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'66 Cj5 Tux Resto-mod

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by truckee4x4, Jul 9, 2018.

  1. Apr 6, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I just did the fender braces on my '67 last year. It's a bunch of work, mostly because you can't see all the spot welds to drill them out. But, you get rid of the cancer, and nice new steel to weld. If you don't count your time, it's worth it.
     
    Norcal69 and truckee4x4 like this.
  2. Apr 6, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I see you're on the same CAD program as me.
     
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  3. Apr 6, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Thanks Tim I'll give that a go.

    I'm getting ready to stitch in my passenger floor panel. Looking at your build thread, I wanted to make sure I have the right approach.

    Once I have it cut to final shape, I'm going to go with a lap weld between the middle section/new floor instead of a butt weld like you did. It might be ugly but it will be strong. But thiis means the floor will be below the middle section.

    The PO had a piece of 1/8" plate in place of the 18ga floor that should have been there, and there are still some pieces of it that I have to cut out yet (look at this view through the toolbox:)
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_75bc.jpg
    Here's an overhead view of the whole panel, which isn't yet cut to shape along the joint with the middle section.
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_75bd.jpg

    Along the overlap with the footwell, should I cut holes in the new steel and do plug welds?
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_75bb.jpg

    I have new Hat channel as well:
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_75b9.jpg

    So @timsresort (and @Dne007 I want to ask your opinion too). Is the right approach here to
    1. Clean all the winter surface rust off the panels and channel
    2. Spray weld-thru primer on the hat channel and the floor where they mate without daylight
    3. Drill 1/4" holes in the channel for plug welds
    4. Drill 1/4" holes in the floor panels for plug welds as needed
    The tricky thing is that I need to replace the vertical section that goes across the body behind the toolbox, and I need to somehow cut it out and replace it before I do the floor patches, so I need to brace the body so it doesn't distort.

    As always, I am totally new to this so by all means please chime in with suggestions/modifications.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Apr 13, 2021
    montanacj, 73 cj5 and Twin2 like this.
  4. Apr 6, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I think this is fine. Your welding experience will go much easier, and as you say, probably stronger. I did it this way on my 3B, and has held up.
     
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  5. Apr 6, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I would just weld the joints, from one or both sides, and seal with seam sealer if you only do one side. Move around, only doing a few inches at a time.
     
  6. Apr 6, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    1-yes
    2-yes
    3-yes
    4- I think plug welds through the channel are sufficient.
    Also if your clamps won't reach, and you need to tighten up a plug weld, throw a self tapper in, to the side of the plug weld, suck it up and weld, remove and weld the screw hole.
     
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  7. Apr 6, 2021
    montanacj

    montanacj Member

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    Lots of good advice so far. If you haven't already seen Metalshapers YouTube video it's worth a watch. Also if you a lap weld I'd make sure that there is primer between the metal surfaces.

     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2021
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  8. Apr 7, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    What's the best order to replace panels in without risking body deformation?

    Seems to me like I need to remove and replace the rear floor support riser first after adding some temporary box tube braces just in case, then do the passenger floor panel, then the rocker panel.
     
  9. Apr 7, 2021
    Buildflycrash

    Buildflycrash More or Less in Line. 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Good plan to do one part at a time. You should be fine like that.
     
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  10. Apr 7, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Thanks! Waiting 'til Friday when a nice new set of Rotabroach cutters come in so I can stop kidding myself with the "spot weld cutter" I got at Summit Racing two years ago.

    It's OK to not count tool purchases in my Build project budget, right?:sneak:
     
  11. Apr 7, 2021
    Fireball

    Fireball Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Post a review of those!
     
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  12. Apr 7, 2021
    montanacj

    montanacj Member

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    Grant,
    I’m doing it the opposite way but I don’t think there is a right or wrong way. I’m doing rocker panels and floors then the rear floor riser. At the end of the day check that it’s square and get some good measurements before you take it apart. I think you will be fine. Also I just used drill bits on the spot welds.
     
  13. Apr 7, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Correct. Tools are necessities, not to be included in the parts budget. You will love the Rotabroaches. Makes life so much easier. I drill a 1/8 hole for the center pin to ride in, then they go through like butter.
     
  14. Apr 7, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    What I’m scratching my head about is how I would cut the spot welds and free the rear floor riser and clean up where it mates with the rear floor if the new front floor panels are hanging over it?

    6AA3E4AC-AC53-4222-9A8B-5A3C8CC5F59B.jpeg

    maybe by doing it a half at a time? (which I started in on...)

    As you can see I’m going to also need to stitch in some fresh metal to the wheel well box panels too
     
  15. Apr 7, 2021
    timsresort

    timsresort Active Member 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I think you can just work from the bottom up, (while upside down). Replace the step first, then the floor. Then the rocker.
     
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  16. Apr 7, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    I guess I’m nervous that if I cut out the riser completely I’ll cross the “point of no return” and suffer some degree of structural failure...ive been staring at it now for two days wondering where I could tack in some box tube just in case.

    I also put a sawhorse and some 2x6 across under the rear wheel wells just in case...

    guess I’ll take some measurements and give it a go!
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2021
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  17. Apr 11, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Yesterday I started in on the wheelbox/toolbox intersection, to get ready for the floor riser.
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_760e.jpg
    Took a while to clean up the spot welds and remaining rotten metal from the wheelbox, but I eventually got it all out.

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_760f.jpg
    I some paper, made a template, and then transferred it to a piece of 18ga (which is what the wheelbox measured at), and cut away. Anyone else watch Fitzee's Fabrications on YouTube? I like his method of overlap and cut then weld the gap the thickness of the cutter disc. So I did that

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7610.jpg

    I had to finish the sides off with an pneumatic saw because the disc wouldn't fit, and even then I wasn't really able to go all the way across so I figured I'd weld the edges too. View from underneath (behind passenger seat) before I cut the sides - note the blood splatter - metal is sharp.
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_760d.jpg
    I didn't made an "ear" on the patch panel so I have one more cut and splice to make:
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7611.jpg

    Drilled some 5/16" holes in the fresh steel to plug weld to the toolbox. Can't see it here but I also sprayed some 3M Weld Thru II on the underside of the patch panel and the top of toolbox surface. I might be also using Tim's suggestion of sheet metal screws as well since I can't get a clamp in there to snug them up really well. Or maybe I can if I remove the toolbox door...
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7613.jpg

    My parents are here (Haven't seen them in over a year!) so we finally have someone to watch the little guy so I am hoping to make some major progress today and get at least this patch done and hopefully prep the rocker and cowl section and finish cleaning and priming the underside of the toolbox.

    I have DPLF primer for the body, but the gallon I have is down in Sparks at the painter. What should I shoot on the underside of the toolbox before it gets closed up - or does it really matter? I think I have some Duplicolor self-etching in the paint cabinet.

    In other news, I took my fenders down to my paint guy in Sparks and asked him if he thought they were salvageable and he said they were. Great to hear that. He sadly reported that there was some oil canning in the hood from poor sandblasting technique. I don't want to think that was Arron since he used crushed glass and (I thought) was pretty diligent, but it is there - they blocked it and I saw it and heard it pop and ping....I'm not sure I'm going to throw another $500 at the hood to have it shrunk and fixed properly....this isn't a concours restoration. So they're going to throw some extra primer on it and hopefully it's acceptable. I told him it will be better than a guy who has never painted a vehicle before painting it in a carport on the side of his house.

    Ended up making another patch panel because I didn't like the way the first one mated along the edges.

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7634.jpg
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7638.jpg
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7633.jpg
    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_7639.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2021
  18. Apr 30, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Yesterday was a good day!

    Got the hood, grille, and dashboard back from the body shop, and boy o boy do they look great!

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_77bd.jpg

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_77c5.jpg

    Should be getting the engine back from the rebuilder and assembling all the external parts onto it this weekend too. A word I haven't typed in a while - PROGRESS!
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2021
  19. Apr 30, 2021
    Mr Vaughan

    Mr Vaughan

    i can't see those pictures...
     
  20. Apr 30, 2021
    truckee4x4

    truckee4x4 Grant Kaye 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Huh. Do they work for everyone else?
     
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