86 WH1 restomod
- Thread starter Mike E
- Start date
Thanks. They work great and only cost me $15 to rebuild.
The winsheild on my car had a big crack growing up from the lower drivers corner. I didn't think much about it until I pulled the sheetmetal off and noticed some cracks in the sheetmetal where the a-pillar joins the firewall. I'm sure that's the cause of the crack in the windshield. I ground out the seam sealer. Then I drilled holes at the ends of the cracks to keep them from growing further. I welded everything up and added some 16 guage sheetmetal braces to prevent future cracks. I think this along with the planned frame boxing and 10 point cage should prevent further issues.
sorry for the crummy iphone pics. I'm a fabricator not a photographer.
sorry for the crummy iphone pics. I'm a fabricator not a photographer.
WillRideAgain
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
MeanMike you are doing some good work, I am going to try towards the end of the week to get to Hendersonville to meet you if thats ok. Keep up the good work!
Come on by. I've been working a lot of extra hours at work during the week. I'm much easier to catch around the house on the weekend.
This weekends project was to seperate the body and frame. I'm doing this in my packed 2 car garage, so I had to plan it carefully. Luckily everything went fine. I read lots of posts here where people had done this and read of all kinds of problems with body mount nuts breaking loose and rusty holes in the frames. I'm lucky and didn't have any of those problems.
I pulled the front and rear suspension last weekend in preparation. Using my engine hoist, I lifted the front of the body off the frame.
I used two 4x4's and cut them down. Using the left over cut off section, I made some risers (attached with screws to the main 4x4) so I would be supporting the body by the floor pans and not the rockers. This spreads the load out and keeps takes away the risk of damaging the rocker panels.
Then the rear of the body
With the 4x4's supported by jack stands, the frame is now free to come out.
I added some ratchet straps to secure the 4x4's from rolling over.
I pulled the front and rear suspension last weekend in preparation. Using my engine hoist, I lifted the front of the body off the frame.
I used two 4x4's and cut them down. Using the left over cut off section, I made some risers (attached with screws to the main 4x4) so I would be supporting the body by the floor pans and not the rockers. This spreads the load out and keeps takes away the risk of damaging the rocker panels.
Then the rear of the body
With the 4x4's supported by jack stands, the frame is now free to come out.
I added some ratchet straps to secure the 4x4's from rolling over.
WillRideAgain
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
MeanMike that is awesome!
The_Six
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2009
Mike,
Thats cool I did the same thing with my blazer body when I restored it. one sugestion for you I went too harbour fraight tools and bought 6 of the 10in castor wheels and bolted them to 4x4s then used 2x4s to conect them together from the bottom side so they would stay togehter . then on the top side I screwed to 4in long 2x4 s to make a place for the 4x4s holding the body to sit in to. then I lowered the body down on to it and removed the jack stands. I was then able to roll my blazer body out of the garage if I needed to. I know this is as clear as mud but but i still have the thing here at the house if you want i will take some pics for you to see how I built it.
Thats cool I did the same thing with my blazer body when I restored it. one sugestion for you I went too harbour fraight tools and bought 6 of the 10in castor wheels and bolted them to 4x4s then used 2x4s to conect them together from the bottom side so they would stay togehter . then on the top side I screwed to 4in long 2x4 s to make a place for the 4x4s holding the body to sit in to. then I lowered the body down on to it and removed the jack stands. I was then able to roll my blazer body out of the garage if I needed to. I know this is as clear as mud but but i still have the thing here at the house if you want i will take some pics for you to see how I built it.
If he doesn't want to see pics I sure the heck do.:biggrin:
Feel like doing a few more hinge rollers Mike? I really need some on mine now that I started working on it.
Your welcome to post the pics if you want. I have no intentions of moving the body around. I'm working on the frame as quickly as possible to get it back under the body.
If he doesn't want to see pics I sure the heck do.:biggrin:
Feel like doing a few more hinge rollers Mike? I really need some on mine now that I started working on it.
I can rebuild your rollers if you can send them to me. After I rebuilt mine, I found these drop in replacements. 1973-1977 GM A & G Body Door Hinge Rebuild Kit w/ Detents Tamrazsparts.com
I pressure washed the frame and blasted a few of rusty areas. Then I gave it a coat of Valspar Tractor paint primer and low gloss black from the local Tractory Supply. I still have to box and notch the frame, so those areas I left bare for now.
I've also started on smooting the firewall. It took an hour to grind off all the factory seam sealer from around the steering column. I cut a template for the sheetmetal to weld in place of the a/c box. I just need to go pick up some sheetmetal to transfer it over to and weld it in. I'm not using the factory engine harness or cruise control, so both of those holes got a simple aluminum block off plate.
I've also started on smooting the firewall. It took an hour to grind off all the factory seam sealer from around the steering column. I cut a template for the sheetmetal to weld in place of the a/c box. I just need to go pick up some sheetmetal to transfer it over to and weld it in. I'm not using the factory engine harness or cruise control, so both of those holes got a simple aluminum block off plate.
Sent yo a PM Mike.:smile:
The_Six
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2009
Looks good I just got threw redoing my fire wall and filling the holes I nolonger will be using. If your going to use vacume or hydroboost brakes you need to remove that braket for the PM brake booster before you paint or it will be a pita to do later I didnt remove mine and then decied to go to hydroboost ended up painting the fire wall a 3rd time to make it look good.
Ill take some pics of my body dolly tomarrow for you guys.
Ill take some pics of my body dolly tomarrow for you guys.
I'm going to be running manual brakes with a mopar master cylinder. It is supposed to bolt up to the factory bracket with a little slotting of the bolt holes. I removed the old just in case anyways.
A few hours of sand paper and spray can love and the firewall looks much better.
I don't think I'll be able to keep this pace up for long. I'm moving fast right now only becuase the things I have done don't cost much money, only labor. When I have to start buying parts, It will probably slow down some.
I got all the frame boxing and bracing welded in last night. I made my own lower control arm braces.
I welded these braces behind the spring pockets to help stiffen the rear frame rails from flexing. I'll be building a minimum of a 10 point cage with plent of rear suspension reinforcement bars.
Tonight I hope to finish the frame notch.
