RattleTest01.JPG
2070 hits | 88 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
Just to see how difficult it is & how the spray cans turn out, I scuffed the fender that I plan to r...

RattleTest02.JPG
1711 hits | 93.56 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
Just to see how difficult it is & how the spray cans turn out, I scuffed the fender that I plan to r...

RattleTest03.JPG
1681 hits | 80.26 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
Just to see how difficult it is & how the spray cans turn out, I scuffed the fender that I plan to r...

RattleTest04.JPG
1711 hits | 85.08 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
Using state-of-the-art masking & paint booth technology, I put a few light coats of primer on.

RattleTest05.JPG
1747 hits | 89.9 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
After a few seconds, I put on the first topcoat.

RattleTest06.JPG
1712 hits | 88.28 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
Then another topcoat.

RattleTest07.JPG
1610 hits | 96.31 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
After a few minutes, it looks OK.

...at least as good as the rest of the truck.

Fender01.JPG
1611 hits | 83.87 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
I picked this beauty up at a local junkyard for ~$30. What a steal!

Fender02.JPG
1590 hits | 89.17 KB | Posted: 9/14/08
The used 120-grit pad wasn't cutting it, so I switched to a used 80-grit. When that started coming ...

Fender03.JPG
1611 hits | 87.3 KB | Posted: 9/15/08
It took ~3/4 can of primer to get a few light coats on both sides & inside.

WagHVLPstain.jpg
502 hits | 72.64 KB | Posted: 3/13/16
This isn't marketed for paint, but it's good enough for this truck.

HVLP1.JPG
2028 hits | 102.64 KB | Posted: 9/15/08
I didn't expect show-quality from this, but I thought it might save some time.

HVLP2.JPG
1937 hits | 104.8 KB | Posted: 9/15/08
It's actually a REALLY good-looking spatter finish.


Too bad that's not what I want.

**...

Fender05.JPG
1694 hits | 83.54 KB | Posted: 9/15/08
After a failed attempt with the mighty Wagner HVLP deck stain gun on the inner face, I switched back...

Fender06.JPG
1651 hits | 68.23 KB | Posted: 9/15/08
It's building up slowly, and not as bad as I expected.

Door01.JPG
1780 hits | 87.43 KB | Posted: 9/16/08
I've emptied & pressure-washed this '95 door, and I'm about to sand it. The factory trim strip remo...

Door02.JPG
1578 hits | 88.83 KB | Posted: 9/16/08
The clearcoat is surprisingly tough - it stood up to the 80-grit sanding better than I thought it wo...

Door03.JPG
1647 hits | 84.86 KB | Posted: 9/17/08
Since this paint was in MUCH better condition than the fender, I only primed where I hit metal.

Door04.JPG
1583 hits | 97.95 KB | Posted: 9/17/08
Since this paint was in MUCH better condition than the fender, I only primed where I hit metal.

Door05.JPG
1628 hits | 48.82 KB | Posted: 9/17/08
The first LIGHT coat of paint.

Door06.JPG
1559 hits | 95.94 KB | Posted: 9/17/08
The first LIGHT coat of paint.

Door07.JPG
1571 hits | 84.7 KB | Posted: 9/19/08
Finished with the black. The light, hazy areas are reflections. I'll (probably) do the tan after i...

Door08.JPG
1526 hits | 91.45 KB | Posted: 9/19/08
Finished with the black. I'll (probably) do the tan after it & the fender are installed.

Fender09.JPG
1931 hits | 65.08 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The lower rear bolt (13mm) and the one in the door jamb (10mm) are out. With the hood supported, re...

Fender07.JPG
1813 hits | 107.34 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
First, I removed the battery, tray, starter relay, PA, coffee can, 2ndry air intake, & wheelwell for...

Fender08.JPG
1581 hits | 69.88 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
With the wheelwell gone, the six 8mm (5/16") bolts at the front of the fender are much easier to acc...

Fender12.JPG
1667 hits | 106.28 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The core support rotted out long ago, due to leaking batteries. But that section only holds the for...

Fender10.JPG
3141 hits | 101.22 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The fender then comes off easily. While it's off, I'll fix the exhaust leak. But the original reas...

Fender11.JPG
2185 hits | 92.04 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The cardboard on the body horn is the shim for adjusting the height of the fender to the door body l...

Fender13.JPG
1645 hits | 112.29 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
This is the only reason I'm replacing the fender - the nuts for the battery tray ripped out years ag...

Door09.JPG
2152 hits | 49.25 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
With the fender removed, the hinge bolts are EASY to access.

For door alignment, see this post:
htt...

Door10.JPG
1772 hits | 83.19 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The last time I worked on the hinges, the fender was in-place, and apparently, I forgot to tighten t...

Door11.JPG
1626 hits | 93.79 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The door has been emptied, and the wiring is loose inside it. It's ready to come off.

For more abo...

Door12.JPG
1630 hits | 100.42 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The door has been emptied, and the wiring is loose inside it. It's ready to come off.

This is an '...

Door13.JPG
1461 hits | 94.37 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The wiring connectors fit out the hole in the door, but the harness can also be unplugged from the p...

Door14.JPG
2207 hits | 75.26 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The doors use captive nut plates for the hinge bolts. The body's hinge nut plates are similar, as a...

Door15.JPG
1529 hits | 73.32 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The '92-96 door panels interfere with the '80-86 dash slightly, which is why the pad is dimpled & di...

Door16.JPG
1726 hits | 89.41 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
I got the orange-peel almost PERFECTLY even.

With the fender off, aligning the door will be VERY...

Door17.JPG
1922 hits | 73.99 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
This is just about where I want it. The weight of the internals should bring the door down just to ...

Door18.JPG
1779 hits | 73.64 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The door doesn't fit the opening exactly right, but considering what the body has been through, it's...

Door19.JPG
1477 hits | 84.89 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
After a little massaging, the door fits even better.

For door alignment, see this post:
http://www....

Door20.JPG
1480 hits | 45.24 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
It's barely visible, but there's a tapering gap between the door & body seal, indicating that THIS e...

Door21.JPG
1695 hits | 50.11 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
I've re-adjusted the hinges so the lower front edge of the door seals evenly. To make the rear edge...

Door23.JPG
1399 hits | 52.31 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
To complete the alignment, the latch & strike must be installed. This later style of lock motor mus...

Door24.JPG
2128 hits | 95.68 KB | Posted: 9/20/08
The '95 door lines match the '82 body lines perfectly. There was actually NO change to the door lin...

Fender14.JPG
2120 hits | 66.33 KB | Posted: 10/2/08
PERFECTION!!!

Tan01.JPG
1613 hits | 51.94 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
I got sick of seeing the all-black door & fender faster than I expected, so after hunting through ~5...

Tan02.JPG
1551 hits | 65.6 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
I didn't feel like painting the whole thing at once (& I couldn't find enough newspaper), so I just ...

Tan03.JPG
1490 hits | 66.81 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
The door was easier than I thought, so after supper, I moved the masks to the fender & shot a few qu...

Tan04.JPG
1590 hits | 69.27 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
The door was easier than I thought, so after supper, I moved the masks to the fender & shot a few qu...

Tan05.JPG
1479 hits | 54.67 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
After a few minutes, I pulled the masking off.

Tan06.JPG
1687 hits | 65.97 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
Good enough for me!

Tan07.JPG
1488 hits | 49.5 KB | Posted: 10/6/08
Good enough for me! It'll be spread across the rocks & trees at the SuperLift park in Hot Springs s...

TG01.JPG
1478 hits | 54.96 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
For the past ~5 years, I haven't been able to open my tailgate. I knew what caused it - these 2 & a...

TG02.JPG
1209 hits | 75.98 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
For the past ~5 years, I haven't been able to open my tailgate. I knew what caused it - these 2 & a...

TG03.JPG
1460 hits | 80.56 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The polyurethane body mounts aren't collapsed or compressed, but the body crossmember that rests on ...

TG04.JPG
1347 hits | 78.56 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
This is the L outboard end of that body crossmember. It holds the bedrail upright & supports the qu...

TG06.JPG
1380 hits | 74.66 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The polyurethane body mounts aren't collapsed or compressed, but the body crossmember that rests on ...

TG05.JPG
1367 hits | 81.18 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
This is the R outboard end of that body crossmember. It holds the bedrail upright & supports the qua...

TG07.JPG
1409 hits | 60.48 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
Before the frame shop worked on it, I couldn't get the t/g this far open (which still isn't all the ...

TG08a.JPG
1403 hits | 36.79 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The main bend in the body crossmember is close to the R body mount, where the visible kink is.

TG10.JPG
1418 hits | 68.09 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
To repair it, I'm going to use this I-beam (because I have it), but it has to be the right length. ...

TG11.JPG
1398 hits | 47.97 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The hooks on this ratcheting cargo strap fit perfectly, and the body crossmember is strong enough to...

TG23.JPG
1470 hits | 56.97 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
I laid the long beam across the bedrails & put my heaviest ratchet strap over it. The strap is just ...

TG11a.JPG
1901 hits | 64.83 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
As tension rises in the strap, there's a lot of groaning. The short beam is directly above the kink...

TG11b.JPG
1485 hits | 64.14 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The strap started off just snug, so it's stretching noticeably. The rags are being cut by the immen...

TG11c.JPG
1452 hits | 59.03 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
Yes, the beam is bending, too. And there's a real risk of the jack shooting out from under the beam...

TG12.JPG
1310 hits | 80.12 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
But the body is bending the way I planned, so it's working. For the first time in 5 years, the cabl...

TG13.JPG
1543 hits | 65.01 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
Despite the progress I made with the first pull, I decided to reset & use another jack. This time, ...

Gorilla.JPG
1345 hits | 76.44 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
I was surprised at how easily I was able to bend this 48" Gorilla Bar. Maybe it wasn't designe...

TG14.JPG
1438 hits | 74.82 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
This isn't making as much visible progress as the first pull, and I eventually put so much pressure ...

TG21.JPG
1375 hits | 62.54 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
After the explosion, I reset the cribbing & put a laminated wood board under the short beam to allow...

TG15.JPG
1341 hits | 78.74 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The rubber pad on the bumper lid is now barely touching the t/g trim panel, just like when I install...

TG22.JPG
1317 hits | 55.65 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
It's not visible, but the rubber pad on the bumper lid is now barely touching the t/g trim panel, ju...

TG16.JPG
1288 hits | 43.48 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
The apparent change is 1/2" on the L & 1" on the R.

TG25.JPG
1449 hits | 88.23 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
A vast improvement.

TG26.JPG
1531 hits | 61.2 KB | Posted: 6/13/09
It's obviously better, though not quite as flat as I had hoped. But the gap between the t/g & bumpe...