5/16, right?)


and you can clearly see in the instructions to cap the hole on the leftmost side.... as you can see, also, there isn't a hole to plug on the leftmost side... it's on the right


no worries, it's now plugged with a self-tapping screw and a bit of silicone.


then I found the problem


As you can clearly see, the part is a Jeep part. So as I'm doing the rest, I'm pondering and realize that the transmission, transfer case, wiring for the TBI, and the air compressor are all Jeep parts. In addition, as you well know, the flares on the back are a TJ part.... which makes this vehicle far more Jeep then Toyota. Heck, even the dana 44 front axle is a cousin of what's in Jeeps.....

But I digress, there's also Freightliner parts on it
the serpentine pulley.... yep, from a big rig



I had a lot of pondering time because I hate rework and grinding.... and both happened next.
this


the transmission mount... I've got a final solution - which looks a lot like my first "solution".... cause it is lol
which brings me to what I did first.... raised bondo dust (which might explain my rambling nature tonight)



lower pad fits correctly - though a quandry.... what is the hole on the right side of the glove box for? and if the answer is nothing.... should I plug it or use it for something? like...?



and last but not least... clean with holes plugged


and what stopped me was the need to keep the shop at 70 degrees for 24 hours... not sure how that's going to happen...

 

[Kris]

That hole on the far right of the dash is for the eject seat. Just put a big red e-stop button in there.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

...get rid of the pad all together

x2! I'm going to have tube from the cage going from A piller to A piller. It will sit right where the factory dash pad used to live. From that bar, I will be able to weld on a grab handle on the passenger side and mount my ram mounts to it.

 

[Zimbwanabe]

Nice work!