Building a Road Trip

[SnowShoe]

Thank goodness for spell check by ProTouring442...whew.

[ProTouring442]

Thank goodness for spell check by ProTouring442...whew.

[8man]

Well, I had the NOS body tub stored in a buddies warehouse. That is until my surgery last June 3rd. He decided that it needed to be wrapped in plastic and stored outside, without telling me! So today I went over and got the tub, took it to another warehouse and opened it up.

This is the way it was wrapped on the trailer I had to borrow to go get it.


Here it is with the original packing crate being removed.


And here it is sitting on the forks of the fork lift, with Richard as the ballast to balance it on the forks.


If you look closely at the last picture you will see some dark areas. That is where my NOS tub that had been warehouse stored since 1982 until June of this year has started rusting!!!! Now I admit that my buddy is not a car guy, but come on, setting it outside with plastic that lay on the top when it rained hard. Not that we get much rain in Houston.

Ok, I've vented enough, when they find my buddies body, I was NOT in town.

I took some sandpaper and sanded off a couple of spots of rust/primer and got to bare metal pretty easily. It will take a DA sander and probably some wire wheels to get the rust off down to all bare metal, but that is what will happen. No rust treat, just mechanical cleaning.

At this time I think I'm going with 2012 Dodge Durango maroon on the entire body, inside and out. I am going to have bed liner inside the wheel weels, and then shoot paint over it so the under body will be maroon, with the black chasis I've been working on. I think the bed liner in the wheel wells will reduce noise and protect better from road debris.

Then I think I'm going with a black dash pad, door panels, head liner and carpet. I am still thinking about the seats, do I go black seats or tan/sand color for some additional accent?

I am going to get the Cherokee vinyl trim for the outside to finish it up.

I don't have the skill to put together a photoship picture like MIB, but I think you can get the picture. What do you think? What about the seats?

Remember for the seats, I live in TEXAS, so the thought of black on the seats is really making me lean toward the tan/sand.

[WHSII]

Looking good Robert,

The rust will be very light, should not be a problem.

Yes get tan seats, we know you are kind of a hot Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley anyway... Sorry.

With your heat, I would go with a lighter color.

Nice work!

[Strode]

Sorry that happened, Robert. But as WH said, it should be surface rust and come off easily. You might try the scotchbrite type pads on a DA too.

You engine and transmission transplant is coming along nicely. I find myself wishing I had gone that route, and I may still someday.

Keep working!

[ProTouring442]

That body tub is ruined... you're going to have to look for a new one. So you won't have to hassle with disposal of that one, I'll come pick it up for you, no charge of course.

[8man]

Thanks WH and Brad. ProTuring, well... while I appreciate the offer and I know it came from the heart, I will probably try it with a DA sander first. However, if it starts to look like Swiss Cheese I may give you a call. Just don't count on it.

If you couldn't tell, I am a little stoked that I get to start on the body. I am going to use a pro painter as that is one of the things my Dad didn't teach me and I don't even know how to mix paint. I do body work and enjoy it, can't say I enjoy sanding between coats of paint, but I can. So I got out the doors, NOS tailgate and hinges today for a fitting as soon as it is on the rotisserie.

Laura has the '12 maroon Durango and it has the tan seats with the black carpet. So I think I'm going to go with she's hot and that is why I'm going with the tan seats.

Thanks guys.

[8man]

Vent Window

What is the trick to getting the glass window out of the vent window frame. I have the vent window out on the work bench and I've been able to get the long end to move a little, but I don't want to mess it up by using too much force to try and get the glass out.

The vent window frame has the bolt on bottom that has rusted badly and looks like it will break if I touch it. So Ineed to get the glass out so I can try to replace the bolt.

I am also looking for a chromed vent window as a replacement since I'm not having much success removing the glass.

On a brigher note, after about an hour with the buffing wheel the long window channels are bright and shiny! Now when the parts and tool comes in I'll put them back together. I hope they go back together as easily as they came apart.

[WHSII]

What is the trick to getting the glass window out of the vent window frame. I have the vent window out on the work bench and I've been able to get the long end to move a little, but I don't want to mess it up by using too much force to try and get the glass out.

The vent window frame has the bolt on bottom that has rusted badly and looks like it will break if I touch it. So Ineed to get the glass out so I can try to replace the bolt.

I am also looking for a chromed vent window as a replacement since I'm not having much success removing the glass.

On a brigher note, after about an hour with the buffing wheel the long window channels are bright and shiny! Now when the parts and tool comes in I'll put them back together. I hope they go back together as easily as they came apart.

Hello Robert,

The bolt that holds the lower part of the window frame is welded so to speak to the chrome channel, it is not normally replaceable.

It might be cleanable with a wire cup brush if you can get the wing glass out.
It is not mounted solid, it seems that there is a little play the way it is mounted to allow for the window to open.

If you want to get the wing glass window out, I used a pick set from NAPA, that had a 270 degree curved hook pick, you can drag it along the rubber seam and it will tear through the old rubber. I had to get a set of later GW wing glass frames from the Yard, and have them chromed. I found a couple, but they were as bad as mine, the later ones are powder coated. I cleaned them and took them to the chrome shop, it was pricy, but they looked great!

If you do decide to get a later wing glass, to remove it, you just need to drill out the top pivot, rivet, and remove the nut, washer and spring, and it will lift out.

Hope this helps Sir!

[Strode]

I'd just get a new wing window, Robert.

[8man]

Got a wing window out of a late model Waggie in the garage (I got some stuff early on not knowing if I would need it - I have), will have the powder coated one chromed when I have the original re-chromed.

Polished up the channels and just got the rivets (2 kinds) and the setting tool to put them back together. Waiting on the gaskets and channel felt for the vent window assembly and then I will probably get to use bad language as I try to get it back together.

[8man]

Look what Santa brought!





Now if one of his Elves would just tell me what torque to use on header bolts in an aluminum head and if there is a sequence to tighten them for best results. I used copper anti-seize on the bolts since I'm putting them into an aluminum head but I don't know the torque specs so they are just hand tightened at this time. Not a problem since my tranny has been at the friends shop since November waiting on him to get better and call me to come work on it, but it would be nice to button something up. Thanks.

[Strode]

Purty, purty....

[8man]

Header bolts are torqued to 18 ft lbs according to my new Chilton manual. So they are not only on, but buttoned up as well.

[WHSII]

Prissy!
Looking good!

I have been waiting for you to do something... You have been slacking for a long while.

LOL,