Trying to make Junky perhaps just a little bit Funky...

[sgaylord]

Take a look at my build thread. It's pretty lengthy so bring a cup of coffee. (Project Jezebel in my sig.

[DD1]

Was planning on looking at it later today!

[DD1]

Originally Posted by sgaylord

Take a look at my build thread. It's pretty lengthy so bring a cup of coffee. (Project Jezebel in my sig.

Steve, I browsed through your thread and all I can say is "WOW." You have done a lot of work on your truck. I am amazed by the level of stuff you have accomplished.

[DD1]

Okay, so I have gotten a little bit of work done. Going to split this up into two pieces b/c of the pics I want to share.

First, I cut a small piece off of the lower cowl panel. I found the flat edge that rests upon the firewall came off really easy (see the last image). It looks like it was held together by seam sealer... is that the way it is supposed to be? Otherwise it took a little patience and careful work with the cutting wheel and the cheap HF metal saw I got, but I got the job done.

[DD1]

Here is my attempt at what may or may not (probably not) be my brilliant idea. As you may know, I have an issue with the area where the firewall and floor seam meets. I was thinking I could cut a piece of the floor out of my old cab and use it to patch the new cab. So far not working so well.

I cut a piece that is WAY too big, figuring I could cut it down to size later and I avoid making a mistake by cutting it too small. I can't get the piece out of the cab as it seems to be welded to either the cab support or the brace below the cab. We have removed several of the spot welds from the brace as you will see. Trying to get the piece out without causing too much damage.

I am also posting new pics of the gap in the seam to show why I want to do this. One of the pics is taken without a flash and with a light behind it to show how much light comes through.

Dan, I may need that floor to firewall repair piece you made after all. PM the details of what I need to do to get it from you. How wide is the piece you made? Thanks!

[67c10rustbuket]

Originally Posted by DD1

Dan, I may need that floor to firewall repair piece you made after all. PM the details of what I need to do to get it from you. How wide is the piece you made? Thanks!

No prob just PM me your address and I will mail them to you. There are 3 extra pieces so just let me know how many you want. I get steel at cost and this cost me a few pennies so no worries there. they are 12.3" total width, This way they butt against the outside of the kick panel and end about in line with the edge of the floor bolt. The outrigger brace is in the way and there is a hump in the lower flange (arrow) that I didn't want to mess with and this all I needed to replace my damaged area. You could put two together or cut and fit as needed. well here pics explain it better. it looks brownish because I sprayed copperweld on the areas that i plug welded.

[DD1]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

No prob just PM me your address and I will mail them to you. There are 3 extra pieces so just let me know how many you want. I get steel at cost and this cost me a few pennies so no worries there. they are 12.3" total width, This way they butt against the outside of the kick panel and end about in line with the edge of the floor bolt. The outrigger brace is in the way and there is a hump in the lower flange (arrow) that I didn't want to mess with and this all I needed to replace my damaged area. You could put two together or cut and fit as needed. well here pics explain it better. it looks brownish because I sprayed copperweld on the areas that i plug welded.

thanks for the info, Dan! I will PM you my info shortly - just as soon as I finish posting my latest fiasco!

By the way, what does the copperweld do?

[DD1]

Ok, so today I finished cutting the half circle out of the floor patch, or I should say my wife did. I asked her to do it as I figure she is better at cutting straight lines, or circles, than I am. And I think as I post the images you will see what I am talking about. She did a pretty good job over all.

So, in the first image below, you will see my wife Josie cutting the metal. Took her a second to get used to using the grinder and all the sparks flying, but she got into it pretty quick. It's kind of funny, because she uses the excuse of not liking power tools to get out of using certain lawn tools.

So, I test fitted the piece and I am having some trouble lining up the holes at the front and rear cab support. The hole for the seat belt bolt seems to be lined up pretty well, and the areas that are not straight seem to be in the right position when you line it up with the floor.

Of course I have some serious gaps in some places. I thought I was being safe and cutting closer to the edge than necessary, but I guess I was wrong about that!

Take a look and let me know what you think. I could use some guidance at this point.

I screwed the seat belt bolt in loosely to keep the piece in place. I stuck some other screws in the hole at the cab supports to try and line them up, but they are not bolted in or anything.

Do I try and get everything to line up, or do I make new holes in the patch panel to bolt them in?

[67c10rustbuket]

Looks pretty good man! wish I could get my wife on the grinder. I realize every truck is different especially back then, on mine I sectioned out the front cab support holes and moved them 3/8" and slotted the seatbelt hole a little bit to get everything to line up. Don't worry to much about the gaps, you can use a backer like I suggested before. I use an aluminum one (steel weld wont stick to aluminum) when I have gaps like that. Just keep learning as you go. Take it one step at a time and before you know it you will have it down like a pro. If it makes you mad take a break and continue later. I have good days and bad days, sometimes you just have to relax and go at it later. I will mail those pieces out to you this week. Later -Dan

[67c10rustbuket]

Originally Posted by DD1

By the way, what does the copperweld do?

Well from what I know there are two kinds, Zinc rich and copper weld through primer. The purpose of them is that when you spot weld or plug weld (rosette weld for fancy people) there are two bare steel surfaces where corrosion can start and supposedly the weld through primers protect those surfaces. I chose the copperweld because zinc rich weld through primers are very bad for your health. I am somewhat anal and I don't want to die just yet and I don't want to deal with rust ever again so I used the copper weld through primer. I will be using seam sealer and then coating my floors with UPOL raptor liner (bed liner) on my floors top and bottom to further seal out the elements.

So now that we are well aquainted what is up with the name "trying to make junky perhaps just a little bit funky"?? Is that a song or just something you came up with? _Later Dan

[sgaylord]

You are doing great. I love the way you are being meticulous in fitting your new inner rocker. It pays to put in that extra time now, looks really good.

I think everyone has had to deal with gaps sooner or later, especially as we start out, I know I certainly have. You can see on my build where my passenger cab corner had that same type issue. I just welded a strip across both seams but now I wish I didn't since I found a better way. I guess I just chalk that up to leaning! . If I had known then what I know now (often overused statement), I would have cut an additional inch or two from the original metal and butt welded a strip between the old metal and the new. Basically two parallel welds but after grinding it down it would appear as one single piece.

It's also good getting the wife involved. My wife will help but when it comes to sparks she is not so willing. I will say she can block sand with the best of them. I'll need that help very soon!

I don't think I picked up on your name? What do you prefer being called?

Steve

[DD1]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

So now that we are well aquainted what is up with the name "trying to make junky perhaps just a little bit funky"?? Is that a song or just something you came up with? _Later Dan

LOL. That made me laugh. When I started this, I was trying to come up with something good to use as a subject line, and that was the best I could do. When I first removed the fenders and saw all of the hidden rust that I was really dealing with, I really felt like I had bought a piece of junk, hence the current title. After later reflection, I tried to change it to "The Rusty Restoration Project," but I think I would have to start a new thread to do that.

Originally Posted by sgaylord

It's also good getting the wife involved. My wife will help but when it comes to sparks she is not so willing. I will say she can block sand with the best of them. I'll need that help very soon!

I don't think I picked up on your name? What do you prefer being called?

Steve

Steve, yeah, my wife is pretty good about helping out when needed, although it took a little encouragement to get her going with the metal cutting, although as I said she kinda got into it. I think she would be more than happy to do it again if needed. She's an artist, so I count on her anytime I need a straight line cut, or for anything that involves painting. I literally automatically assign any job around the house that involves painting to her, using the reasoning of "You're the artist; you get to paint it."

My name is Darien, I don't really have a short name or nickname as my name is plenty short as it is. Some people just say "D," so you could always start your responses off that way ("Hey D").

Steve & Dan:

Steve said "If I had known then what I know now (often overused statement)." Well, I am fortunate enough to know now what you did not know then by virtue of receiving your advice and help on this post. I appreciate your help. Looking at the pics on Dan's thread helped me point out things I should be careful with, and the advice from both of you has been helpful in saving me from myself.

As far as the gaps go, I realize it's not a huge deal, but I was hoping I had cut it better than that. I think if I don't try to line up the seat belt hole, it will work out better. I realized yesterday that there is still a little space between the panel and the cab supports. I did not have time to work on it yesterday, as I finished doing some work on my motorcycle, then had to go for a ride as it was a gorgeous day, then of course the in-laws house for mother's day. Anyway, so I think I might be able to push it a bit further in if I ignore that hole and create a new one after I move it up.

I will probably try and get a little more done tonight and hopefully post again. I need to find our tile saw - I want to attach a metal cutting wheel on it so I can cut down the A-pillar patch panel to the right size and keep the cut perfectly straight.

Darien

[67c10rustbuket]

Hey Darien I mailed those pieces out to you today, I'm a little slow this week I got sick somehow.... Anyway after looking at your pics again I agree with Steve that cutting off extra and filling it back with a strip would be a great idea. No big problem to fill that gap in. I also wanted to mention that you should make sure the rear of the floor edge is flush against the back of the rear cab support so the cab corner will fit over it. I can show you a pic if you like. That is why I decided to align everything from the one rear cab support hole. I then had to slot the seat belt hole up and rearward just a little then relocate the front holes. I have seen other trucks use this same piece without modification though so I just figure every truck is a little different. Later - Dan

[DD1]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

Hey Darien I mailed those pieces out to you today, I'm a little slow this week I got sick somehow.... Anyway after looking at your pics again I agree with Steve that cutting off extra and filling it back with a strip would be a great idea. No big problem to fill that gap in. I also wanted to mention that you should make sure the rear of the floor edge is flush against the back of the rear cab support so the cab corner will fit over it. I can show you a pic if you like. That is why I decided to align everything from the one rear cab support hole. I then had to slot the seat belt hole up and rearward just a little then relocate the front holes. I have seen other trucks use this same piece without modification though so I just figure every truck is a little different. Later - Dan

Thanks, Dan, I appreciate you getting those pieces to me. Actually, it's funny you mention it, but I was taking a look at the truck on Tuesday, and I realized the the back of the panel was not flush against the cab support. So, I stopped worrying about the seatbelt hole lining up and focused on the cab supports lining up. It is now pressed against the cab support on the side, and even with the existing floor in the back.

I also realized that the front of the panel was sticking out too much by the door pillar, so moving everything up against the cab support really helped. This also lessened the gap in quite a bit of the panel. Still some gaps to deal with, but not as bad. I actually had to make some minor cuts and grind some small areas of the floor to prevent the panel from being too close in some areas.

I took pictures, but never got around to posting them. I am feeling much better about it now. Got the front holes almost lined up, but as you said, I am just going to redrill them if I have to.

So, I have not done anything since my last post because I wanted to use my tile saw to cut the A pillar and lower cowl panel perfectly straight. I got 7" metal cutting wheels at Home Depot to put on the saw, and of course we cannot find the saw anywhere. We have searched the basement and garage several times and can't figure out where it is.

However tonight I was at Home Depot and I finally found 10" metal wheels which I can attach to my Miter Saw and Table Saw. Could not find these before no matter how much I looked.

Hoping to get some real progress in on Saturday. So hopefully you will see some new stuff this weekend.

Hope you are feeling better soon so you can get back to your truck and start posting as well!

[DD1]

Originally Posted by 67c10rustbuket

Well from what I know there are two kinds, Zinc rich and copper weld through primer. The purpose of them is that when you spot weld or plug weld (rosette weld for fancy people) there are two bare steel surfaces where corrosion can start and supposedly the weld through primers protect those surfaces. I chose the copperweld because zinc rich weld through primers are very bad for your health. I am somewhat anal and I don't want to die just yet and I don't want to deal with rust ever again so I used the copper weld through primer. I will be using seam sealer and then coating my floors with UPOL raptor liner (bed liner) on my floors top and bottom to further seal out the elements.

So now that we are well aquainted what is up with the name "trying to make junky perhaps just a little bit funky"?? Is that a song or just something you came up with? _Later Dan

I realized I never responded to this. So, Copperweld is basically a primer that still allows you to weld. And it's good to use when you are spot welding so you don't leave bare metal in between the two pieces where they might get corroded.

I don't think not wanting to die anytime soon makes you anal. Good call, though.

Any particular brand of seam sealer you recommend?

I like the idea of using the bed liner on your floors. I was thinking of something similar. I have not yet decided if I am going to POR15 my frame, just paint it, or leave it as is. I honestly don't have the patience for cleaning and painting the entire frame. I kind of feel like it's survived this long, it will probably outlive me.

I was planning on using either POR 15 or perhaps the rustoleum spray rubber on my floor ( Amazon.com: Rust-Oleum 265494 12-Ounce Leak Seal...). I will check out the UPOL raptor liner you mentioned as well.

I want to put a liner on my bed, as this will be a truck I am going to use, not just some pretty show truck that stays in a garage all the time.

[sgaylord]

I like POR15. You just need to be sure to clean the floor good before applying it. I have seen where guys just paint it on and it flakes off in places over time because they didn't bother to clean the surface. You don't have to strip the paint but a good once over with some grease remover, lacquer thinner, or the POR Marine Clean will make it work great.

[DD1]

Ok, so I have some time top kill before the wife comes home. So I installed the metal wheel in my table saw, and man, does that make life easier!

Anyway, so of course I cut the lower cowl panel, sized it up and cut it again... oops! I guess I should not have cut it the second time. Of course on the bright side, I have a perfectly straight pieve of fill metal left over to close the gap I now have. Just need to smooth it out on a bench grinder.

Dan I took your advice and double checked to make sure the panel was as far forward as possible. There is a still a space between the back piece of the panel and the cab support, but it is even with the existing floor metal, and it's as far forward as it will go.

I think I have it fitted in there pretty well. Let me know what you think. I compared it to the drivers side and it seems close. The 4th pic is obviously the other side, and the last pic is the nice straight strip that I can use as a fill.

Gonna show the whole floor and the front piece in the next post.

What I don't get is when you look at the floor panel at the front inside, it kinda drifts off to the left; don't understand why they would not have made it perfectly straight. It is possible that the front is too high and needs to be banged down a bit, but I think I will try that after I have made a few tack welds.

[DD1]

Ok, so here is what I was talking about with the front of the floor panel shifting to the right instead of being cut straight. As I said I think it might just be higher than the rest of the panel and perhaps needs to be banged down a bit.

[67c10rustbuket]

Mine was the same way how it drifts outward at the front.

From my experience in sheet metal fabrication I would say that is from a number of things. Not using "draw quality" steel, it is softer and stretches better around die formed shapes with less distortion. Steel being thinner than the die was designed for so it slips under high pressure instead of being stamped in place. What we and I imagine other manufacturers do is start with an oversized steel blank and form "die formed" shapes in a punch press and the final operation would be a trim cut in a seperate die that cuts the part true and square. The patches we get to deal with here are oversized, not trim cut. Yes I am a nerd. Check in on you later, gotta get in the garage!

[DD1]

Ok, so I really did not get a lot done today. The wife and I went to see the Avengers last night, and we had dinner at Chipotle Grill. Well, this morning, my stomach was not agreeing with my choice of dinner and I was not feeling so good.

Not to mention I broke my compressor yesterday, so I am without the use of air tools for now. On the bright side, I was able to find a replacement part online for $15. Gonna order it tomorrow.

So, I went to a car show in Ramsey NJ for an hour or so; could not stay much longer due to feeling sick. Picked up some stuff for cheap, which is always nice. I picked up a 12 volt mini fan for $5. I texted a photo to my wife (see below) telling her I got an A/C unit for the truck. Not only was she not amused, she told me she will not ride in the truck if I install the fan.

Also picked a rebuilt water pump, a set of 4 gauges, and a bench grinder. Paid $50 for everything, so I was pretty happy.

Anyway, so I spent the rest of the day doing odd stuff; I did get to finally mask off my engine so Josie (wife) could paint it for me. Used some Rustoleum 500 degree engine enamel. I finally got her to paint it later in the day. Second coat goes on tomorrow if the rain does not make it too humid.

It's not much, but at least we accomplished something.

[sgaylord]

Keep plugging "D". Sooner or later that "To Do" list will be a "Done" list!

Steve

[DD1]

I don't have much new to report. I have not gotten a lot done, partly b/c my compressor is still broken, and because I have been both distracted by other duties in life, and kind of lazy at other times.

While traveling through upstate NY yesterday, I made a detour and met with board member Kevin (Yanks2002), who sold me some body panels, some of which I was planning on buying, others that I may not need, but he gave me a good deal if I took them all out of his garage. Thanks, Kevin, I appreciate you taking the time to meet me and chatting with me about the different options I have.

One of the pieces I purchased is the front floor section for both the passenger and drivers side. I noticed the replacement panel includes a small section of the firewall and eliminates the seam between the floor board and firewall.



My question is would it be a viable option for me to cut out a piece of this panel (I don't want to cut my entire floor up), and basically eliminate the seam altogether on the passenger side by attaching the panel to the firewall?

[2002yanks]

nice meeting you. thanks for helping me clean out my garage alittle, now come back and get more. looking good so far. i`ll be keep an eye on this one.

[DD1]

Quick update: Finally for my wife to put a 2nd coat of paint on the engine. Removed the tape from the engine, except the holes of course.

[mcbassin]

Hey the motor looks great!
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