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40 build, nakman style

Romer

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Looking good Tim!
 

rover67

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That's awesome Tim, it looks really great! I'm so excited it's coming together so nicely.
 

Cruisertrash

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@nakman You mentioned putting in 40 hours on the top even though you're better at the work now. I've found that once I gain some skill in a job it's still going to take the same amount of time to do that job in the future because I'm spending more time trying to approach perfection. Essentially I'm doing a better job in the same amount of time - not saving time.

Small thing I noticed: the rear axle looks like it sits forward in the wheel well opening. Is that a trick of the camera, how 40s are by nature, or what?
 

nakman

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yeah Jim, good point. There's also the Parkinson's Law component to consider also, where time spent will expand to consume the amount of time available... which is why I tend to impose unrealistic deadlines on myself.

As for the axle yes, that's kinda how 40's are. it's an old school trick to flip the springs around, which will push the axle back 1-2", but in my case I didn't do that as I wanted to run the springs how they were intended first. I did flip the springs when I had the 77 that I bought from @Romer though, not the best pic but here... with 33's I think it would have rubbed had I not flipped the springs in back, as they were stock height springs rescued from @nuclearlemon .
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And now that it's light out, I went out to the shed to find my defroster vent things, as I'm all excited to bolt those suckers on now. And then in the same tote I found this...

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dadgummit.. oh well at least I know where all the 10mm wrenches are.
 

nakman

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Windshield gasket wasn't so bad, maybe even easier this way.. I just loosened a bunch of bolts and jacked up the roof a little, was just enough to shove the weatherstripping in. At least I got to use a maxtrax today...

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and with the windshield rubber installed, also those defroster doodads in place.
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nakman

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And then I got the older jump seats swapped in... to my knowledge these seats only existed in 1972 and 1973, they have the front "angle cut" on the front edge near the driver seat, and they're wider and thicker than the other "long" jumpseat. 1962-71 would have been the more traditional long jump seat, and 74 and newer is the short jump seat, I've got all three of them- kinda have a jumpseat problem. The brackets are all a little different between the years also, so I had to squirt a little "add-a-thread" in a couple places to get them to bolt up, but other than that I kinda dig it now with the big seats back there, will be fun to change it up for a while.

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Only other mod today was figuring out how/where to mount the front seatbelts, not too difficult and I was able to find a solution. That could be it for mods for a little while...

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gr8fulabe

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I got it all bolted together tonight, literally finished about an hour ago. I think I have around 40 hours into this hard top refresh; about 10 today, solid 12 yesterday, had a couple half days this past week and then last weekend was at least 10. And what's scary is I'm actually better at it than I used to be, and it still takes forever.

Pic of the first body panel in place...
View attachment 107879

With a front door added...
View attachment 107880

I'm either terrible at the "string method" for windows, or my string is too big, or my gaskets are too old. I tried the string on the first door window and just kept tearing the gasket. So the next fastest window install method was me hold the window while my son Gavin pries the seal into place with a screwdriver. he actually got pretty good at it... didn't scratch anything either. But it took most of the afternoon to get the windows in, doors on, then well into the evening getting the cap bolted on, I had to use a ratchet to get things to line up, but that's kinda typical on these. I ordered a new head liner from CruiserCorps, but those guys are notorious for taking forever to actually ship anything so I didn't bother waiting to put the cap on. that'll be its own project. Same with painting the top- for now it's just plasti dipped so it looks fresh & clean, at some point I want to paint it though, but not this week.

Other mods I'm working on is I took the roll bar out to get more interior room, and I'm going to swap the '72 jump seats from the trailer into this, so I can haul more 8th graders. I also want to lower it by pulling a leaf from each of the packs, and I'm going to get my OG rims powder coated Cygnus white then slap those on here with some new tires. These gray rims & hub caps will then go to the trailer. But all in good time, for today I've got a hard top again for the first time in a few years so it's kinda like a new truck.
I'll get some daylight pics tomorrow...
I never realized that the best way to reassemble a hard too was by bolting it in place. I’m calling that my lesson for the day!
 

nakman

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If you decide to not out that roll bar back in, I would happily buy it from you.
I can't part with it Abe, sorry man. I must hoard any/all 40 parts just so I have the complete package someday. However, if you want to borrow the rollbar for a little while, & give it to someone who can fabricate you one, we could work that out.
 

gr8fulabe

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I can't part with it Abe, sorry man. I must hoard any/all 40 parts just so I have the complete package someday. However, if you want to borrow the rollbar for a little while, & give it to someone who can fabricate you one, we could work that out.
No worries. I honestly didn't think there was much chance. But just in case you were planning to stay with the hardtop & big jump seats permanently, I figured I had to ask. Thanks for the offer to loan, but I think I'm good without it. I actually have one downstairs, but I'm looking for a second one for Erica's BJ43. I want to run the, "two OEM roll bars connect by straight spreader bars" type of set up on it & your bar would be perfect for the front since it is late model & has the shouldn't belt mounting stuff on it already. But not a crisis at all. Her truck doesn't run yet, so it is more of a long term low grade search.

Thanks a bunch for the offer though!
 

nakman

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Well another year has passed, so probably due for an update. Most notable would be I've swapped out the HFS bumper for the Proffitt's Cruisers OEM replica bumper with 8274 attachment.

I then refreshed the suspension by removing each pack, removing the 3rd leaf from each, lubing it all up then reinstalling. In back I also swapped them left to right to compensate for the cruiser lean. Result is about 1" lower ride height, and it seems a little smoother bouncing around, and maybe a little more body roll. I was hoping for a little bit lower, but overall am happy with it, was too big before IMO so this is closer to dialed in. Oh, and I also put on the half doors, just for kicks. And installed a roof rack. :)


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