Realistic budget of a 2wd -4wd and goodies build

[Greg5OH]

i got from 8 am to about 530 pm on saturday to get some serious work done on the cab. Got more family coming over and I promised Id show em around while theyre still a little bit of daylight left. Life...gets in the way of real life (building trucks).
Today I will attempt to finish the other side B pillar, and at least the one cab corner (needs a tiny sheet of metal, other corner needs to be made from scratch). Once THATs done, i can put the bench iun, drill my locaitng holes, and flip the thing over and finally stitch weld and seam seal!!


question. Should I undercoat THEN seam seal, or seam seal then undercoat? Im concerned how that seam sealer will bond to bare metal. Im thinkign if somebody scuffs their foot on the floor, will it lift the seal sealer? But also thinking, that if its seam sealed, then 10-12 mils of undercaotiung film laid on top, it woudl create a blanket of sorts over the sealer?

I mentioned earlier in the thread, I am using hy-tech Metal Shield for the underside and top side of the floor.

get that engine in there, get some mounts going for it, then i can position the trans in, and know for sure where i stand.

 

[laserjock]

For me, I'm planning on putting epoxy primer down, then seam sealing. I may go back and shoot some cheap chasis black all over that for a little extra protection but haven't decided yet. I want the protective coating into the cracks and crevices as much as possible. Seam sealer is to fill the gaps, not really protect the metal. That's my understanding anyway.

 

[IDIoit]

i was taught that seam sealer was to just seal, no other reason. epoxy primer is just as expensive as POR 15.
por 15 isnt just a paint, its a rust inhibitor also.
i have used this stuff with much success over the decades,
it will etch itself into the metal and be good for a long time!
after i do a custom floor, i por 15 it, then seam seal it.
another option, tho more expensive is to use fiber bond.
this is nothing more than waterproof bondo. this is used but not limited to exterior body panels that have had custom work, or panel replacement,
to seal the metal and prevent moisture from seaping into your work.
it will last 10x longer than seam sealer with the same desired effect
here is a picture of the front frame of my hotrod that has nothing but por 15 on it, i painted it 4 years ago.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Greg5OH]

yeha im using the metal shield as my paint/coating. I guess the consensus is coat it first, then seam seal. I think I shall do that. and then coat the seams again
and hey, you live in Cali, 4 years or even 10 years for you is nothgin compared to 1 winter here !

 

[IDIoit]

ha, agreed. besides i keep her indoors.
one thing i forgot to mention is that we use the fiber bond before painting.
FWIW

 

[Greg5OH]

cab corner

You must be registered for see images attach

EZ wiring harness

You must be registered for see images attach

here it is, finally centered and level. lots of clearance, but cant change the starter in frame. Oh well. I made some mock mounts out of sheetmetal, still pretty rough, but get the job done. basically a spacer that bolts between the mount and frame. Probably will use 1/4" steel for this. a nice little box, with bolts thru it and welded, and then just a nut from underneath like stock.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

seats sit pretty decently. I had to make 1.5" risers for the front benh but rear is nice.

You must be registered for see images attach

time for final tack welding, drill thru to final size the cab mounts, paint and seam seal. Heading to miami on saturday for a week so i would love for the cab to be finito by then. Will be tough.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[laserjock]

Nice. Good progress. Wish I could say the same.

 

[junk]

On your seam sealer question. I would just follow the directions on the seam sealer. Some are ok on bare metal. Some need another coating under them first.

Looking good!

 

[david85]

Although seam sealers are generally very good at bonding to a variety of surfaces, I'd advise against applying it to bare metal. It can still shrink and crack with age (we're talking MANY years here...) and having paint under the seal gives one more line of defense if the seam ever does part, or crack. Depending on the undercoating you're using, it may also soften the sealer. I'd suggest a low shrinkage urethane sealer to minimize the chance of stretching as it cures.

I REALLY commend your effort here though. This is an impressive degree of dedication and it looks like things are lining up nicely.

 

[laserjock]

Looking at your pics on a real screen, it looks to me like your engine is sitting really low relative to the body. Is this intentional? You might be able to gain a little space to change that starter if you raise the engine up a bit. I guess if lots of turbo space is what you are going for, you have that for sure.

 

[Greg5OH]

i think its the way i made the cab, the cab actually sits higher than stock. I have 1.5" inches from the oilpan to the cross member (width of a 2x4) so cant really go much lower. I coudl raise it but same thing, would have to go up 3 inches or so. Starter would need for the engine to be lowered a minimum of 2 inches. Its less than 2 years old, brand new at the time oem mitsubishi so it better friggin last lol. Yes the turbo clearance is nice though
I predict ill be swapping turbos and messing with that stuff way more often than changing starters. And like I said, im making everything quick disocnnect so anything serious it shouldnt take long.

In my new house which I will be moving into end of novemeber, its a 3 car attached garage, 34x26 garage with 10 foot ceilings-I will eventually set up a full X-Y ceiling crane. It will be awesome having a garage wqhere I can store the truck indoors if needed!

I also decided I will be using 1/8" cold rolled steel for the motor mounts. Since I already have 6" wide sheets on hand, and a fully boxed and gusseted spacer will be plenty strong.

today I plan on having the bolt holes drilled, everything welded from underneath. Probably wont get to undercoating it but at least the fab work will be done, and making all those little block off plates takes enough time on its own. Tuesday i have the new home inspection so thats gone, so possibly wednesday undercoat, worst case thursday. Friday packing and putting new brakes on the lexus before heading out saturday morning. Whatever gets done, gets done.

 

[Greg5OH]

Just some paint. Luv that cat yellow

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Greg5OH]

just a couple more peices to weld up near the firewall today, and can lay the seam sealer down, and get that undercoating laid on! if i dont get the coating on today at least ill have the windshiedl taped up. When i go to finish up the trans cover some will burn off but its in an easy spot so i can just shoot or brush on some more in that one spot. wont have time to ge tto engine mounts before flordai but that is top prioerity once im back. get that whole assembly sitting nice in there, then fab the turbo stuff. all while prepping the cab for exterior paint.
Also waiting for sellers to accept myt offer on yes a 3rd home (and ill be damned if this is not the last one i buy..i pulled out of two purchase agreements already). spending way more than i wanted to originally on a home but this place is gorgous, the attached garage is huge, (probably almost 3 car, 10ft ceilings), and has a pole barn 32x32 with a nice thick concrete floor, ready for a lift. Just like cars/trucks...better to buy the more expensive nicer unit up front..or spend way mroe money and time down the line fixing it...*cough P9106*

 

[laserjock]

Just like cars/trucks...better to buy the more expensive nicer unit up front..or spend way mroe money and time down the line fixing it...*cough P9106*

Amen to that brother.

 

[david85]

Amen to that brother.

+2