Grand Willys Project

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by CJ6np435

very neat work GoJeep! have you considered galvanic corrosion on your earthing nutsert?

That is a worthwhile point and went out and checked the nutserts. They are plated steel thank goodness!

[CJ6np435]

Originally Posted by Gojeep

That is a worthwhile point and went out and checked the nutserts. They are plated steel thank goodness!

Excellent, last thing you want is an earth fault with all the electrics!

[Gojeep]

Always looking at things outside of the automotive area to see if they can be utilised. What I am making here is a simple bonnet prop. The components are all 316 stainless steel normally used for bimini tops on boats.


I drilled and tapped some 5mm-3/16" steel and welded it to the flange of the bonnet support to hold the plastic storage clip.


I wanted it to sit up as high as possible towards the bonnet skin to give me the clearance over the suspension tower support.


The hinge is attached to another 5mm-3/16" plate that was welded inside the front support. The whole support could then be finally welded in place after it was all painted underneath.


The stainless tubing is 22mm-7/8"x1.6mm-16g to suit the bimini ends. There are other sizes as well. They were just expoxied into place.


The support is just swung to the side and forward and the end sits between two gussets that reinforce the top of the fan surround. The bonnet is kept nice and high to give plenty of working space on the sides.


Clips nicely out of the way for storage. I looked at fitting, and even tried, two gas struts instead. But more bonnet supports would have to be added and thought to just use the KISS principle instead. This also allows me to flip the bonnet right back against the front of the cab should I need clear access from the side near the firewall.


I had also planned to use this style of bimini hinge for the grille supports at each end. Thought it would look rather neat. But because I added the box tubing as part of the front guard strengthening, the grille is already fully supported and has no flexing like normal.

[Gojeep]

Having suffered 'car-owner' virus the last 10 years of this build, business as usual with self quarantine isolation in the workshop.


For the lower bonnet prop mount I made a retainer from some scrap stainless and a stainless screw with some of the thread removed.


The bends ensure that the pin is exactly 90* to the prop end fitting. The pin was threaded into a tapped hole in the bracket.


Pin goes through the existing fitting hole and stops the bonnet ever being blown back into the cab with a big gust of wind.

[Gojeep]

Working on the front stone tray or valance that goes between the grille and tucks under the bumper. The two outer creases normally line up with the outer edges of the centre part of the grille, but because I added the extra two slots, it needs to be widened. Same for the flat part on each side as well.


Fortunately I was given a spare valance by a good friend Christos that I can use for parts.


The spare is the top one after I stripped over a 1/4" of filler over the whole panel. They had tried to flatten the centre rib and creases to make it smooth.


Flattening the centre rib caused the angled part to change so it no longer matched the grille and also for it to bow. Basically they stretched out a tuck shrink. I have started to hammer it back in using a rounded chisel.


Worked the sides back in using another rounded chisel that matched the curvature.


The back one is the spare now with the centre rib back in place. I soaked it in a tub of double strength vinegar for a few days to get rid of the rust. I don't have my citric acid bath setup anymore.


It now matches the width of the centre part of the grille but I don't like how the factory gap is bigger along the flat part.


Made some adjustments and it is much better now.


I have brought material up from the back flange to extend its length. I did this over a stake with a rounded top that fitted up inside the radius. I kept the valance sitting above the stake the amount I wanted it to extend by. Then hammered across the top of the valance from the back towards the front widening the top of the radius.


Once that was done, I needed to get the radius back to the same size again. I kept the stake in the back of the radius and then hammered out the excess down the front face of the valance. This is hard to explain!


Now the gap is the same as well as the radius along the top. It will sit a bit further out than this as the valance will be frame mounted and not touching the rubber body mounted grille.

[fairmont1998]

Fantastic work again Marcus. Always look forward to your updates.

[oldon]

Made some adjustments and it is much better now. Australia's own Ron Covell.