Red_Chili's body swap

[87Xota]

My names Terry, I run a bodyshop in Northglenn and Bill has brought me his truck and a donor body and frame. I'll be doing some repairs on the donor body as well as swapping it over to Bill's frame. A complete repaint will be done and Bill's rig will be back as good as ever.

Some of you may have heard of my rig The Xota, I am the crazy guy that put a 4.0ltr Jeep Engine and a XJ front clip on a Toyota cab and modified frame. I don't think Bill knew that when he first considered me for this project, and it's too late now.

I'll try to keep the pic's coming as we go thru this body swap

This morning I got the donor body unbolted from the frame

I started looking the body over and Bill and I were already aware of a couple of rust spots on the left body side.

As is usually the case with rust repairs, there's more under the surface than you can usually see from the outside. In this case the rust is not too bad, but the quarter has been repaired before, you can see a couple of spots where I ground thru the paint and the pink stuff underneath is body filler. To repair it properly, all the old bondo should be ground off to bare metal.

This rust spot is further back on the quarter and even thought it's bigger, it should be easier to repair since there isn't bondo all around it.

 

[87Xota]

So after speaking with Bill, I ground off the bondo'd area

It was laid on way to thick, hard to see but over 1/4" here at the flare

Probably about 2 quarters thick all the way across the area

I hate to see work like that, i'm surprised it wasn't coming off in big chunks.

I am going to do a little bit of exploratory grinding around the body to see if there is anymore bondo or rust issues. Bill may consider having me splice in a section from his body, or replace the entire outer quarter panel is another option. Or another body may be the answer.

Bill and I will explore his options on this repair and i'll post up more later.

Terry

 

[nakman]

Wow!! thanks for posting this up Terry (and Bill) I definitely look forward to watching the progress here..

 

[Red_Chili]

There may be part of the original Red Chili on the reborn Red Chili's body. Only fitting. Kinda disappointing though, I paid a premium for the donor body. I'll have to negotiate a bit, though the money is going to a good cause.

Yeah, Terry, I placed you as soon as you started to mention the Xota. Actually I thought it was pretty cool, and figured that nothing on the Chili was going to throw you a curve after THAT!

 

[Red_Chili]

IIRC someone wanted to see pix of the carnage. It doesn't look bad, really, but the body is pushed down in the rear because the roll bar took some weight along with the Can-Back hoops. So the body is pushed into the frame just a bit.

The A-pillar is a bit complicated to fix. The pass. side door was crushed in the hinge area as well, and I get to make a new one. Maybe I can weld better this time?

This side *almost* escaped damage, and may donate some parts for the donor body. I have REALLY become a believer in that extra tube the rear bumper uses to locate the upper hinge, I put it there to stabilize the spare, but it has saved my butt (Billy make a funny) many times, including this time:

 

[87Xota]

Bill decided to go with the white donor body and i'll be posting the body repairs on it as we go

I am starting with stripping down the firewall and engine compartment so that red paint can be sprayed.

After unbolting a few things, it's ready for paint prep

 

[wesintl]

Sweet! Thanks for posting pics. It will be fun to follow the progress

 

[87Xota]

I already have a pretty good pile of old parts building

 

[Red_Chili]

Let me know when you want me to bring the fenders and at least a driver's seat by... I can haul all the extry parts either back to Oleg or to the dump for you. As long as they fit in my Taco.

This is EXCITING to watch! Never had a vehicle fixed on the web before. Great way to communicate details remotely!

 

[87Xota]

Yeah I like doing it this way, whether i send pics in PM's as we have done or post in a thread, it makes it alot easier to hammer out problems or issues that arise.

 

[Hulk]

Really cool to watch this as it happens. Keep it up!!

 

[Red_Chili]

We talked about methods of opening up the wheel wells without weakening the structure, having putty on the most vulnerable part of the new well, etc. This is getting interesting. I told Terry if he comes up with a good looking, strong means of opening up the well and extending tire coverage, he is gonna have 4Runner owners lining up to the street over there.

He didn't like my Gorilla Warflares though. Dorky. (My words, not his, he is too polite for that... )

 

[Hulk]

Did you ever hear back from the guy from Iceland?

 

[87Xota]

We talked about methods of opening up the wheel wells without weakening the structure, having putty on the most vulnerable part of the new well, etc. This is getting interesting. I told Terry if he comes up with a good looking, strong means of opening up the well and extending tire coverage, he is gonna have 4Runner owners lining up to the street over there.

He didn't like my Gorilla Warflares though. Dorky. (My words, not his, he is too polite for that... )

Been working on that for awhile this morning, a little too early to tell if what i'm trying, is gonna look good, but i'll post up some pics later and we'll see what it looks like.

Painter is working on prepping your engine compartment now and he might spray it today.

Also worked on Greg's for awhile this morning and just about got the radiator support swapped over. His is going to get primer late today or tomorrow.

 

[Red_Chili]

Bodaggit. Cheeseman is gonna be wheeling before I am!



Mine'll be purtier though.

 

[Red_Chili]

Did you ever hear back from the guy from Iceland?

Nope. Not in English, not in Icelandic (or whatever...), not nuttin'.

 

[Rezarf]

Cool thread, thanks for posting!

Bill, sorry to see the Red Chili shots... RIP.

Glad to see you are going to restore her.. ehr, him?.. uhh... it

I considered calling my 40 "Lazarus" after raising it from the dead.

Drew

 

[Red_Chili]

Red Chili I met its demise, but parts live on in Red Chili II.

This will be Red Chili 2.5! It will be about as far as I want to take an expedition rig. If Terry does what I think he will, mebbe I should enter the CHILI in a hot rod show! (not against the raffle truck of course... then again, it would be pretty cool for Rising Sun vehicles to get first and second, eh! I could live with a second or third... )

I expect I will turn into a complete wuss on the trail. "What? Come within six inches of that tree/rock??!? No way. I'll take the bypass."

 

[SROR/AKA 2BAD]

i think you need to figure out how 2 tube the inside of the fenders. without the tube being seen

 

[Red_Chili]

Terry is working on that. The tube will be exterior though, to gain tire coverage to keep the Beehive State's Finest happy.