My Sisters 40

[Rzeppa]

pretty sure i have a cowl vent grill if they ever want to go back

I really like the air flow in the cab in my 71 compared to my later rigs that don't have that.

 

[kurtnkegger]

The whole thing is missing, not just the grill. I'll keep you in mind if they decide to go that route. Thanks for offering it up

 

[corleykj]

Great job! I am wishing my work was turning out like yours!

 

[kurtnkegger]

I had the opportunity to get the rocker rust repaired / replaced this weekend. I started by scuffing off the paint to see where the repairs needed to be made, then marked the areas off with chalk where I wanted the cuts to be made. I made some rough templates of the areas from some beer packaging, and transferred to the 16ga sheet I used for the repairs. I folded a 90 degree lip on the bottom of each piece, as I intended to make my cuts all the way to the bottom of the rocker.

Once the repair pieces were in order, I used the templates to trace out where I wanted to cut in to the body, cleaned under the cut out areas the best I could to get rust out, then painted both surfaces that were to be welded together to try to protect from faster rust regeneration.

Not perfect, but I think the areas will be easy to skin over when it goes in for paint.

 

[kurtnkegger]

More pictures. I like pictures

 

[kurtnkegger]

In the door seal area above my #2 panel, I noticed the paint looked weird, and so I picked at it a little with a screwdriver. A bondo plug came out, and with it a little silicone caulking. I tapped around it a little to reveal a small area to be patched there too. Cleaning out from behind, I got clear bathtub caulking about the size of a golfball removed. The PO would jam anything behind the areas to take a bondo-bomb, and go to town...Crazy stuff...

 

[kurtnkegger]

I got both sides done this weekend, and can now get to some reassembly of the rear wheel wells, and quarters. Maybe it will start to look like I'm making progress...

 

[kurtnkegger]

I got some done on the 40 this weekend, and it actually looks like I made progress. Welded the tops of the rear wheel wells on...

 

[kurtnkegger]

I reviewed some of the measurements from some previous pictures, and cut the hole for the gas filler on the passenger side getting ready to weld the skins on the rear quarters. Even though I had the measurements I needed, there's still a little apprehension when the initial cuts are made.

 

[kurtnkegger]

Last weekend, when I was working on the 40, a guy walks up to the yard and says, "I have half doors for that land cruiser" He went on to tell me he sold his years ago, but still had the doors in his garage...long story short...he showed up this weekend with the half doors! They're in great shape, rust free, welded and finished nicely. I only need to make some plates to cover where the door cranks used to be.

Crazy how things can fall in your lap sometimes...

 

[kurtnkegger]

Anyway, I got the rear quarters skinned on, I still need to get the bead on the inside of the tub. But able to get the bracing cut from the rear after it was all welded up.

Looking forward to fitting the barn doors up to the rear...

 

[simps80]

holy crap Kurt!
SWEET

 

[kurtnkegger]

That friggin Napoleon Dynamite thing is hilarious Mike....

Anyway, I got the barn doors and spare tire carrier fit this weekend. No pics of that, its just a lot of fit, adjust, refit....time consuming stuff. I did however get my holes wrong on the corner pieces of the rear sill, and had the tire carrier to where an inner support hit the hinge of the barn door. Had to weld-fill the holes back in and redrill. In retrospect, I should have just left everything solid, and drilled when I got there.

I didn't like how the Salida shop installed the roll bar. Since this model 40 never came with one, and has long jump seats, they installed a later model roll bar, and welded tabs on the seats, and roll bar itself and the seats sat out in front of the bars.

I want the seats to fit inside the bars like the short jump seats, so I'll cut the bars, and have to add about 9 inches to the roll bar to get the long seats inside. I got it somewhat mocked up for the fitting.

I had to cut the arm off of the jump seat to get them to fit inside of the bars, but plan on welding them back on to the rear bar just to give the impression of the correct seat. I think it will look pretty cool.

On to some more pictures...

 

[kurtnkegger]

That first picture was how the jump seats were installed with the roll bar before.

Here is the look that I think is cleaner, and allows some room in the tub.

I still have to find some tube...If anyone has some...Could I talk you out of about 18" of it?

 

[Rzeppa]

That's an interesting approach - what I did was wait patiently for short jump seats to show up for sale and snagged them. I haven't got around to it yet but they will go with the stock roll bar I got for my '71. In the mean time my '71 has long jump seats but no roll bar.

Edit!

Don't forget to add plates (at a minimum) to the underside of the fenderwells to bolt the roll bars to, to help reinforce them. The stock configuration has supports that go all the way from the inside of the fenderwells.

 

[kurtnkegger]

The Salida shop did have 1/4" support plates under the roll bar albeit covering rotted out rust holes in the wheel well. I added 1/4" plate to the top of the wheel well too because I had to place the bases in other places besides the ribs stamped on. 1/4 inch filled the uneven areas well, and now have it sandwiched on the underside with more plate.

I ordered two pieces (9" each) of 2" CREW tube and got it with an 1/8th inch wall. I got it from the Metal Supermarket by the house here in Wheatridge. It's a nice little place, that doesn't require a minimum sale, and also doesn't charge a cut-fee. I also got the metal to fab up new side steps for the 40 as well.

Anyway..to cut the roll bar as square as I could with a exhaust pipe cutter, I wrapped the tube with a piece of chip board cardboard (beer packaging ) that had a straight edge. Wrapped it, and evened up the straight side to create a square edge. Snugged the cutting wheels up to the cardboard while still loose, and the tightened it up once square. This process worked very well...In the past, I had always just kind of eyeballed the chain...and ended up with horribly slanted cuts.

After the cuts were made, I sandwiched the new, and old tube between the electrical strut I previously used as the supports for the rear when the quarters were removed. The contact areas aligned the tube beautifully, and allowed me to get my tack welds placed and the additional steel welded in for the extensions.

 

[kurtnkegger]

I put the solid wheel grinder to the rough stuff to knock the peaks close to the tube, then went at it with a flap-disk for some gentler removal, finished it off with a little emery cloth strip, about a 120 grit, I think, then hit it with a little rattle can. I put the head pad back on where the seams are, so it helps hide the imperfections....

 

[kurtnkegger]

My plan to help keep the roll bar looking a little "factory" around the long seats, while still trying to keep the seats looking correct, I welded the arms from the seats on the rear section of the roll bar. It's purely a cosmetic thing, but I think it looks friggin cool. I had to re-weld tabs on the back of the seats, as they were removed to do the other set up.

I do have two different year jump seats in this 40, Gotta work with what I got...

 

[Rzeppa]

Quite the labor of love! I hope your sister is appreciative!

 

[Rezarf]

Kurt,

Did you sleeve the tubing or just butt weld it? It looks great, very factory IMHO. I would only be concerned about a butt weld if the roll bar was ever called upon in an accident.

How hard do you think the quarters were to weld on? I'm thinking I'll be heading down this road before too long.