Builds Won a '74 40 on a coin toss... (5 Viewers)

[alabamatacomaguy]

I forgot to mention your hard top repairs look very good. I can't weld but that is a valuable skill especially with these vehicles.

I would have toyed with the idea. until I found out my FJ was in a wreck with a deer before I bought it and now no one will rally take it in on trade.. but that's ok, just passed 150K miles.... the next 150 will....be....EP...IC!

I thought the same thing but was corrected by some of the 40 gurus. These tubs move a ton and it is hard to get back to good let alone "perfect" which i dont think they ever were.

@ginmtb , if you take the spacers out, will it drop back to meet the doors? The tab on the dash can be bent trying to correct this issue so tread lightly. Alot of time was spent on fitting my builds doors, hardtop and gap. Im curious to see what you come up with.

I was thinking after I posted, maybe the doors settle on these and shims could help? Or adjusting the door hinges? I've come to despise body work and lining things up so I haven't experienced much myself except the front fenders and bib and haven't mastered that..... it's actually kept me out of the garage to keep from getting frustrated.

I would think one of the 40 series gurus like mark or Chris wade might know a trick or two since they have been around them a good bit. But even when I talk to well known rebuilders they outsource body work at times to keep from losing their minds.​

 

[Jdc1]

I forgot to mention your hard top repairs look very good. I can't weld but that is a valuable skill especially with these vehicles.





I was thinking after I posted, maybe the doors settle on these and shims could help? Or adjusting the door hinges? I've come to despise body work and lining things up so I haven't experienced much myself except the front fenders and bib and haven't mastered that.

I would think one of the 40 series gurus like mark or Chris wade might know a trick or two since they have been around them a good bit. But even when I talk to well known rebuilders they outsource body work at times to keep from losing their minds.​

The body guys wont tell us exactly what they have to do to correct some of the issues on our tub. I have noticed that the hydraulic ram, bfh and huge prybars have been stored discreetly near the 40. The body seam at the A pillar and 45 year old steel probably doesnt help with alignment.

 

[ginmtb]

Anyone have any thoughts on what I can plug the holes in the tub from the soft top mounting system? In between the hard top and tub. I could put some screws with rubber washers but am hoping for something a bit more discrete.

 

[mrboatman]

Thanks for that tip on the windshield adjustment. I just never gave it a thought to try to adjust the windshield I have always just messed with the doors.
JP

 

[ginmtb]

Hmm... wonder if she'll notice...
View attachment 1548229

 

[waiting for time]

Hmm... wonder if she'll notice...
View attachment 1548229

The collor blends in nicely.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Hmm... wonder if she'll notice...

Lay them down in a single file throw a blanket over it. Voila! instant coffee table. I do the same thing with all the cars in my backyard. I put car covers on all of them and shuffle them around once in a while so she can't get an accurate count. So when I pick up another "project", I just throw a cover on it and work them into the rotation.

 

[ginmtb]

Did my first weatherstrip gluing... sure looks easier on YouTube. Not sure why I put tape on it since I did the contact glue style of install. Makes me feel better I guess. Seems like it is on very solidly. Used the good 3M weatherstrip adhesive. Now to clean up the spots where I got adhesive on the hatch.

 

[TheHardWay]

Yeah, Dude, you're such a slob. Better get the quart size of acetone.

 

[ginmtb]

Yeah, Dude, you're such a slob. Better get the quart size of acetone.

It's all about the angles... secret to photography...

 

[ginmtb]

I need to install this onto the other hardtop I'm installing (of course after blasting it and painting). I know rivets are the normal way to install it but I basically need 7 rivets. My rain gutter is fiberglass so I will be bonding the top to the gutter so no rivets needed there. Small stainless steel button head bolt with a nut and a rubber gasket?

 

[mrboatman]

Small stainless steel button head bolt with a nut and a rubber gasket?

I like that idea it should be a clean look.
JP

 

[TheHardWay]

Intriguing idea. How thick is the cap where those five rivet holes are?

 

[ginmtb]

Intriguing idea. How thick is the cap where those five rivet holes are?

I'm away now for a couple of days will have to look when I return. But it can't be that thick I removed the old rivets and looking through the holes wasn't much material. I've seen old discussions about the thickness of these tops and it really isn't very thick.

 

[ginmtb]

Got it blasted! Little more rust than anticipated so treated it.

Started the top work and thanks to the PO for putting the weird epoxy over the rivets. Spent a lot of time chipping it away. Still have more work to do. Couple small spots that need repair too. The underside is just about ready for the the Lizard Skins.

 

[ginmtb]

Was at the hardware store checking out fastener ideas and came up with a couple of options. One is a rubber washer bonded to a galvanized washer. The other is a screw cover in white. Funny after buying all this stuff I could've just gotten 100 rivets! Anyhow looking for feedback. Use one of these or just get the rivets?

Oh and threw a coat of biscuit colored appliance epoxy to the windshield cap/roof hold down.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Those white caps look like the caps used in the Casita fiberglass trailer we just sold... If it is, they split from sun/heat.

Assuming the rivets are used, for the same reason as those in the Casita, they break before they damage the fiberglass... I've known of (Casita) people who replaced the rivets with stainless bolts and nuts and ended up damaging their fiberglass trailer when the stainless bolts failed to 'give'... Resulted in fiberglass damage instead...

I don't know for sure that this is apples to apples, but food for thought... Especially on a truck that will possibly see rough driving conditions...

 

[mrboatman]

Check out these McMaster-Carr Might be an option.
JP

 

[C6H12O6]

Are you trying to fill a couple holes in the middle of the roof? This is a pretty popular way to fill the nutsert holes on the 80s when guys pull the factory roof racks. I used stainless rosette washers and stainless screws into the factory nutserts on mine, with an o-ring below the rosette washer. It lasted 10+ years with no leaks.

Here is the old photo:
View attachment 117142

It was a great fix when you couldn't really get at the other side to do a proper repair very easily. If you have the top off, I would think a bit of fiberglass repair would be damn near perfect and pretty darn easy compared to everything else you've done.

 

[ginmtb]

I'm actually just looking for alternatives to the rivets for the windshield cap. There are seven rivets that hold that in place. I was at first thinking just a SS button head screw with caulk under it would be sufficient to hold down and seal the fiberglass top. Then I saw all these other options, all of which seem too bulky to me (and thanks @pngunme for the insight on the white caps).

That solution you have looks super clean too maybe I'll consider that now lol.

Fiberglass repairs (just some divots did not go all the way through):

Went a little overboard on the skim coat. These were just little scrapes in the surface. I have a few spider cracks which I will try to repair with my fiberglass epoxy I have. Just need to dremel the cracks out some. Then epoxy primer and spray with Cygnus white... I bought the paint a long time ago I hope it's still good...