Building a forest service jeep

[Ryan_M]

Amazing progress so far Nate. Fun to watch.

Humor a guy here who has ZERO welding experience. I see you tacked the repair panels in place. How do you fill the remaining gaps? Do you run a weld down the entire length of each seam?

[garage gnome]

You can't run a bead down the seam or you'll blow through. I just keep making tacks that stack up on each other.

[1955CJ-5]

Have you tried holding a piece of aluminum or copper/brass behind the seam to prevent blow-through?  A fellow told me he uses a length of copper pipe with the end flattened and bent a little...

Eastwood sells a magnetic plate with a copper face for this purpose...

I bet you know all about it, but I wish I had known about this trick, it would have saved a lot of frustration!!

[garage gnome]

I did that when fixing the toolbox. I used some copper flashing and it kept sticking. I don't think it was a good copper. There are a few spots that have some pretty big gaps. I'll try some copper tubing flattened out next time.

[1955CJ-5]

I even used some plain old 18 ga steel...you just have to twist it loose when it is still hot.....or you have a little "extra" non-original part!

[zooke581]

Are you all using flux core or gas?  I just purchased the gas setup for my lincoln welder to do the body.

[garage gnome]

I use gas, 25% CO2, 75% Argon. I'm going to try the copper tubing next time. Thanks for the ideas.

[garage gnome]

Thanks to Bob W's website, I now know what the logo looks like.



And with help from the 2A page guys, I know how to letter it up.



And it looks like I picked the right green based on these pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53074154@N00/8587099037/in/photostream/

http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/fire/Oregon.html

[Bob W]

Mine also had that writing below the sticker

Department of Agriculture
� �� �� �� Forest Service

[SteveW]

The copper works quite well. I use some tubing flattened and have a couple different pieces made to use for different types of areas. After you have tacked it then you stich weld doing small runs leaving gaps so it doesn't get too hot and then work in the gaps until it's filled. That is a nice green color on those jeeps.

[garage gnome]

Haven't done too much to this lately. Been busy with getting back to school and settling in with the routine.

Anywho, I repaired the last structural section of the body, the area where the tailgate hinges bolt to. I still have some minor rust to repair, but all the structural stuff is fixed. Then I wanted to set the body back on the frame to make sure it didn't get tweaked and to see what I have to do for the PTO.

My friend posing for the camera...



Plenty of room for the PTO!

[garage gnome]

And the toe gusset does clear R&Ps dual MC kit fine.

[Bill]

That looks nice.  With the tool box in place you will never tell that the tub needed to be modified for the pto

[garage gnome]

Exactly Bill! And it doesn't need to be modified by much either.

[garage gnome]

Had a couple hours to kill this afternoon after plowing and playing with the '53 in the snow, so I fabbed up a piece to cover the PTO hole.



And with the tool box in place, you can't even tell its modified. Only problem is, if something is in that far corner, it will be a pain to get out! I can't fit my hand between the toolbox and the mod.