Builds Starting my frame off Restore Project!!! Comments Welcomed!!! (1 Viewer)

[PScottBx]

Good luck

 

[squinty20]

Great project! Good to see another 40 coming back to life in the Boise area. Whats the history of the rig? From around here?

 

[thegreencantina]

I suggest you think of it as a process than as a product. .

That's exactly what I'm thinking of this as. A process that I will be working through...

There are reasons I'm doing it in this order... The main one being that I don't have a lot of experience in mechanical components.

It will be much easier to build up from scratch than to try to modify what already exists...

Also, the guy that's doing my sandblasting is in the process of selling his business. I didn't ever intend on driving this. In fact, it's been driven far more than I planned, and I've only taken it to the store and back a couple of times.

I'm sure that no matter which way I decide to go, that I'll decide it was the wrong way... but what the hell... That's what's fun about it.

For example... wasn't planning on doing any body work till next year... got the doors off and just couldn't stop.... Now I'll be taking them to be blasted within a week...

I've got it split up into parts: Frame, suspension, Motor, Transmission, interior, body... Which would explain why I spent 2 hours working on stripping the doors...

 

[alf]

Good luck I started mine 3 years ago and I hope to finish...... tomorrow, yeah right its never finished.

 

[awp_cruiser]

Sounds like you have a plan. Go for it!

Post lots of pictures. Get going on the frame and axles. Get that puppy put together as a rolling chassis and start knocking things off the list.

The best time saver tip I can think of is just tack it all in place and then take it apart and finish it up. I can't count the number of times I got excited and started welding away only to spend the next couple hours doing it over again.

Have fun!! Looking forward to the pics

awp

 

[cruiserjunktion]

With this website and ALOT of determination/stubborness

It can be done

You can do it!!!

You will make mistakes

Don't get discouraged

Keep us posted and thanks for sharing

 

[thegreencantina]

Are you kidding Me???


And that's just the front doors...

Holy Crap.

What have I gotten myself into?

 

[Coolerman]

We feel your pain! I'm on my third year getting my 71 resurrection finished... The basement is half full of labeled boxes, full of labled plastic bags, full of parts that never seem to go back the way they came off. Digital pics before during and after have saved me many hours of frustration. Plus you can make a web site as you go.

My advice is to treat working on the Cruiser as relaxation time, NOT as a must get it done or I'm not a man project. A while back someone mentioned a book titled Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintanence. Everyone trying to resurrect a Cruiser should buy this book and read it right after buying the FSM!

 

[bigbrowndog]

Here are the pics of my baby when I picked her up...

I'm thinking of this as less than a restoration, and leaning toward a resurection...

True Love... through and through....

Take my hat off to you guys, it would cost a heap here to restore a truck with that much rust here.A lot of your tools and materials and paint is sooo much cheaper over there.Here it is usually cheaper to buy one in better nick and less work, guess we are luckier that way.Good fun anyway and it keeps a man out of trouble.LOL

 

[Ullr]

A while back someone mentioned a book titled Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintanence. Everyone trying to resurrect a Cruiser should buy this book and read it right after buying the FSM!

I agree. I find if i think about wheeling it I get impatient to finish, its better to just enjoy the process.

I also think you need to double your budget. When I ran the numbers I added up the big stuff (Toybox, hi-steer, chrome moly axles, ect.) but I honestly find its the small BS that kills the budget. All those $50-100 trips to Napa add up, hell I have probably used $500 worth of Gunk cleaning stuff. You will also be amazed at how many crappy bolts, gaskets and seals you will have to replace. How many wire wheels you will go through at $15 a pop and how many rattle cans of paint you will use painting everything else but the body. And don't forget to budget for !

Oh and if possible I would budget more for a welder. Search "Outfitting" for extensive debates on MIG versus TIG but also a lot of comparisions of various welders by price and performance. If you use it much at all you will soon want something better than a $500 welder so spend the money up front now, get a quality 220 volt welder and have it for life.

Good luck and more pics!

 

[thegreencantina]

Best intentions...

Hey guys, I got a question for you concerning rust.

I had pretty much decided on sandblasting the entire cruiser, frame and all. As a matter of fact, every part except for the hood and tub is torn apart with nothing but metal on it.

I was talking with a rep from SEM Products yesterday. They sell a bed liner similar to Durabak or Herculiner. It's called Pro-Tex and from what I've read, it's a little nicer than the other two. Supposedly something about being a 2 stage product.

The boss and I have decided to coat the entire bugger inside and out. I checked at Line-X, but it only comes in black. Not to mention a quote of $3000.00 with ME taking all the parts apart, prepping them and bringing them to him ready to go... Ouch...

Anyhoo, my question is this: The rep from SEM sh*t a purple twinkie when I told him I was sandblasting. Said it "ruined the metal". He suggested "dipping" everything.

Anybody know if anyone does chemical stripping on frames / tubs/ body parts without my having to drive to Florida?

Also, any opinions on either option?

Also, I'm thinking about changing my mind on the POR 15 on the frame and going with Powdercoating... any thoughts?​

Anyone know where a guy could get a frame dipped?

I'm in SW Idaho.

Thanks!!!!

 

[Coolerman]

First off, WTH is a purple twinkie?

Second did he explain just what he meant by "ruined the metal"? Seems to me blasting, which leaves a rough surface, would be idea for adhesion of said product?

 

[thegreencantina]

It's just like a regular yellow Twinkie... but Purple.

Not sure what he meant, as I thought the same thing about surfacing the metal.

I've heard that if you use other media instead of actual sand that it's not as bad.

I don't think it matters, though, cause I'll be damned if I can find anyone closer than a couple thousand miles that can do it...

 

[thegreencantina]

True....true...

I've always believed that a plan is simply a list of things that will go wrong or change...

The wife and I made the mistake of doing a little off roading without the top last weekend with the kids.

In short... the plan has changed. I was planning on working on the chasis and suspension and having it completed by winter... No, no, no....

It's been a while since I've had a cruiser, that I forgot how much I missed them... Also, confirmed the fact that upgrading to Power Steering is NOT an option... it's a requirement...

So here's the plan... Going to drive her (the cruiser, not my wife) this summer while the weather is nice. Meanwhile, all the exterior parts except the hood are stripped to bare metal.

So what I am now hoping to have finished by winter, is the body work / priming / bed lining done by winter on all the exterior parts. Then it will give me all winter to work on the frame...

Speaking of the frame... I was planning on having it blasted and then coating with POR 15... I spoke with Marc (See the amazing restore of the 73...) and he suggested powdercoating.

I always thought it would be way too expensive. I went down to EPSCO in Boise (Shameless Plug... hoping for good deal for free advertising....) and Steve quoted me less than 300.00 for blasting, priming, and coating... Crap, it would be close to that to do it myself... I'm thinking I'll have him coat the axles and steering rods, too. Also going to powder coat some things inside; Seat backs, seat frames / rails, etc...

So there's where we are now.

I'll post some pics of my progress soon. ​

By the way... If anyone knows what year / model of Chevy Trucks or Vans would have the NV4500 transmission with the V8, I would appreciate it if you'd let me know.... Probably '87 and newer. Someone told me they had the "throttle body" injectors... Aparently that's a good thing.... ????

 

[awp_cruiser]

Does the GreenCantina have green twinkies then?

I am no pro but I have heard that if you want to strip metal of paint without warping and damaging it the best to use walnut shells. Pretty common from what I hear. You really might want to invest in a media cabinet yourself. It will save you hours and hours on cleaning up old rusty and nasty parts. Alumnium oxide on cast and heavier steel will bring out a shine that'll make you teary and wish you could clear coat everything.

awp

 

[Trollhole]

Be glad you don't have early doors. There are twice as many parts.

Blasting with sand on the body can be done but not just by anyone. If you leave don't watch the heat buildup you will warp every panel on the vehicle. Thats why people use media. Cause it doesn't heat up as much and is more forgiving.

Long road ahead for you. I feel your pain.

 

[Ullr]

I considered acid dip versus media blast. Theoretically acid dipping is better but I have heard some horror stories of the acid remaining in the joints even after the neutralization bath and then bleeding out when it gets wet. Of course media blasting will never get to all the places an acid dip will.

The deciding factor was $. Since I was investing in a compressor and blaster anyway I decided to not fork out the extra $ for an acid bath and just blast everything.

 

[REZARF]

I also think you need to double your budget. When I ran the numbers I added up the big stuff (Toybox, hi-steer, chrome moly axles, ect.) but I honestly find its the small BS that kills the budget. All those $50-100 trips to Napa add up, hell I have probably used $500 worth of Gunk cleaning stuff. You will also be amazed at how many crappy bolts, gaskets and seals you will have to replace. How many wire wheels you will go through at $15 a pop and how many rattle cans of paint you will use painting everything else but the body. And don't forget to budget for !

Oh and if possible I would budget more for a welder. Search "Outfitting" for extensive debates on MIG versus TIG but also a lot of comparisions of various welders by price and performance. If you use it much at all you will soon want something better than a $500 welder so spend the money up front now, get a quality 220 volt welder and have it for life.

Good luck and more pics!

Good advice from a guy walking in the middle of it. Plus, when you buy all the right tools, po sucka mooches like me will start to come over and take away from your resto time!

Rezarf <><

 

[thegreencantina]

Gone too Long

Here we are... after driving and playing, I guess it's time to do some work...​

By the way, if you need help getting the glass out of your windshield without breaking it... I'm not the guy!!!​

I should start posting again now that I'm getting started again....​

Here's where we are: And I have photos of everything if anyone needs something. I plan on having somewhere in the neighborhood of 352,896 pictures by the time I'm done.... but that's just a rough estimate of course....​

Keep fighting the good fight!!!!​

 

[jackbrad]

I would sandblast but, not "bedliner anything" if you ever want that to come off you have to play hell to get it.