- Thread starter
- #501
wetsanded, color and clear on the windshield frame. Had to tear down the booth after clear.. Just too cold here to not have a fully insulated garage. Need to defrost the daily before the drive to work tomorrow.
Tornado takes the top off 1964 SWB FJ-45
- Thread starter tornadoalleycruiser
- Start date
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Bear
SILVER Star
I'm impressed by your skill and success under such unfavorable conditions. Bravo !
Curtice
SILVER Star
I’m so scared to try to paint when the weather isn’t warm enough. Just have had some bad experiences. So I’m super impressed at this as well.
- Thread starter
- #504
Thanks for the support.. Just trying to get to the finish line. Really hard to see it sit this close to running. It was difficult keeping the temps up. I did buy a heater for the weekend and used my 220 welding extension cord. It was not ideal conditions, Temps would drop fast with the exhaust fan going. Nothing fancy.
Too pretty
- Thread starter
- #506
Another long weekend. For those that have ever done any body work will understand the timing needed to get something like this done in a weekend. Dry / cure times need to coincide with sleep. Rear of the top primed again, wet sanded again, sealer, color, clear. That is NOT a quick process.
Windshield frame had some orange peel, couple runs. I am really not a pro, outside wet-sanded, cut and buffed. One cannot cut and buff if wanting to paint anytime soon as it will put polish in the air which could cause fisheyes. So that was done after all the paint work. Windshield frame bolted in place for safe storage. I kept hitting my head on it while it was hanging from the rafters. Tore down the paint booth again as i probably will not be painting for a week or two. Still lots of other things to do while the clear cures.
Windshield frame had some orange peel, couple runs. I am really not a pro, outside wet-sanded, cut and buffed. One cannot cut and buff if wanting to paint anytime soon as it will put polish in the air which could cause fisheyes. So that was done after all the paint work. Windshield frame bolted in place for safe storage. I kept hitting my head on it while it was hanging from the rafters. Tore down the paint booth again as i probably will not be painting for a week or two. Still lots of other things to do while the clear cures.
2fpower
SILVER Star
Damn, you are getting there!
Too pretty for me 
- Thread starter
- #509
@wngrog hindsight i should have just driven it for the last decade! Pretty much every panel has a smallish ding or dent somewhere. This project has kept me sane during all the covid restrictions. It has been a fantastic learning opportunity. I really learned why it is best to pay someone to do bodywork! Don't know if I'll do something like this again. I say that now..
- Thread starter
- #510
Damplifier on the single wall portion of the back of the cab. Damplifier™ Deadening Mats - https://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadening/damplifier
Two coats of spectrum sprayed on top. Needs to dry about a week before color matched bedliner goes on top. Spectrum™ Spray On Deadener - https://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadening/spectrum-liquid
It can dry and sit. Ice fishing this coming weekend with the guys so no garage work.
Two coats of spectrum sprayed on top. Needs to dry about a week before color matched bedliner goes on top. Spectrum™ Spray On Deadener - https://www.secondskinaudio.com/sound-deadening/spectrum-liquid
It can dry and sit. Ice fishing this coming weekend with the guys so no garage work.
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- Jan 24, 2003
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Ice fishing? The last coupla weeks weren't cold enough for ya?!?!?!
- Thread starter
- #512
Sanded the tailgate cover, sprayed epoxy, then tinted als liner on the inside back of hardtop and back of tailgate cover. Now wait for that to dry b4 cut and buff the back of the hardtop. That will get two large pieces off the shop floor and back on the truck.
whitey45
SILVER Star
Nice work, crazy to think the California coast is in the 70’s this week I was rattle canning in shorts and flip flops today!
I was rattle canning in shorts and flip flops today!
The weather is crazy over here too, we had -15 one week and 17 the next, warmest last week of February ever registered.Nice work, crazy to think the California coast is in the 70’s this week
- Thread starter
- #515
Not a ton to report. Lots of small things are going on right now. Clips behind the seats to hold the hardtop installed. Windshield frame hooks on the dash, Cut and buffed the back of the hardtop panel, Installed the tailgate protection panel and the tailgate latches, Moved/spaced the radiator emblem out a touch. Used a later FJ40 radiator mesh and recessed it as close to the bib as possible. Then spaced the emblem out on the opposite side of the mesh. I wanted as much clearance for the ac condenser as possible. Media blasting a mesh grill was a PITA.
Set the Radiator / condenser / shroud in the truck. Installed some struts to hold the hood up instead of my fancy prop rod. Realized that my Ebrake cable and any others i had in the stash were too short. Guess the ebrake assembly will be on hold. Ordered that and a few other smalls this morning. Hood spear polished / installed, Hood hooks installed. Hardest part is the easter egg hunt in the garage trying to find all the small things i have hidden from myself over the last decade.
I did start test fitting a door with the QUIK Hinges - http://www.mcdesignsoffroad.com/quik-hinges/ quick hinges. They needed a touch of massaging on an early tub. Just a touch with a grinder on the top of the body side hinge. Need to assemble the top before i can final test fit the doors before i blow them apart. Wiring is on hold, my wiring tools are in another shop.
95% there with 95% to go!
Did drop some stuff at the Cad plater and picked up some more pewter paint for the door pieces and rear bumper.
Set the Radiator / condenser / shroud in the truck. Installed some struts to hold the hood up instead of my fancy prop rod. Realized that my Ebrake cable and any others i had in the stash were too short. Guess the ebrake assembly will be on hold. Ordered that and a few other smalls this morning. Hood spear polished / installed, Hood hooks installed. Hardest part is the easter egg hunt in the garage trying to find all the small things i have hidden from myself over the last decade.
I did start test fitting a door with the QUIK Hinges - http://www.mcdesignsoffroad.com/quik-hinges/ quick hinges. They needed a touch of massaging on an early tub. Just a touch with a grinder on the top of the body side hinge. Need to assemble the top before i can final test fit the doors before i blow them apart. Wiring is on hold, my wiring tools are in another shop.
95% there with 95% to go!
Did drop some stuff at the Cad plater and picked up some more pewter paint for the door pieces and rear bumper.
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that all looks really good.
- Thread starter
- #518
it was new and never used, I promise! .. leftover from an old project and was awaiting a use..
I was going to just use the handle but realized it had a rubber cushion built in.
I was going to just use the handle but realized it had a rubber cushion built in.
- Thread starter
- #520
Little Parking brake cable trivia.
I am using the old school alum ebrake handle grafted onto a mid to late 1970's parking brake pull assembly. That changes the pull from thru the firewall to thru the floor. I thought that would allow more room to reach the back of the H55 vs the three on the tree. I wanted the old school look of the polished metal pull handle but the functionality of the newer pull assembly.
Everything worked except the 1976ish 4speed ebrake cable was just too short (bottom of picture). Ordered a 1958-1970 OEM style cable and it didn't have any adjustment built in and would ONLY work if bolted to the firewall. (Second from bottom in pic). BUt just like goldilocks and the three bears.. the third one is just right.. Dorman C93804. Top of pic. longer, built in threaded adjustment etc. Pushed the retaining pin out of the 76 era cable, installed in the repro Dorman and off to the races.. Still buttoning up some ebrake things. Might help someone out there someday. I was NOT able to reuse the long nut off the 76 era cable. if i had purchased an OEM cable it probably would have worked.. It would not fit over the compression and the lower nut in pic 3 is not able to screw all the way off like a stock cable 46410-60050.
this thread was a lifesaver. 1977 FJ40 H55F Extended Parking Brake Cable - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/1977-fj40-h55f-extended-parking-brake-cable.1184824/
If i were to do this again, i would use the oem pn and the long nut off the 76 cable. Till it breaks, i'm going with good enough for now.
I am using the old school alum ebrake handle grafted onto a mid to late 1970's parking brake pull assembly. That changes the pull from thru the firewall to thru the floor. I thought that would allow more room to reach the back of the H55 vs the three on the tree. I wanted the old school look of the polished metal pull handle but the functionality of the newer pull assembly.
Everything worked except the 1976ish 4speed ebrake cable was just too short (bottom of picture). Ordered a 1958-1970 OEM style cable and it didn't have any adjustment built in and would ONLY work if bolted to the firewall. (Second from bottom in pic). BUt just like goldilocks and the three bears.. the third one is just right.. Dorman C93804. Top of pic. longer, built in threaded adjustment etc. Pushed the retaining pin out of the 76 era cable, installed in the repro Dorman and off to the races.. Still buttoning up some ebrake things. Might help someone out there someday. I was NOT able to reuse the long nut off the 76 era cable. if i had purchased an OEM cable it probably would have worked.. It would not fit over the compression and the lower nut in pic 3 is not able to screw all the way off like a stock cable 46410-60050.
this thread was a lifesaver. 1977 FJ40 H55F Extended Parking Brake Cable - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/1977-fj40-h55f-extended-parking-brake-cable.1184824/
If i were to do this again, i would use the oem pn and the long nut off the 76 cable. Till it breaks, i'm going with good enough for now.
