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Varg In Jeep's Clothing

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by ITLKSEZ, Aug 20, 2015.

  1. Apr 1, 2020
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Pullman, WA
    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2018
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    5,627
    BRICKED
     
    fhoehle and ITLKSEZ like this.
  2. Apr 1, 2020
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
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    204,347
    A good craftsmen could make a metal cover that could go over Willys so as to not damage it and say Varg...
     
  3. Apr 1, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    You have my address, I’ll be watching the mail for it.
     
  4. Apr 1, 2020
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
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    204,347
    After you make the mallet. I'll need dimensions...
     
    mortten and Twin2 like this.
  5. Apr 1, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    I don’t have a vice.
     
  6. Apr 1, 2020
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
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    204,347
    For the VARG name cover...

    Use a tape measure...
     
  7. Apr 1, 2020
    mortten

    mortten I can’t put my finger on it 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Peninsula, Ohio
    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2006
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    1,738
    I have a vice. I don’t have patience ofr one of those Japanese saws. I do have sharp chisels though.
     
  8. Apr 3, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    Have I mentioned how much I hate body work?

    At some point, this body was re-painted, and they must’ve removed the old paint with a 9” grinder. There are deep gouges in the metal everywhere. :banghead:

    Two days spent on two fenders, and they look about the same as they did before I started.

    They both had a bunch of bondo that I really wasn’t expecting. The old bodywork was done with a torch, and the heat-warped panels were concealed with filler.

    Again, I’m going for the “used but structurally sound” look. Mainly because I just don’t have the patience to make it showroom-pretty.

    Both the fenders had the same issues. (I only photographed one of them.) The corners looked fine until I poked through with the wire wheel. They looked like this after I dug back to a strong foundation.

    [​IMG]

    I filled it with weld. Because... why not.

    [​IMG]

    This must’ve had those old fender-mounted lights at some point, and the holes were brazed shut then puttied over. Braze and MIG do not mix, so I fit patch panels in instead. The piece I cut out is in the foreground. The other uglies just got welded shut.

    [​IMG]

    A little lumpy, but good enough for tools to rest on.

    [​IMG]

    The colors are disappearing.

    [​IMG]

    The 24 extra holes in the windshield frame are next.
     
    Dne007, fhoehle, tomasinator and 8 others like this.
  9. Apr 3, 2020
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2009
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    204,347
    You need to work faster...
     
  10. Apr 3, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    Why? I can’t sell the hippo for top dollar with the impending recession, so now I have no money to finish this. When the body work is done, I’m done. :cry:
     
    fhoehle, Twin2 and dozerjim like this.
  11. Apr 4, 2020
    tymbom

    tymbom Member

    Siskiyou Co.
    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2012
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    815
    I'm with ya on body work... I hate that stuff.
     
    fhoehle, Steamboat Willys and ITLKSEZ like this.
  12. Apr 6, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    Nothing exciting to add. I’ve just been putting in long hours in making old junk look presentable.

    There were actually 37 holes to fill in the windshield frame. I still need to address how to mount the vent cover (I had to forcefully remove the welded-in nuts) and the hood stand-offs (one was broken - those are getting remade). Otherwise, it’s just about ready for paint.

    The tailgate was another headache. I’m using the one from the 3b because it’s in better shape. It was mangled, twisted and rear-ended, but at least it wasn’t rusted too badly like the 3a’s. It took a few hours to bang it straight and weld up all of the holes and cracks.

    [​IMG]

    I’m to the point of removing the cage for final welding and paint, then the tub is coming off for final welding and bodywork.
    :bananatool:
     
    fhoehle, 47v6, Twin2 and 3 others like this.
  13. Apr 6, 2020
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2003
    Messages:
    8,102
    Just remember it's there. :whistle:

    Back when I was a kid there were horror stories about guys doing under body work with torches on old cars who found out the hard way what they assumed was was solid metal up over their faces suddenly wasn't. :shock:
     
  14. Apr 8, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    Windshield is done. I made new stand-offs this morning and got them welded on from inside. Also welded nuts for the vent to mount to, and I filled the last three giant holes in the top of the frame that I left open until any sandblasting was done (to drain the sand). They were for mounting the hardtop.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Apr 8, 2020
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2005
    Messages:
    1,998
    Can I ask how you dealt with rust bubbling along the seam in the top of the windshield/bottom of the picture? I have a generally nice cj5 windshield that I've procrastinated on stripping down. Did you have to drill out spot welds and disassemble the whole windshield?
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
  16. Apr 8, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    I’ll start by saying this windshield design has to be one of the worst in history. Just a sheet of metal spot-welded to a frame. I can’t believe it lasted more than 5 years.

    Yes, the rust is in there, and yes, I should have drilled out all of the welds, but I didn’t. There were three welds that the rust pried apart. I drilled those, and around four other ones out, cleaned out what rust I could, smacked the rest of it with a hammer to break out the crustiest stuff, and buttoned it back up. I could easily spend three weeks on this thing to do it right, but I just don’t have that kind of drive. If it continues to be a problem, maybe some time down the road it will bug me enough to remove the glass and completely cut it apart. At this point though, I just want to get it done and drive it.
     
    Rich M., fhoehle, Twin2 and 1 other person like this.
  17. Apr 8, 2020
    73 cj5

    73 cj5 Not ready for the junkyard yet

    Clinton, Mississippi
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    Jan 10, 2014
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    I don't see anything wrong here :D Rust is only a problem if you acknowledge it.
    [​IMG]
     
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  18. Apr 9, 2020
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    Oct 25, 2006
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    I painted in phosphoric acid to the seams. Its the active ingredient in rust neutralizer. The thin liquid gets in the seams pretty good to convert it. If you buy concrete etcher, its generally Phosphoric acid and can gee bought at your local store in gallons.
     
  19. Apr 9, 2020
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
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  20. Apr 17, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    One last shot before it comes all back apart again...

    [​IMG]

    Cage is loose and ready to pull out. I should have all the cage parts ready to paint by some time this weekend.

    [​IMG]

    I’m glad I’m on the home stretch, because I’m really tired of disassembling and reassembling this thing.
     
    Dne007, Muzikp, Twin2 and 12 others like this.
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