69 Dauntless Project - the 'Heep'

Very nice. You might try an Arial font, it doesn't have the bars on the top of the "I". The bars are called "serifs" so would would need a "sans-serif" font. Calibri and Arial are both common.I don't envy you cutting out the letters on blue tape. UGH. See if you can find someone to make you a silk screen, that would be way easier. I worked in a shop many years ago that could make a silkscreen in a matter on minutes, but alas not longer. Good luck interested in the outcome as I have to do the same thing for my controllers.

 

Meyer Top dissemble in progress...

Bent and banged rain gutter into place

Doors off.
Drilled all pop rivets.
Pulled off handles.
removed mounting hardware
removed latch mechanism
removed window raise and lower internals.
- window carriers really rusty
- need to find new channel guides for door windows
removed rear window and gasket.
- trying to figure out if I can reuse gasket
inner door panels separated from outer

Bent and banged dents from door panel interior

Polished with 220 grit the door strap hooks from door

Rear door hatch needing a small bit of crack repair.

Mounting hardware soda blasted
rear latch mechanism cleaned
door latches cleaned (40+ yrs dirt, dust, grime)

Lots More HCl @ 30% to remove rust from small parts after soda blasted and rinsed - and bolts, etc. now rust free...

Removed dauntless v6 badges. What are the three colors? (gold, white, red?)
- all posts intact and screw lock nuts accounted for
- colors found via search... Old threads circa 2004

Removed driver mirror mounting hardware

Removed both sides upper and lower Body-side door mount hardware.

Pictures coming later... Laptop in closet for holidays.

 

(EDIT: HEAVY WITH PICTURES)

Progress today...

Took lots of picts, need to dust off laptop,to edit and shove to web and then link here...

Completely disassembled Meyer top. All panels separated, windows out of panels. No bolts, screws, etc. left. Stress cracks found and ground.

A.L. Hansen Series 55 and 56 Handles on the Meyer door (preparing for removing panels).









































Hammer and metal block to remove dings, dents and straiten the top, and around the custom window holes.

Ground all rough junk from custom holes left by PO.

Old foam cut from roll bars. CRAP! Rust. Lots ands lots. Still seems superficial. Need to clean and drill some pilot test holes. Ground anti theft mount device ala angle iron off back of radio. Pulled radio. Tossed vintage, dusted, mud daubered junk into trash.























Removed front window frame. It was heavy... More awkward than heavy.












Removed hood hinges

Removed driver side rubbers... Er, fender flares. Looks so much better already.




Removed driver side bolts to roll bar.

Pb blaster soaking on passenger side.

Tomorrow...
dissassemble window and frame
clean mess up in garage
prep parts for paint / may be consider some polishing first

Count bolts to replace with stainless.

Post pictures...

 

Dane:...........Did you ever finish your paint mask for the heater panel?

Terry

 

Terry,

Thanks for the note.

I hit frustration level.... Implosion...

Waiting for folks to come back to work. Tracking down either a sticker maker (boat stickers) or a trophy shop.

D

 

Meyer cab hardware...
http://www.alhansen.com/pdfs/cat103/cat103_pg021.pdf
Inner latch door...

Handles available also, series 500.

 

Posted many pictures of the Meyer Cab in various stages of undress.

Many pictures of the pieces of Jeep also in various stages of undress.

 

Been mighty silent lately. I see that's how many builds tend to go. Lots of Picts to grab and post,but here is an update until this weekend...

part removal going well. Dash removed, wires removed. Floor panels removed. Meyer top to powder coat and returned in white... Very nice. Now need stainless pop rivets to reassemble doors.

List of bolts needed, parts to replace and goodies to add in progress.

picked up a set of 5.5 wheels and a set of 4.5 wheels. They too have been powder coated. Small bits of orange peel marks of rust now gone and shiny.

Roll cage out, rewelded ground, rewelded, ground some more, blasted and powder coated.

window frame removed, glass and wipers off. Heading to blaster. Rat nest removed from innards... I think it was mostly dust and what not from the defroster.

vaccum heater control removed, blasted and primed. Working on the control buttons still.

bought a blaster for small parts. Jury still out on having it done or doing it...

also, the glovebox latch is rebuildable... Took mine apart, carefully. Small spring in there with a clip to position the depth. Fifteen minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner, over night in the viB polisher with tide, vinegar and ceramic balls. Works like a champ.

worked on the transmission and transfer for untold time with a scraper and degreaser. I think I can see the t-14a markings but not too sure what transfer I've descraped yet from the grease and dirt.

 

I'm loving that meyers top, cant wait to see pictures of it in white!!! Keep up the good work

 

Meyer Top: Powdercoated and completely disassembled:




this picture above isn't telling of what I did next... I scratched the gutter rail pulling this out by myself... small, not really noticeable... at least I did it. Like getting a new truck, you find a small spot in the bed, sort of obscure, and hit it with a ball peen hammer so you control the first dent... smudge will rub out but double dang it.

The door skins, inners, the rear hatch, rear quarters and everything else...

You can see the front seat floor frames in black at the top left here. Also the interior aluminum window frames for the RV windows the PO cut into the top.

I've primed the window raise/lowering hardware that goes between the door skins. I'm working on getting the rusty window carriers loose from the glass without destroying anything next. I'll blast and prime those too. New fuzzy glass channels and new shiny handles for the doors and a couple dozen stainless pop-rivets and some stainless bolt hardware and I'm back reassembled.

I have all the glass in the garage yet to be cleaned...

I have two new hydraulic shocks to raise the back door... woooooooooHooooooo!

 

Dash Disassembly:


so, this was interesting. The tab on the passenger side of the bottom edge of the dash that the dash mounts to the tub was 'vibration sheered'... so I've got a little welding to do to fix that up. Waiting to clean up the dash panel first.

A quick peek behind the dash:


Duct tape use #993366 - make the defroster optional equipment (duct-work was lying loose above it).


While looking at the defroster, here's the heater on the other side:
- mostly because I needed to know where the capture nut went for the cable.


Amazing what you can do with a good set of Klines... wires being removed. New wiring kit waiting for life in the garage.

 

Floor pans coming out and the top of the transmission and transfer case:









And after a lot of wrestling (ok, not a lot):











OK, what I found right there was interesting... 40 years of grease, mud, dust and farm dirt all baked on. I had to use a chisel, degreaser found at the dollar store and a high-pressure hose to get it closer to what follows:
















Say, notice that there's not a continuous sludge connection now between the transfer and the transmission?!!?

Now, I see clearly that I have the T-14 transmission, but I'm wondering yet on the transfer case.

 

OK,
Last one for now: just the pre-shot on the turn signal:


the plan here is to disassemble the turn signal, flip the rubber wheel over so it isn't worn/beveled and will run on the steering wheel (self cancel may be)?

Once I'm inside, I'll check connectors, springs and the like. Then I'll polish it all as much as can stand and see what it looks like as a 'refab'.

 

Question...
Visited tub at the blasters today...
This 69 seems to have hickory in the hat channels under the firewall, and where the tire mount was welded over. Is this, or was this stock?

Picking it up tomorrow.

Amazing how a good blast shows the rust holes which were hidden, the cracks in the sheet metal and a pile of bubba fixit welds which were hidden under layers of bondo and paint.

Now I need a heavy hammer and some other body tools.

Picts to follow.

 

Images as promised...
The dash:


Notice the hogged out hole! PO decided a cig lighter was better than a handle here.


Dash crack around the glovebox #1


Dash crack around the glovebox #2


So, don't know how a dash will crack around the glovebox, but it has some welds that I'll clean up later.
Heater Plenum (?) after sand and primer:


Here's the hood. I have some bondo to repair. I have to find what's under it.

 

today progress was made... sort of.

I finally bought a bottle of Argon/CO2. I hope it makes my welds look magically delicious (and reduces my need for lucky charms and a grinding wheel). Folks at AirGas were great. Anything has to be better than the flux-splatter I've made so far.

OK, so brass tacks... um, how about a blasted tub... lots of cracks. I guess cracks and some minor pin holes are better than some of the rust I see others dealing with.

I had a custom air vent on the cowl: It's been powder coated, so I may put it back.

Anyone have an antenna hole on the passenger corner of the cowl? I'm not putting a radio back in, should I delete it (weld in the hole), or is there stainless plug or something folks have used to make it look better?

Anyone have a picture of what the front driver side should look like right here? Can't figure out why it's cut out (no mods to the exhaust, steering, etc.).


Whuutt? didn't know this little bit of trim was there, it was buried under a layer of bondo. now what to do with it.


I have cracks...


Driver floor pan:



Crack above the frame support, looks like this on both sides:


Rear corners, extra bondo please:




Custom by crunchie: I wondered where the spare tire carrier got left:


Hey, the driver side has this mashed support: anyone refab one of these? why doesn't the passenger side have one? Note: the firewall was sitting against the back of the drivers side valve cover, I think this supports the few things that say 'why'.


Here's a bit of missing metal, backed up by a little hard wood. Have to figure out a fab for that. the rust scratches are from sliding it out of the dump bed after carting it across town.


More cracks on the other side:


OK, another question: how have folks fixed these mashed frame support locations?



what it looks like under, you may need to turn your monitor sideways:


the driver's rear wheel well (I see garnet blasting material still - stuff is materializing out of thin air):


One of two small places I have to cut out the rust (open to suggestions here):


Passenger side rear wheel well (the tire mount went somewhere there):


Here's an extra bolt-on: the exhaust hanger-angle-iron support:

 

I had the same hole. Weld it up, a plug would look tacky.

here ya go

Should be one on both sides. Make two new ones with some flat plate.

I've seen a combination of square tubing, channel iron, or flat sheet metal formed to its shape.

I decided that a sheet metal brake would be nice for all the body repairs I needed, so I made one with some scrap steel I had laying around.

 

On the drivers side firewall the rectangular hole and the other long odd shaped one below it were for the stock heater.........there is a stock panel that goes over that if you can find one.........or a piece of sheet metal.

 

I'm torn on this one, to delete component or not... I have all the parts, still blasting them in my cardboard freight blasting cabinet. New heater core and I am in Business.

 

PieLut, many thanks. That is a fab break tool! Thanks for the input too. I'll see what I can come up with.

i think fixing the lower three holes may be a lost cause. May just put a piece or three of plate across it and make holes where needed.