'69 Derelict Rescue

[serial car restorer]

I hope your tetanus shot is current.

Since restoration work like this is my hobby, keeping that one up-to-date is high on my list. It is a serious consideration.

 

[serial car restorer]

New tires and wheels are mounted, and I can finally roll it around as needed w/o having to air up one or more flat tires. 265/75R15 Toyo Open Country A/T III (4 ply equivalent of 31x10.50R15) on 15x7 wheels with 3⅝" backside. Looks like a nice fit in back, especially with the current effective lift of 3½" in back (details in this thread).

 

[serial car restorer]

I finished removing the passenger floor this afternoon. Pretty happy with what I found underneath, for the most part. A lot of good, solid metal, especially the forward crossmember where the body mount is. Just 2 or 3 small repair patches needed. Next step will be trimming and fitting the new pans, then I'll patch, clean and prep for welding.

Then I'll need to do it again for the driver's side, and finally on to the big part—the cowl and windshield parts.

 

[serial car restorer]

Floor test fitting is complete. And the rusted body mount under the floor pan has been tediously cut out. Next will be to cut out the next body mount in line, then start to fabricate and install the few repairs needed. After all that, I can start welding it all together.

 

[serial car restorer]

No pictures today, nothing much visible. But after a whole lot of cutting, grinding, hammering and chiseling, all 4 of the passenger side body mount bushings have been replaced. I can finally get to the 3-4 small repairs under the passenger floor, and then to welding it all back together.

 

[serial car restorer]

Under-floor repairs in progress. Three sections done, two to go. Compare the highlighted rusty sections in the first pic to the second one after today's work.

 

[serial car restorer]

Passenger floor is all done, save the seam sealer which will be done after the driver's side is finished so I can do it all at once. Very solid feeling, should be good for many more decades.

 

[serial car restorer]

I backed it out of the garage carefully (brakes are pretty sketchy) a couple days ago, turned around and backed it back in so that I could more easily work on the driver's side floor. Pulled the pedal box and other stuff out of the way, and found that the vertical firewall panel has a fair amount of rust damage also. Ordered more repair panels, not going to cut more out until I have all of them on hand.

 

[serial car restorer]

Firewall construction is complete. Should get it welded in within a day or two. Then on to the driver's floor.

 

[Shimmy]

nice work!

 

[serial car restorer]

Firewall panel is in place, now fitting the floor repair panel. Hoping to be done with this sometime over the weekend. Then on to the cowl and windshield frame.

 

[joeray]

Good job! Brings back old memories, but I didn't have to replace quite as much sheet metal as you.

 

[serial car restorer]

Good job! Brings back old memories, but I didn't have to replace quite as much sheet metal as you.

The floors, cowl and windshield frame are pretty much it for rust. Rockers, pillars and such are great. So not all that bad, really.

 

[serial car restorer]

Driver's floor complete now as well. Working on the cowl now.

 

[thegreatjustino]

I'm curious why you're lap welding instead of butt welding the patches.

 

[serial car restorer]

I may be wrong, but I don't think butt welds would work well on floors with these patch panels. They aren't cut the same as factory.

 

[serial car restorer]

Finished welding in the new cowl parts today. Need to hit the welds with the flap disc and then apply some primer. Then I can move on to fitting and welding in the new windshield frame, which should complete the rust repair work.

 

[serial car restorer]

Windshield frame is welded in, new driver's door hung. Starting to look a little more like a real Bronco again.

 

[serial car restorer]

Saved my tailgate today. Dented, stress-cracked metal with extraneous holes cut out and solid metal welded in place. Also spot welded the spare latch reinforcement in place to simplify latch removal and replacement in the future. Will need a little finish work before painting, but it's solid and much closer to the correct contour now.

 

[thegreatjustino]

How'd you fab the channel on the patch piece? Or did you cut it out of another tailgate?