Today I tried heating the high spot on the floor with map gas, then quenched with a wet rag. I did it a few times, and it's better but not perfect. But I did get it better, it's probably completely fine. I'm just bummed out since that's about the worst spot it could have happened. I'll just be forever reminded of my welding mistake every time I set something in the bed and hear the floor pop. But oh well I guess I'll add it to the list of flossy quirks.
Then I got the front of the tool box patched (pictures coming soon) . It just needs a little more welding then I need to get some new hinges for the lid, and the toolbox will be good as new.
We've had a guy come this past week to start taking down some trees by the house. And the whole time I'm hauling wood with the old garden tractor, that in high gear is a fast walking pace. I just keep thinking how much fun it would be to put flossy to work. An old willys would be the absolute most perfect tool right now, if only I had one.....
Don't fret the small stuff. It happens. On the M38A1 I did several years back, I got a whole lot cocky / impatient or both. The passenger floor was going together well, until it didn't. One corner pulled up pretty bad. I lucked out and had it happen to where no one on the top side would ever see it being within the tool box. But I know it's there.
Today, maybe since the metal cooled down more? But now it's much better, before if I pushed on the top it would pop and stay down. Then upon applying pressure to the bottom it would pop and stay up. (I think they call it the oil can effect??) But now today it just flexes a little then springs back, without popping or staying bent. So I can totally live with that. Like Bob said, I'll have stuff in it all the time anyways. That's why I'm keeping the body rough. I'd love to build a shiny jeep like PeeJ but for now I want to be a ble to drive, offroad, and work without fearing scratching my expensive perfect paint job. And all I have to do is buy another willys and restore it, then I have the show jeep and I have the run through the woods, go rock crawling jeep.
There are all kinds of Jeeps running around in every stage of repair or restore you could imagine. I think they all contain a common thread, Lots of Fun! The most important thing you could do with one of these is build it for what you want it to do. It will, and you will love it.
So here's pics of the front of the toolbox repaired. It still needs some welding and then cleanup. I also boxed in the angle iron support under the bed floor where it bolts to the frame. And made a support for the rear body mount. The back panel is too rusted, that to get to weldable steel I'd have to basically rebuild the entire rear panel. So I welded a chunk of tubing from the floor support, with a plate on the end I can bolt through. I got one side done and then I ran out of welding wire. I also got the new tailgate mounted, drilled out holes and got the hinges lined up right. So now the only welding left is the other rear body mount, and I need to rework the trans tunnel. When the tub was on the frame I noticed it was just resting on the transfercase. Then I should be done welding on the body. It's getting exciting!!
On another note, is anyone else having to wait a longer than usual time for the forum to get loaded up or is it just me??
I was wondering if it’s bc so many people are online viewing
Looks great 56', you are doing well and making excellent progress. The body tub is very close to the transfer case. The rubber body mounts should be just enough lift to clear the transfer case by a "little". Some are closer than others. It will be close when it is all set in place but, not touching. You need a minimum of 1/4" to keep the two apart during motion. Various thickness of body mounts are out there, you can also make your own.
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