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Fino's 1970 Mini Build Thread

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by FinoCJ, Oct 3, 2014.

  1. Nov 13, 2020
    scott milliner

    scott milliner Master Fabricator

    Seattle Wa.
    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2002
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    2,361
    35 year of wheeling. I have never came acrosed a time I ever needed a Hi- lift jack. Shovels? Yes.
     
  2. Nov 13, 2020
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    Aug 13, 2015
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    I’m the opposite. I’m not sure I’ve been on very many trips where I didn’t need one.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  3. Nov 13, 2020
    homersdog

    homersdog Tulsa, Ok 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Tulsa, OK
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    Jan 8, 2012
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    I have mine on the hood hinges but I keep the base plate and the jack mechanism in the tool box. No problem opening the hood.

    [​IMG]
    https://beamingpix.com/images/2020/07/11/C83F2F50-0138-4AC8-840E-9657951CED10.jpg[/img]'][​IMG]
     
    Fireball likes this.
  4. Nov 13, 2020
    givemethewillys

    givemethewillys Been here since sparky ran it. 2022 Sponsor

    New Kent, VA
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    Jun 21, 2005
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    What about tucked behind your spare tire at a 45 degree angle so it doesn't stick up so high? I've seen that done a few times.
     
  5. Nov 13, 2020
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    5,593
    practical yes - visually disturbing to my OCD nature means I really don't like diagonal mounts....plus, its still shorter than the windshield and roll bar, and we don't have many trees to worry about around here. The only problem is the spare tire - its hard to see in the pics from the rear, but the tire is tilted with top toward the tailgate, and that is a really poor design for trying to utilize any space between the tailgate and the tire.....
     
    givemethewillys likes this.
  6. Nov 14, 2020
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    Sep 6, 2014
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    After building two custom swing out carriers
    You know where I'd mount it.......
    Just make sure that it is not so close to the pivot point that it can hit the body.
    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    '74Renegade, homersdog, Twin2 and 2 others like this.
  7. Nov 15, 2020
    colojeepguy

    colojeepguy Colorado Springs

    At the foot of...
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    Apr 4, 2010
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    Mine is mounted horizontally, behind the spare. Out of the way, out of my rearward line of sight, and the mechanism is up away from mud and road debris.
    20201115_151728.jpg 20201115_151710.jpg
     
    45es likes this.
  8. Aug 23, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    5,593
    In honor of Big Johns Bday...I decided to try and fix the crunched rear corner....The little mishap in Moab back in April left the rear looking like this:
    [​IMG]

    My initial attempt to 'make it better' probably only made it worse...but this is how I left it for a few months:
    [​IMG]

    and I moved the fuel filler from the side to the rear which I really like:
    [​IMG]

    But as the cj is sitting with no front hubs and knuckles - waiting on kingpin bearings as well as some tools to finalize the the knuckle stud conversion, I decided I might as well try to fix the body damage....Doesn't seem like much, but just getting this stuff cut out, and the inner top of fender panel somewhat back to where its supposed to be is a start:
    [​IMG]

    I may still cut out a strip of the tail light panel along the seam (its already had some of my repair work done, especially down at the body mount - which all that stuff ripped back apart from the this incident). Thinking I can make the strip for the tailight panel and bend the 90 edge for the seam in the small brake I have, and then it can spot weld it to the corner panel....trying to keep the rear seam so it doesn't look too weird....no matter how I do it, its probably going to be a bit rough....HBD John!
     
    bigjohn, blalp!, Twin2 and 5 others like this.
  9. Aug 24, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Don't know if this was really needed, but since it probably won't look all that pretty no matter what I do, I at least want it to be solid....the top of the fenderwell was so smashed in that I couldn't get it reshaped and stretched back in place enough that it would sit against the corner panel - its supposed to contour along the inside of the corner panel and is spot welded to it. I added a small strip of metal that I welded to the end of the fenderwell top, and while its still too uneven and damaged to make smooth contact, it did at least allow for a few spots of contact that I could spot weld to the corner panel...
    [​IMG]

    Then it was cut the corner panel to fit etc....starting to look a little better...still quite a bit of welding to go and a lot of grinding....I did the spot welds to the fenderwell top from the outside as its really hard to get up behind there, and the OEM spare tire support piece is there....I figure a bit of grinding and smoothing on the outside of the panel won't be the biggest issue...
    [​IMG]

    it wasn't perfect to begin with - had been damaged from the OEM spare tire and had some sort of patch that I think was a lead job, then lots of bondo before the PO repaint...it looked ok on the outside, but then I crunched it....so even if its not perfect, seems like I am headed in the right direction.
     
  10. Aug 24, 2021
    Lockman

    Lockman OK.....Now I Get It . 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Silver Hill,...
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    Dec 4, 2018
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    Nice Work, James !
     
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  11. Aug 25, 2021
    Norcal69

    Norcal69 Out of the box thinker 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Northern California
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    That last picture is oddly satisfying! :drool;
     
    FinoCJ likes this.
  12. Aug 25, 2021
    Buildflycrash

    Buildflycrash More or Less in Line. 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Gulf Breeze FL...
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    Sorry I missed it... did you buy or make that rear corner patch panel?
     
  13. Aug 25, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    I bought it from classic enterprises....$155 for rear 1/4 corner panel B...it goes all the way over the rear tire but I cut that off and just used what I wanted/needed...not cheap but quality piece with proper trim edging on the bottom lip and end lip up against the tail light panel. And I just didn't have a way to deal with bending the round corner in sheet metal...worth it to me to have a doable solution for me.
     
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  14. Aug 25, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    Didn't seem to get much done today...had trouble with the wire feed on the hobart welder, had trouble with welding on the zinc weld-thru primer (never had an issue with that before), it seemed HOT and gritty in the garage today...so I did finish up welding the panel seams, and got the body mount welded on and in position:
    [​IMG]
    did a bunch of grinding on the seam welds - its slow and tedious so as not to overheat anything too much (although i did notice the outside seam is bowing out just a bit - no big deal from my POV). Then when I hit the frustration point, I just felt like the entire garage needed some cleaning and organization...its got the 58 project going, the front knuckle stud project on the cj as well as the body panel work....The sbc machine shop work finished up today, so I have to go pick that up and want to have a good, clean work space to assemble it. I am actually going to leave it at the shop for a few more days (mostly due to travel), but its also easier to keep it there in their clean space while I finish up cj projects....off to CA for some hiking and backpacking...
     
  15. Aug 25, 2021
    Twin2

    Twin2 not him 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Virginia Beach, VA
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    the RED rag is a nice touch :D (y)
     
  16. Aug 25, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    always good to know where the danger zone is....
     
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  17. Aug 26, 2021
    bigjohn

    bigjohn Active Member

    Kelso Wa
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    Mar 18, 2010
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    1,054
    Wow that looks very nice, great work! I’m glad you’re getting her redone. Maybe we’ll see it again next spring at Moab?
    Oddly I could probably use the remainder of that panel. That’s primarily where the damage was from the rollover before I bought my tub years ago. Tons of hammer and block work got it sort of straight. I really should replace it one day….
     
    FinoCJ likes this.
  18. Sep 9, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
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    After finishing the knuckles...back to the rear corner...Jen is pretty good with this kind of thing, although she has never worked on auto body before - mostly artistic stuff and of course wall and ceiling repair, plaster and whatnot. She is nervous she is going to screw it up, but when compared to the alternative (me), I told her that no matter how bad she thought she did, it would still be way better than me. I think its going to be great!
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Sep 9, 2021
    jzeber

    jzeber Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Morgan Hill, Ca
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    Should look great for Moab in Oct!
     
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  20. Sep 9, 2021
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Jul 18, 2013
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    just in time to crunch it again...hopefully not...we are done smearing filler around, let it sit for awhile and either sand it a bit tonight or tomorrow morning. Maybe get some primer and paint done by the end of the weekend. Last time I painted some patch panel work, I found the closest color match I could get at FLAPS - and it was sorta okay when compared to unfaded sections of paint, but exposed paint has really faded to blue (even moreso over the last 5+ years), so wondering if I should used the same paint I did last time, which will really not match along the side and will be very visible, or try and match the faded blue paint at the local hardware store...mostly, as long as its relatively straight and not rusted out, it'll be good.
     
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