FJ40 I call Shipwreck

[SuperBuickGuy]

heh, Toyota seat-builders were probably moonlighting doing those chairs

so, progress?
now it's as far apart as I'm going to take it (which is good since there isn't anything left to remove)


Buick thinks the old-school sbc is a good choice


on the trailer for a trip to the sand blaster


and back to the driver's seat frame.... I still don't know what I'm going to do

[silver_bullet]

Crazy idea... build your "storage" box for under the seat, not just a box. but the support for the seat tracks as well.... it gives you the most possible cubic inches for storage, and a stable platform for which to mount your seat! I know it doesn't look stock, but ditch the pipe frame, and make the shape what-ever suits your tastes!

[SuperBuickGuy]

this is what's kind of there now


means I have to work on the trans cover a bit more....


basically I'm thinking of simply putting a gun safe under the seat, permanently.

sandblasted frame


figured it'd be easier to weld,


and it is


working on removing brackets... oh the joy of grinding dust and a 90* shop

[SuperBuickGuy]

and now I'm leaning towards a desert tan color....

[Deaf Bob]

Thought your shop was air conditioned
We are building for Forks' 4 th of July show.. Working all nighters when it's cool,
heat sucks, especially when every wrench is uncomfy to the touch!

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've always hated grinding, doubly so when it's hot. I also burned up another dewalt side grinder yesterday.... maybe it's time to try another brand - that one didn't last a year.

[DanStokes]

I've been buying the cheap HF grinders. My experience has been that grinding crap gets into any of them and kills them and with the warranty policy on the HF ones I just take back a couple at a time and get fresh ones. So far so good - and they've lasted as long as the Makita ones I used to buy for WAY more money.

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

I am kind of doing the same this time - I'm replacing them with $30 porter cable grinders off amazon....

[SuperBuickGuy]

I finally pulled the trigger on the rear shocks.... I think I'm going to have to make some room for them to work, but it's one more step towards the final parts....

[Deaf Bob]

I've always hated grinding, doubly so when it's hot. I also burned up another dewalt side grinder yesterday.... maybe it's time to try another brand - that one didn't last a year.

My Makita is 25 years old.. 7000 rpms 15 amps.. Stuff gets ground fast! ... Not cordless!

[SuperBuickGuy]

I have a large black and decker that is probably older then I am... when s**t needs cut, it's the go-to machine, but it is quite heavy. It's real job, though, is grinding and polishing - its mass makes doing nice, straight grinds possible.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Warm day, but got some accomplished until I ran out of wire and oxygen (was using the torch too)...


with some grinding, drilling and torch work the brackets came off

I suppose I would have given up earlier if I hadn't just had to buy a bracket - so I figure that these are totally reuseable and I did save them



and removed the shock mount


some CAD work (cardboard assisted design)


copy


test


weld


turned it over to weld the top


and ran out of wire

[SuperBuickGuy]

alrighty, more progress
first fix the seam






then the upper control arm mount


notice that everything is in compression? while I do trust my welds, I also know that it's really easy to make it doubly secure by compressing the forces

gave it a quick bend and welded it up


and my weight-loss-through-sweating is over for the night

thanks for lurking ;)

[Deaf Bob]

I like the "hump plates"

[SuperBuickGuy]

I don't even what to know what the guy who hits other people on purpose is talking about ;)

so I welded... for 2 hours.... looks EXACTLY the same


even so, it's ready to turn back over and finish the bottom side. For those who have never done this - you can warp a frame with too much heat, thus tack first, weld a bit at a time, but tack both top and bottom.... then I'll flip it back up, put the motor back in place and figure out the rest of the bracing for the front hoops.