Junkyard Jimmy Super Low Buck Build Thread

[hgs_notes]

Just a quick update for the mornings progress. I needed to take a break. Too much time bent over, my back was starting to ache. The welding is done around the sides and front. Still need to do the back edge and flip it over to lock up the bracing and front part of the frame work.

After welding...


After grinding...

[hgs_notes]

Pretty much finished with the fab work on the hood. Just need to clean it up, do some mud work and primer and see how it looks all one color and mounted. It'll probably need some tweaking, but the major part of it is done.

On the rear edge, I did some fillet welds for the top sheet metal to the old hood skin (its just a strip along the back with the angle bend over the rear edge of the rear brace). And the old hood skin is welded to the rear brace with plug welds. Then on the front brace I welded up the ends where I relief cut it, then lap welds across the brace where I cut it.




So I'll be back on the bodywork over the next several days (weeks).

[hgs_notes]

Not a lot done on the jimmy today, but spent a lot of time in the garage. Cleaning and fixing. The other day I got some workout area foam floor mat. It was $20 at walmart for about 24 sqft. So I cleaned up in front of the workbench and laid it down. Felt good on my knees and feet.


In that pic you can see how bad of a disaster area my workbench is, no room left to work. Bad habit and I wish I could break it. So I took some time and at least got one of the benches cleared off.


Which then gave me the opportunity to swap vises. The wife got me the one I was looking for. I like the multi function vise because it allows better positioning for what your working on.


I had also bought a couple more flourescent lights and was able to get one of those in. The other light had a bad ballast and wouldn't light up, need to exchange it. And then buy another, because one of my older lights is dying and needs replaced. Its amazing how much easier it is to work with good lighting.

As for the JImmy, I started working on the fit up of the hood, and also flipped it over, cleaned up the underside and getting it ready to seal up the edges. I'll need to clean up more of the old paint, scuff it, etc. and the underneath will be ready for primer and paint. I think I'll do it semi-gloss black on the bottom side.

[Dale99]

work bench looked fine to me :P

[Dieselwrencher]

Great work on the hood, and I'm glad your Christmas plan went off without a hitch! I know what you mean on the bench tops. Ours are terrible and never make it one week clean I swear!

[hgs_notes]

Jimmy progress! Yeah for me!

No seriously. I actually did some significant work on something that goes on the Jimmy.

I've been prepping the hood for primer. Lots of cleaning and wiping down, etc. I needed to do something with the inside edge where I cut out the old skin to seal it up. I used some panel adhesive between the layers, and clamped it down with some boards and vise grips. I did the rear edge also. Partly to seal it up, add some strength, and the start of smoothing that line where it meets the cowl cover.

I used wood to clamp it down because it has enough flex to match the contour of the hood inside, and when the adhesive squeezes out of the joint I can knock the wood off with a couple raps of a hammer. Then I just cleaned the edges up with a wire wheel.


Next I sprayed epoxy primer on the underside.
Before...


After...


Then stood it up and primed the top side.


Next step is to get the sealer/adhesive in between the top skin and hood braces, and to clean up around my cut edges, etc. Then I can scuff it and spray the underneath with paint. I might set on the jimmy tomorrow for a pic to see how it looks.

[Low Elco]

Looks terrific! Hope it fits well.
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[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Looks terrific! Hope it fits well.
Posted via Mobile Device

I did some trial fits on the jimmy already. I needed to shim out the front of the fenders a bit. I put 1/8" shims on the passenger side today. I'll see if thats enough tomorrow. I might need to do some more trimming on the rear edge, but it's pretty close. Will need some more filler and blocking there to get a good straight line.

I need to remember to get my hinges cleaned up and painted so I can get it mounted. And I need to get the cowl in primer too.

[NTR72GMC]

I'm not going to lie I really had my doubts about the hood when you first started on it, but now seeing it all welded up and in primer I've got to say that I really like how it turned. Excellent job!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by NTR72GMC

I'm not going to lie I really had my doubts about the hood when you first started on it, but now seeing it all welded up and in primer I've got to say that I really like how it turned. Excellent job!

You weren't the only one dude. I had them myself and probably dozens of other members here as well. I kept a good original hood around just in case this either didn't go together well, or just didn't look good once it was together.

[Dale99]

I'm wondering if the lines down the sides are sharper then original?

I cant wait to see it on and see how it looks.

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Dale99

I'm wondering if the lines down the sides are sharper then original?

I cant wait to see it on and see how it looks.

The top line? Might be for now, but those edges and lines get radiused during the sanding process. Speaking of which, if anyone was wondering? Still hate it.

I decided this morning to start doing the body work on the top side of the hood. The body shop is closed today so I don't have access to the sealer/adhesive and special caulking gun for it. So I started laying filler on all of my welded seams and other known low spots. I got that knocked down, found some high spots to tap on a bit. Stopped sanding there though because the epoxy primer loads up the sandpaper too much. So before the next layer of filler goes on I sprayed some high build primer. More filler and sanding to come.

Ren & Stimpy Happy Happy Joy Joy Song -...

Pics...




Primed again...

[hilljob26]

i do like the hood,,,good job

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by hilljob26

i do like the hood,,,good job

Thanks Man.

Progress today looks much like the past. More sanding and filling. To change it up a bit I stripped the paint from the cowl and sprayed it with epoxy primer. It hardly needs any body work, so thats a plus.

Stripped...


Primered...


Before i did that though I checked out the fitment to the hood. Looks straight enough for me...


And I have the hood bodywork pretty much roughed in. I still have a couple small low spots to fill, maybe tap down a couple highs, but really it's close. Just a coat of glaze should finish it up. Then just more primer and blocking until it's smooth enough for paint. This is really the hardest part. Once you are at the blocking stage it goes pretty fast.

So here's where I left it for the day...





Go Vikings!

[hgs_notes]

Yesterday a put a coat of glaze filler over the front and back of the hood and a couple spots on the sides. I would have done all of the sides but I ran out and that was with the bottle of glaze I bought (the only one the parts store had). That sanded out real nice, but I didn't take a pic before I flipped the hood over to start putting in the sealer/adhesive which is used for the padding between the hood skin and bracing.

I used cardboard as a spacer to give the skin tension. I slide it over so it is on one side of the brace and fill the other side with the sealer. I let that set up until tonight, then slide the cardboard out or to a different spot and fill in the other side. This stuff sets up as firm but not hard. It acts like a glue between the skin and the braces. It also seals. Its paintable like the regular seam sealer.

Now once this sets up good over the next couple days, I'll take out the cardboard and it'll be ready to spray with some fresh primer, and paint. There should be very little movement with the hood skin. It also helps that I used a heavier thickness of steel there that I believe is a harder grade and stiffer. I know it made the hood a bit heavier. I plan on weighing it and comparing the weight to my OEM hood.

[hgs_notes]

More of the same, filling and sanding, filling and sanding...


Couple of things I should comment on. That last pic is probably the 4th or 5th time I had added filler/glaze and sanded it out. I had some old metal glaze on the shelf that turned out to be unusable. Trashed that and made a quick run to the parts store. Now they have a very limited selection of glaze, which is basically a filler that is thinner and used for just leveling out some very shallow areas. Almost like a super thick high build primer. Napa had 2 kinds. One was the Bondo brand at about $25 for the small tub (finishing glaze 391). The other was an evercoat and was over $50 for a similar amount. This being a budget build and all I gave the bondo a shot.

I actually really liked it. It spread well, set up well and was the easiest filler to sand I have ever had. Unfortunately they only had the one tub and it was gone after just 3 mixes on my board and about 20 minutes, and it wasn't enough to finish the job (hoods with welds all around the perimeter need a LOT of body work).

So I was at walmart the other day and looking at their meager selection, and saw another bondo product, professional gold. At about $8 a qt (1/3 the price of the glaze) I figured I'd give it a shot. There is no requirement to use a glaze type product, it's just easier to spread a thin coat and sand than the typical poly filler. I tried that out yesterday and it worked just fine as a glaze substitute.

Bondo is a 3m brand BTW, and I've had good luck with their stuff (and its a MN company, so I'm being provincial).

Anyway, no matter how much sanding you do and how smooth you think you got your filler, etc. Once you spray over it with primer again it reveals all the little spots you missed with the sanding. This is not unexpected for me, just a word of warning for you guys that haven't been through this process. I also cleaned up the cowl panel and sprayed that with the high build primer.

I ran out of primer, so that's it for today. I need to sand a few small spots, fill a few little divots, sand some more, keep spraying high build and eventually I'll have a sweet looking smooth and flat paint surface on my hood!

Then I get to do it all over again on the rest of the body panels...

End of the days progress pics...

[Dale99]

I would have never guessed you needed that much bondo.

[Low Elco]

Aaaaaaah! Flashbacks! Gray everywhere!

Looks great, keep pluggin'!
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[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Dale99

I would have never guessed you needed that much bondo.

It has more to do with my technique than the panel being wavy. I use too much in a narrow band and then sand it all off. I don't spread it as wide as I should, so I end up sanding, then adding more next to it, then again. I start small then spread out. I'm not building the levels upward, but outward. I get better at this the more I do, but this is only my 2nd body work project.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Aaaaaaah! Flashbacks! Gray everywhere!

Looks great, keep pluggin'!
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks. Yep, every panel is now either gray primer or painted.

[Low Elco]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

It has more to do with my technique than the panel being wavy. I use too much in a narrow band and then sand it all off. I don't spread it as wide as I should, so I end up sanding, then adding more next to it, then again. I start small then spread out. I'm not building the levels upward, but outward. I get better at this the more I do, but this is only my 2nd body work project.


Thanks. Yep, every panel is not either gray primer or painted.

This is where G2 has saved my life. I am the king of one stroke too far on the mudwork. Now, I just get it close or even leave it a tad high and hose it good with G2. Then I can work it out with guide coat. Works great!
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[RatRod68]

what the heck is G2?

[Low Elco]

Feather fill G2 primer. High build, low shrink. Great stuff!
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[nuke1]

Looking really good bud! I like the looks of the hood. Different but subtle. On a secondary note. Glad you cleaned up a bit. Must have been from looking at my shop. Sorry if I made you jealous. . Kidding. Mine is usually like yours too. Now I must try to keep it clean. I am gonna start on my 72 chev here real soon. Get the bodywork done and painted then sell it. Two tone red and white. I have to get some grime yet thou.
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[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Feather fill G2 primer. High build, low shrink. Great stuff!
Posted via Mobile Device

Added it to my order from summit racing. I'll give it a try, but I need to check my spray guns to see if any have a large enough tip.

Originally Posted by nuke1

Looking really good bud! I like the looks of the hood. Different but subtle. On a secondary note. Glad you cleaned up a bit. Must have been from looking at my shop. Sorry if I made you jealous. . Kidding. Mine is usually like yours too. Now I must try to keep it clean. I am gonna start on my 72 chev here real soon. Get the bodywork done and painted then sell it. Two tone red and white. I have to get some grime yet thou.
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Thanks James. It's a mess out there again, but not quite as bad. I opened both garage doors yesterday and started blowing dust out. Even at 10 F it was needed.

Didn't know you had a 72, but did see pics of your cousins/nephews/? earlier 60's truck going into your garage I think. And you have the Chevelle, but I don't think you would do that in red/white 2 tone and sell it. Pics?

As for budget, just spent $163 in more body work supplies. Spent another $65 or so the past week or 2 on more of the same. But sold my old console for $125, so that puts me up $103 to $4322.

[Low Elco]

Originally Posted by hgs_notes

Added it to my order from summit racing. I'll give it a try, but I need to check my spray guns to see if any have a large enough tip.

I use a cheapie HF HVLP with a 1.8 tip. Works great for primer. Mix the G2 per inst, then give it a splash of thinner to help it move. Comes out nice!
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