The preservation of "Hoover" - my '51 CJ3A

[JeepFever]

I got a little time this weekend to work on Hoover.� �While working on fuel opening,� I noticed these holes.� �Are they stock?� �I can't imagine what they might be used for.

Cab overpressure relief ports? LOL
Mine has no Cab overpressure relief ports, now I'm am thinking I should drill more holes. not!

You did really have me laughing on that comment.� �:)

I also wondered if these were to attach some kind of PO installed security from fuel thieves.

If nobody else has these holes,� I am welding them up.

[JeepFever]

I noticed how flimsy the driver side panel is without any inner brackets� . .� even after adding the "L" shaped bracket,   the side has a lot of movement, because the wheel housing allows a lot of deflection (first photo)

Do all '3A's have bow top brackets? (second photo)� �They seem to provide a lot of support to the side panel.�

I am going to make a duplicate of the passenger side for the driver side,� �and see how much it stiffens up everything.

[JeepFever]

I can't seem to find my "before" photo of the driver-side top bow bracket area.� �The wheel well was rusted out in that area.

I am no expert,� but these are my steps to replacement.

223 -> Plasma-cutting the patch material and rusted area at same time.� (results in guaranteed-to-fit patch panel)  I use a piece of aluminum from a window screen as straight-edge.  It fits my plasma torch very well,  spacing the torch approx. .060 from the surface.
224 -> after cutting
225 -> patch held in place with PC harddrive magnets� ( I like having a gap,� �that ensures good weld penetration)
226 -> welded in
227 -> grinding off high spots with grinding wheel
228 -> grind/sand with flapper wheel
229 -> what I mean by flapper wheel,� a 4.5" version, and 9" version.� �These seem to work a lot better at "flattening" an area, compared to a grinding wheel.

[Trenton]

love the idea of cutting the replacement patch and the damage out at the same time.

[JeepFever]

I normally would have just filled in the welds with body filler and moved on,  but have been inspired by some of the craftsman on this site and others.   I decided to try to see if I could make this patch even better. . .  Using hammer and dolly,  I pushed out the sunken weld,  then hit again with flapper.    The top of patch was not easily accessed by hammer,  so for me, it will be a filler fix.


For a "preservation" I am happy with results.

[JeepFever]

I mentioned earlier that the top bow brackets appear to add a lot of support to the side panel.

This is my attempt at a replacement for driver side.   I duplicated the passenger side with aluminum flashing,  then reversed all the bends to create mirror image.  This was then flattened, and used to trace outline on patch material.

The original measures approx., .100 inch thick material,  the closest I had was .115".   This stuff was really hard to bend.   I had to grind it thinner in the areas that got bent.

It's not perfect,  but should fool most everyone,  except BobW or similar.   

I did not get much time to work on it this weekend,   still need to weld it up

[Bob W]

Looks really good to me.

[Trenton]

nice work. after just doing a bunch of body work and i am by no means a body guy, i appreciate how tough it can be. your repair looks great too.

[JeepFever]

Thanks guys!   

Bodywork can be so time consuming,  for amateurs like me,  but I assume also for pros. 

I was getting ready to weld in the bow-top brackets,  then realized I was missing a piece.    Fabricating this "M" piece took all of my garage time this evening.

Still trying to figure out how to weld all this together. 
  - If I weld the "M" piece and the other 2 into an assembly, then it might not fit the wheel house and side too well.
 - if I weld the 2 brackets to wheelhouse and side first,  then I am not too sure how to position and weld the "M" piece inside.

Oh well,  hopefully I will figure something out.

[athawk11]

Nicely done on the bracket!

For placement on the "M" spacer, stick a 1" O.D. tube in the bow pocket and butt the "M" up to the tube.  Leave it a little loose for paint etc.  If you have no intentions of using a top and bows, you can probably leave the spacer out all together.  I promise not to tell.

Tim

 

[athawk11]

Fever,
The M had me wondering all day.  Got home and looked at the pockets on both '49 3As.  They both have a full size insert/spacer against the tub wall.  Not saying the M isn't original.  Perhaps the design was changed at some point.  The top of the photo is the tub wall.

[JeepFever]

For placement on the "M" spacer, stick a 1" O.D. tube in the bow pocket and butt the "M" up to the tube.�
�

I was thinking of using that same idea,  and maybe using a piece of two-sided tape to hold the "M" in place.  One of the problems is that mine does not rest on the floor,  so has to be held up.  (and it would be difficult hold the piece on inside with the tubing blocking the opening.    Plus the tape would give a little clearance.

[JeepFever]

I am hoping to have a top, of some kind, one day,� . . .  so want to get this right.

Wondering now if I am trying to duplicate the passenger side,� and it is not correct.� . .  �Maybe someone jammed a larger pipe in the "hole" at one time?� � I can put a 1.050" dia deep-well socket in the bracket, and it is a little sloppy. . .� 1.090 will start, but not fit.� � I am curious what fits in '3A tubs that are in better condition?

Here are a couple photos of mine,� the "M" does not come all the way to top,� or rest on the bottom.� Note also how the top rail is radiused.� �I thought this was factory,� but maybe it is from "abuse".

Oh, forgot to mention.� �I do have a set of (what I believe to be original) top bows.� �They are packed away behind other stuff so can't measure at the bottom,� but the upright tubes closer to the top measure in approx. 1.010 or slightly less.

[JeepFever]

Tim, I am SO glad you made your post to this thread,  you saved me from welding up what most likely would been a driver-side top-bow bracket that would have been too large.

To make this one,  I was measuring from the top of my passenger-side bracket,  that is most likely flared out.

I found a deep-wheel socket that is 1.010 and it is VERY loose in my new bracket. 

[JeepFever]

Here is a summary of the measurements of what I have.  Could someone take measurements of what it "should" be? 

Top bows ->  I forgot how rusted mine are where they insert into the bracket,  so no way to measure that.   But above the curve,  (right hand side of photo below),  it consistently measures approx. 1.010"

Passenger-side bracket -> accepts somewhere between 1.050 and 1.090 tube  (1.090 will insert about 3/8", because of the flare at top)

Rear brackets -> I can not reliably measure, because they are so banged up,  but the bottom measurement of one, seems to be 1.030 or more,  which does not seem right.   Maybe someone forced larger tubing into it?