31.5 hours in and no end in sight.

I've been a bit delinquent in posting, but I've been tearing into Hanky bit by bit, a few hours here and there. By now the inner and outer quarters are off. As is the b pillar most of of the driver's side floor. 

Before I took it all apart, I made up some cross supports so that I could line things up before I cut them out and get them back into place when I put it back together. You saw them a few posts ago. 

I'm just over 30 hours into cutting. I could have done it faster with bigger blocks of time and better tools, but so be it. I think I'm getting down to usable metal. A sane person would bag it and get a new tub. But like I've said before, I have more sheet metal and welding wire than I do sense. Plus, I figure if I can get this thing back together, I can do just about anything. Plus I've had some neat ideas along the way. Perhaps I'll share those later too. 

I'm going to start from the front and work my way to the back. I'll probably leave the floor out until I get the b pillar and center mount put back in, then do the end cap and a piece of the rear floor before putting the quarters back on. 

As you might surmise from prior pics, or if you've seen Hanky in person, there wasn't much left of the mid mount. Or anything else for that matter. If so, you were right. Not much left of the floor either. Or the...  Well here, have a look. 

I've gone through a few cutting wheels. But I'm starting to fit in new panels. I'm scrapping a shop cabinet and an old waging machine for sheet metal. If I cut it right, I can get the bends already done. I was even able to get the lip for the floor where the door weather strip attaches. The first patches fit pretty well. I had to cut out a section of the vertical seam under the floor and some of the middle floor panel, so I cut two separate pieces to fit and retain the seam. 

Tonight I cut and chiseled off the remnants of the inner and outer quarters from the b pillar. The spot welds on the inner came off easily with a chisel, but I had to cut and grind the outers. No biggee, less than half an hour. 

Most of the chalky stuff is left over from the acid bath it got. I'll hit it with the sand blaster to clean it up before I weld the bottom back together. 

Next up is test fitting the mid mount repair panel. 

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

You never know what you are going to find inside a Scout. After tearing down the passenger side of Hanky a few years back, I had a pretty good guess as to what I would find when I cut off the driver's side quarter.  Even so. Well. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so they say.  

Brace yourself

Starting to tear into Hanky again. Made a trip down the Boulevard to get some angle iron with which to fashion adjustable braces with turnbuckles welded in. Took care of that little task on Thursday and got the rear brace installed, adjusted to get the gap right on the tailgate and then removed the tailgate. 

I figured before I get to cutting off the quarter, I oughta take out the gas tank.

So that was today's task. It didn't fight me too badly and before long I had the rear bumper off and the gas tank out,

along with a few pounds of Pinelands mud hidden up in the body. 

As I suspected, there is a bit more cancer hidden up in there and I think I'm going to need to replace the rear pan and either patch or replace the end caps.

I'm still having some starting issues too. Lately, it doesn't want to turn over with the key until I jump the solenoid. Then it cranks fine with the key. All the contacts at the starter are clean. I'll have to work my way back from there, I guess. 

Now just waiting for the battery to charge to get it back in the garage in advance of tomorrow's rain. Oh, that's another thing. I need to chase down a slow drain on the battery too.

Add it to the list. 

Leaky no leaky

Been fighting a losing battle with a leaky steering gear output shaft seal for a while now. Picked up a used unit at Crazy Rays a couple weekends ago, but wouldn't ya know it, it's the wrong sized output shaft. 

So I ordered a seal kit from Rock Auto. It got here yesterday, so my first task this morning was to install them. (Ok, second. I had to take leaves first). Went in no problem. I found that a prescription drug bottle is the perfect size to use as a driver to set them in place. Voila

Operation Seat Base

I finally got to work on the Scout. Last weekend, I put in the passenger side PT Cruiser seat. Went in no problem. Bolts right in. 

But in the driver's side, the seat base needed some rust repair. Since I'd prefer not to have the seat come undone under heavy braking or the like, I decided to fix it properly by welding in new metal. 

First out comes the rot. Then grind and sandblast the surface rust. Cut a few patches and weld them in. I think these were some of my cleanest beads yet. Maybe I'm finally getting the hang if this welding thing.  

When it was all said and done, the seats went in easy and look great. Now I just need to get new make seat belts (the ones I have don't fit into the integral receiver in the seat) and wire up the heat. That's right boys, these are heated leather seats. Fourwheeling in style. 

Has it really been since February?

I guess so. Well, not much to say I guess. I did buy a nice shiny aluminum radiator and installed it. Not without some consternation. Had to drill out the mounting holes and I still had to use spacers. Finally got it out of the garage. Of course it is leaking power steering fluid all over. That's and ongoing problem that's getting worse. Will have to replace that at some point.  :-/

At least it runs. 

Oldies but goodies

I'm getting to know my mail man (woman) pretty well lately with all the packages that have been showing up. It's dangerous to spend too much time on eBay, I tell ya. This time? Some vintage Scout Marxhbox cars. A lite disappointed in the condition of the package, but I think the price was still about right.

Now, where to hang them...