Well, I've gone and done it...started the body swap.
Last year I bought a non-running '72 Wagoneer (thread link). I figure that since I've had so much trouble (thread link) trying to register the '81 diesel Wagoneer (thread link) in California (ultimately failing), I'd rather switch than fight. Check out Dr Teeth's work (thread link) to see how the body swap should be done. I'll do my best, but I don't hold out a lot of hope that I can match that kind of quality.
I've been taking body parts off the '72 (sold a few bits and pieces here, more to come), and last weekend did some floorboard work. Today I moved the hulk into the garage (my poor ol' VW diesel has to spend the next few months in the cold, waaaa).
Pics:
Old carpet, saved to use as a template. Check out the outline of a wrench that was left there for years an' years.
Opened the tailgate, removed the seats, removed all the carpet.
Here's the tailgate hinge area. Some work to be done here...
Fuel tank fillers. Stock one is at the rear, auxiliary next to it. Dig the PVC pipe.
Driver's side front floorboard shows the expected, but hoped-against rust damage:
Removed the accelerator pedal by ripping it out along with the rusty floorboard it was attached to:
Removed the chunk of floorboard. I banged on it with a screwdriver's tip until I found the division between solid and flaky steel, then cut around it.
Hole in the floorboard:
Hole and floorboard, cleaned and painted with rust shield. (I used this product instead of POR-15 at the paint guy's suggestion. Replacing the panel lets me just paint and line it.)
Cut and bent a piece of aluminum diamond-plate to fit. I used a torch to heat the aluminum up, then cooled it slowly, making it ductile. I'm going to epoxy the piece in. On my Gladiator I used a piece of steel and rosette-welded it in. Member Metal Twister suggested epoxy (post link), which seemed like a great idea. There's a bit of a hole in the corner. I'm going to adjust the replacement plate a bit, then fill what's left of the hole with some spray-in expandable foam. Once the bedliner is on, we'll never see or notice it again.
This weekend is supposed to be rainy, so I'll spend a lot of the time in the garage prepping the floorboard for rust shield and/or primer. Then next week sometime I'll coat it with black bedliner.
After that I'm going to rewire it with a 16-circuit aftermarket harness, along with Dakota Digital gauges. A bit of dash paint, then it's ready to accept the newer chassis (which I haven't even begun working on).
Gotta love a new project!
Last year I bought a non-running '72 Wagoneer (thread link). I figure that since I've had so much trouble (thread link) trying to register the '81 diesel Wagoneer (thread link) in California (ultimately failing), I'd rather switch than fight. Check out Dr Teeth's work (thread link) to see how the body swap should be done. I'll do my best, but I don't hold out a lot of hope that I can match that kind of quality.
I've been taking body parts off the '72 (sold a few bits and pieces here, more to come), and last weekend did some floorboard work. Today I moved the hulk into the garage (my poor ol' VW diesel has to spend the next few months in the cold, waaaa).
Pics:
Old carpet, saved to use as a template. Check out the outline of a wrench that was left there for years an' years.
Opened the tailgate, removed the seats, removed all the carpet.
Here's the tailgate hinge area. Some work to be done here...
Fuel tank fillers. Stock one is at the rear, auxiliary next to it. Dig the PVC pipe.
Driver's side front floorboard shows the expected, but hoped-against rust damage:
Removed the accelerator pedal by ripping it out along with the rusty floorboard it was attached to:
Removed the chunk of floorboard. I banged on it with a screwdriver's tip until I found the division between solid and flaky steel, then cut around it.
Hole in the floorboard:
Hole and floorboard, cleaned and painted with rust shield. (I used this product instead of POR-15 at the paint guy's suggestion. Replacing the panel lets me just paint and line it.)
Cut and bent a piece of aluminum diamond-plate to fit. I used a torch to heat the aluminum up, then cooled it slowly, making it ductile. I'm going to epoxy the piece in. On my Gladiator I used a piece of steel and rosette-welded it in. Member Metal Twister suggested epoxy (post link), which seemed like a great idea. There's a bit of a hole in the corner. I'm going to adjust the replacement plate a bit, then fill what's left of the hole with some spray-in expandable foam. Once the bedliner is on, we'll never see or notice it again.
This weekend is supposed to be rainy, so I'll spend a lot of the time in the garage prepping the floorboard for rust shield and/or primer. Then next week sometime I'll coat it with black bedliner.
After that I'm going to rewire it with a 16-circuit aftermarket harness, along with Dakota Digital gauges. A bit of dash paint, then it's ready to accept the newer chassis (which I haven't even begun working on).
Gotta love a new project!
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