Josh's Bronco II Body Restoration Thread

[4.0B2]

oh... i forgot with the talk of body work!


subscribed. can't wait to see it complete!

 

[88B2EB]

can't wait to see it complete!

Yeah that makes two of us. It'll be a long process for sure but no doubt I'll learn a lot from it, and from you guys.

Based on the comments on the hole repair I think I'll go with the fiberglass method and just make sure to get ALL the rust out but will wait and see what the other rust spots look like before making the final call. The driver side wheel well (same place) shows evidence of a filler repair by a P.O. so I'm afraid it might be worse. Fingers crossed.

 

[4.0B2]

a lot of times when there are previous repairs done... we will rip them out and start fresh, so we know they are done right. just feel around it, look behind it, see how solid it feels

 

[Shran]

Personally I feel that filling holes full of fiberglass or any other filler, no matter how big they are or where they are at, is half assed. You are doing a lot of work to paint your vehicle and make it look nice; why would you cut corners on what is arguably the most important part of the job?

Now, would I actually do it? Absolutely, but never on something I intend to keep looking nice long term. My vehicles are full of filler but that is because I paint them with Rustoleum and my only motivation is that all the body panels end up the same color.

 

[PetesPonies]

Jim, the problem with what you say about the filler not getting moisture is . . the fiberglass resin will expand and contract at a different rate than the metal will. Consequently it will begin to separate at some point. It may last long enough for you?? who knows. I have done that been there. I started doing bodywork when I was about 12. That means I've been doing it for 40 years now. I have done it about every way it is possible I have even taught auto body at a High School. My comments come from a lot of experience. There certainly are cars and situations that don't call for rust being fixed the proper way. Just understand that when you make your call. As for rust converters . . nah. Buy some Master Series. Coat both sides of the rusted metal. I even use it on all welds I do. It will seal out the rusted metal for good. You can even use it with fiberglass cloth. It really is a good product.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Coat both sides of the rusted metal. I even use it on all welds I do. It will seal out the rusted metal for good. You can even use it with fiberglass cloth. It really is a good product.

That is important too, dad had a guy weld wheel arches on his F-350, about 8 years later you could tell exactly where he welded it because that is where it rusted through again.

I need to do cab corners on my truck, I am tempted to weld on the piece that is available along with the rocker panels but short of finding a really, really nice truck in a JY I can sawzall corners off of (very unlikely) it will be getting a little bit of 'glass right behind the bottom rear corner of the doors. All of it terrifies me because there isn't a good way to coat things on the inside of the cab...

Otherwise I am going to wimp out and just find better steel, a whole box, fenders (already have one new one) and hood.

 

[PetesPonies]

Why don't you buy the after market corners? It's a much better repair.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Why don't you buy the after market corners? It's a much better repair.

I can't get the part I need. I need right behind the corner of the door, the cab corners I can find are just the shell from behind the door that wrap around the back of the cab (which it also needs) Nothing with that complicated pile of steel inside the doorjam. It looks like there are at least three layers affected, and every truck I look at in the JY are the same or worse (most are worse)

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fr/865w/0023.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/85_Ranger/1985 Ranger Restore/105_0308.jpg

Prove me wrong, please

 

[Jim Oaks]

Here's the problem,

Newbies come along and they're trying to do their own bodywork. Some things really need new sheetmetal welded in. Some things can be fixed with glass. When you guys come in and say that the only way to fix something is welding in new metal, you're making it so that the newbies are forced to line the pockets of bodyshops, or putting the project out of reach.

I ripped out a 7-year old fiberglass cab corner that was still solid, and should have just been left in place.

 

[Shran]

When you guys come in and say that the only way to fix something is welding in new metal, you're making it so that the newbies are forced to line the pockets of bodyshops, or putting the project out of reach.

I don't think it's putting it out of reach at all - assuming you're starting with nothing, no tools, welder, compressor, etc - the cost of buying a brand new welder and angle grinder from Harbor Freight is pretty small (like $120 total.) I have done a ton of really amateur body work and that's all I've needed. Patch panels are cheap, too, or free if you make your own.

"Right way" and "wrong way" definitely have very broad definitions based upon any particular person. Just seems to me that when you weigh the long term cost of fixing something twice vs doing it right once, the first option doesn't make sense.

Should mention that I am by no means a professional, I have no training and I only get paid in beer that I have to buy. That said I have been doing this stuff for long enough that I have seen the end result of my own half ass work and have learned from it.

 

[PetesPonies]

Life should be about learning . . always. So if someone is shown how to do something correctly, why keep yourself ignorant?? Like was said above, it doesn't take a huge investment to step up a level on repairs. When the vehicle warrants it, do it right. If it doesn't, then do as you feel is best. If you read my post above for comprehension, you would see that I already mentioned that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

"Right way" and "wrong way" definitely have very broad definitions based upon any particular person. Just seems to me that when you weigh the long term cost of fixing something twice vs doing it right once, the first option doesn't make sense.

I have never seen one body shop guy that said another bodyshop guy has ever done anything "the right way"

IMO if you take your time and do it right there doesn't have to be one set way to do anything. The shop tractor at work has a bulge in the hood (to fit a turbo that by no means was ever meant to be on the tractor) it is steel mesh brazed to the hood with fiberglass and a little bondo around the edges. It is not showroom perfect but keeps the weather out and looks pretty decent for a shop loader tractor. It always sits outside and I can't imagine the temp swings from the turbo right under it, the diesel engine is bolted directy to the chassis/transmission so there is no vibration dampening... been there 10 years and hasn't cracked anywhere yet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/85_Ranger/09-10 Blizzard/100_1222.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/85_Ranger/09-10 Blizzard/100_1223.jpg

Welding in steel isn't a for sure end all cure either. Steel rusts, and aftermarket steel is rarely as good at fighting that as what was there to start with. In reality "the right way" to fix mine would be to find another truck or at least a cab.

 

[PetesPonies]

Well glad to meet you because I compliment plenty of restorers and builders, body men etc. If you are an intelligent person, you see worth in lots of things. Judging one's quality of a repair is just one of those things. I see lots of good stuff . . but I have certainly seen lots of crap too So now you can say you know one guy who can compliments another's work. Think about it, if you are a teacher, you have to be able to evaluate work correctly, know when it is done good and when it is not. So whether it is a student's work or another professional, evaluating is what I do And I like good work, even if I wasn't the one that did it

 

[88B2EB]

Decided to change gears a bit over the weekend and focused on disassembly. Most of the interior has been removed which will allow me to tape off just inside the door jambs so the paint line isn't seen when finished and also allows me to sandblast and spray the wheelwells from the inside. It's a LOT of work going this far but it prevents seeing the overspray in the door jambs and tape lines in the final work. Not shown here is that I actually had to remove most of the dash panels just to get the antenna wire out! It was one of those cases of take one part off to get to another and so on. Also found a PO spliced in the radio instead of buying the wiring adapter so that's something else to fix. Did find he had replaced all the stock speakers with nice Kenwood 3-ways so not all bad I guess.

This next image shows most of the front end removed. I have new fenders so those will be painted off the frame along with the hatch (still to be removed) and the front rail (just above bumper). I did find a hide-a-key inside one of the fenders and from the look of it the original owner had put it there. That makes 5 sets of keys now! Before painting I'll tape plastic over the entire front clip to keep everything in the engine compartment nice and clean.

Once the hatch and door latches are off I should be able to move around the truck fixing rust pretty fast. As mentioned before I'll see how bad the other rust spots are before deciding whether to take it to a shop for welding or not. I'm also planning to remove the rear curved windows using the instruction thread here on TRS, one's leaking anyway, but will need to coax a friend into coming over to help for the day before that can get done.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I don't think it's putting it out of reach at all - assuming you're starting with nothing, no tools, welder, compressor, etc - the cost of buying a brand new welder and angle grinder from Harbor Freight is pretty small (like $120 total.).

But a word of warning, those cheap mig welders have a high and low setting, and even on low, you can easily burn a hole in body panels try to weld them. I have one and the can be a challenge to work with. Strangely enough, body work is all mine's ever used for.