What a serious challenge to fit/weld back together! You might try putting the door back on and using clamps to hold it in proper place to fit the door as well prior to tacking in position all around. I hope someone out there can help you with a technique to position and tack your new. Frame together/in proper fitment. Good Luck!
Builds The "Red Rocket" Troopy (4 Viewers)
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- Thread starter
- #1,982
Well my "rust free" A pillars were indeed, not rust free 
they were infact about rotted thru on the inside layer, so I cleaned all of the rust away, sandblasted it and then gooped a ton of weld all over everything replacing any of that paper thin rusty metal that was left, with weld.
Here is my new chunk of firewall pretty much fully welded into place
and after hours of meticulous grinding bit by bit, the A pillar fits! Kinda...
Great idea on putting the door back on, thanks a lot for that tip. Will definitely help as I'm trying to get as many other bits of the car in place to match where I should permanently weld the A pillars back into place.
they were infact about rotted thru on the inside layer, so I cleaned all of the rust away, sandblasted it and then gooped a ton of weld all over everything replacing any of that paper thin rusty metal that was left, with weld.Here is my new chunk of firewall pretty much fully welded into place
and after hours of meticulous grinding bit by bit, the A pillar fits! Kinda...
Yea... I have been way in over my head with this vehicle more times than I can count now, but this is by far the MOST I have ever been. I mean good lord, I take a step back and just look at the state of this thing... what have I even done. Can't go back now, can't sell it, probably couldn't even give it away for free cause its such a POS. So here I am, stuck haha.
Great idea on putting the door back on, thanks a lot for that tip. Will definitely help as I'm trying to get as many other bits of the car in place to match where I should permanently weld the A pillars back into place.
Well my "rust free" A pillars were indeed, not rust free
View attachment 3891214View attachment 3891213
Here is my new chunk of firewall pretty much fully welded into place
View attachment 3891212
and after hours of meticulous grinding bit by bit, the A pillar fits! Kinda...
View attachment 3891211
Yea... I have been way in over my head with this vehicle more times than I can count now, but this is by far the MOST I have ever been. I mean good lord, I take a step back and just look at the state of this thing... what have I even done. Can't go back now, can't sell it, probably couldn't even give it away for free cause its such a POS. So here I am, stuck haha.
Great idea on putting the door back on, thanks a lot for that tip. Will definitely help as I'm trying to get as many other bits of the car in place to match where I should permanently weld the A pillars back into place.
Great work. With projects of this sort, maintaining tunnel vision helps. All I see is the A pillar portion, nothing else. After that its the … section. You have it in you, based on what you have dealt with. Rig has been a great companion for you on metal toughness and resiliency. Chin up, ya doing awesome!!! So what if it ain’t perfect, doing your best is where its at!
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Quick suggestion before you weld that window pillar back in place. Install your door and get it all fitting nice and lined up then weld some braces to keep the door support section secured in position with the door closed and body/door gaps looking decent. brace it front to back and side to side. It will make four life much easier when you do final fit up. When you remove some of the structure things get really flexy and its easy to weld metal back in with things out of alignment.
Hello,
You have reached the point where the sentimental value of your truck exceeds its commercial value by far. It is not a POS but something that is important for you.
Keep up the good work. As mentioned above, focus on a single task at a time.
One day you will see your truck. Then you will remember the time and effort you put into it. Chances are it will be quite a story to tell.
Juan
Agreed with comment made above. When working on over wellming jobs. I would tell myself concentrate on the task at hand.
You're a mad man. No more bashing it!
and the patina on that willys is priceless....glad you got it back on the road for all to enjoy
and the patina on that willys is priceless....glad you got it back on the road for all to enjoy
FJBen
SILVER Star
- Thread starter
- #1,989
Yeaaaaaaaa... my bad y'all! Life got busy.
My last post was a week or so before the majority of my friends graduated from college, thus all of my free time went to all the various grad parties that were happening every single day, mixed with spending time with my friends before they all left and we went our separate ways in life.
So that took up about 2-3 weeks of much of my free time
And I'm still working at that welding/machine shop, we've been doing a lot of outdoor install jobs now that the weather is real nice here.
My buddy's transmission blew up in his OM606 powered 80 series Land Cruiser, so the weekend all of the graduation stuff had finally died down, I drove 2 hours out to Asheville to help him change it out and also work on the headgasket on his girlfriend's 300D
During this entire timeframe, I ended up meeting a lovely lady. To be entirely honest, when the weather is so nice out on my days off from work the absolute last thing I want to do is work on my never-ending sheet metal welding project. Especially when I could be swimming with my friends/girlfriend by a river.
Next post will be updating everyone all of my ongoing projects instead of my personal life
Looks like life is good !!
Carry on
Carry on
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- Thread starter
- #1,991
Due to the various reasons above... the troopy hasn't really been worked on all that often.
Below the A pillars, where the doors mount to were rotted out due to there being 3-4 layers of sheet metal all crammed up next to each other. I fixed it but don't have any photos at the moment
And my floorboards were rotted out, replaced with 16-gauge steel that'll do just fine.
Lots of other little bits and pieces here and there that I have tackled but I haven't spent a full day on it in a month or so. I have fully finished all of the welding on the driverside of the vehicle, now I just need to get it running again, kinda braking again, and then turn it around under the temu carport to tackle the passenger side A pillar, floor pans, and whatever else there is to do.
I found an old 80's Nissan Pathfinder in a junkyard, pulled the front bullbar off of it for $40, and welded it up onto my tweaker truck for some added protection and to take away from the "totaled" look it had prior.
Got offered to take this rotted out Tacoma from my co-worker's yard. Parted out the doors, hood, bumper, axle, and 3RZ that was in it for some decent side $$$$
2 weeks ago, I got offered a free FJ60... how am I supposed to turn that down?!?!?!? Went down to Wilmington last weekend to retrieve it, give it a once over, make a parts list for it, and went back to Boone. This coming Sunday I'll catch a ride back to Wilmington, replace some parts here and there, fix some vacuum leaks, change all of the fluids, and limp it back to Boone on some backroads. So pumped to have a DRIVEABLE Land Cruiser back in my life!
It is CRUSTY!!! I never want to tackle any sort of serious sheet metal welding on a car again, I've grown from disliking it to just despising it. The frame seems to be ok on it. For the time being I'll drive it around here and there, it'll be the perfect winter beater, then a year or 2 down the line once this troopy stuff is hopefully sorted, find a somewhat mostly rust-free body and swap it.
I have dedicated the past 3 summers of my life trying to make the troopy just work. Finally I got it working, drove it for 9 months, and then spent another summer dedicated to fixing the rust. I love it, but I have spent so much time during my summers of my peak years slaving away on it, and I have had diminished returns. I don't regret it, it's not wasted time, I have learned an immense amount about anything and everything automotive during that time spent. But now in my life it's just not worth it to be the #1 priority of mine. I will carry on! Just at my own pace which will likely be slow, I just hope I don't totally burn out on it.
Below the A pillars, where the doors mount to were rotted out due to there being 3-4 layers of sheet metal all crammed up next to each other. I fixed it but don't have any photos at the moment
And my floorboards were rotted out, replaced with 16-gauge steel that'll do just fine.
Lots of other little bits and pieces here and there that I have tackled but I haven't spent a full day on it in a month or so. I have fully finished all of the welding on the driverside of the vehicle, now I just need to get it running again, kinda braking again, and then turn it around under the temu carport to tackle the passenger side A pillar, floor pans, and whatever else there is to do.
I found an old 80's Nissan Pathfinder in a junkyard, pulled the front bullbar off of it for $40, and welded it up onto my tweaker truck for some added protection and to take away from the "totaled" look it had prior.
Got offered to take this rotted out Tacoma from my co-worker's yard. Parted out the doors, hood, bumper, axle, and 3RZ that was in it for some decent side $$$$
2 weeks ago, I got offered a free FJ60... how am I supposed to turn that down?!?!?!? Went down to Wilmington last weekend to retrieve it, give it a once over, make a parts list for it, and went back to Boone. This coming Sunday I'll catch a ride back to Wilmington, replace some parts here and there, fix some vacuum leaks, change all of the fluids, and limp it back to Boone on some backroads. So pumped to have a DRIVEABLE Land Cruiser back in my life!
It is CRUSTY!!! I never want to tackle any sort of serious sheet metal welding on a car again, I've grown from disliking it to just despising it. The frame seems to be ok on it. For the time being I'll drive it around here and there, it'll be the perfect winter beater, then a year or 2 down the line once this troopy stuff is hopefully sorted, find a somewhat mostly rust-free body and swap it.
Ha! Life is pretty great at the moment.Looks like little is good !!
Carry on
I have dedicated the past 3 summers of my life trying to make the troopy just work. Finally I got it working, drove it for 9 months, and then spent another summer dedicated to fixing the rust. I love it, but I have spent so much time during my summers of my peak years slaving away on it, and I have had diminished returns. I don't regret it, it's not wasted time, I have learned an immense amount about anything and everything automotive during that time spent. But now in my life it's just not worth it to be the #1 priority of mine. I will carry on! Just at my own pace which will likely be slow, I just hope I don't totally burn out on it.
That's what I meant to say
I know that the Troopy has also brought you meany great memories. Enjoy life to the fullest and work on the Troopy when the time is right !
Thanks for sharing !
I see a bed topper in one of those photos
I promise I'll get my sh*t out of y'alls way soon!!I'm headed out to WNC today, gonna be a long hot ride, but at least I have a windshield. I'll be there for about a week, should have some free time before the weekend, so let's try to meet up on a dirt road.
Love the update and I'd say the future looks like it will be in good hands with those grads
Glad life is taking the driver’s seat. It should. Same here. I could slave to beat my chest that “a project is done” and ignore all else. Just not who I am. Taking time also yields better thoughts on how to do a build. You have inspired many in your journey in life. I think that’s what people have come to appreciate about your thread. The truck is just part of the whole. Carry on and share. Sub’d.
From the noble prize winner/ inventor of AI that Google bought/stole and from which he resentfully resigned “Learn to be a plumber, there are things AI cant replace”. Working with your hands is the next prized professions. Not “influencers”.
Best of luck!!
FJBen
SILVER Star
We sure hope you continue to update the thread on all your shenanigans. Most of us here are older dudes, some of us only drive to Walmart and some of us only take pictures.
We like reliving our glory days vicariously through you, (although not many of us had a drunk troopy taxi business).
Anyway, just do what you enjoy. Set projects aside for while until you get the urge and excitement to work on it again. I find some time away always helps clear the mind and start with a fresh perspective. You are tackling a huge project on that troopy and when done it will serve as your oveuerlander and personal “mirth-mobile”. (Showing my age)
Just remember,
In the end you will have an almost rust free pop top LHD troopy with an Isuzu turbo diesel and a desire to bring friends, girlfriend and/or wife (no judgement here) out west again for a visit.
You got your priorities in proper order. LC's do OK when parked for awhile. Girl in your truck is gorgeous. I'm going to PM you about a 1 day side job you might be interested in at some point. I know it's something you're good at.
Something would be seriously wrong with you if you preferred to grind rust then spend time swimming with those eyes and smile! 
- Thread starter
- #2,000
It's been another month! I have finished all of the welding that needs to be done on the driverside of the vehicle. I'm so burnt out on it I'm not even going to grind anything down or make it look somewhat decent at the moment. I just want to get everything welded in fully, then I'll start grinding down all of the welds, I just feel like I'm making NO progress, which kinda is true haha.
I've been very busy as well!
Got that crusty 60 running decent enough to limp it up to Boone, horrible intake gasket leak was not fun to deal with but it drove the 300 or so miles, abliet very slowly.
Then I got home and immediately got a message from a guy who I met in a parking lot 2 years ago, I gave him my number jokingly if he ever wanted to sell (i don't remember any of this). He said he urgently needed to sell his 1977 Plymouth Volare wagon as he was moving to St. Louis the next day. I showed up fully intending not to purchase the car, really I didn't even remember meeting him or what car he was talking about, I was just curious.
Well I take it on a test drive, check it all out, and he keeps asking "well?!? Do you think you're gonna buy it?" and I keep brushing him off because I didn't have a casual $5,000 to drop on this car, AND I had nowhere to put it. At the time my driveway already had 5 cars in it. He keeps asking, and I tell him I have no interest in buying another car at the moment and already have way too many projects going on... So I offer $1000 to shut him up. Well he bit on my lowball and now I own a Plymouth Volare!
3.7 liter Slant 6 and some sort of Chrysler Autotragic Transmission, 58,000 original miles, not too much rust at all. I've been driving it daily for the past month and it's been relatively drama-free
Met up with @svsisu as he was in the area, it's always great to be able to chat! Time goes by so fast every time and before you know it, we gotta part ways.
Then the weekend after that I went BACK down to Wilmington. My dad (@Shyrock) is trading one of his FJ55's to @Roastchestnuts for our first Land Cruiser we ever picked up which has sent me down this crazy automotive path. Sold it to Robert a few years back, he's done so much great work to it since then, but now he really wants a FJ55. Well the somewhat rust free one we have has some rod knock, I also found a parts 55 four years ago with a running 2f and 4spd, so to make the trade fair we just swapped that drivetrain into the 55 he is getting.
Excuse the horribly hilarious photo
if you're interested, you can read more about all of that fun stuff in @Roastchestnuts thread HERE --> Salted Pork fj55 family wagon build
AND FINALLY, I got the troopy up and running again to turn it around underneath my temu carport to tackle the passenger side rot repair.
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Check out the mint interior in this wagon
I've been very busy as well!
Got that crusty 60 running decent enough to limp it up to Boone, horrible intake gasket leak was not fun to deal with but it drove the 300 or so miles, abliet very slowly.
Then I got home and immediately got a message from a guy who I met in a parking lot 2 years ago, I gave him my number jokingly if he ever wanted to sell (i don't remember any of this). He said he urgently needed to sell his 1977 Plymouth Volare wagon as he was moving to St. Louis the next day. I showed up fully intending not to purchase the car, really I didn't even remember meeting him or what car he was talking about, I was just curious.
Well I take it on a test drive, check it all out, and he keeps asking "well?!? Do you think you're gonna buy it?" and I keep brushing him off because I didn't have a casual $5,000 to drop on this car, AND I had nowhere to put it. At the time my driveway already had 5 cars in it. He keeps asking, and I tell him I have no interest in buying another car at the moment and already have way too many projects going on... So I offer $1000 to shut him up. Well he bit on my lowball and now I own a Plymouth Volare!
3.7 liter Slant 6 and some sort of Chrysler Autotragic Transmission, 58,000 original miles, not too much rust at all. I've been driving it daily for the past month and it's been relatively drama-free
Met up with @svsisu as he was in the area, it's always great to be able to chat! Time goes by so fast every time and before you know it, we gotta part ways.
Then the weekend after that I went BACK down to Wilmington. My dad (@Shyrock) is trading one of his FJ55's to @Roastchestnuts for our first Land Cruiser we ever picked up which has sent me down this crazy automotive path. Sold it to Robert a few years back, he's done so much great work to it since then, but now he really wants a FJ55. Well the somewhat rust free one we have has some rod knock, I also found a parts 55 four years ago with a running 2f and 4spd, so to make the trade fair we just swapped that drivetrain into the 55 he is getting.
Excuse the horribly hilarious photo
if you're interested, you can read more about all of that fun stuff in @Roastchestnuts thread HERE --> Salted Pork fj55 family wagon build
AND FINALLY, I got the troopy up and running again to turn it around underneath my temu carport to tackle the passenger side rot repair.
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Thanks to all of y'all for the reassuring words and understanding nature. Means a lot to hear that I'm not alone in feeling this way at times. This is the most enjoyable summer I've had in the past couple years now, simply due to the fact that it's not solely dictated by my nightmare never-ending project troopy. And the weather up here is so much more hospitable to exist in than anywhere else in NC, and of course the pretty lady.Something would be seriously wrong with you if you preferred to grind rust then spend time swimming with those eyes and smile!
Check out the mint interior in this wagon
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