Grand Willys Project

[Penguintas]

+1 - part of the regular weekly read. In some ways will be disappointed if the build is ever finished. But will it every be truly finished

[Gojeep]

Got a year specific workshop manual downloaded for my 2008 donor and it is states the airbag module checks both seats which have a position sensor so it can calculate have much force and timing of the airbag deployment. So might still get rid of the light once they are plugged in.


As I have my front bumper back from being rechromed, time to add the parking assist sensors. Have to make a harness for them so might as well be comfortable while doing it. So have a stool to save my back and my Dr. Who Tardis mug filled with 1/2 a litre of coffee!


I was able to carefully remove the sensor holders from the damaged donor front bumper and put new automotive double sided tape on them to stick them back on this bumper. I'm still after another set for the rear sensors if anyone has some.


Just painting the Willys stamped in script. I use these ZIG Painty enamel paint pens from Japan just bought at the local newsagent.


You shake the pen to mix the paint inside with a ball bearing just like a spray can. Then depress the tip to flow the paint into the tip. Keeps well if you keep them stored tip down.



Any paint that goes outside the stamped script I just wipe off with a cotton rag dipped in acetone pulled tightly over a small screw driver.


I made a new licence plate holder from some scrap stainless that had been power coated. Used a strip disc to remove the power coat and emery paper and a little polishing mop in the drill. Bumper is held on using Holden FB/EK bumper bolts and the licence plate holder with HD/HQ ones.


Bumper back on again. Still trying to get two more OEM chrome 2006-2008 WK/WH rear parking sensors.Think they blend in well and look like the original bumper bolts from a distance.


I kept the off cuts from the dash top. I will use them to get the hole templates for the parking assist display and the sun sensor. I have to move them back into the remainder of the dash pad.


The parking sensor lights up leds from the outside in depending on how close you are. Only one side will light up on the side the obstacle is on if offset. The sun sensor has two inside so it knows which side the sun is shinning on to vary the A/C left to right. Also used to turn on the auto headlights.


I didn't make the cab quite wide enough to fit the dash pad in, even though the rest of the dash fits lower down. Was hard to calculate exactly where the A pillar and dash angles was going to end up in relation to each other when I was working out the width of the cab.


I have cut out a small wedge to pull in a much as I can without cutting into the top vent for the side window defroster vent.


Using a soldering iron, I plastic welded it back together from the under side. I hold the iron at about 45* and push most of the way into the thickness of the material before pulling up and going back in directly behind the last dip. Need good strength here as the plastic was under tension. I cut that long piece from the scrap dash part to melt in over the top of the join.


The extra piece has been melted into the back of the first weld to strengthen the join.


A very light pass over the top with the iron and you would not notice it very easily.

[SeaComms]

I remember that soldering iron plastic welding technique very well from lots of years ago! Back in the early 70s a group of us used to fly plastic control line model aircraft, I had a Corsair, mates had P17's. After a hard landing (ok, crash..) out came the soldering iron and weld it back together!

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by SeaComms

I remember that soldering iron plastic welding technique very well from lots of years ago! Back in the early 70s a group of us used to fly plastic control line model aircraft, I had a Corsair, mates had P17's. After a hard landing (ok, crash..) out came the soldering iron and weld it back together!

Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk

Don't think I used it before the 90's, so you were well ahead of me on that one!

[Gojeep]

Just a little update.


The donor air ducts were a weird shape and there was not enough room to run them as is. So remoulded, shaped and plastic welded them to take flexible ducting instead.


Top one is the side window defrost and the lower is the normal outlet.


I have a new roll of the original door rubber profile, but want to keep that for after it is painted. It needs to be glued on so no way to remove it intact. But to get a roadworthy I have to have door rubber in place, so the local Clark Rubber store had some self adhesive auto rubber that I thought could work.


It fits really well and might even use some more after paint! The cutouts at the bottom are so the water drains are not blocked.


I dropped the donor leather seats into place. Full electric with lumbar adjustment and heated etc. Easy job as they will just bolt into the donor floor I have used. Tested to see if the airbag light would go out and now it does.


Also fitted 'A' profile V belts to replace the rotted out tack strips. Fit perfectly and will take staples well too I read for the upholstery.

[Gojeep]

Sorry that the video is a bit long winded, but a COVID-19 lockdown gives you more time to do it!

https://youtu.be/sxyPZUez3DM

[Gojeep]

Just wondering on choosing some rear lights for the Willys. I must have amber turn signals/indicators so rules out a lot of US based lights that I like. I can get the ones I have on the front from a Chevy in red also, so could make a pair that way. Another thought is to make all my lights from a Defender as I already have the LED headlights that were on some of them. They are the same size overall but the Land Rover ones would show more lens and are domed versus flat of the Chevy ones. I like the chrome on both of them as ties in with the headlights etc.