New Build Thread 82 J10 Honcho Sport Side

[SOLSAKS]

great repair job on the fiberglass.

the fender braces are a good idea.

just noticed mine were missing on the front a couple days ago...

but lucked up and had a set on a pair of wagoneer fenders

....but they may not work,.... narrow track vs widetrack

will find out soon...

[rang-a-stang]

Originally Posted by rws31

Your welcome. Hope they worked OK for you. Trucks coming together very nicely. I hate reading these truck threads cause I want one and seeing you guys making them so nice makes me jealous.

facts.

[FleetFox]

An update, because a lot is been going on with the Honcho, but I don't have the pics to back that statement up yet.

So the truck was trailered back to civilization a few weeks ago. It's been travelling from shop to shop getting stuff done I just wasn't comfortable doing. Headliner, recovered dash and carpets. Windshield was installed and finally a custom dual exhaust. I promise i will document these updates when it's back in the farm shop.

So far this has been the only tool in my toolbox that's seen any use on the truck in the last 4 weeks:

[/url]1115202318 by highsiera

In order to make the trip (onto and off of) the trailer, installed a new custom rear drive shaft from Tom Wood.

[/url]0926202344 by highsiera

More to follow soon.

Fleet Fox

[SOLSAKS]

at first I wondered if that was a cigar tube,...

then vape pipe,....

then finally,....pen and checkbook.

nice drive shaft.

dave in NC

[FleetFox]

Back at home from her 200 mile round trip tour of the automotive specialty shops of central Virginia...

[/url]1120201626 by highsiera

As you can see the windshield has been installed and the stainless trim as well. In addition I had the upholsterer wrap the dash in new vinyl, Then lay carpet on the floor and the pillars behind the doors. The back and pillar carpet got a nice binding around it as well.

dash:

[/url]1122201421 by highsiera

[/url]1122201419a by highsiera

You may notice the wiring has evolved from technicolor vomit to something approaching order. I really only have a few circuits left to chase down and it's ready to be rebound. I still need to figure out bezels to hold the power seat controls.

And the carpeting.

[/url]1122201419 by highsiera

New seats. These are CJ seats, covered with exact reproduction Laredo seat covers. I basically begged George for these seat covers. They are about as close to perfect as one can get. Solsaks Dave I believe, used a set in his Honcho as well. In order to mount them on the FSJ power bases I had to make some adapter plates out of flat bar stock but it was not time consuming.

[/url]1031201716 by highsiera

[/url]1031201716a by highsiera

At this point I am working top to bottom, then back to front in the cab. Bolting all the doodads back in. I have to say getting all this stuff done has been reinvigorating. I will add some more next week if the weather cooperates.

Thanks for following.

Fleet Fox

[SOLSAKS]

Holy Crap those seats look Great !

really enjoyed the photos.

the equivalent to "music to the ears"

the whole truck looks great.

did you see them put the stainless trim at top of windshield ?

my rope/string is still in my rubber seal,...waiting....., going to attempt to put it on soon.

just did my B pillars in carpet, no binding but that would have been nice

I had a LAREDO j10 that had the Laredo trim with binding.

the begging George was worth it !!!

dave in NC

[rang-a-stang]

It looks sooo good! So stylish!

I have heard the pen is mightier than the sword. It seems as though your pen is pretty darn mighty to kick out an interior like that!

Did you paint your dash or is that original AMC paint? If so, what paint did you use? Did you use it on metal and plastic? Did your truck always have power windows? if not, did you use G-Wag parts (I am looking specifically at the switches)?

[FleetFox]

Thanks Dave. I was not there when he did the windshield, although I had wanted to be. Part of the price of installation was the trim as well. I give him a "C" grade on the trim. Ended up spending a few hours over the weekend adjusting it. It is an absolute bear of a job and I was hoping to avoid it. I can't offer any tips to make it easier. Just patience, care, lots of both. I will take a closeup of the pillars and binding next week if the light is right.

Rang, the pen is tired. I am putting it away for a little while. The dash pad was wrapped in new vinyl and he sewed a seam along the edge to give it some definition. The speaker area was foam filled and deleted in the center. The steering column, metal dash and the grab bar are painted in SEM Camel. I tried Palomino and Camel from their color chart, but neither was dark enough to match the Nutmeg of the seats and the dash pad. Supposedly SEM paint can be mixed to any color, but you have to find a paint shop willing to do it. It's not like Home Depot where they can put it under an eye and the computer spits out a formula. It has to be hand mixed until it "looks" like match. it's time consuming and not really cost effective for the shop since your likely only buying a pint and the dyes are not nearly as expensive as exterior paint systems.

This truck was all manual when I got it. I bought loaded replacement doors that had everything in them from a Wagoneer. Later I added the harness that bridges both front doors and plugs into the main harness from a parts Cherokee with power everything. all of the door parts are stock Jeep parts. The seat harness was hand made with a fuse and relay added to a switched power wire. Packard terminals there make it look stock. The bases are stock Jeep as are the seat switches. At some point in the near future I will figure out bezels to house the switches.

Also adding a console with a USB/ power port and a rearview mirror with temp, compass and rear radar using a similar add on pig tail. Will detail those add ons as I install them.

Fleet Fox

[SOLSAKS]

how did they attach the trim panels

in the B pillar area (or cargo light switch area)

dave

[DarkMonohue]

Originally Posted by FleetFox

The steering column, metal dash and the grab bar are painted in SEM Camel.

It's too bad they don't have a color that matches Nutmeg right off the shelf, but it still looks great. And it looks like an awful close match to the Honey interior in my '85. Certainly close enough for a grubby old work truck. Thanks for the updates!

[FleetFox]

Thanks Dark, appreciate you following along.

Dave, the top pillar pieces are glued on, the bottom ones are attached to masonite that bridges the pillar and the standing vertical metal seam in the back of the cab.

[/url]1129201445 by highsiera

you can see the binding on the carpet if you click on the pic link and blow them up.

[/url]1129201445a by highsiera

Didn't get a whole lot done this weekend, but got the passenger side seat belts in. I had dyed them at home during the week.

[/url]1126202016 by highsiera

[/url]1126202016a by highsiera

and another of the install

[/url]1129201446 by highsiera

I am reasonably pleased with the way the belts turned out given their age and the condition the were in. Initially they were soaked for 4 days in an oxy clean solution and the in an ultra sonic cleaner for about 30 minutes with purple cleaner. They were left to air dry for about a month. stretched and pinned on 2x4s, masked and dyed 2 times. A bit stiff at the moment, but they should soften up after some use.

In other news, I final got my stuff back from the chromer. This must be a dying trade, because I had to go way out of town to get it done, it took 4 months , cost an arm and a leg and I am not complaining. I had a few small parts done but the main thing was the door handles. They turned out excellent.

[/url]1128201751a by highsiera

As with most things FSJ, the gaskets are very good, but the fit is not quite perfect

[/url]1128201751 by highsiera

That's it for this week. Waiting on some small parts, have a few decisions to make, we'll see what next weekend brings.

Fleet Fox

[SOLSAKS]

enjoyed the photos !

I agree on the handle gaskets,....fit is not the best, I had some NOS and Repro

and neither were great.

Chroming,...I agree there too, a dying trade, enviro regulations , etc.

and like you said,...you need not be in a hurry, & bring a fat wallet.

glad they look good.

the color of that carpet is mighty fine, especially in the sun.

belts look new.

the panels the upholsterer made are great with the binding.

wish I had done the binding.

thanx for posting.

dave in NC

[Earl Tyson]

That looks amazing! I'm very excited for the full build. You might want to invest on Toyo all terrain tires though, they're a lot better than BF Goodrich, in my opinion.