Cj6 Body Rework

I thought you guys might like to see the job I’ve been working on.

This ‘66 body is in ok shape. I’ve seen better, and I’ve definitely seen worse. I’m getting rid of the excessive holes and cancer while adding a few custom panels along the way.

I showed this in a different thread; I’m replacing the firewall skirts with custom bead rolled panels.



The area around the drain holes on the drivers side was a complete mess. I cut it out and replaced it. This is the old section sitting on top of the replacement.





Then after that, I decided to replace the whole floor section from there back to the riser. The riser was rotten, so that came out too. New risers, hat channel, and a rear floor section are on order from Classic Enterprises.



New floor panel, checking for size



Notice the back edge of that floor panel has a stretched spot on the edge. I annoyed everyone in the shop today with the air hammer and a makeshift jig to hammer that in to make room for the low spot in the riser at a body mount location.



Here’s the rest of the odds and ends I’ve been working on. Supports and body patch panels for the seam at the extension. I'll try to get better pics tomorrow.

 

The pieces from Classic E. showed up today! I’ll try to get pics tomorrow. I had to leave early today to get my kid to an appointment. They look REALLY nice.

I tackled the fuel filler hole that somebody patched with some 12 gauge and a stick welder.





I didn’t have time to finish it today, but I got the piece welded in and semi-cleaned up. I still have some welding to do on the inside of the seam, so I don’t want to put too much time into the outside to only have it get messy again.



I think I’m going to begin to tackle the seam directly below that tomorrow. I’ve been dreading that.

 

Dang. Nice work.

 

I was thinking "Dang Nice Work!" myself.

 

I repeat myself.

 

Great work, very impressive! Looks from here that no bondo needed!

 

You’re going to need a Florida vacation after this project. Maybe a free condo in exchange for a little more body work while you’re here.

 

Props to the excellent work!

 

Nice work …

 

Very talented. Thanks for sharing.

 

It’s funny how woodworking can produce such nice metal work; attention to detail and all…
It’s a pleasure to see your work.

 

The passenger's side fought me hard today. It’s worse than the DS was, so the patches needed to be bigger. The floor isn’t coming out on that side, so I’m having to work around it. Plus it’s full of lead from an old patch job.



I wasn't happy with the patches I made before; this side’s step in the recess isn’t nearly as pronounced as the drivers side. I ended up remaking both pieces.
Some bead roller action:





It took a while to get them right. This side is really wavy, so getting the panels to be perfectly flush was time consuming. I'm glad I took the time. They’re turning out pretty good. I didn’t get time to get a pic of the process beyond the one above… a snowstorm hit today and my day was cut short with other rigs that needed attention. I’ll make up for it with lots of pics on Monday. Have a good weekend!

 

Lots of progress today; it’s starting to go back together.



Period correct with the identical backer plates installed



The front riser (cj6s have two) from Classic is mocked up in place

 

very nice. wish i had a 6

 

This is where it’s gonna get interesting.



Making 42s fit in a 5/6’s rear wheel openings without a comp cut takes a little rework.
Wait till you see what I talked them into for the front.

Oh, and FYI: that floor piece I just removed isn’t available though Classic. I emailed them to ask if it just wasn’t on their website. They don’t currently make it, but they will be producing it sometime in the next six months.
In the meantime, I got the boss to order a set of beadrollers so I can make one to match Classic’s rear panel. I’ll have less time into making a new one than hammering the old one straight and filling the holes.

 

The customer is getting a great build!

 

The front of the rear wheel opening is getting clearanced by a few inches. Most of us know that to stuff anything over a 33” tire in there, it hits without going with more lift than you want, or moving the axle rearward.

I came up with a plan to move the floor riser forward instead.



I made these wheelhouse extensions that move the riser 5” forward. I’ll make the floor piece in three sections; a big middle pan and two outside pieces.

The workmanship from the factory is surprisingly crap. The front of the DS wheelhouse was welded in 3/8” of an inch lower than the PS, which also pushed the front corner of the floor down. I cut the spot welds and straightened everything back up before welding.

Also, a 6 has two risers as previously stated. They’re both the same width. But the front one is jammed between two extra layers of steel on each side, where the rear one is just welded to the skin. This makes the body nearly 1/4” wider overall at the front riser. Shady. I shimmed the rear one out to make the body uniform.