Gone surfing...

Sweet build!

 

Well that other project I was helping a friend with turned out pretty o.k…so back to work on mine

 

Well...finally back to work on my on truck. I need to finish up the camper shell project I started last year, this is all just tacked together and roughed in so don't judge the body work yet...it will end up looking as good as the fenders on the 81'


Shaved the 3rd brake light because it always leaked and I have a Baja Designs RTL that will be on the back of the roof rack on the shell. ( all of the brown stuff on the inside of the shell is just the old carpet glue ) I removed the fold down front window of the shell because it weighs a ton and was pretty worn out, planning on cutting the front window opening to match the cab window and then run a compression boot :




I wanted to eliminate the crappy clamps that most shells use that hook into the OE accessory bed rails. I don't use those rails at all so I have removed them and the shell now through bolts with 1/2" stainless hardware :



If you've been following along you may remember the gusseted bed rail supports that JD Fab made for me, the 1/2" stainless bolts go through the shell, bedsides and the gussets ( ignore the strut nut that's just temp )



The new base of the shell has been rough trimmed to match the curve of the top of the +6 Fiberwerx bedsides. There will be 4-6 layers of cloth laid up on the inside and outside of the shell to bond it to the base plate it's just tacked on with some short strand filler right now. Fiberglass cloth does not like tight corners so a small radius of short strand will be on the outside and inside before the cloth is laid up. After that I will use short strand filler to carve out a nice shape to blend the new base into the shell :




So...here are the next two stupid ideas

I need a place to put a couple of trans cooler fans so after watching one too many MCD vids I've decided to mount them in the shell and build duct / inlets on both sides of the shell that will replace the small rear pop out windows, here's an low fi photochop of the idea :


and...I have always hated the headlights on this truck and how the glass fenders distort to accommodate the oe headlights, how weak they mount / easily break & the expense of retro fits for decent light output. So thoughts are :

1. The weird fit is caused by the " bubble " shape and how the oe headlights wrap around the corner...how to get rid of that ?
2. Weak = oe plastic mounting tabs... need something that mounts with metal
3. Crappy light output...need something with more options

So here is my idea :

Use a 7" round headlight - tons of options, metal old school mounts easily adjustable & strong, much better light output. Pop a mold off the grill and headlight and make the grill all one piece & form a recessed pocket for the 7" light at the same depth as the other grill recesses. Last but not least reshape the front corner of the fender to match the new grill grill shape.

 

Made some progress on the shell, today was all about fitment.

The shell was about 1/4”” too long on one side and 1/2” too long on the other…yeah no sh*t the shell was not square. With the front corners lined up the back corners over hung by those amounts. Part of it was expected because the shell has those overlapping bottom edges to fit the oe bedsides so with those cut off I expected it to be too long but the uneven part was a shocker.

I measured everything and found that the uneven portion was between the back of the rear side window and the back corner. So, this made sectioning the back of the shell to shorten a little tricky because it had to be trimmed 1/4” on one side and 1/2” on the other with a V across the top.

Once it was cut I tacked it back together with some temp hardware because there is a lot more prep to do before glassing it. DA’d the whole shell and removed all of the old window urethane.

Next i will have to grind all of the edges of the cuts on the exterior to make a long V bevel groove for the cloth to sit in and grind the inside along the cut to prep it for cloth as well. The inside will get multiple layers of 6oz cloth to ensure it is sturdy.

 

Not my style at all
But I really dig it dude!
Good job
Keep crushing it

 

I think that you have some great ideas!
I’m wanting to get fiberglass fenders in the very near future & you’re giving me some good suggestions.
I also have a cap & was thinking of selling it.
I’m going to follow along & see how it goes.

 

Is your truck in the queue with MCD yet ? We're going to start the next phase of mine soon...cage etc so she's basically going to be like a lux pre runner but with a shell and keep the bed functional

 

I’m gonna use my diplomatic words


It’s been at MCD in cue for years, but
There have been more pressing projects for him to chase.
So I have been doing my best to wait patiently while building the LT motor to put in it

 

Thanks again for the window! Stoke to be able to see out my back window. You need to update this thread…..interested to see how things are coming along with the cage

 

Slow but steady progress on the shell.

The outside edge of the shell is bonded to the 1/4" fiberglass board with small 1/2" radius of short strand filler and now 12 layers of heavy woven cloth, the idea was to build it as thick as the wall of the shell. The inside will have the same, seems like overkill but I fully intend to put a roof rack back on the shell and use a new hard shell RTT for our travels. Fiberglass cloth does not like sharp angles so using a small radius of short strand filler in the corners and then sanding it smooth allows the fiberglass cloth to fit the tight corners. That is why if you ever sand into a fiberglass bedside or fender you may find some small pockets of filler, they use that in trouble spots to eliminate potential air pockets.

At the base of the shell I wanted to match the curve at the top of the Fiberwerx bedside which is more of a parabolic radius so I mocked up a few different curves with an old school drafting french curve and cut some sample templates out of template board. When I settled on the curve I cut a custom sanding block out of a chunk of a 2x4 on a band saw...so that is all hand blocked solid fiberglass & short strand fiberglass filler. That was the only way I could think of to get that radius consistent ?

The white line between the top of the bedside and the bottom of the shell is a thick plastic like the template material a lot of fab shops use. It is the same thickness as the compressed thickness of the bulb seal that the shell will have. Having that solid substrate there allows me to sand the bedside and shell as one piece so the body lines / curves will match up.


Here is that custom sanding block I made, the edge/ridge at the top rides along the edge under the shell window as I sand...also the only way I could think to keep it consistent :






I know shells are not everyone's cup o' tea but this should look pretty cool & unique when it is done IMO

 

New links? Really wish that guy who did yours was still someone who could be trusted

 

more than new links, everything new -boxing entire frame, making a carrier bearing cross member that is a Y brace for the chassis, new bed cage, 16” co & 18” bypass, jd inner fenders and core support, jd bed boxes w/ compressor relo & batt relo

No, you don’t trust me…

 

Bad ass truck and way beyond my skills. Have you had any trips down south lately?

 

I mean JTA, heard some interesting things about that guy

 

Why no frame notch? Just curious,

 

don’t want the third member or pumpkin coming through the floor of the bed. the 3 link is being set up a lot like i already had it but going from DIY to JD quality, from a 12” co to a 16”co and a 18” bypass

will prob cycle 22” + ? which is stupid overkill vs +4 kit up front so im happy with it

i use the hell out of the bed of the truck so i want to keep the floor flat

the bed rack is built so that it is flush with the top of the bed rails so we can build tubs to cover the co & bypass. sealed bed with a shell and that much travel = win

 

Gotcha! You're sticking with 3 link?

 

yes, my budget took a huge hit so working out a smog legal fuel cell and a cage fell off the list for now

 

You gunna come out to ocotillo with the JD guys next week to rip with us? Or hammers? I think @Airdog is coming too!