1964 Nissan Patrol soft top restoration
- Thread starter RMP&O
- Start date
90mx5texas
New member
Great job!!!! atta boy!!! it's gonna look better than new.....
For your barn doors this link may be helpful....
http://stores.ebay.com/oem-alternatives
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NISSAN-PATR...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item416b41fa65
For your barn doors this link may be helpful....
http://stores.ebay.com/oem-alternatives
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NISSAN-PATR...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item416b41fa65
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Thanks! Geez, first post by you, thanks I feel privileged!
You can be sure though I have been all over the internet (worldwide) and then some finding parts for this project. And those items linked to Ebay I do not need but thanks again for the links.
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Screw that! It is not my truck, if it was I may be that cheap, even in my old age!
I got a blaster but didn't have enough medium to do this frame or the right kind of medium. Plus it is a messy job, on this truck would rather just pay somebody to do it.
It started raining so I have the frame in the new shop area now. Will be starting in on the things I need to do to it in the next few days. Some welding and few other things, then we got to get some paint on this thing!
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
So I spent a good number of hours on the Patrol last night.
The shop isn't even done and I am already using it and loving it too! It is small and tight but I got plenty of room to work.
A detail shot on an area of corrosion, obviously after cleaning it up a lot.
I think the frame and frame rails all naked like this are just sexy! :cheesygrin:
I cut the battery box brackets off, man this was a total pita! Nissan really glued these to the frame. I took my time and got them off fairly clean though. All new brackets and a shelf is being fabricated. Glad we did it because there was corrosion in the brackets and also behind them. All clean now and no more rust!
We got the #2 cross member finished up in terms of welding a few days ago. The whole thing is welded inside and out. Pretty welds....
And I am using the Utes cross member for reference. It is one of the few I have ever seen that isn't full of dents!
I have worked the cross member now down to 120grit. It shaped up pretty nice and I am almost done with it. Just a bit more shaping and sanding.
The shop isn't even done and I am already using it and loving it too! It is small and tight but I got plenty of room to work.
A detail shot on an area of corrosion, obviously after cleaning it up a lot.
I think the frame and frame rails all naked like this are just sexy! :cheesygrin:
I cut the battery box brackets off, man this was a total pita! Nissan really glued these to the frame. I took my time and got them off fairly clean though. All new brackets and a shelf is being fabricated. Glad we did it because there was corrosion in the brackets and also behind them. All clean now and no more rust!
We got the #2 cross member finished up in terms of welding a few days ago. The whole thing is welded inside and out. Pretty welds....
And I am using the Utes cross member for reference. It is one of the few I have ever seen that isn't full of dents!
I have worked the cross member now down to 120grit. It shaped up pretty nice and I am almost done with it. Just a bit more shaping and sanding.
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Today's episode was to cut the last bad areas from the frame and make patch pieces for it. I also coated the inside of the frame with Rust Bullet that are open now and hollow, ie #3 cross member, rear bumper, ect.
Here are the rotten areas that had to go....
A pretty funky factory weld...
To get to these areas needing repair I had to cut this piece off.
Bit of corrosion hiding under it...
The other side is good though and doesn't need repair. The side I am repairing definitely held some crud for many years.
So I cut out the rusty/thin parts...
And I made new pieces....
The cap for the cross member to replace the one I cut off....
With all the pieces stacked on!
Some shots of coating inside the frame and on the inside of the #2 cross member with Rust Bullet.
In the next few days welding all this stuff on starts!
Cheers
Here are the rotten areas that had to go....
A pretty funky factory weld...
To get to these areas needing repair I had to cut this piece off.
Bit of corrosion hiding under it...
The other side is good though and doesn't need repair. The side I am repairing definitely held some crud for many years.
So I cut out the rusty/thin parts...
And I made new pieces....
The cap for the cross member to replace the one I cut off....
With all the pieces stacked on!
Some shots of coating inside the frame and on the inside of the #2 cross member with Rust Bullet.
In the next few days welding all this stuff on starts!
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Today's episode is....
Welding pieces back on! The #3 cross member is all done, rear bumper patch is done and both sides in the rear are ready for shackle hangers, front patch on frame rail where bumper/winch mounts is done. Blah blah blah! :roll:
Plating the whole inside cap of the #2 cross member before welding the bottom on. The cap is already new, about 12g. and I ground out the last of the crappy steel under the trans mounts. 1/8" plates going in making the cap now about 3/16's, nice a solid!
Going to lay another bead on these where needed and sand more, only about half way done. Still got to trim the shelves too.
Tossed a weld in the corner where the crappy factory one was at. That was about the only shoddy factory weld I find on the truck. Two others though we are going to lay a bead on to buff them up a touch.
Got these pieces all glued on and sanded...
Where the patch was done on the rear bumper and some of the scaring filled in then sanded back.
This is the other side in the back that was all scarred up.
Front frame rail patch done, going to lay another weld on the shackle hanger.
And the #3 cross member is all done plus ready to mount our new leaf hangers. I am very happy with the results of the restoration on this cross member.
Getting close to being done with all these repairs now!
Cheers
Welding pieces back on! The #3 cross member is all done, rear bumper patch is done and both sides in the rear are ready for shackle hangers, front patch on frame rail where bumper/winch mounts is done. Blah blah blah! :roll:
Plating the whole inside cap of the #2 cross member before welding the bottom on. The cap is already new, about 12g. and I ground out the last of the crappy steel under the trans mounts. 1/8" plates going in making the cap now about 3/16's, nice a solid!
Going to lay another bead on these where needed and sand more, only about half way done. Still got to trim the shelves too.
Tossed a weld in the corner where the crappy factory one was at. That was about the only shoddy factory weld I find on the truck. Two others though we are going to lay a bead on to buff them up a touch.
Got these pieces all glued on and sanded...
Where the patch was done on the rear bumper and some of the scaring filled in then sanded back.
This is the other side in the back that was all scarred up.
Front frame rail patch done, going to lay another weld on the shackle hanger.
And the #3 cross member is all done plus ready to mount our new leaf hangers. I am very happy with the results of the restoration on this cross member.
Getting close to being done with all these repairs now!
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Not much of an update but....
1/8" plate is all welded in the top/cap of the #2 cross member. As mentioned, total thickness now on the top/cap is about 3/16" exactly. A big upgrade from the stock 12g this cross member is made out of.
taped it off and painted it with Rust Bullet. It will be hard to get it coated once the bottom is welded on so why not do it now!?
The bottom of the cross member we have fabricated has now gotten three coats of Rust Bullet on the inside. I also scribed it more to fit the top after the 1/8" plate was welded in. It is now ready tog o and should be welded on in the next few days.
Cheers
1/8" plate is all welded in the top/cap of the #2 cross member. As mentioned, total thickness now on the top/cap is about 3/16" exactly. A big upgrade from the stock 12g this cross member is made out of.
taped it off and painted it with Rust Bullet. It will be hard to get it coated once the bottom is welded on so why not do it now!?
The bottom of the cross member we have fabricated has now gotten three coats of Rust Bullet on the inside. I also scribed it more to fit the top after the 1/8" plate was welded in. It is now ready tog o and should be welded on in the next few days.
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Thanks bro, means a lot coming from you!! And yeah, sandwiched steel will have some rust/corrosion no matter what on a 40-50yr old 4wd. Just about got it all dealt with in this Patrol though.
The #2 cross member bottom got welded on today. I think it looks killer! I will still have to sand it a bunch and grind the weld off the edge to make it look as much like a stock one as possible.
Cheers
washington taco
Explorer
You have some mad skills!!
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Thank you sir. But just to clarify, I am not doing the welding on this truck. I am doing everything else (besides body work too) but my welds are not up to par for the level of restoration we are doing. I know an out of work certified welder so I gave him some things to do and put some money in his pocket. He likes to work on trucks more then other fabrication work too so it is working out for us both. I prep everything for my welder friend, he simply comes over and lays down the beads, I then clean it all up. Also this isn't my truck anymore, (I sold it) and I require as well as my client requires welds like you see above. In time perhaps my welding will get at least good enough for me to be happy with it, besides that I have got everything else dialed.
Cheers!
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
This evening was welding fest!! :lol:
Seriously though, we went to town on welding tonight. It is all done now besides the battery box stuff, some wire harness tabs being replaced and any fill in or clean up after I grind/sand things back.
After more then an hour of measuring stock leaf hanger/shackle hanger locations on a 65 frame I have to use as reference, well we decide to just go for it and weld on the hangers. I had planned to just tack weld on the hangers and then test fit everything before burning them on for good. However, it occurred to me during all the plotting of the hangers that as long as they match stock it is ultimately what we want. If shackle angle comes out off it won't be due to the hanger locations it will be in the leaf springs, since we are matching up the hangers to stock locations. So it was decided to simply glue on the hangers in the stock locations and worry about if the leaf springs are right later rather then trying to compensate for off leaf springs by moving the hangers now. Since the truck is a restoration to stock the hangers need to go in the stock locations and leaf springs need to suit this, there is no other way to go with it. So after a bunch of plotting and such we burned on the hangers....again I used several things to get them in the stock location. One being the 49.3" spread eye to eye as per the Nissan manual and the next being locations on the 65 frame of the hangers used for reference. I got so say, if this wasn't a restoration it would be easier since I wouldn't be so worried about things matching up to stock. :ugeek:
The front leaf hanger on the back leaves burned on.
Another view...and the other side.
The RuffStuff way back shackle hangers glued on solid.
All four hangers on and ready to rock...
Holding the rear Alcan leaf spring in place. It is square, it lines up but it looks to short! Can't jump to any conclusions until all the weight is on the springs.
The rest of the pictures are just of welds and such after the frame was flipped over. By the end of this coming weekend I plan to go over everything with a grinder and sander and clean it all up. if I am lucky we will get the battery box fabricated and be just about 100% complete with frame resto by then too. But ya' know how plans go with a restoration! :roll:
The booger welds on the #2 cross member side and top are to fill in imperfections. Clean up with grinder/sander and it will look much better.
Repairs from the topside, details...going to be some fun grinding and sanding this all back! :shock:
New school meets old school!?
The NOS leaf hanger....
The frame right side up!
Cheers
Seriously though, we went to town on welding tonight. It is all done now besides the battery box stuff, some wire harness tabs being replaced and any fill in or clean up after I grind/sand things back.
After more then an hour of measuring stock leaf hanger/shackle hanger locations on a 65 frame I have to use as reference, well we decide to just go for it and weld on the hangers. I had planned to just tack weld on the hangers and then test fit everything before burning them on for good. However, it occurred to me during all the plotting of the hangers that as long as they match stock it is ultimately what we want. If shackle angle comes out off it won't be due to the hanger locations it will be in the leaf springs, since we are matching up the hangers to stock locations. So it was decided to simply glue on the hangers in the stock locations and worry about if the leaf springs are right later rather then trying to compensate for off leaf springs by moving the hangers now. Since the truck is a restoration to stock the hangers need to go in the stock locations and leaf springs need to suit this, there is no other way to go with it. So after a bunch of plotting and such we burned on the hangers....again I used several things to get them in the stock location. One being the 49.3" spread eye to eye as per the Nissan manual and the next being locations on the 65 frame of the hangers used for reference. I got so say, if this wasn't a restoration it would be easier since I wouldn't be so worried about things matching up to stock. :ugeek:
The front leaf hanger on the back leaves burned on.
Another view...and the other side.
The RuffStuff way back shackle hangers glued on solid.
All four hangers on and ready to rock...
Holding the rear Alcan leaf spring in place. It is square, it lines up but it looks to short! Can't jump to any conclusions until all the weight is on the springs.
The rest of the pictures are just of welds and such after the frame was flipped over. By the end of this coming weekend I plan to go over everything with a grinder and sander and clean it all up. if I am lucky we will get the battery box fabricated and be just about 100% complete with frame resto by then too. But ya' know how plans go with a restoration! :roll:
The booger welds on the #2 cross member side and top are to fill in imperfections. Clean up with grinder/sander and it will look much better.
Repairs from the topside, details...going to be some fun grinding and sanding this all back! :shock:
New school meets old school!?
The NOS leaf hanger....
The frame right side up!
Cheers
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
I put in a lot of hours on the Patrol today. It doesn't look like much in the pictures because it was all slow detail work!
I added some new 3/8" drain holes directly behind the leaf hangers.
I ground the #2 cross member weld back all the way around with the die grinder...
Before grinding
And after....
I also worked the top of the #2 cross member a lot today, flipped the frame over, I didn't do it on my back!
We are going to weld all the way around the #2 cross member again and then grind it back again. After that work it with the sander along this edge. Point of all this is to make it look like a stamped out section like it was stock on the truck.
Cheers
I added some new 3/8" drain holes directly behind the leaf hangers.
I ground the #2 cross member weld back all the way around with the die grinder...
Before grinding
And after....
I also worked the top of the #2 cross member a lot today, flipped the frame over, I didn't do it on my back!
We are going to weld all the way around the #2 cross member again and then grind it back again. After that work it with the sander along this edge. Point of all this is to make it look like a stamped out section like it was stock on the truck.
Cheers
