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Frankenstein Wagoneer

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WWI Flying Ace View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WWI Flying Ace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/06/2011 at 4:10pm
I have had all the sound insulation and a new carpet kit ready to go in the interior since last fall, but I have to wait for the weather to improve before I can put it in (the spray adhesive won't work if it is too cold). So I've been working on the rocker panels instead.
 
Finally got the patch rocker panels put on. Got stamped parts sent out from JC Whitney or Carparts.com or whatever for about $45 each. They install over the old ones. They are cheap parts, but I can't see spending a lot of coin on the Waggy, as I plan to abuse it when it is all done and the NOS rockers I tracked down were $300, which was about 15% of what I paid for the whole vehicle. It just didn't make sense. The stamped parts will work just fine for my hack job and I'm having fun working on it.

I sanded and cut and sprayed out and neutralized all the rust on the old rockers with the rust-killer stuff. Then I sprayed the insulation foam from Home Depot inside the rocker panel, and let it expand to act as sound deadener, and to prevent water getting in. After that all dried and squished out the holes, I sliced it off at the level of the body, and then I attached the new rocker panels with JB Weld and lots of rivets. After they were installed, I then sealed them. I sliced the heck out of my fingers when cutting the metal but got them on the rig. Then sealed them, and sprayed the whole thing with the rust preventative. Got all that wrapped up yesterday (finally). There is more room in the garage now that the rocker panels are actually on the vehicle instead of leaning on the wall!

I also managed to Bondo the right rear fender behind the wheel. There is a good volume of Bondo that will go there, and on a couple of the other fenders, which will be the next stage of the body work. Bondo does not work for full restoration, but this Waggy is not really getting restored, so Bondo will be used. Plus that way I learn how to use Bondo (never used it before). And I got to buy an orbital sander. Always happy to buy a new power tool...

I also cut my forehead on a jagged piece of metal that is hanging off the nuked gas tank skid plate, so I get to complete the weekend automotive repair activities by going to the MinuteClinic and getting a tetanus shot! Oh, what fun! But it is worth it...the old girl is really starting to look better, and I'm really enjoying the time spent working on it. If I paid anyone to fix it and got the quality of work I am doing on it, I'd be mad. But since it is my science project, I'm having a lot of fun with it!  Just got back from my tetanus shot...don't have to worry about that for 10 years now!  Even I am getting improved by the Wagoneer build project!  :)
1973 Javelin AMX

2007 Jeep Commander

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

-Plato
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/06/2011 at 5:44pm
I had priced some of that brush on sealant, but decided to use a good paintable latex/silicone caulk instead. Heck, it lasts 20+ years in the weather, got to least as long or longer in a car! 
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WWI Flying Ace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/06/2011 at 6:19pm
That is a good idea.  I have repurposed a lot of Home Depot stuff for the Waggy but I already had the sealer (got it last summer) so I figured I'd just use it instead.  But if I had it to do again, the caulk you are talking about would be perfect, I'd think. 
1973 Javelin AMX

2007 Jeep Commander

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

-Plato
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WWI Flying Ace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/08/2011 at 3:21pm

"Before" picture:

"After" picture:

1973 Javelin AMX

2007 Jeep Commander

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

-Plato
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nossliw View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nossliw Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul/18/2011 at 10:50pm
WELL DONE!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carnuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/07/2011 at 9:46am
In case you didn't know, http://bjsoffroad.com and http://zmjeeps.com have the best collection of FSJ parts
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WWI Flying Ace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/10/2011 at 9:59am
Thanks!  I knew about BJs (got the interior kit there that I'll be installing on my week off soon).  But had never heard of ZM Jeeps.  Thanks for the tip!
 
I will be updating after my next step (the interior work) which should take place this month (assuming I can get the days off). 
 
 
Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

I had priced some of that brush on sealant, but decided to use a good paintable latex/silicone caulk instead. Heck, it lasts 20+ years in the weather, got to least as long or longer in a car! 
 
Farma, I'll be using your idea after all.  I got that sealer that was special for cars but it has cracked as the vehicle flex stressed it.  So I'll be doing the silicone caulk thing over the top and see if that works better!  Got to keep all the water out before I get the new carpet kit put in.
 


Edited by WWI Flying Ace - Aug/10/2011 at 10:02am
1973 Javelin AMX

2007 Jeep Commander

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

-Plato
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WWI Flying Ace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/22/2011 at 2:52pm

OK, so there has been a lot that took place this fall!  First, the Waggy won the first place trophy in the Jeep category of the AMCRC Nationals show above!  As you can see in the last posting, there was literally no competition.  J  Sometimes life is about showing up…

So, on to the current state of the Wagoneer…I got the sound deadening and the carpet kit put in all the way. 

 
I also had an AMX steering wheel that I put on, I think it looks great! 
Then, I added new window sweeps on the inside and outside of the doors, and on the tailgate window.  I drove it around and it was SO MUCH QUIETER AND COOLER!  All the sound deadening and insulation really cut down on the noise and heat in the interior, and the new window sweeps (especially the one on the tailgate glass) reduced the rattling by a ton!  All the weekends and hours of work, and the expense, all came together.  I was VERY happy…even proud of myself.  But that was my mistake.  In life, things are never that easy.

Unfortunately for me, I completed everything the same day that a hurricane came through our area.  “Good thing I got the window sweeps replaced” I said to myself.  Unfortunately, I didn’t notice that the new window sweeps somehow caused the driver’s and passenger’s windows to not go up all the way.  There is about an 1/8 inch gap at the top of each.  SO, needless to say, a fair amount of rainwater got inside the car on my nice fresh interior.  It was only done for about 12 hours!  Ah, the irony…

So, I had to tear the carpet back to get it cleaned up.  All that work, for nothing.  I have a band of duct tape at the top of both of the windows, inside and outside.  It is keeping the interior dry, although it is definitely not the final fix.  But it is good enough for now.   I dried it out the carpet with those moisture reduction things from Home Depot, and with a carpet shampooer sucking up water, and with a hair dryer.  In the end, I got it all dry, and then reapplied the sound deadening and carpet.  So now, that is all done, and it is looking great, but it is not perfect.  But it is still better by far than when I got it, so I am still happy.  There are still far fewer rattles but unfortunately, there is a fold in the carpet over the transmission tunnel that you can see in the picture, and there is a bulge in the driver’s floor from the grey felt sound deadening bunching up under there after it was torn back and dried out and reapplied.  Those are my reminders that I had to re-do the interior after re-doing the interior.  Next steps will be to take back enough of the carpet to flatten out the bulge in the driver’s floor and reapply it.  I will then install the running board trim that I got.  And, obviously, I need to fix the windows.  But it is making progress!   Here is how she looks right now.

More to come when I make more progress…    


Edited by WWI Flying Ace - Dec/22/2011 at 3:10pm
1973 Javelin AMX

2007 Jeep Commander

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."

-Plato
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/22/2011 at 3:56pm
Great job so far! The "AMX" wheel was an option on Wagoneers, at least some years. Sold as a "sport" steering wheel. May have just been on Cherokees and J-trucks like the Honcho, not sure, just know it was available on some. 
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 73ambcoupe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/22/2011 at 7:40pm
Cool project!

When I was researching rockers for mine I ran across the "Good-mark" site. I couldn't believe they still made original rockers, but if the ones you used worked great. I never bought mine from Good-mark, but went to home Depot and bought some 16 gauge metal and formed them myself. Rust is strange because my inner rockers were perfect and the outer rockers had rust. I cut out the bad metal, riveted the new ones I made on and all is good. I painted them flat black and until I win the lottery these improvements will serve me well!



 

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