Another 70 wagoneer build

[Kaiserjeeps]

Well thanks Full size jeeper. And thanks Solsaks Dave in NC for the PM message boost. I am just an amateur really. I do like to fix things. I like making things even better. And I sure like old jeeps of any type. A good mix.
And I have seen your work. Pretty darn nice. The best thing we could ever do is show the work in detail. It gives someone who has never tackled the project in front of them a better chance at having success. And think of all the people at work who should be working and are able to read our stuff instead. Anyway, thanks man.

****
So I spent the day on two dash pads. I got Sadies old metal dash out of storage and mounted it on a plywood strip for bench top work. I installed one pad that was in fair shape but needing to be reskined. I used a heat gun to get the front edge to lay in the V groove at the base of the windshield. The stuff is very brittle. It becomes soft and bendable with lots of careful heat. I am finding that the dash pad skin is a textured plastic and not really vinyl. That is why they crack so easily. I got confident about how to work with the pads and moved to the one pad that should be savable. I had one crack up froward on the drivers side way up by the glass. It got laminated today with a thin skin of plastic from my hobby stuff. I also had to take out the metal strips that give the attachment clips up front support to hold the dash down.
I carefully heated all three sections one at a time and got Fast tack 92 in the fold and on the metal strips. One at a time I repaired the area by inserting the metal strips back in and put the clips back. Tedious small work....

Then to repair the blown out defroster holes. I got one done and using Sadies original completely trashed and cracked dash pad, I have been cutting small patch strips of plastic to bridge the breaks and establish the entire forward strip on one of the defroster slots. I have the pad on the kitchen island tonight to cure up. I only have one defroster slot to repair tomorrow. Then install it on the metal dash and heat, form and clamp the forward edge to the right shaped for an install on the rig. I called and talked to the windshield guy today. He is standing by for when I am ready for glass.

I will post pictures of this huge repair process tomorrow. I left the camera in the shop. I hope the dash pad looks ok. I have 6 or 7 pads. All of them are pretty beat up. Three of them pretty much junk and only good for a mold or some type of copy job. The pad I am working on was the only one with no cigarette burns, tears, big cracks, or holes. It could be better.
Till tomorrow....

[Kaiserjeeps]

Looks great.

I'd like a real headliner but mine came with the foam stuff so I'd have to find the parts and pay someone to make it.

So if you had the dual holes like a figure 8 in your roof structural rails on each side for the bows, you could find the bows and eventually I could make you a headliner. A little later this winter of course. I would like to ebay them later if all goes well. First things first, Sadie must be done for sure in just a few months. Just a thought....

[mud89]

Each time i have a look at this thread, i am really impressed, your work is a reference

[Kaiserjeeps]

Thanks mud89.

So I spent about three hours seeing how to deal with dash pads. Then moved to the only one worth putting on. And I am not really satisfied with it just yet. Dash pads are a plastic textured skin bonded to a spray foam type of foam set in a mold. Over time they shrink, crack, become very brittle and if stored wrong, they develop dipped eyebrows that don't want to lay down nicely on the dash metal from front to back.
I see I have stored all my pads wrong by setting them on a shelf right side up. This caused the front edge (glass side) to bend up making a dish from the edge you look at towards the glass. The right way to store these to promote a flat top is upside down on a long flat surface. Now I know...

So a heat gun is the only way to move any of the twisted warped plastic. My goal was to flatten it all out, then reheat it to conform to the Valley below the glass. Low heat setting only moving back and forth so you don't glaze and melt the appearance of the plastic. Try and move any of this stuff with no heat and it will crack and wreck it completely.

On the keeper dash pad, I had to remove the three metal strips that support the clips. The glue had lost it's hold over the years with interior heat and age.
I opened up the fold after lots of heat and sprayed fast tack 92 in there along with on both sides of the metal strip. I had to sand the strip first.
Note the blown out defroster slots.



I secured all three strips and inserted the clips in each spot. You must test these for fit on a dash before the glue sets up. I had to move all but two by just a little bit. I used a Q-tip to reapply glue I sprayed in a small puddle under the fold covering the metal strip. There were a couple spots that needed it. It is very solid now.



The one crack in the front corner on the drivers side got glued then laminated with a very thin strong piece of plastic from the hobby supply pile.
I filed the top edge away so it would not tend to show itself later if the pad settles on it. You don't want sharp edges under stuff like this.




One of the broken defroster slots. Duct tape under to close the break and keep it tight till I can glue on that patch. That patch came from Sadies original dash which I deemed not repairable.



The only way I could work with this stuff was lots of heat and flatten it while it cools. Glue my fitted patch on and then bend it again with heat to the proper shape.



Replacing a missing section with a long patch. Nearly all of this repair will be hidden by the big flag on the windshield gasket. I still wanted to reattach all of it.



I discovered excess glue that leaked on to the front could be removed with duct tape and a couple careful wipes with the tape. It cleaned right up.



Hours later, all fixed as good as it can be and conformed to the Vee groove with heat and clamps one area at a time. It actually looks great considering what I started with. I had to go buy more clamps for this.



Another view.



Tomorrow I will heat the shop up as warm as I can get it. Then install this on the painted dash with heat and the stainless clamps I made for this. I hope it is successful. I need to figure out how to make a replacement pad, or reskin a dash pad with a quality super flexible vinyl. That would have been my choice. But doing something like that is way harder than it sounds. I think about stuff like this at night laying there when I should be trying to get to sleep.

Happy Tuesday.

[Kaiserjeeps]

I am not installing the rebuilt dash pad just yet. I decided to try and recover and reskin a dash pad that is near perfect except for 4 screw holes and rail type impressions from something that was installed up where the speaker holes were on later pads. I have ordered a flexible filler for the screw holes and I have very flexible vinyl already. I will give it a shot and see what happens.
If all goes well I will have a very nice looking fresh dash pad to put on. If it does not work, then the repaired pad is not to bad and will go on instead.
It actually looks really good.
I will post how I do it. I have to try and do this.
Waiting for more glue and flexible filler to arrive. I estimate 2-3 days for the repair and reskin after everything is here.
P.S. Just dashes has a great this is how we do it video. Not that I would copy anything....

[Kaiserjeeps]

I am patiently waiting on some 3M flexible sandable plastic filler and more glue to reskin the dash pad. Hopefully it will all be here today or tomorrow.
I have a pad sanded, flaws cut open, and a jig built for helping me with the replacement vinyl installation. I hope to have something by the weekend.

I wondered if anyone out there has a bare bones D model wagoneer that could tell me what the trim tag numbers should be. I have the paint code, I need the trim numbers. It has no frills. Rubber mat, bench seat, no exterior trim, just a simple out the door wagoneer. The paint and trim metal tag should be back above the heater box on the passenger side fire wall.

12 degrees this morning. Makes heating the shop a bit of a task.

[toddthewelder]

Some day they will erect a statue of you in Toledo

[SOLSAKS]

toddthewelder,......
...a statue in toledo ?.... FUNNY, and good idea too
( lets start a petition )

KAISERJEEPS
I am sure you know this,.. but JUST DASHES is a company who re-skins dashes.

but from what i have seen ,...you dont need them,...

the dash looks really nice.


dave in NC

[Kaiserjeeps]

toddthewelder,......
...a statue in toledo ?.... FUNNY, and good idea too
( lets start a petition )

KAISERJEEPS
I am sure you know this,.. but JUST DASHES is a company who re-skins dashes.

but from what i have seen ,...you dont need them,...

the dash looks really nice.


dave in NC

As long as the statue is one of me inside a Kaiser made wagoneer in bronze, I am good with that...

And Just dashes would relieve me of roughly 1000.00 bucks for a dash pad.
They have a pretty interesting video of their repair process. I wanted to try and reskin one. I just finished this afternoon. I am getting a post ready.

But thanks though.....

[Kaiserjeeps]

Another first here. And as usual I would do things a little bit differently with the next one. If there is a next one. I am sure there will be....
With no idea IF what I had in mind would work, I was able to reskin a dash pad today after a lot of repair work. I had ordered a product called rub and restore for the vinyl filling. Impressed with their repair videos on furniture, I had ordered it and it was in the fridge waiting to be used. Well I started wondering if it would hold up to the heat the dash will see mid summer. So I changed my mind and ordered a 3M product that is a sandable flexible plastic epoxy made for bumpers. 3M stuff always works. So when it came in I started in. First I sanded the high spots down with an air sander with a 2 inch disc. Then using heat gun heated the problem areas so I could cut out the broken vinyl with an exacto knife with a number 11 blade. Do it cold and the brittle plastic vinyl will spider crack and make the repair area bigger. Heated it slices out well.

Check out the bubbles in the foam from the factory. This made two big bumps.



I worked each flaw. Get rid of the high spots. Rough up the surrpounding vinyl. Someone had screwed down something on the center and it did this.



The edges had impact marks that dented the vinyl. I used a coarse file here.



This is what I used. 3M products are great.



Dispensed with this. This gun comes with several plungers for all the different formulations 3M sells. Just pick the one that fits. The gun is worth the money.



Applying and using a bondo spreader, wetted the surface and then filled it up above level for a sand back.





Lots of sanding. It sands well and is pretty easy to work with.








Then time for new vinyl and glue. First I needed a rail up front to hold the glued vinyl away from the dash pad. Got that installed then clamped a metal square tube for my wife to pull against. The rear edge of the vinyl was clamped between two 2x4s in back. I marked the vinyl with a sharpie so I did not waste glue.



Lots of practice runs on what might work best. All the contours were going to be a challenge. I had purchased this extra flexible vinyl last year. With this in mind.




My wife held the bar up for the first attachment on glue. But first here is the glue. I changed the spray nozzle for a wider spray. It left some streaks that I smoothed with a linoleum roller later. A wide spray pattern would eliminate the work there.



Lots of edge work after the top and front got glued. The eyebrows were tough. I really had to stretch the vinyl over. Turns out that area was not the problem. The very ends over by the doors have a couple minor wrinkles that were just about impossible to avoid. Over all I am pretty pleased with it.

Before smoothing and edge work. See all those little white dots on the right of the picture behind the pad? Cat scratch marks from my two monsters. They know better. Another reason I am really grateful for the new mini shop where this works is to be done. No catnip for them!!









It is not to bad. It is sitting on the back of the sofa in the same room as our wood stove. A night of curing and heat and it should be able to be installed this weekend. Then I call for a windshield installation.

As long as it holds up well to heat and does not bubble or delaminate, I will be satisfied with it. I am not able to detect the repaired areas filled with 3M filler. It is done....

[toddthewelder]

As always Al, that looks amazing!! We definitely need to get that petition circulating

[Kaiserjeeps]

Still looking for trim tag numbers for a D model with no frills. Anybody have one they can check?


So the dash pad is in with help from my wife. We were careful not to scratch the dash paint with the clips that hold the pad on. I had to lay on the floor with a head lamp and guide the clips in each hole. Not to difficult once I could see.



I am using 5/8 heater hose to hold it down in between the clips till the gasket goes in. The clips are stainless made from my old BBQ.



Looks pretty good. I am happy with it.



Glass is scheduled for Saturday. That is going to be cool. I can then wash it which is really needed. Despite having a cover a lot of dust has made it's way in. Another step done...

[Frank Ziebert]

Still looking for trim tag numbers for a D model with no frills. Anybody have one they can check?


So the dash pad is in with help from my wife. We were careful not to scratch the dash paint with the clips that hold the pad on. I had to lay on the floor with a head lamp and guide the clips in each hole. Not to difficult once I could see.



I am using 5/8 heater hose to hold it down in between the clips till the gasket goes in. The clips are stainless made from my old BBQ.








Looks pretty good. I am happy with it.



Glass is scheduled for Saturday. That is going to be cool. I can then wash it which is really needed. Despite having a cover a lot of dust has made it's way in. Another step done...

I am sending you my pad today. Can you have it fine in 2 days?

[Kaiserjeeps]

Probably only need about ten minutes....

Fast glue?

[Frank Ziebert]

Probably only need about ten minutes....

Fast glue?

I WISH