My Willys 3A and 3B Community

Your Projects => Your CJ-3A Project => Topic started by: macrisel on January 11, 2013, 12:12:32 PM

Title: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on January 11, 2013, 12:12:32 PM: After basically being away from my project for a year, I'm finally back in the game! ï¿½The last two weeks have been spent completing bodywork on the tub and getting it ready to paint. ï¿½For anyone who hasn't painted one of these yet, let me tell you something. ï¿½There are an unreal amount of seams, crevices, holes and corners that have to be scuffed/sanded! ï¿½Between my friend and I, we have painted quite a few different vehicles both old and new from tractors to cars to lawnmowers and everything in between. ï¿½This jeep tub has been the most difficult and time consuming!

First we did all the major body work and sprayed a layer of epoxy sealer primer on the tub.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0219.jpg)

After that, we found a few more spots that needed juuuuuuuuuuust a touch more work..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0220.jpg)

Last night we sprayed 3 coats of urathane filler primer on the exterior of the body to block sand and smooth for the final coat. ï¿½
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0221.jpg)

Let me tell, my buddy is an excellent body man and this tub is straight! ï¿½I'm trying to sneak away from the office right now so we can move the tub to his paint booth. ï¿½This afternoon/evening he will spray the bottom and inside Normandy Blue in basecoat/clearcoat. ï¿½If everything goes according to plan, we'll block the outside and spray it Saturday or Sunday evening.

Don't worry, I'll post better quality photos when its done!!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: gmcjr on January 11, 2013, 01:34:30 PM: Looks good!!!! You are going to make the little willys proud! There sure are a lot of nooks and crannies to contend with. That's probably why I gave mine a good ole barn yard paint job. From fifty feet it looked great!!!!! Haha.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 3aJeeper on January 11, 2013, 01:39:44 PM: Awesome! Nice to see another come back form the edge. ;)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Jamie on January 11, 2013, 02:02:23 PM: Sweet! Can't wait to see more pictures. I hope to be painting my tub soon. :)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on January 11, 2013, 10:27:45 PM: Looks great!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on January 14, 2013, 01:16:02 PM: MURPHY STRIKES AGAIN! >:(

A little more to update. ï¿½Late Friday night we finished the inside and underneath of the tub, but not without some drama first. ï¿½Just before we started the first coat, the spray gun slipped out of the holder it was in and hit the concrete. ï¿½Fortunately, all it did was bend the air cap and alter the spray pattern. ï¿½Unfortunately, the replacement Devilbiss part was $135. ï¿½We managed to make due with what we had for Friday night, then pick up a new cap Saturday.

Here is a photo after three coats of base but before the clear..

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0224.jpg)

We were set to sand and paint the exterior Sunday afternoon when disaster struck. ï¿½The crankshaft on my buddy's air compressor snapped and left us without air. ï¿½:-/ ï¿½Luckily, the compressor looks like it is still under warranty (bought brand new in Dec 2011).............but it has to be taken to an authorized repair center an hour away. ï¿½Hopefully it won't be out of commision for too long. ï¿½If so, I may unhook my compressor and take it over to his shop to finish the job.

Gotta love life!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: calvinhunt on January 15, 2013, 03:24:44 AM: Lookin' really good. We wouldn't know how to act without major set backs along the way, or would we?

Good luck!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: CJPilot on January 15, 2013, 07:39:35 PM: That is looking great. ï¿½Iï¿½ll bet you are getting anxious right about now. ï¿½I know I would be.

Steve
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: jamesr on January 20, 2013, 08:11:54 PM: You know, sometimes I regret not painting my '53 when I was at the stage you are at. My body was good, (no dents), and the paint was pretty good anyway, (few scratches). My logic was I wanted to keep it for desert driving (off road) and not have to worry about mesquite or cactus scratches. Figured I would be afraid to take it out in the desert if I painted it. Now I find that I am so careful that I delibertly miss all the limbs and brush and cactus anyway! I guess your not as crazy driving when you have white hair. You shoudda seen the NEW '72 CJ I trashed 4 wheeling and mud running back then. Lord, Id never treat my 3A the way I treated that Jeep. Shoulda done it, shouda painted it. I envy all of your paint jobs, Love looking at your work, all of you. JamesR.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on January 21, 2013, 11:15:01 AM: Well, my friend and I both had other issues pop up this weekend so we didn't get to finish the exterior. :'(

Maybe next weekend... :-/
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on January 25, 2013, 05:37:51 PM: YESSS!! ï¿½Last night we stayed up late and sprayed the outside of the tub. ï¿½Let me tell you, this tub turned out amazing! ï¿½It looks like it was dipped in a vat of Normandy Blue and then polished to a mirror finish. ï¿½All the bodywork Scotty put into it really paid off and it shows. ï¿½The one place we didn't do any body work is where the spare tire mounts. ï¿½We were afraid the weight of the tire would cause the body to flex and crack any filler we put in the area. ï¿½We will not do any bodywork on the hood for the same reason. ï¿½See what you think!

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/DSCN5124.jpg)

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/DSCN5123.jpg)

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/DSCN5121.jpg)
As mentioned the spare tire area did not get any attention other that urathane filler primer and blocked

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/DSCN5127.jpg)
Here is a photo of the rear driver's quarter showing the depth of the paint...

It's going to be a shame to get mud on this tub!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Ryan_M on January 25, 2013, 05:44:14 PM: BRAVO! Looks amazing. Can't wait to watch the build continue!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Comanche_County on February 02, 2013, 09:39:15 PM: Man, that's beautiful!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on February 12, 2013, 11:21:48 AM: I finally have the body back on the frame and ready to start adding more parts.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0243_zpsb79f4190.jpg)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: athawk11 on February 12, 2013, 08:17:05 PM: It's really looking terrific Mac. Love that color!! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Tim
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on February 14, 2013, 05:16:22 PM: Quote
It's really looking terrific Mac. ï¿½Love that color!! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Tim

Tell me about it! I am finishing the brackets and small parts in a low gloss black and using SS bolts and nuts to install them. The contrast is great....the Kenny Wayne Shepard song "Blue on Black" describes it perfectly. I'll admit, when I started my restoration I didn't really have a color in mind. Then, I found the original 3A site and seen a picture of Jonathon's '50 3A in Normandy Blue and I was sold!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on February 26, 2013, 12:26:33 PM: A few more updates. ï¿½Things have been moving pretty slow as I have had other projects keeping me busy....

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0249_zps5e0a9931.jpg)
Here are a few odds and ends added on showing the contrast with the blue paint with black brackets and SS bolts...

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0250_zps8fb83c36.jpg)
Only something a Willys person would understand. ï¿½Instead of using wood to make my kickstarter board, I found somthing a little different. ï¿½My father has just recently replaced his deck with composite boards and had some scraps left over. ï¿½Being the curious type, I decided to use it instead of wood so it wouldn't rot. ï¿½After painting it black, it is pretty hard to tell it isn't real wood. ï¿½Will it hold paint very long....who knows? ï¿½I can always come back and use wood if I need to. ï¿½The spring came from an old screen door chain. ï¿½By the way, after spending all afternoon putting this together and being very excited about finally being able to start the jeep from the driver's seat I showed my wife my progress. ï¿½Her response? ï¿½"That's nice. ï¿½What else did you get put on today?" :-? ï¿½Maybe one day I can convert her..
ANOTHER THANK YOU to Bob W's book for the measurements for this block!!

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0251_zps307b887c.jpg)
So my buddy was dying to buff the paint out and just see how slick we could make it. ï¿½Here is a teaser shot after a round of 1500 grit before buffing compound...
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: athawk11 on February 27, 2013, 12:23:49 PM: That is one shiny rig. Nice.

The first time you take your wife for a ride, she will be smiling from ear to ear. Both from the excitement of the ride and from the excitement on your face. Then, there's the view. Everything looks better from the seat of a Willys. Then there's the double takes and 'thumbs ups' you will get from passer by's. There are the folks that love 'em but haven't seen one for years. Then there are the folks that have never seen one, and aren't sure what they just saw. A Willys ride is always a great ride.

Be careful though, if your wife is anything like mine, she will want one for her own.

Great work Mack.

Tim
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on March 12, 2013, 03:08:48 PM: A little more eye candy to look at. ï¿½It has taken quite a bit of time and patience to paint the raised Willys logo and 4wd stencil. ï¿½Remember, I went with basecoat/clearcoat so the process was a little different than enamel paint. ï¿½Here is a rough breakdown how we did it......

1. Primer the parts
2. ï¿½Spray the white basecoat and 4 coats of clear over the "WILLYS" lettering.
3. ï¿½Let the paint cure for several days then come back and sand off the overspray, tape lines and scuff everything else up.
4. ï¿½Spray the blue basecoat and 4 coats of clear over everything.
5. ï¿½Let the paint cure for several days.
6. ï¿½Begin the LOOOONG, SLOOOOOW process of sanding the blue off the letters to get down to the white. ï¿½Be very careful to not sand too deep past the white. ï¿½Don't try to sand the letters "freehand". ï¿½We got the best results taping off the letters and sanding against the tape. ï¿½This also protects the surronding areas from getting sanded.
7. ï¿½Scuff everthing again and put 4 more coats of clear on.

Here is a photo of the hood prior to the last coats of clear.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0255_zpsc5c1c204.jpg)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on March 12, 2013, 03:33:11 PM: The tailgate is another story. ï¿½Take all the steps above and continue here....

8. ï¿½Scuff the area where the 4wd stencil goes.
9. ï¿½Put a layer of masking tape down and position the stencil (I got mine from Walcks) over the tape.
10. ï¿½CAREFULLY use a knife to cut the stencil into the tape. ï¿½Use extreme caution to only cut through the tape and not the paint underneath!
11. ï¿½Spend the next 2 hours peeling the tape out of the letters.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0257_zpsd5f7ac7c.jpg)
12. ï¿½Spray a coat of white basecoat on to the letters (tape off the rest of the tailgate to limit overspray)
13. ï¿½Remove the tape and sand off any paint that bleeds through the tape
14. ï¿½Spray clear over the stencil letters
15. ï¿½Let it cure for a day or two and come back and scuff the entire tailgate and spray 3-4 coats of clear over everything!

Doing it like this should give you very sharp, clear lines on the stencil and have it flush with the rest of the paint. ï¿½Any scratches or nicks in the future will be limited to the top layer of clearcoat and can be easily fixed without have to touch up the white letters. ï¿½Very labor intensive, but I hope its worth it. ï¿½The tailgate is taking longer to complete than the entire tub!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on March 12, 2013, 03:54:06 PM: Looking good! Did you get a lot of fuzziness around your stencil letters? I hand painted all my Willys scripts and I bought a different 4WD decal for mine since I don't care much for the original one.

(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx125/willyscjmj/1953%20Willys%20CJ3A%20Jeep%20Restoration/100_7062.jpg)

(http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx125/willyscjmj/1953%20Willys%20CJ3A%20Jeep%20Restoration/100_7212.jpg)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on March 13, 2013, 12:07:08 PM: There is no fuzziness around the stencil letters. The tape left a very sharp, defined line to all the letters. That was the reason my friend decided to lay down masking tape and cut the letters out vs. just using the stencil and spraying the paint over the top of the stencil.

There is a LOT of great info we reviewed on the 3B page about different stencils and how they were applied. Several factors steered us this direction including:

1. I am using basecoat/clearcoat instead of enamel paint
2. We wanted the letters to sit flush with the paint instead of being raised
3. We wanted the letters to be protected under layers of clearcoat
4. I wanted the stencil to be very sharp and have very crisp lines...almost like a vinyl decal without being raised above the paint.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on March 26, 2013, 05:18:13 PM: So I finally got the grille and drivers side fender mounted. ï¿½After that, I sat the hood on just to see what it would look like and to keep me motivated. ï¿½My dad is in the first photo and was very impressed with how it looked. ï¿½He had not seen it since December 31, 2012 and he probably took 8-10 photos with his phone from different angles. ;)

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/photo_11_zpsffaf88e8.jpg)
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/photo_12_zpsc731497b.jpg)

And one more of the hood and the WILLYS emboss. ï¿½I love how this turned out..look how clear that reflection is in the fender!
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/photo_24_zps4dc4a3d0.jpg)

I'm hoping to get started on my wire harness this weekend!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on March 27, 2013, 10:27:42 AM: Looks great!!!!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: BMIC on March 28, 2013, 06:57:37 AM: Nate, Marcrisel...My complements! Your two artists at work, I doubt they came out of the showroom looking better then that.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on April 16, 2013, 01:00:58 AM: Another update. ï¿½I've been pretty busy on the weekends working on a few little things. ï¿½I have managed to get my wiring harness from Walcks installed..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0264_zps2cfa14c6.jpg)

...And everything actually works!
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0267_zpsb3c7befa.jpg)
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0268_zpsf42dbab7.jpg)

I have also managed to get my steps, gas tank, and drivers seat installed. ï¿½No more driving around with a plastic gas can on the front bumper!
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0265_zps9230a9a4.jpg)

Its getting so close I'm going crazy trying to find time to work on it and finish it! :o
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on April 21, 2013, 08:24:14 AM: Looks great! Keep it up!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on April 22, 2013, 11:39:59 AM: It looks really nice....I should be so lucky!

Where did you get your seat cushions?

Randy
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on April 22, 2013, 01:05:00 PM: The cushins came from Beachwood Canvas. While they are more expensive than some other places, the quality, craftmanship and service are second to none.

The cushins are actually a 2A cushin, not a 3A. When I ordered them, they asked me how tall I was. When I told them 6'4", they laughed and said I probably wanted the 2A cushins because they are actually 2-3" thinner than a 3A cushin and would give a little bit more room behind the steering wheel. ;)

I drove the jeep around the farm yesterday and let me tell you.....2-3" makes a BIG difference behind the steering wheel!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on April 22, 2013, 07:13:54 PM: Thanks Mark,

I got a copy of Bob W's book and have been looking at the original colors..not much choice, gray or OD...I think I'll order black as you did.....My CJ-5 top is a Beachwood, and I agree. Excellent quality and it just has that "look"....

What a good feeling it must have been to get to drive it!!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Ryan_M on April 22, 2013, 08:35:36 PM: After seeing Macrisel's seats last year I ordered mine from Beachwood as well. I too went with the thinner "2A" style foam. I'm 6'3" and can use all the clearance I can get. I'm very happy with both the quality and comfort of the seats. I can drive 100 miles with no soreness or discomfort and I'd be ready for another 100 miles.

One of the things I read and found interesting is that the taller original 3A spring seats compact to about the same thickness as the new 2A style foam seats do when you are sitting in them.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on April 22, 2013, 08:47:40 PM: You're lucky Ryan. I too have the 2A style bottoms and I can barely stand driving it for 20 miles. My butt starts killing me. Maybe I should get looked at... I'm like 6' 1".
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Ryan_M on April 22, 2013, 08:53:46 PM: Quote
You're lucky Ryan. I too have the 2A style bottoms and I can barely stand driving it for 20 miles. My butt starts killing me. Maybe I should get looked at... I'm like 6' 1".

I should make it clear that my 100 miles are paved miles. If you're off road I don't think it would matter what you had for seats you'd still be hurting.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on April 22, 2013, 09:24:34 PM: I only take my '53 on paved roads. It just kills my muscles, my back and legs. Maybe I should try driving it with no shoes on and see if that helps.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on April 22, 2013, 10:40:33 PM: You could try a few washers under the front seat legs, it would give you a little recline...might help....
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on April 28, 2013, 11:15:25 PM: After an unbelievable amount of work on the tailgate, it is finally done! ï¿½My friend/paint man did an amazing job on this. ï¿½Next up is new chains and covers to hold it on...

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/DSCN5257_zps5b777b57.jpg)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on April 28, 2013, 11:25:18 PM: Boy that looks nice! I've been staring at the picture for five minutes....the entire jeep looks great....

I like your PTO pulley!!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on April 29, 2013, 10:15:17 AM: That is nice!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: bwtufts on May 20, 2013, 09:07:57 PM: Makes my 5 foot paint job look like I did it with my eyes closed! Very impressive!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on May 28, 2013, 03:18:10 PM: So I made some big progress on the jeep this weekend.ï¿½ I managed to get the motor installed (again), hooked up and started.ï¿½ In addition, I finished up my tailgate chains, trans and t-case covers and boots, seat belts, tool box, footman loops, bumper, hood installed along with all the hardware and blocks and topped all the fluids off.ï¿½ After doing that, I found my front oil seal on the t-case leaked.ï¿½ ::)

Here is a photo of the back all finished up..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0282_zps41dfb735.jpg)

Also, you may remember back at the beginning of the thread where I talked about my buddy dropping his paint gun and bent up his tip........right before we painted the bottom of the tub.ï¿½ Well, because of all that headache, he asked me to incorporate that bent tip into the jeep somehow.ï¿½ While it's not factory, it does have a good story behind it!
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/Image0281_zps0a106370.jpg)

The tip actually rotates to unlatch and open the toolbox.

Last thing is the windshield and it should (hopefully) be painted by the end of the week!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on May 28, 2013, 10:49:27 PM: What a great representation of a flat-fender jeep!

Subtle, just as an old jeep should be..
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: garage gnome on June 03, 2013, 08:59:20 PM: Very nice looking!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on June 13, 2013, 11:11:02 AM: I finally got my windshield back from being repainted and a new glass put in.ï¿½ I slapped it on last night and snapped a photo.ï¿½ I still need to finish up the wipers and run the vaccuum lines from the fuel pump to run them.ï¿½ Most importantly, it needs a good bath and a wax to get ready for its first car show Saturday.ï¿½ Looks like it is going to be a few late nights getting it ready!

My little model couldn't wait for a "ride" out of the shed for a quick photo before it got too dark!

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/IMG_0908_zpsc7d16911.jpg)

(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/IMG_0906_zpsd3746d5a.jpg)
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Ryan_M on June 13, 2013, 11:28:07 AM: Looks better with every set of pics. I think you have now earned the privilege of updating your "1951 CJ3A Still in pieces" signature line.

Good luck at the show. Let us know how many awards you bring home.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on June 21, 2013, 04:42:03 PM: So I finally made it to the show!ï¿½ Since I'm a member of the car club, my Jeep didn't get judged so I didn't bring home any trophies.ï¿½ Also, I was in charge of getting the vendors set up, so i was running around almost all day and didn't really get a chance to take many photos of the jeep.

Here is the one good one I snapped early in the day while the jeep was sitting in front of my office.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/IMG_0965_zpsbe0db3e3.jpg)

I got a LOT of compliments on it and too many questions to keep up with.ï¿½ Oddly enough, the question I heard from more than one 16-18 kid was, "Cool Jeep!ï¿½ Is that thing in the back (the PTO/belt pulley) for the 4 wheel drive?"

What do they teach these kids? :-?
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: Kirkski on March 02, 2014, 08:04:12 AM: Wowï¿½ thats all I can really say, great job, I hope you are enjoying it
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: SteveW on March 02, 2014, 02:29:32 PM: Very very nice. Somewhere on You Tube is a guy who attached a ice cream maker to his PTO grearbox. He loaded it up and went for a drive and came back with eats.
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: macrisel on March 03, 2014, 05:00:22 PM: Thanks everyone! Steve, it is really funny you mention that because the ice cream maker is on my list to make in the spring. My Dad and I have a few old ice cream makers and assorted pulleys on the farm. I think it would be fun to drive the jeep to a car show or car club meeting and make a batch of ice cream while I was there.

What's the point of having a PTO and drum pulley if you can't have fun with it!
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: SteveW on March 03, 2014, 08:01:17 PM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu5ej_cO0D8

Found it
Title: Re: PROGRESS!!!!!!
Post by: 1955CJ-5 on March 03, 2014, 09:01:41 PM: I keep looking for one of those pulleys...I have the rest of the PT0....they come up for sale occasionally...big$$$$

And just think, a whole generation will grow up knowing those PTO pulleys were for ice cream makers....!