69 Dauntless Project - the 'Heep'

I shoot what you have with some primer before you start repairing everything. I did not and had a major flash rust problem after a raining couple days. My tub was in the garage but the humidity in the air got me. Steve

 

Excellent! I will keep an eye on it. I shot the hood with some so far.

 

DOH!

OK, I had a moment. A fixit lesson for myself.

Sort of a Ghostbusters moment...

Been using flux core wire. Switched to shield gas...

Wondering why everything went in the tank so to speak, beads went wonky, etc.

Simple reminder: Switch polarity...

(OUT COMES THE GRINDER)

 

All,

New tires in the mix...
Found original style 15" rims. Stamped KH. Some were pitted in a few places but they cleaned up good.

Found the Hercules HDT 7.00 tire. Here's they're shown next to my rolling frame and the 30x10.5x15 coopers.


Standing next to the coopers.


Inside of the wheels


Outside of the wheels


Here's an oldie I'm using for shims, and misc rubberized parts.


Here's the tread pattern of this antique - a pretty cool match of 'almost' for the Hercules HDT.

 

Working on the tub:

tub is still sandblasted in places. Best thing I've done to find cracks and hidden blemishes.

Here's the bed riser in the middle between the front seats where I've fixed a major crack or six. Backing material in place also. Had to pinch this back into place underneath.
Hiding my rookie welds with some self-etching primer.


When you can't get them out with PB Blaster, a hammer and an impact driver... drill 'em out.
I had what I call 'pancake rust' in the area of that glob weld. Used the angle grinder to gut it out mostly, then cranked up the mig to make a plasma type cut while leaving clean material behind (if this is bad form, ooops - note to self: only spot it needed done). then turned it down and built up the weld a spot at a time rotating around the hole. It ground nicely btw. some High-build primer and I think I'll avoid bondo.


Cracks around mounting holes can't be good either.


Remember that floor riser that was cracked, well, it went thru the top also, in this lovely anchor pattern and several other offshoots. Gotta love that. Hiding the details with self-etching primer.


Another mounting hole with cracks, Bueler, Bueler... will ream with a drill to clean up.

 

Work on the dash is almost completed. Had to fill in the handle-mount hole above the glove box as someone needed a bubbafied ciggie ligher mounted there. washer behind the hole and spots, lots o spots... had to fix former welds around the opening to the glove box middle (what ever would cause that to crack??)


(notice the proper PPE Welding attire above? Not advised unless your tolerance for pain is higher than average.)


back side of washer. left it as-is. Removed glove door catch and coated in self-etching primer.


this was interesting. When I removed the dash, the passenger tab wasn't there, and the crack was rusty... so saved it, and it's back where it belongs.

 

Glovebox Latch Rebuild

OK,

I had a glovebox latch I couldn't stand being broken. If you tear it apart, watch out, small, very small springs. There are some different adjustments you can make.

Less than 30min of tinkering. Saved $30 bucks.

Used a solution of vinegar and dish soap in the vibratory cleaner (from cardboard freight). Then let it roll around in the vibratory polisher over night. made the chrome pieces shiny. I'm using tide and 3mm ceramic balls in the polisher. then I touched it all up with a little blue magic chrome polish. small pieces back together and good to go.

catch-up


catch-down

 

VIN Plate and Firewall Plates and Stickers

Here's what I have.

My Vin plate was a little rough from age, and one corner shows it.

 

Re: Glovebox Latch Rebuild

neither is wearing cotton t-shirt while welding vertical or overhead.. I would wear shoes but then again I walk into everything and constantly drop stuff on my feet.


Did you send your VIN plate threw the vibratory cleaner? or was it that shiny to begin with?
also, did you have any luck with putting labels on your heater plate switch?

keep up the good work, everything is looking fantastic.

 

Re: Glovebox Latch Rebuild

the shiny on the plate wasn't from the shaker. What I did there was 'blue magic' chrome polish and the dremel cotton wheel, easy on the pressure. It cleans up really nice.

Used same goop to clean the other stickers, but used a good Kirkland brand paper towel and elbow grease to keep the paint in place. Most was really corroded / oxidized. surprised they came out as well as they did.

I now have two or three sets of heater switches in various stages of rehab. None have the labels yet. No time to make the buttons or knobs yet either.

 

thanks I will have try that then.

that should be interesting adding knobs/buttons.

 

awww man your killing me....it looks like you're working on my jeep....mine has the same trim tag 225/291 code but my grandfather didn't change the color....and he put a sears hardtop on it but you're a lot farther along than i am....single...custody of my 3 kids job side tracked a lil with my new to me 06 tj blah blah blah ....i'm slooowly working on the frame suspenion....disc brakes power steering.....clean/blasting painting.......what you've got going on looks awesome....i'm going to have to buckle down to try and catch up....seriously awesome work

 

Good to hear from you! I've had my daughter helping me as much as she wants (bought her a self-dimming visor for welding). She likes to sand a little, spray a little, then that's enough...

Disks and power steering... I've looked at the steering a little bit (more that the column and wheel are in my shed). That wasn't part of this plan originally - if I fall into a steering setup then that's probably going to happen... but I'll have to hit my head and stub my toe on the right parts to make that happen... Haven't planned the brakes. May be after I rebuild the drums once then I'll flesh it out.

I've been trying to track down what the original color looks like. If you have a picture to share, would love to see it.

I've spent this weekend trying to learn the magic of bondo, keep it thin to win... or something like that. There was some pretty good damage to the rear passenger panel where the spare tire mount was (torn off?). It was a shame. I used a 12T bottle jack to press it back out some, a lot of welding and grinding, but without cutting and replacing, I couldn't get away from diminishing returns (hat channel in the way). I have about 3 layers of filler, thin, and I have a couple warbles in that corner, visible to my eye - not for an auto-show, but close enough for trail work... but I may go another light coat to take a small bow out that if the light hits right, I'll have to stare at...

Still a lot of work to start (and finish).

D

 

hey sorry i haven't been able to get a picture of my jeep on here (and she's torn down quite a ways and my bring home pictures sucked) but i just saw a member on here who's avatar is the same color and looks a ton better than mine, his member name is w3srl....hope that helps....and you've inspired me I'm cleaning the trans and tranfer case now....what did it cost you to blast your body

 

Find the right blaster, you don't want a warped hood...

tub, fenders, hood and some other small parts ran me four days of labor. To remove three layers of paint and some light rust.

I don't have space to to purchase necessary size compressor, find an enviro suit and build a room to keep the sand out of everywhere. My small soda blaster gets it everywhere, as does my handeheld blaster...

Plus I work 40 plus and try to also spend time with the family doing other stuff...

Worth every penny to me...

 

Weekend of work on the heep: hours welding and grinding fenders. Picts to come later.

Here's some pictures of finished and near finished assorted small parts:

Ross Box Cover:


Scene that reminds me of "HellRaiser"


the go-fast button's back side in shaker self-etch grey:

 

Wow, how dusty is my garage?

Dust is on everything including my clean parts #$%@!!
Anyway, here's the top of the heater after getting it back from the good folks at Hot Coats Powder Coating:





I would have taken more photos, but the rest of the parts are in a box, all pretty and protected by saran wrap. I'll take a final after I get a new heater core, and put it back together.

Also in there is the go-fast pedal's mounting bracket and lever which mounts to the firewall. Looks good all not rusty!

Other upper and lower brackets and upper and lower door hangers for the meyer top were included in this batch. those are nice and white to match the top. I need to photo those because it seems folks are always looking for them. May be it will help someone fab up a set of similar hinges.

 

Weeks have passed on this thread: I'm inactive... house bound on hobble sticks... Watch out, I'm on the road in my pickup... left foot on the pedals, right foot tucked up next to the seat. Loads of fun. Just starting to walk short distances without crutches. In a moon boot (known also as an aircast boot). It's a cast that I can remove for cleaning, but have had to wear for the last two weeks after the first two weeks in a fiberglass cast came off. Movie line runs through my head "Run Forest, Run..." every time I take a step, as my motor patterns aren't all that different currently; and then it's more like I'm dancing with myself in a strait line forward (1-2, 1-2, 1-2...). Stairs in my office are a joy to go down, not too bad going up. (there's a sort of h-cap elevator thing, it's big enough for a wheel chair but it's horridly noisy, takes two to operate, and I'm not interested in getting stuck in it if it decides to barf half way up... or down.

I have been upside down with the ankle: 'tendons rebuilt, ligament rebuilt/reattached and peroneal-fibia-grove deeping'. Fourth week is now passing. 6" to 8" of frankenfoot as a visual reminder. Tomorrow I meet with the sawbones to hopefully get an aircast that allows me some motion (toes up, toes down, hinge ankle, etc...) and start the 8 to 12 weeks of rehab. Buyer's remorse: yes and no... looking forward to showering without a trash bag taped to my knee and seeing less and less swelling...

Since I've been down, I've received parts I sent out to chrome (window hinges, hood hinges, door hinges and assorted fasteners). this is exciting - small bits of bling to reward my amateur body work.

I moved the tub outside on sawhorses so I can finish welding on it, I see where I didn't get the primer thick enough, but a wire cup and a little more will fix it up; my wife can mostly have the garage back to put her car back in there ... this is nice when it's 100+ out so (and also inversely when/iff it starts to rain this fall). Hoping to have the tub done and painted by then...

Speaking of 'Body Work':


Note: bubba cuts to the firewall at the driver's feet. New part from MD Juan has arrived in Oregon from it's journey on a slow boat. Just off the phone with Scott and Ron at g503.com (in Grant's Pass just north of us - 3.5hrs or so). Looks like the part will run me about $30 with shipping. I'm happy... Picts to come in my MD Juan shirt, this old photo, the new part, and then the new part installed...

Trying to decide what to do about the hole in the cowl. Tempted to fill it in. Any thoughts?

[h=1]Jeep Parts, Part# A-1242-23032 " Reinforcement Left Firewall"[/h]

 

A little time for Jeep work today - WOOOOO HOOOOOO.

time to remove the firewall support piece for the pedals that the PO hacked up...









tools used:
-------------
spot weld cutter - $4 from "cardboard" freight
- definitely is a disposable tool - center pin bends easily when it runs off center (see the scratch marks in the pictures)
- misc tools used to repair this POS tool's center pin: hammer for banging it strait, punches for removing it when stuck)
half-inch drill (might have used a lighter one, but I like my Binford DBFH 7000)
10oz Ball Peen hammer
center punch for making starting marks on the welds
angle grinder to remove plugs left behind from spot weld cutter (and clean up welds)
can of primer
Lincoln 110v Mig with Argon/carbon dioxide Blend shielding gas (i think)
and a garden hose kept handy to keep the unintended lawn fire under control and put out my pants legs...

 

after I welded it back up:

I noticed my feet getting warm, and an oddly familiar smell