Build Thread Father/Son Project in Orlando

[FiNorman]

With the Paint removed it became obvious that the YJ tub has had some repair work done to it, as there is a bunch of bondo.
Underneath the paint we were removing were several areas of dented sheet metal which had started to rust. You can see several areas where there was either bent metal, or rust coming through.

 

[tarry99]

At this point I am actually lucky we found areas with bondo on the YJ body, as I later discovered that the jeep had been painted and the top coat was not sticking to the base layer. Our paint job would not have lasted long. We removed the paint/bed liner with Aircraft remover, a wire brush, a vibrating tool and some glass bead blasting and a bunch of elbow grease. During this time I left my son to get some supplies and he used the wheel cutter to remove the bondo. The result is that there were several areas where the sheet metal has large gouges in place. We will have to address this later.

Hey, Nice Job......also glad to see you have your Son hard at it.....he looks like he is enjoying himself..............years from now whatever he learns from this process will surely make him a more rounded person!
We need more young people like him , that don't mind getting their hands dirty! Tell your son to keep up the good work.

 

[FiNorman]

… we cut some panels and spot welded the replacements back into place. We have gotten better and even though my son’s attention span is titi, he really loves to weld. We do realize that this is really the work of professionals, but in the end the object was for us to do something together and learn in the process. We were pleased with the results, but the true test will be when it gets painted as I think it will do much better at revealing the imperfections in the body.

 

[FiNorman]

We also removed the roll bar, and of course every one of our Torx nuts stripped, so we tried welding a nut to the top of the torx and stripping it off, but found that if we just cut one of the sides of the head of the bolt we could twist it off with an adjustable wrech. It wasn’t pleasant or fast, but it eventually got done.

 

[FiNorman]

The PO sold us the jeep with many of the parts sitting in the rotten carcass of the tub, but swore that he had them all… missing are a driveshaft, and Transmission crossmember. I went to see a guy in Daytona Beach who sells jeep parts and I bought a decent fender with only some superficial rust and rust through places where our repair would not be evident, and a Transmission crossmember…. Of course the crossmember doesn’t fit, and he cant remember selling me the part. Thanks to PetesCJ for getting me squared away.
Below you can see the repairs we made to the fenders. Most of the work is in the motor bay so cosmetics weren’t a priority, but if I had to do it all over again, and I’m sure I will because my 6 year old girl want’s to know when it will be her turn, I will be better at fabricating the pieces.
If there is a better method let me know, but basically I cut out the bad part to where there is healthy metal, tape a piece of cardboard (harbour freight boxes are excellent because they are already bent to where it represents the flange) into the hole then cut it out to represent the exact shape, then open it back up to go from 3 dimensional shape to a 2d, then trace it on the new metal, cut it out, grind and bend and fit into the hole you cut out. Spot weld and you are set.

 

[FiNorman]

Next I met a super nice guy named Jim, who lives about 30 miles away and was selling parts on CL…. Talk about a guy who knows CJs and is willing to help a novice. I owe this dude a bunch of beers for all his help and advice. First he gave us a grill which was rusted in a bunch of places(now we can use the piece of metal on top of where the cage nut attaches. This is cosmetic and an area of concern for me because my metal fabrication is improving, but I know that if it isn’t right it will bug me to look at it everytime my son pulls into the drive way and I have to stare at a jacked up lower portion of the radiator grill housing the cage nut.) Jim was also nice enough to give us the *** end of the Jeep (now we can cut out the brackets where the tailgate latches to the body). He sold us a tailgate and cables for a very fair price…. Now he also has me thinking about putting in a 360 cc AMC… hmmmm something to consider. I know I have a T-5 tran so I will have to find something that won’t get torn up with the extra horse power.

We cut the tailgate latch brackets out of the old cj *** end and welded them into place on the wheel well of the yj tub. We also used this same cj *** end to cut out the cage nuts that hold the tailgate in place on the CJ body, then cleaned and POR15’d the brackets and nuts. Next we did a test fit of the tailgate and to my surprise it actually fit fairly well with the tailgate brackets closing and the tailgate centered. We then cut two flaps into the underside of the jeep body so that we could weld the cj cage nuts into yj body to bolt the tailgate. At this point we marked off the location of the two holes where each tailgate bracket nut is located on the exterior, and we drilled the holes where the cage nuts would be attached to the internal portion of the body. We were having trouble finding a set of sheet metal claps big enough to fit from the external tailgate to the internal/underside portion where we needed to spot weld the cage nuts in the flap we cut into the underside of the body, so used a couple of flexi-cuffs to hold the cage nuts in place while we spot welded them. The one piece of advice I can give is cut a flap larger than what you think you will need, it is of no consequence and will make your welding easier.

 

[FiNorman]

I will start putting the suspension system back together this week, and if anyone can give me some advice on bending brake lines and fuel lines I would be really grateful. We have ordered a nut replacement set from Totally Stainless and will start stripping down the hood I bought on CL for $100 and the Tailgate I got from Jim. I am tempted to POR15 the interior and engine compartment, but I was thinking maybe I will wait for when I am ready to apply the Raptor undercoating to a sticky POR15. I am in bare metal, but there doesn’t seem to be any rust building as of yet. I am hoping to epoxy primer soon, but I need to learn how to use my paint gun first.....

I just wanted to take a few seconds to thank firstly anyone who has helped with advice, encouragement or a tip. It's rare in todays age that people that you have never met will take the time to help you accomplish something without expecting anything in return (yeah I get it, except pics).
thanks again fellas.

 

[FiNorman]

We have been able to get some work done, which has not been with out our share of mistakes....
we have repaired some hidden, but significant rust damage to the hood of the jeep. As we were taking off the old paint the wirewheel at through a section of the front of the hood where the rust had gotten to it.
per the great advice of the guys on this forum we went at it, bent back the area where the hood latch was, cut out the old rust and welded in a replacement. We used a piece of copper backing in the areas where it was starting to eat through and just make a hole, which prevented the welding from making the hole bigger.
we then covered it with por15, and rewelded the hood latch bracket, hopefully it doesn't change the functionality of the hood or how it sits. we shall see how it worked when we get it painted.

I am a little concerned that the metal inside the hood did not go back to exactly where it was prior to me opening it, but time will tell.

 

[FiNorman]

Next we took a huge step and painted the inside of the tub. I still haven't welded the body mount cage nuts back into the inside of the but, mainly because I wanted to wait until I got it aligned with the frame to make sure everything goes back the way it should. my plan is to tack weld the corner of the cut and then body seamseal the cut to prevent moisture for getting into the tub.

Prep was what took the longest time with this, to clean the metal, degrease it with marine clean, etch it metal ready and paint it with the POR15. We opted to spray the por 15 because I didn't have but a quart and a half, and I want to make sure I got into every nook and cranny in the bulkhead.

I Know that por15 is a bear to clean, so we bought a spray gun from Harbor freight Gravity Feed Spray Gun - 20 Oz. HVLP which got great reviews, was only $13 and we figured if the por15 ruined the gun it was no great loss.

It actually worked great, I used my pressure gauge from my other HF spray gun on the throw away, kept it at about 50 psi, and didn't thin the product. It went on awesome, with good coverage, 4 coats to include the internal fender, tailgate, and Transmission crossmember, plus all of the newly fabricated cage nuts.

I then cleaned the gun with Piant thinner and to my surprise it still works well and blows air. I will let you know how it is working next time I use it.

While the Por15 was still tacky and sticky, we applied the raptor liner... again super easy to apply, and left a very professional looking job that we love. We used 3 bottles and got 4 coats out of it. We are saving the last bottle to fix the seams from the cage nuts, and a crack that I forgot to fix in the tub under the front seat... if anyone has suggestions on how to fix this other than just welding it let me know. it is depressed and doesn't seem like you can get to it from the underside to apply pressure to fix the depressed fracture.

We are also planning on buying a bottle of the clear Raptor liner, adding some color of the outside of the jeep (maybe orange) and using it to provide some flecks of orange in the final product.

 

[FiNorman]

I will feel much better once I get those cage nuts back in and the crack over the passenger seat fixed.
Please let us know if you notice any mistakes... thx

 

[tarry99]

I will feel much better once I get those cage nuts back in and the crack over the passenger seat fixed.
Please let us know if you notice any mistakes... thx

Looks pretty good from here..........you and your kids are doing a great job!

 

[gp4play]

looking good

 

[mtnwhlr]

hopefully it doesn't change the functionality of the hood or how it sits. we shall see how it worked when we get it painted.

I am a little concerned that the metal inside the hood did not go back to exactly where it was prior to me opening it, but time will tell.

I would recommend making sure it all fits and works before you paint it it is a lot easier to fix it now not after you have painted it just my 2 cents. Looks like your son is having a blast with this project it's something he will remember for the rest of his life. You guys are doing a great job

 

[thiswontbetooexpensive]

This is coming along nicely. That liner and the repairs look great!

Agree with what was said about the kiddo helping, he won't forget it. Ever. My kids ask me all the time when we can go work on the Jeep, and I oblige.

I can't believe they are about to be 6 and 8, it goes quick!

 

[FiNorman]

I would recommend making sure it all fits and works before you paint it it is a lot easier to fix it now not after you have painted it just my 2 cents. Looks like your son is having a blast with this project it's something he will remember for the rest of his life. You guys are doing a great job

That's actually a great idea... I had it stuck in my head I wouldn't know what the result would be until I was reassembling everything, but is your idea to lay the tub on the floor flat, bolt the fenders and grill, then check to see the hood lies flat?
Thx again

 

[rr41mag]

I love this build. It's great that the young man is out there helping and not sitting in front of a tv playing video games.

 

[Airstrike]

Great build to read and watch. Love the family involvement!

 

[FiNorman]

Looks pretty good from here..........you and your kids are doing a great job!

Fellas (and ladies that are jeepers also), I just wanted to thank you again for all the kind words and encouragement. As most people that know me from work, family, neighborhood, they can attest to the fact that I have never really been known to turn a wrench. When they ask me about what would bring us to do something that might seem out of character for us, I am always quick to point out a couple of things.

First, this is a marathon and not a sprint, other than the deadline 3 yrs from now when he gets his permit (minus the time he will need to learn to drive a stick.... which by the way should resolve my dilemma as to whether we should keep the T-5 or upgrade) we don't have a time limit. This has left us with a more relaxed pace and able to enjoy the process. "Every Journey begins with one step" has been our motto so there's no pressure when we say "ahhhh mañana".

The second thing is that we have never felt like we were in this alone. Truth be told there's no way we would be at this if it weren't for the help and advice we get on this forum. You literally couldn't pay someone for the wealth of knowledge and advice you get from guys here, who do it just because they love Jeeps too.

I mention this because this sort of "pay it forward" generosity that you guys have shown resulted in one of my coworkers now getting ready to do the same with his kid. It made me feel good that I was part of a medium that gave a dad a chance to spend some time with his kid. Maybe this hobby will return to what it was 30 years ago.

It also has somewhat changed my outlook in general. I used to think that being a good dad meant being an earner and showing your kids that they should strive hard to be great at what ever their chosen profession. Now I've had a chance to rethink it and maybe it's something else that I haven't quite figured out yet. It's on the tip of my tongue but not quite there yet, but I think it has to do with sometimes wishing your kids had to earn their bones the way you did, but at the same time being glad they don't have to.

anyways thanks to you all it's greatly appreciated.

 

[Petescj]

While I liked the sentimental post , this is still my favorite.

So here my son and I looking at these body mounts with a fear of cutting into the body to fix them…. We could have taken it to a professional or my son could have turned to me and said, “come on Dad, pick up your skirt, grab your junk and lets get this done”. Which would you have chosen?

 

[tarry99]

Fellas (and ladies that are jeepers also), I just wanted to thank you again for all the kind words and encouragement. As most people that know me from work, family, neighborhood, they can attest to the fact that I have never really been known to turn a wrench. When they ask me about what would bring us to do something that might seem out of character for us, I am always quick to point out a couple of things.

First, this is a marathon and not a sprint, other than the deadline 3 yrs from now when he gets his permit (minus the time he will need to learn to drive a stick.... which by the way should resolve my dilemma as to whether we should keep the T-5 or upgrade) we don't have a time limit. This has left us with a more relaxed pace and able to enjoy the process. "Every Journey begins with one step" has been our motto so there's no pressure when we say "ahhhh mañana".

The second thing is that we have never felt like we were in this alone. Truth be told there's no way we would be at this if it weren't for the help and advice we get on this forum. You literally couldn't pay someone for the wealth of knowledge and advice you get from guys here, who do it just because they love Jeeps too.

I mention this because this sort of "pay it forward" generosity that you guys have shown resulted in one of my coworkers now getting ready to do the same with his kid. It made me feel good that I was part of a medium that gave a dad a chance to spend some time with his kid. Maybe this hobby will return to what it was 30 years ago.

It also has somewhat changed my outlook in general. I used to think that being a good dad meant being an earner and showing your kids that they should strive hard to be great at what ever their chosen profession. Now I've had a chance to rethink it and maybe it's something else that I haven't quite figured out yet. It's on the tip of my tongue but not quite there yet, but I think it has to do with sometimes wishing your kids had to earn their bones the way you did, but at the same time being glad they don't have to.

anyways thanks to you all it's greatly appreciated.

FINORMAN,

I think that is great taking the time to do that with your son.....we all fall into that category of trying to manage time.........I still remember some projects that my Dad and I did together.... some were fun, some not so fun , but there was an education process going on there even if at the time I did not fully understand that......he was a welder.
I now have TIG,MIG,STICK, and Gas welders..........there is not much of any type of exotic metal that I cannot weld at a professional level although that talent is not my Profession.
Point is..... it's an Education that also builds character which allows you to succeed in whatever Profession you chose.
Your Son will look back someday when he becomes a Man and smile when he thinks about this Old Jeep!
Keep up the good work!
Terry