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Build Thread CJ7 restoration in progress- Advice please

Build Thread CJ7 restoration in progress- Advice please
So this is how he did and will do the front rear patches. He put a bend in the end of the 16g steel and cut the patch to size in pic 1 2 3. The patch is bolted in place using factory bolts.

He then hammered the bend forward and flush to the side wall and welded across the top.

That is his welder in pic 4.

Pic 5 shows the new found rot where the seat belt bolt used to be.

A side note: In pic 5 you can see the bolt I said I needed to drill out in the lower left... I'm glad I thought that one through. That is the bottom of the bolt of the body mount. The head is under the Jeep. I thought I had knocked the head off the top...
 
More close up pics for you CJ. Not sure if they are going to help but I threw a quarter in them for scale.

The rear patch on the wheel well.
 
The last 3 pics show where he hammered the metal flush to the sidewall. He was short on the top where the weld gets thick. He welded behind it from the tire well too.
 
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As I said, he is coming back tomorrow and he did say that none of the patches were finished and he had more work to do on them.
 
You are getting your money worth.:cool:
 
IOPort51 said:
You are getting your money worth.:cool:
Click to expand...

So you are of the opinion that this guy with 25 years union welding experience, working on projects like the Big Dig in Boston, indeed knows what he is doing?

I plan on giving him a little more than the $125 we agreed on. He said he figured 3 hours. He's 5 hours in right now. I imagine another 3 tomorrow.

He's actually a pretty cool guy. I've enjoyed working with him.
 
Your jeep looks great, and it looks like you have a great start at getting it back to where it should be. Looking through the exellent pictures you have taken, I do have to say that some of the welds seem to be hit or miss though. A few of the beads look great, but some look like the shielding gas, or heat was off, and it appears some of the weld is laying on top, rather than melding. I see where CJ put up a really good site that shows how a sheet metal stitch and weld in should look. Sheet metal welding is a real art, and even really good welders that work big steel every day can be driven crazy by working with thin steel that is delicate and needs an intimate understanding of heat and technique to make it right. I know you said he needs to finish it up, and I hope he cleans a few of those "iffy" spots up for you. It's great to see someone take the time to do a good job on their CJ! :chug:
 
bullseye said:
So you are of the opinion that this guy with 25 years union welding experience, working on projects like the Big Dig in Boston, indeed knows what he is doing?

I plan on giving him a little more than the $125 we agreed on. He said he figured 3 hours. He's 5 hours in right now. I imagine another 3 tomorrow.

He's actually a pretty cool guy. I've enjoyed working with him.
Click to expand...


I knew for a fact you had more than he figured on.:cool:
 
I have a question for you. Did you remove all the bad metal, or did you just put a patch over the spot to keep the original mounting holes??
 
2lostspace said:
I have a question for you. Did you remove all the bad metal, or did you just put a patch over the spot to keep the original mounting holes??
Click to expand...

All the rust was hit with the wire wheel. Any thin or loose metal was cut loose. The patch was laid down on top of the original metal, large enough to cover the hole, but also to weld to good, clean metal.

This pic shows the patch before it is put on and the outline where it will lay.

And yes to keep the original mounting holes as they line up the roll bar.

2013d1262904725-cj7-restoration-progress-advice-please-img_0877.jpg
 
Here are the final pics. He put in another 3 more hours. He finished the last patch then went and hit the first 2 again with the welder then did some grinding.

All in all, I am fine with the end product.
 
These are the pics of the patches he did yesterday after touching them up today.
 
Now that the welding is done, I can finish up the edges, sand the metal, and prep it for the POR-15.

Seam filler
new carpet installation
Dash

Re-upholster seats and attach to
New stainless brackets
and install

Hardware on doors
Roll Bar painted or powder coated then reinstalled
 
Now on the old metal under the patch did you put some type of rust converter on it? I only ask because I see some issues with water collecting between the patch and the old metal. Down the road having to fix more rust.:(
 
2lostspace said:
Now on the old metal under the patch did you put some type of rust converter on it? I only ask because I see some issues with water collecting between the patch and the old metal. Down the road having to fix more rust.:(
Click to expand...

The old metal was hit with the wire wheel. Loose steel/rust was cut out with the grinder.

I plan on using POR-15 then will fill seems and beads under patches with a marine grade filler.

No way to get rid of it all unless I want to break down the entire vehicle and blast away all of it. I do not want to do that. I have a nice paint job on it now.

It took 26 years to get the rot where it is today. The patches will keep it together for another 25 hopefully.
 
I am talking about a rust converter. It changes the rust to metal and you can paint and weld over it. We use it at work, I think that we get it a napa and it works really well. It seals the metal and you can paint right over it.

Just giving you some Ideas so it will last another 25year. I think that the project is looking good at this point.

Keep the pictures going!:notworthy:
 
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