JMcFly’s XLT Simple Restoration and Mods

[JMcFly]

I just picked up this 2002 XLT 4 cylinder with 5 speed. She has 217k miles and is pretty straight. Not showroom clean but for 24 years old it’s not bad, needs a good interior detailing.

I bought it knowing it needs the clutch done since the slave failed and it’s sat for several months by the last owner.

I moved it to my house, a block over from my friend I got it from, and started tearing into it. Pulled the battery since it’s flat and 5 years old so I’ll get a new one. Cleaned up the battery tray and did a quick paint job. I have a POR15 kit somewhere I’ll use later.

The rear of the cab roof where the trim pieces are needs to be pulled and surface rust treated/painted. There’s some dents on the roof and peeled paint that needs rust cleaned up and painted. Easy work

But I noticed some rust above the doors and peeled the gaskets back to find this

I have a little 120v flux core welder and the rust seems to be above the gasket lip. So I should be able to find donor metal and cut out some replacement sections and tac it all in. I’ve never worked on sheet metal, mostly thicker metal tubing so I’ll have to get extra to test and practice on. Any advice is welcome. I hope this isn’t a death sentence for the truck. Frame and everything else is very very solid

Center console was removed from the truck. Looks like a bolt ripped out from the sheet metal, I’ll have to get pics


My modification plans are easy. Better seats, a 2/3 or 4/5 drop with tasteful wheels. I haven’t browsed enough to see what’s out there but I want to make it into a nice little truck I can still use as a truck.



This will probably cut into my other project which is a full scale bleeping and blooping R2D2 which I’ve 3D printed. I didn’t design it, someone else did. But I build Star Wars props as well. Cars have always been my main hobby

 

[franklin2]

If you find a donor for the roof pieces, I think I would cut the donor roof off whole (make sure it's in good shape of course). Then I would take it home and start debating and studying; Would it be easier and better to just cut the whole roof off your truck and splice the donor roof in place? Some of the interior would have to come out, the windshield would have to come out. I was thinking you could splice it at the A pillars and the B pillars. Unless you came up with a better idea.

The white paint should be easy to redo. You could spray can it and then buff it out.

 

[JMcFly]

I don’t think I need to do the entire roof. At that point I’d just find a clean cab and swap cabs.

I think I might grab metal from the corner of the windshield and 2-3” around my problem areas. I should be able to find the tac welds from the factory and cut them out and go from there.

For now I slapped some aluminum tape over the holes to keep water out. This would explain why the seat rails are rusty where they bolt to the cab.

 

[pjtoledo]

the VIN is permanently attached to the cab. if you swap the cab you are legally creating a different vehicle tied to the new VIN.
have you pulled the carpet back to inspect the floor ?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I'm pretty sure you can just make do with some random sheet metal, for my F350 I found an issue in the roof and cut a piece out of the top of a 55 gallon drum I had sitting around, just massaged it until it looked right and went for it... Since you just have a flux core, hopefully it's an inverter model not a 90/125A Chicago Electric unit but even if it is just practice first, those chicago units are a pain in the tookus to use especially on sheet metal... use a crap ton of tack welds and grind to suit.

 

[JMcFly]

I'm pretty sure you can just make do with some random sheet metal, for my F350 I found an issue in the roof and cut a piece out of the top of a 55 gallon drum I had sitting around, just massaged it until it looked right and went for it... Since you just have a flux core, hopefully it's an inverter model not a 90/125A Chicago Electric unit but even if it is just practice first, those chicago units are a pain in the tookus to use especially on sheet metal... use a crap ton of tack welds and grind to suit.

I have the titanium 120v flux core looks to be a DC inverter style.But it works great for what I need most of the time


If I have time this week I may pull the seats out and remove the carpet and see what lies beneath it. The last owner pulled the carpets out a while
Ago when he got it to deep clean it and I don’t recall any rust then. But it’s been about 3-4 years I believe.

Hopefully I find nothing. I used to have a ‘64 beetle that was more rust than car so I’d like to not deal with that noise again.

 

[RobbieD]

I would be SOOO tempted to mount that R2D2 on the roof to cover the dent, and then fab up some X shaped spoilers for the tail.

The truck is even the right color already, for an X-wing fighter tribute truck; all it would further need is the red stripes . . .

 

[JMcFly]

Out of caution and anxiety I just pulled the edges of the carpet up and no rust aside from some minor surface rust. But it is damp which explains the rusted seat rails.

I will have to address the roof rust asap once I get the clutch job done and before the rainy season hits FL.

I’ll have to strip the interior and get a full assessment after I repair the roof. But looking under the cab I don’t see any issues



I did pull the gaskets away from the roof more to see how much more rot there is aaaaaand yeah maybe an entire roof section might not be a bad idea

The driver side isn’t as bad. There’s a small rust through towards the rear. Not as bad as the passenger side. Never knew this would be a concern area to look at on these trucks. But it’s ok…..not the end of the world. I might get a cover for the truck. Wish I could pull it into my two car garage but half is taken up by storage and my work bench stuff. Wife’s car has to go in the garage, that’s the rule.



Anyone know how the stock jack and rods store away behind the jump seats?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

On my older trucks there was a pocket and door on the passenger side behind the side of the seat.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

If you have access to a brake I would be tempted to bend some 18g metal to fit. A little hammer work should provide a curve to fit. I used an old Lincoln weldpac100 to do some sheet metal work with flux core. Iirc it was 030" flux core. Next time I'll try 023". Yes to just a bunch of tacks spaced about an inch apart. Work your way along, then grind flat and repeat a bunch of times. You will blow holes and get good at filling them. Grind the old metal back with a flap disc and make sure it's ground clean before starting and as you go. Don't try to grind the metal back to perfectly flat with a flap disc. Later you can use a new 1/4" thick grinding disc on edge and very carefully bring it down to level.

 

[JMcFly]

Sadly no access to a bending brake or any metal working tools. That’s why I was thinking I need to get donor metal since I might have to cut it along the flat part of the roof. There’s a curve and then a smaller indent before the roof so it looks difficult for me to figure out. I’m sure an experience metal worker could get it.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I'm not sure they make a whole roof. Even if you bent up 6" at a time in a vise and welded that in you should be able to make it happen with enough determination, It looks like that stops at the angle at the edge of the roof so I think you can do it...

The Titanium 125 should be sufficient, they're decent units, I have one and a couple of it's bigger brothers...

 

[rumblecloud]

Please keep posting pics of your project as you go along. This will be a good watch.

 

[franklin2]

Sadly no access to a bending brake or any metal working tools. That’s why I was thinking I need to get donor metal since I might have to cut it along the flat part of the roof. There’s a curve and then a smaller indent before the roof so it looks difficult for me to figure out. I’m sure an experience metal worker could get it.

That's why I mentioned the whole roof. Try to make the job as easy as possible and doable for your skill set and tools you have. Like you mentioned, there are probably some spots on it where the factory attached the roof. If you could drill these out, and weld the new/old one in place, you would never know it and you would not have welds with no paint on them in the critical rust areas over the door pinch welds.

 

[JMcFly]

That’s sort of my plan. I was going to cut above the door section on each side and get a good chunk of metal. I don’t think I need to do the entire roof.

I see spot welds on the metal that remains. I’d just have to fab up the missing part with donor metal.




Doing the clutch job today and hit a snag. Stuck on getting the clutch line off the slave. I knew I should have Amazon ordered the dang tool the other day