What are you working on? (4 Viewers)

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Needed a wood block, dead-blow hammer and 2 morning beers to get these loose and then file and wire brush the rust off.

Breakfast Beer.jpg
 
An early '64 C.

The owner's intent is for a "derelict" restoration - basically to have it look like that but have all the mechanicals immaculate. Like ICON is doing (LINK).

Personally, we think the guy is insane. We've tried to explain how much is going to have to be done to keep it from falling apart just getting in it and slamming the door closed, much less driving it down the road. Just trailering it to the shop, he lost the windshield. He pulled up and we went out to look at it. We're all talking for awhile and all of a sudden he stops and just stares at the car. We ask what's up and he says "it had a windshield when I left my place..."

Sounds nuts to me. I don't get it. I can understand keeping a car original, and I can understand restoring a vehicle, but spending money to to make sure it looks like it is falling apart?
 
I can appreciate a good patina job with solid mechanicals underneath - just check out Nolen Grogan's Land Cruisers or the ICON Derelict link. But this is literally falling apart.
 
I drove down Market the other day and wondered where all your toys went. I usually see a few outside the garage every time I pass by.
 
Been busy with little things and some unfortunate family issue but was able to wrench a little too.

Two weeks ago on my way back from lunch to work I started to hear a whine in the rear of the SC400. The car has 218k, and considering it's history that I have been uncovering, I'm not surprised the diff was low with very burnt fluid. I was able to source a new 3rd with 89k on it from LKQ and installed it in a matter of an hour or so:


What I found interesting of this whole process was the bolts that hold the rear of the diff to the bushings in the subframe, they are course thread, first Toyota bolt I've come across with such course threads:


Lastly, the homeowner adult in me felt like ankid on Christmas this week, I painted our laundry room and installed our new washer and dryer:

Very please with myself except for one thing... we went from a top load to a front load, and I didn't measure. The bottom of our stair ls has a banister, and I couldn't make the corner because the front load is 3" longer so:

This lexus is coming along nicely, I also installed a new transmission mount that lifted the trail shaft a full inch! Driveline vibration has been reduced significantly. Instill have a vibration that I believe is my wheels, still keeping my eyes peeled for some 16" or 17" Highlander or Rav4 wheels for cheap since they tend to be stronger then the ones on the car.
 
Avi - you could stack them or buy the drawer stands that go under them?
 
Avi - you could stack them or buy the drawer stands that go under them?

They have the option to do both. We eventually will be stacking them and putting either a sink or dog wash station next them. I may just build a platform for now to raise them up a bit
 
Endless welding cart/table build continues...

I took a super warped piece of steel

17949466-CEC1-4FBB-8316-D62C3E164310.jpeg


And made it a slightly less warped (but still warped) saw table top:

8B345B6A-FAF1-47C2-AC83-52C00D4BB8A5.jpeg


Perfect flatness isn’t key here because:

1. It will house an abrasive saw - which couldn’t cut straight to save its life to begin with.

2. The table is on jack bolts - so as long as the saw sits level enough that it doesn’t rock (it does) I can level the pull-out saw table relative to the top. This will mount the saw flush with the table top.

669F6CA6-3BEF-4D8B-9867-9F56AB9895B6.jpeg


The saw will pack up underneath when not in use and the table slides in to save very limited garage space. Even the extension is on jack-bolts and also locks into position so I can also level it and use it as an extension to the table for larger projects.

D2245E29-6158-485B-84BA-836BCCA63A9F.jpeg


I still need to find a way to cleverly mount a small vice (maybe) and house all the cords/cables. I’m debating adding an outlet that I can run off an extension cord for the saw/grinders etc. but I also worry the welder will backfeed it when I’m welding if I don’t isolate it properly. Not sure the juice is worth the squeeze on that one. I also need to finished building the two small drawers that go under the welder/saw to house all my celcos, plyers, and other small metalworking things.

Once accessorized I can weld in all the stuff that is currently clamped, clean up my B-squad welds and paint it - but I probably missed my paint window for this year.
 
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Endless welding cart/table build continues...

I took a super warped piece of steel

View attachment 2110724

And made it a slightly less warped (but still warped) saw table top:

View attachment 2110725

Perfect flatness isn’t key here because:

1. It will house an abrasive saw - which couldn’t cut straight to save its life to begin with.

2. The table is on jack bolts - so as long as the saw sits level enough that it doesn’t rock (it does) I can level the pull-out saw table relative to the top. This will mount the saw flush with the table top.

View attachment 2110726

The saw will pack up underneath when not in use and the table slides in to save very limited garage space. Even the extension is on jack-bolts and also locks into position so I can also level it and use it as an extension to the table for larger projects.

View attachment 2110727

I still need to find a way to cleverly mount a small vice (maybe) and house all the cords/cables. I’m debating adding an outlet that I can run off an extension cord for the saw/grinders etc. but I also worry the welder will backfeed it when I’m welding if I don’t isolate it properly. Not sure the juice is worth the squeeze on that one. I also need to finished building the two small drawers that go under the welder/saw to house all my celcos, plyers, and other small metalworking things.

Once accessorized I can weld in all the stuff that is currently clamped, clean up my B-squad welds and paint it - but I probably missed my paint window for this year.
Could mount a vise to a trailer hitch type receiver and then be able to change it out for other accessories later.
 
Could mount a vise to a trailer hitch type receiver and then be able to change it out for other accessories later.

This thought has crossed my mind - the trouble has been finding a spot to mount the receiver that 1. fits within the space available without conflicting with anything and 2. mounts the vice in a location that is actually useful.
 
This thought has crossed my mind - the trouble has been finding a spot to mount the receiver that 1. fits within the space available without conflicting with anything and 2. mounts the vice in a location that is actually useful.
I'm not sure I would mount a vice to your cart. I crank mine so hard I move a work bench full of tools somtimes.
 
I'm not sure I would mount a vice to your cart. I crank mine so hard I move a work bench full of tools somtimes.

I have a huge old 1930’s Erie vise on my work bench for THAT kind of work - and I have moved that bench using the vice as well. This would be a very small 4-inch vice - mostly for holding bar stock or tube I’m grinding through and for positioning things.

Plus - by my estimation this cart will weigh in around 200lbs before I load it down with the welder, tanks, saw, etc. It’s not HEAVY but it’s not that light either.
 
IMG_20191025_172553.jpg
saturday mornings project on the 98 along with the plastic heater "T" fittings.
 
I finally dug into the 8284 winch problem on my 40. The motor failed when we were in CO (thanks to Stump, Tracy, and Pacer for getting me out of that jam... and Pacer’s 200 was AWESOME at getting me up the last couple hundred yards of Imogene). While I was in there, I greased everything, changed the oil out, replaced the solenoids with a heavy duty Albright/Warn contactor, replaced the motor with the 9.5, and got a new controller. Pacer helped me finish up the wiring today. We also replaced a few leafs 😉
 
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Over the last few weekends, replace the drag link and tie rod ends, bypassed the rear heater, and replaced the front diff lock actuator.

Also made a deal on a '93 triple locked 80. Should be picking that up Sat. Not sure what I am going to do with it, but the price was right!
 
Had our national board joint review today.
The review team has recommended that Wheelhouse Mechanical be accredited to use the "R" symbol, in accordance with the most current edition of the National Board Inspection Code, to perform shop and field repairs and alterations to metallic pressure retaining items.

I'm back in the code welding business!!
 
Over the last few weekends, replace the drag link and tie rod ends, bypassed the rear heater, and replaced the front diff lock actuator.

Also made a deal on a '93 triple locked 80. Should be picking that up Sat. Not sure what I am going to do with it, but the price was right!

Where and how much did you get the front actuator for?
 

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