Putting it back together - Rear End

Most of the replacement parts I've ordered have begun to show up. Time to begin to to re-assemble the rear end. To date I've installed new dive shaftes, disc brakes brake lines & mater cylinders...rear shocks are back ordered.

It's starting to shape up.

Painting Rear End

It's a lot nicer to work on clean stuff!!...rear end paint pics

Scraping, Cleaning - Rear End

Now for the rear end. degrease, wire brush, clean...repeat...

Removed brake drums (they'll be replaced w/ disc brakes.)

...and left side

Pan Paint

Better than new !!!

Scraping, Cleaning & Painting - Front End

The pan's shaping up..time to get on the other parts..

My sons-in law Steve & Paul came over and helped scrape some of the adhesive goo off the frame. We began wire-brushin and degreasing the front end for paint in prparartion for rebuild.

Front end before...

...and After. Now we just need the new parts ball joints, shocks, brake line, brakes, etc. etc....

Floor Pan Prep & Replacement

Next step remove the old, rusted floor pans & replace with new stamped panels.

Here's a shot of the right side passenger panel before cutting out.




















The original pans are spot welded onto a lip that is attached to the center tunnel & frame cross members. I was able to run a reciprocating metal cutting saw blade along the lip and get a fairly clean line.



Here's a picture of the driver's side floor pan cut out.


















I ground the spot welds down to bare metal...


















The old pan & replacement pan side by side. I used a pneumatic punch to make a series of 1/4 dia. holes approx. 1" apart around the lip of the new pan. I trimmed the pan to fit and spot welded it in place. You need to start in the middle of the hole on the existing frame lip and walk the weld out onto the new pan using a circular motion.

Right side done, left side fitted.


















After some consideration and consultation we decided to run a series of continuous welds along the top of the pan to further strengthen it.

Door Bracing - January 8th

The biggest concern with pulling a convert able body off of the chassis, with the doors removed, is the potential for the body to fold up like a pretzel at the rocker panels. The rocker panels also contain the heater channels that carry the heat from the engine heat exchanges to the interior vents & windshield defrosters. They are susceptible to rusting and these rocker panels were no different. Replacement rocker panels had been welded/pop-riveted over the rusted parts. Though it improved the cosmetics it did nothing to strengthen the body.

After the doors were removed, we fabricated three plates for each door, two for the hinge mounting plates and one for the door latch plate. We transferred the hinge mounting holes to them. We drilled out the plates & bolted them onto the door frames.

Then I cut 3/4" black pipe struts to fit and welded them into place.

Body Off Prep - January 6, 2012

January 6, 2012

Removed interior, hood, rear deck, doors & top in preparation for removing body from chassis. Had to drill out the door hinge screws to remove.

Preparation for Deconstruction

This build is planned as a complete body off restoration as a daily driver. I am concerned with the reliability of the mechanical components of the chassis & plan on replacing/upgrading/reconditioning all cables, lines and mechanical parts.

In preparation I built a rolling stand to carry the body. It is constructed of 4x4's & measures 8' Long x 6' wide x 2' high w/o the casters. I purchased 10" pneumatic casters from Harbor Freight - 2 fixed-rigid & s swivel. (in retrospect I would use all swivel & make the uprights 1' high)

 

Update: 2' is too high for a comfortable working height on the body. I've cut the uprights down to 1' high.

To protect the components from the New England weather I purchased a 10'x15' shelter is from Harbor Freight. I wanted a place to store the body/chassis while I was working on the other.

Here's the link:http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-15-ft-portable-garage-68217.html