fj45 rat rod (ish)

[Heath]

Dropped off the rear panel to get sand blasted. Was going to get the roof done as well (only some light rust and two small holes in that one - that I could see ), but the price wasn't right. I went with a place on Johns rd (no not the one in the news - about 50 yards from there) as I couldn't find the other place at Halswell junct rd. Had a drive this afternoon after and found it by accident - bugger - wish I could've gotten a price off them first. Never mind, shit happens.

Took the glass out and found more rust. So this big "reveal" will show me how much extra work I have to do. The layers of hidden bog will be gone and I'll either have some panels to knock into shape or holes to repair. Going to learn a lot through just this one panel I think.

Or if it is terminal I'll be on the lookout for a new second hand rear cab panel.

[Heath]

Its been a while but the chassis and engine are loaded onto a trailer for tomorrows trip to the workshop.

Engine being moved back 200mm and up 15mm, chassis being narrowed (slight wedge shaped rather than the square hq shape so the cab fits), chassis being made 150mm longer and new transmission crossmember mounts made (original hq crossmember will be cut to fit). Later on when this lot is done I will take the body in and have some body mounts made up and fitted (not drilled for position though - still need to fine tune that area / make my mind up on final position).

So one step forwards - progress.... for now.

[Dr_PC]

Good to see its still happening

[Heath]

Still happening just had to wait for some $$$ to build up before doing this step. Going to be one of the big bills I think.

[Heath]

Made my mind up about wheel size this week and am going 16 dia front a rear, but still have to sort width (probably 7 in the front and 9 or 10 in the rear depending on availability and fit). Its a WB chassis so that will give me some hints as to what will work.

I know its a small thing but there are lots of little decisions...

And as a bonus when I upgrade the VZ ute I can use the old tyres until I get them sorted.

Still tossing up what to do about stud patterns. Might upgrade the front end to later commodore pattern (and give me access to a whole new range of disk brake options for the front) and redrill the rears to suit, or I might just use the money to get some slotted disks to help slow the horses down...

[Heath]

Picked up a steering box, fuel tank and some other lil bits today. Hope to sort some hard brake lines soon too. And sort the hard fuel lines as well now I can put the tank in place.

If I am using carbs do I require a return line to the tank (pretty sure I don't)? Trying to figure out the fuel line layout on the hq fuel tank.

Small line on top of tank is it a breather or fuel pickup?
Small line from where the gauge float attaches to the tank?

10mm pipe from just above the filler that runs up to near top of filler pipe is the filling breather, but what are the others?



One step closer...

[Heath]

Never mind sorted it.
http://gallery.oldholden.com/MackV8/man ... 8.jpg.html

[Heath]

Chassis is sitting in a jig now ready to be cut and stretched 150mm once the engine is moved back 200mm (and up 15mm).

Had a chat about cooling and steering today and the suggestion was made to use a hydraulic setup from a v6 toyota camry (electric over hydro - failsafe is fully on - which is nice and compact and moves a tonne of air ) as this uses the power steering reservoir for its fluid. Also suggested dumping the old manual box and looking for a power rack to fit instead. The price of the box alone is moonbeams ($500ish) and then have to find a pump to suit (have one here that came with the engine so it might be okay).

Also suggested my idea of exhaust manifold design (gasser style behind front wheels with blank plate and normal under body system) might not fit, but we'll see how low it is and what clearance I have later - much later...

[Heath]

New bits arrived today.



Not much but its progress.

[snotgoblin]

I keep watching this thread with interest and am jealous I don't have a big shed to do these things in..

Hell my truck won't even fit in my garage...

This will be cool when it is done Heath.

[Heath]

Hope to get the chassis back next week so I can muck about fitting the body, mounts etc, but if I cant get it home before xmas/new year then I will just repair the floor pan (has to be done anyway).

[Heath]

Scored a ford 9 inch diff with disk brakes for $350 on trade me last night (Thanks to BlakeNZ for helping me with sorting shipping to chch - Legend!!).

Cleaned out the garage and now have room for the build to continue without having to put stuff away all the time when the chassis gets home.

Cab is in the garage now being cleaned again of all the accumulated rubbish you get from leaving stuff outside (cobwebs/grass clippings etc) and loom/gauge cluster removed. Going to have to get it blasted I guess to remove all the rust and bog but will get it sitting on the chassis first and sort the height of mounts/floor and if I have to cut/modify the trans tunnel. No point spending money on blasting steel that's going in the scrap bin.

Also scored some mitzi front seats too for $5 off trade me today so another marque joins the mishmash of my rat rod... so that's Holden (aussie), Toyota (japan/nz), ford (USA), chevy (mexico/USA), Mitsubishi (Japan), indicators (Taiwan) and some odd little bits I have no idea of.

[Heath]

Grabbed some $5 seats off trade me (still might change for a bench but we'll see).

Seats fit okay, but perhaps a little high although at my height they are fine (wouldnt want to be 6'2"+ though).

The rear inner mounting points line up with the old factory seat belt mounts too (nice bonus if I use them), so I could double up and put the belts there too for a nice clean fit. The fronts and outer rears will need some work though.


Chatted with Rick about heater/blower options and he lent me a couple of options (nissan and toyota rear seat heater/blowers) to have a poke around with. The nissan one is the smaller one and will be the one I go for (has a connector for water flow that I can use with the old 45 series controller). I can probably hide it completely under the dash with a little "massaging".

Chassis is almost ready to come home, maybe by Friday it'll be in the shed.


Oh and some really rough bonnet art (work in progress/practice)

[Heath]

Isn't amazing how much time you can spend just mucking around trying to get something to look right.

Spent the best part of an hour messing around with a tape and scrap paper and bits of steel figuring out how to make the seat mounts and how to pack out the inner sides of the seats to get the seats level without making it look like shit. I now have a plan and need to get some 50x50mm shs for a tidy job (about 400mm will do it ).

Also spent ages working out stuff I dont need to worry about for ages (plant the seeds of an idea and see where it takes me - have note book with diagrams etc). you know how it is "Might reskin the dash to get a tidy surface to start with, but then I have the glove box to deal with" sort of stuff.

The missus will argue I just sat there in my drivers seat on the floor with the radio going and to the casual observer I was, but the cogs were turning... some of the time.

Might need to strip everything off the cab and get it blasted sooner than later I think so I can start with a clean slate (and can see where all the repair work will be - I can see this project consuming a little bit of bog...)

Cant wait to get the chassis home and drop the cab onto it (even though it wont fit), it will be a good milestone and a motivation to keep going too. Will have to start the engine again to keep it oiled up too .

Heath

[loppee]

If ya want some off cuts of 50x50 shs pm me.
Cheers Woody

[Heath]

New engine mounts. Strong enough for a big block....


Cab on chassis for the first time. 4 inches too high in the rear and 2 inches too high in the front. Cant drop much lower as the air cleaner will end up through the bonnet which might be alittle too redneck for me (just now anyway). Chassis isn't level as the front wheels are sitting in trolleys (makes moving it around easier). Some lowering blocks and some drop spindles will get it lower to the ground. Cab will move back a little too (maybe 40mm).

New rails done too.

[Heath]

Got a little done today before my compressor died (anyone want a dead compressor - tank and switches should be fine just dead motor)


Cab is almost at ride height, front need to drop 50mm.


Guard height when body is lowered is roughly the tape line.


And then I will raise the guard up a touch 50mm maybe (top of guard along tape line).


Front will fit with some cutting (fouls the steering gear at this point, but nothing a mr grinder cant fix.


A gap for the headers and the dump pipe is there too (Gasser style pipe with cap).

So that's my day/weekend done - beer time.

[Heath]

Got the old diff out today and sold it. New 9 inch still to come...


Installed the steering box.



Steering shaft angles look okay and clearance from headers will be okay (tight near firewall end of shaft maybe). Front still has to drop 50mm so might be fine. That's a broom stick there not the actual steering wheel shaft just for getting angles and pics.


Threw the steering wheel etc in for a look and its too short in length and sticks out a bit far in the cab (might see if I can slide it forwards a few inches).

Will have to see about collapsable intermediate shaft I think to fit between the box and the wheel.

[MNC]

Nice progress!

Have you considered chopping the raised seat mounts out and making a new floor plan at foot well height? Then could do a roof chop...

[klompy]

I used the collapsable section from a surf on my truck but there will be others that fit.

[MNC]

...Have you considered chopping the raised seat mounts out and making a new floor plan at foot well height? Then could do a roof chop...

Wonder if you cut them right if you could just cut, flip, and reverse the raised part of tub that seats mount on to achieve this... just a thought

[Heath]

Nice progress!

Have you considered chopping the raised seat mounts out and making a new floor plan at foot well height? Then could do a roof chop...

Three inch roof chop done, will find lower seats I think.

[Heath]

New 15cfm air compressor. Now I can get the tools back out (and can paint when the time comes too).

Old one was in service for 15 years and I finally tortured it to death (spat out a gasket - so good opportunity to find a bigger replacement). Hope this one lasts as long (cheap chinese so maybe not... we'll see I guess.).

It sure keeps up with the die grinder and air disc cutter and drill.

[Heath]

Ford Nine inch slotted in under the chassis now. No worries about the holden Salisbury diff blowing up during my first "accidental skid". And it should be good enough for a big block or a blown 350 too (just have to rebuild the centre now and sort the ratio I want).

[Heath]

Finally summoned up the courage to face the body repairs.

Flipped the body on its end and ran some tape around to get an idea of what I am going to do and poked bits with a screwdriver making the repairs list bigger.


This is the new floor level (about 45mm above the old one).


Made a quick cut to start the process (lots of little bits need doing before the floors go in) Will have to get some sheet metal folded up for a repair on both sides and to give me a new fixing point for the floor. Funny how things get slower and more complicated as soon as you start cutting.....


This side is worse than the drivers side unfortunately but I'll have a go at the "easy side" first and then tackle this one.

And I havent even started to poke around at the top of the cab (where the back fits on - going to need an almost complete rebuild)

Maybe a new cab would be easier....

[Heath]

Got some more bits today in the post.

Ford Nine inch Diff re-builders book (covers 8.8's as well).
HEI Dizzy tails for the Tacho and power to the dizzy. Was using just a crimped connector but now I can do it right (connector kept falling out and this has the clip to hold it in place).
And some header plates.


Does anyone want some HQ to Chevy adapters? Bought some for my project but changed the whole engine mounts when I shifted them back 200mm.

$30 and they are yours (plus postage of course)

[smurf182]

Where did you get the HEI tail? I have the same less than ideal spade connectors hanging out of mine

[Heath]

Amazon. Most suppliers wont ship to NZ but I found one eventually that would. Want some welding panel clamps (4 for 9.99) but wont ship here - same things here sell 4 for $50.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OD ... UTF8&psc=1

[Heath]

Scored a 70 series column (with tilt etc) for the wreck - Cheers Dan!!. Got it home and had a measure up - its 6 inches too long in the shaft, but I'll get it all cut down to size in the future when I have hard and fast measurements to work with (have to mount the drivers end to the dash first). Tried out the steering wheel for fit - bugger not quite right. Could maybe make it fit but not sure if the horn etc will work right and might just bugger it up completely doing it .

New column will be mint and removes most of the switches from the dash apart from the heater/fan ones, which I will relocate to other side of steering column (nice and clear for art work - skulls anyone?). As a bonus I will get intermittent wipers too. Will reskin the dash (weld in patches) and cover the holes up and probably put the stereo on the glove box hidden (just have to figure out how to control it from the drivers seat though - maybe move glove box to centre of dash - potentially an ugly option... )

Went for a drive around a few metal shops to see about getting some cutting and folding done and they were closed (thought that might be the case but had time on my hands for a drive while wifey visited her dad). Will have to try during work hours or after work.

[williamhamilton]

Amazon. Most suppliers wont ship to NZ but I found one eventually that would. Want some welding panel clamps (4 for 9.99) but wont ship here - same things here sell 4 for $50.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OD ... UTF8&psc=1

Check out http://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/youshop Charges can be high but useful when people will not send internationally.

W