Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (3 Viewers)

[theglobb]

Replaced tie rod ends today, took about 45 min total. As much as I hated working in a basic automotive shop last year I got really efficient at doing brakes and suspension components... did ALOTTTT of brakes. But also just a lot of really boring work on really boring cars that were also all rusted out from the salt up here. Made me realize I don't want to be a generic mechanic for every average Joe's car

Steering feels tighter! Hopefully that weird loose feeling wont come back as it "fixed" itself a couple day before I did this repair.

No shop has ever been able to balance the Red Rocket's tires properly. It's always just been shaky when steering to the left or right at high speeds, which I know could be other suspension components but I've checked everything for wear for the past couple years and nothing shows... its in the tires/wheels. Anyways I bought some balancing beads to put into the tire and hopefully sort this issue once and for all. Spent 5 hours trying to break the bead on a single tire. I have now given up but I tried 20 or so different methods, guess I never have to worry about bead locks. I got so fed up at the end that I put both front tires on flat and drove a half mile... STILL NOTHING!!!!!!!!! Whatever I guess Mr.Tire will get 40 of my hard earned dollars, not worth my time messing with that any more. Below are the only 2 things I documented.

snow!

now you need to add winter car skiing to your troopy repertoire

I have done this aswell! Freshman year the troopy was the only car that could drive out in the snow so we got my tow ropes together and someone's beater skis. My friends and I had our fun for an hour on tubes and skis behind the troopy, then got cold so they all loaded up in the back and started getting a bunch of random people around campus to ski behind the troopy. Lasted about 3 hours until the cops eventually made it out into the snow and were NOT HAPPY. Had this guy screaming and yelling at me for a while, this was prior to my "police immunity" here in boone

 

[robmobile73]

Replaced tie rod ends today, took about 45 min total. As much as I hated working in a basic automotive shop last year I got really efficient at doing brakes and suspension components... did ALOTTTT of brakes. But also just a lot of really boring work on really boring cars that were also all rusted out from the salt up here. Made me realize I don't want to be a generic mechanic for every average Joe's car

Steering feels tighter! Hopefully that weird loose feeling wont come back as it "fixed" itself a couple day before I did this repair.

View attachment 3567198
View attachment 3567212

No shop has ever been able to balance the Red Rocket's tires properly. It's always just been shaky when steering to the left or right at high speeds, which I know could be other suspension components but I've checked everything for wear for the past couple years and nothing shows... its in the tires/wheels. Anyways I bought some balancing beads to put into the tire and hopefully sort this issue once and for all. Spent 5 hours trying to break the bead on a single tire. I have now given up but I tried 20 or so different methods, guess I never have to worry about bead locks. I got so fed up at the end that I put both front tires on flat and drove a half mile... STILL NOTHING!!!!!!!!! Whatever I guess Mr.Tire will get 40 of my hard earned dollars, not worth my time messing with that any more. Below are the only 2 things I documented.

View attachment 3567197


snow!
View attachment 3567200


I have done this aswell! Freshman year the troopy was the only car that could drive out in the snow so we got my tow ropes together and someone's beater skis. My friends and I had our fun for an hour on tubes and skis behind the troopy, then got cold so they all loaded up in the back and started getting a bunch of random people around campus to ski behind the troopy. Lasted about 3 hours until the cops eventually made it out into the snow and were NOT HAPPY. Had this guy screaming and yelling at me for a while, this was prior to my "police immunity" here in boone

Did you remove the valves from the valve stems? I tried once only deflating the tire and it wouldn't work. Once I removed the valves from the stems it did. 2x4 and driving up on the tire method.

 

[sark]

Did you remove the valves from the valve stems? I tried once only deflating the tire and it wouldn't work. Once I removed the valves from the stems it did. 2x4 and driving up on the tire method.

Well, you have to depress the valve to enable air flow. You can bring a valve tool with you that does that, or just use an inflator end and don't lock it in place and it will deflate it too.

 

[theglobb]

Did you remove the valves from the valve stems? I tried once only deflating the tire and it wouldn't work. Once I removed the valves from the stems it did. 2x4 and driving up on the tire method.

Yup first thing I did was remove the stems. I’ve mounted and dismounted hundreds of tires, on a machine of course.

 

[joekatana]

Years ago I had a super clean BJ40 without power steering that had the same loose and tight issues as yours . It also solved itself and a week later I smashed it against a tree when the steering gearbox seized up on me . Maybe time to track down a ps gearbox and go that way before you go the same way I did , I was about your age when that happened to me 25 years ago

 

[AirheadNut]

I have done this aswell! Freshman year the troopy was the only car that could drive out in the snow so we got my tow ropes together and someone's beater skis. My friends and I had our fun for an hour on tubes and skis behind the troopy, then got cold so they all loaded up in the back and started getting a bunch of random people around campus to ski behind the troopy. Lasted about 3 hours until the cops eventually made it out into the snow and were NOT HAPPY. Had this guy screaming and yelling at me for a while, this was prior to my "police immunity" here in boone

That's awesome! Used to do quite a bit of "road skiing" a few years back. Good times.

 

[bj70bc]

its such a cool and strange feeling gaining speed on ski's going uphill

 

[theglobb]

Well I'm home for spring break for the next 10 days or so, thus I have access to a garage and welder! Well my quarter panels have had rust popping up on them for the past 2-3 years now, I grind it down, convert it, paint it, and it returns in a different spot. I also have known for a while know that my rockers are swiss cheese. Well this break is when I dive into both of those issues.

First off WOW! By this point I have figured out that my truck was slapped together before being imported to the US by some slimy French men (no offense to anyone French reading this) but this is MUCH worse than I was thinking. Ground off 10 lbs of bondo today, and under all that bondo, shoddy tack welds everywhere.

Well yea that's about it, just an update. Will keep more picks of all the cancer coming and hopefully my repairs don't look too shabby, if anyone has any advice in regard to any sort of body work, please feel free to share!

Years ago I had a super clean BJ40 without power steering that had the same loose and tight issues as yours . It also solved itself and a week later I smashed it against a tree when the steering gearbox seized up on me . Maybe time to track down a ps gearbox and go that way before you go the same way I did , I was about your age when that happened to me 25 years ago

WOW! thank you for letting me know! That's pretty dang terrifying, thank you so much for the heads up and word of advice. All the seals in the box have failed so I just pumped it all the way full of some moly grease like 2 years ago... if anyone has a lead on a power steering box for a 70 series please let me know!!

 

[robmobile73]

Well I'm home for spring break for the next 10 days or so, thus I have access to a garage and welder! Well my quarter panels have had rust popping up on them for the past 2-3 years now, I grind it down, convert it, paint it, and it returns in a different spot. I also have known for a while know that my rockers are swiss cheese. Well this break is when I dive into both of those issues.

First off WOW! By this point I have figured out that my truck was slapped together before being imported to the US by some slimy French men (no offense to anyone French reading this) but this is MUCH worse than I was thinking. Ground off 10 lbs of bondo today, and under all that bondo, shoddy tack welds everywhere.

View attachment 3571245
View attachment 3571246
View attachment 3571248View attachment 3571244View attachment 3571253


Well yea that's about it, just an update. Will keep more picks of all the cancer coming and hopefully my repairs don't look too shabby, if anyone has any advice in regard to any sort of body work, please feel free to share!


WOW! thank you for letting me know! That's pretty dang terrifying, thank you so much for the heads up and word of advice. All the seals in the box have failed so I just pumped it all the way full of some moly grease like 2 years ago... if anyone has a lead on a power steering box for a 70 series please let me know!!

We all need to figure out how to make rough patch welds and repairs look cool. As in being stylish not to look perfect.

 

[joekatana]

I might have a spare 73/75 ps box here , let me dig around in the shop a bit

 

[FJBen]

Isn’t it about time for a cross country road trip?

 

[Felde]

Isn’t it about time for a cross country road trip?

Let him put down some welds first in order to make it in one piece.

Seriously: Detecting so much of a crappy job on the vehicle is sad, but hey; You have been wondering about your welding skills, Jonathan. I'd guess you for sure in any case will do a better job than that Frenchman. And eventually getting it better will be satisfying. I'm sure you have all the support and appreciation for your dedication of the community here. Keep the spirits up!
Cheers Ralf

 

[White Stripe]

My advice is don't attack too large of a area of rust all at once unless you want a huge project. If your short on time doing a rocker and a quarter is a big project. Also, when you do attack area of rust make sure you get it all out. If you have rust on the quarter panel your attacking cut out the whole quarter panel. This will give plenty of room to repair the inner steel channels and removing all the rust for good.

 

[bj70bc]

like a Landcruiser surgeon

 

[bj70bc]

you can buy whole new outer rocker steel right from toyota still, mine are awaiting me in my garage as we speak....

 

[theglobb]

Lots of progress! Finished up the drivers side yesterday and started on the passenger side, found more and more bondo and the rockers on passenger side were wayyyyy worse. But that's how they were when I got it, I knew it had that rust and that the rockers were ate. Much prefer that than the unlimited amount of shoddy french repair work hidden from my eyes.

it's not beautiful by any means but its a ton better than what was hidden in there before!

Rockers before

tacked together

Will post photos probably tomorrow of the final product with red paint on it and all. If I'm home this summer the troopy will be parked for the majority of it and I'll cut all the rust in the roof out and repair it all... its bad. Then will get it actually painted, not just rattle-canned 20,000 different shades of red everywhere. Then install the pop top onto it and have a fresh start with rust. Not excited to remove all the windows and windshield...

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Isn’t it about time for a cross country road trip?

YESSS!!! I'm dying to get out there again. There is a slight chance that myself along with @svsisu might be towing like 10 pop tops out west, eventually into California, with the Red Rocket. I offered to do it for free along as fuel and trailer costs were covered, would be significantly cheaper for everyone than shipping them to the west coast from South Africa or paying for freight across the US to the west coast after they arrive here on the east. And then I would end up on the west coast for relatively free!

Let him put down some welds first in order to make it in one piece.

Seriously: Detecting so much of a crappy job on the vehicle is sad, but hey; You have been wondering about your welding skills, Jonathan. I'd guess you for sure in any case will do a better job than that Frenchman. And eventually getting it better will be satisfying. I'm sure you have all the support and appreciation for your dedication of the community here. Keep the spirits up!
Cheers Ralf

Yea you're very right, my body welding skills are getting better and better! I'm feeling more confident about tackling the massive project of my roof. But after all of this shoddy work I'm pretty terrified as to what awaits me in my roof, whatever it is isn't gonna be good looking at what I've found in my rockers and quarter panels.

My advice is don't attack too large of a area of rust all at once unless you want a huge project. If your short on time doing a rocker and a quarter is a big project. Also, when you do attack area of rust make sure you get it all out. If you have rust on the quarter panel your attacking cut out the whole quarter panel. This will give plenty of room to repair the inner steel channels and removing all the rust for good.

Thank you for all the advice! I did it all piece by piece as instructed. While I didn't cut out the entirety of whatever panel had rust on it I confirmed with a camera that there was none left, cut out all the rust there was without getting rid of good metal.

you can buy whole new outer rocker steel right from toyota still, mine are awaiting me in my garage as we speak....

I very briefly looked into that, y'all have heard the reasoning from me 10,000,000,000,000 times now. I'm broke, especially after the whole trooper explosion thing. Whatever money I do have laying around would prefer to spend on other things, like a water temp gauge, haven't had one for the past 2 weeks now lol... need to get on that. Regardless thanks for the heads up. Luckily I was able to find a bunch of school lockers from the '70s and '80s for $40 that I have been cutting donor steel out of for the troopy. Much more cost-efficient!!

 

[svsisu]

Lots of progress! Finished up the drivers side yesterday and started on the passenger side, found more and more bondo and the rockers on passenger side were wayyyyy worse. But that's how they were when I got it, I knew it had that rust and that the rockers were ate. Much prefer that than the unlimited amount of shoddy french repair work hidden from my eyes.

View attachment 3574984
View attachment 3574982

it's not beautiful by any means but its a ton better than what was hidden in there before!
View attachment 3574981

Rockers before
View attachment 3574983

tacked together
View attachment 3574980

Will post photos probably tomorrow of the final product with red paint on it and all. If I'm home this summer the troopy will be parked for the majority of it and I'll cut all the rust in the roof out and repair it all... its bad. Then will get it actually painted, not just rattle-canned 20,000 different shades of red everywhere. Then install the pop top onto it and have a fresh start with rust. Not excited to remove all the windows and windshield...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


YESSS!!! I'm dying to get out there again. There is a slight chance that myself along with @svsisu might be towing like 10 pop tops out west, eventually into California, with the Red Rocket. I offered to do it for free along as fuel and trailer costs were covered, would be significantly cheaper for everyone than shipping them to the west coast from South Africa or paying for freight across the US to the west coast after they arrive here on the east. And then I would end up on the west coast for relatively free!

Yea you're very right, my body welding skills are getting better and better! I'm feeling more confident about tackling the massive project of my roof. But after all of this shoddy work I'm pretty terrified as to what awaits me in my roof, whatever it is isn't gonna be good looking at what I've found in my rockers and quarter panels.

Thank you for all the advice! I did it all piece by piece as instructed. While I didn't cut out the entirety of whatever panel had rust on it I confirmed with a camera that there was none left, cut out all the rust there was without getting rid of good metal.

I very briefly looked into that, y'all have heard the reasoning from me 10,000,000,000,000 times now. I'm broke, especially after the whole trooper explosion thing. Whatever money I do have laying around would prefer to spend on other things, like a water temp gauge, haven't had one for the past 2 weeks now lol... need to get on that. Regardless thanks for the heads up. Luckily I was able to find a bunch of school lockers from the '70s and '80s for $40 that I have been cutting donor steel out of for the troopy. Much more cost-efficient!!

Fuel, trailer, and BEER! Don't sell yourself short.

Your repairs are looking good. Hell of a way to spend spring break. We might have to tag team mine- I'll cut and grind, you weld, and I'll finish.

Headed to Mex next week, but hoping to be back in the mountains early April.

 

[AirheadNut]

Looking good! I've done a lot of welding on heavier stuff, but only a tiny amount of body work. It definitely takes a lot more patience and finesse to make something turn out looking good on thin sheet metal. Taking notes for when I start rust repair on the Prado, the tinworm has bitten and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Hoping to start saving up for some rust repair panels once the parts fund recovers from the adapter plate debacle.

If you make it as far north as Yellowstone on your potential trip give me a shout, would love to finally meet up! (Especially considering it didn't quite work out last time.)

 

[FJBen]

@theglobb @svsisu epic road trip.

Don’t forget a stop here, @PabloCruise and @Laughingjackal want to check out that 4bd1t cruiser. Beer, brawts and fire pits ..

 

[jblueridge]

Are you spraying cavity wax into the spaces behind your new metal work?
I used to make my own from toilet wax rings and paint thinner.
A cheap pressurized sprayer gun with wand for applying.