The "Rice Rod" - '31 Model A pickup with a 2JZ

I can't wait until Santa brings us more updates!

Toyota window regulators make perfect sense on this JDM hot rod. 

A friend sent me this today, so of course I thought of your thread. Different style of course, but very cool.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJb4YFWa/

In reply to AWSX1686 (Forum Supporter) :

Haha, I really like that. Definitely has a "doodlebug tractor" vibe for modern times.

I should have a pretty big update in the next day or so. Here's a hint (from 5 days ago).

In reply to maschinenbau (I live here) :

That will increase the airflow in the cabin.

hobiercr (FS) said:

In reply to maschinenbau (I live here) :

That will increase the (ingestion of everything) in the cabin.

Fixed

The last remaining bits of rust are gone. Yes that's right, I finally tackled the doors. Below is 1 week of progress, including both weekend afternoons and a couple hours each evening after work. Brushed all the rust, patched up little rust holes, rebuilt the lower frames, and reskinned the door panels. I don't have a sand-blaster, so I'm doing all of this with various brush attachments for grinders and drills. I'm sure there is still some rust hiding in crevices I can't reach, but this is good enough for me.

Oh joy, $150 worth of stuff I have to buy. I had to cut them out because the handle shaft splines were rusted stuck.

Lots of tiny hole filling

Good bit of sheet brake work. 20 gauge. 

I had exactly enough 20 gauge leftover from the roof to skin the doors. If I messed this up, I'd have to buy a new sheet. Luckily I didn't. Also I've never done this before.

Before attempting to re-skin, I primered the backside of this sheet and the inside of the door frame while I had access. 

I chose this location for the seam because it's right next to a bend, which I figured would add stiffness and keep the metal from warping. It worked. The weld shrank slightly and formed a small valley, which is perfect because that will be easy to flatten with some body filler compared to other spots on this project.

Glad I primered before skinning. That should help with rust in the future.

Ignore the poor door alignment - pins are not installed

Still on track for painted car for Christmas.

That came out realy nice.

Are those E-wheel marks on the door skin you made?

In reply to NOHOME :

Nope, just flap disc marks. I did all this with a grinder, HF 30" brake, homemade duck-bill pliers, and carpenter hammer. 

I really need to invest in real sheetmetal tools. 

maschinenbau (I live here) said:

In reply to NOHOME :

 

I really need to invest in real sheetmetal tools. 

That is a never ending Rabbit hole.

Thing with sheet metal tools is that they all seem to come with a significant learning curve that turns into a hobby of its own.

maschinenbau (I live here) said:

I really need to invest in real sheetmetal tools. 

Projects come and projects go, but tools are forever.

Drop those handles in a coffee can of evaporust and they'll be fine in a few days

I don't think evaporust will un-cut the handles in half unfortunately. Also I want that shiny new zinc in my life.

Old tailgates are pretty cool. They're held up by chains, which have an oversized loop that also locks it shut. I bought a new set of chains and used part of an old one to weld a mounting loop. Once the chains are painted, I'll install them by clamping the open loop shut. I think I can paint them by dipping, ideally body color.  Then I'll wrap them in some kind of clear plastic to prevent noise and scratches. I'm surprised the links didn't come welded, but I don't think they'll need the extra strength. They would first rip out of the sheetmetal if yo momma sat on my tailgate.

Wonderful work as always Travis! 
I've been away and missed the transition from rat rod to now a painted truck, but I love the direction you're going. 

Very inspiring to watch the rust disappear, especially the door refurb, excellent work sir! 

Gorgeousness and gorgeosity!

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

maschinenbau (I live here) said:

I really need to invest in real sheetmetal tools. 

Projects come and projects go, but tools are forever.

10mm

Projects come and go but a 10mm socket is lost forever?

I recently lost a 10mm Gear Wrench.  Seriously.

SO sweet ! ! ! ! ! 

wawazat said:

Projects come and go but a 10mm socket is lost forever?

I recently lost a 10mm Gear Wrench.  Seriously.

Three of the gear wrenches now, 1 six point short craftsman 3/8 drive,  1 six point deep craftsman 1/4 drive. This year. 10mm are slippery buggers. 

Here's more gray parts. I put the epoxy primer away last night and broke out the high-build 2K surfacer primer. This stuff REALLY sands well! And builds quickly. After the first coat, I just keep going around to all the trouble spots over and over with what's left of the pot until they all but disappear. Then sanding makes them vanish. I'm not doing every surface in the high-build stuff, just the outside panels. Interior will be color over epoxy primer, which was my original plan before I discovered this high-build stuff. I'm using Eastwood products for primer and my local PPG supplier for color. I might get a few small parts in color tomorrow as practice for the body panels. Tomorrow and Wednesday are my best chances for good weather (60+). 

My random setup notes for the curious:

• Harbor freight HVLP with 1.4 tip (both types of primer, and color). I tried 1.8 on the high-build and it just flung goops after a while.
• Set to 22-24 PSI at the regulator for epoxy, 25-27 for the high-build thicc gunk. 
• The gun has its own pressure adjustment but I keep it wide open and only adjust at my wall-mounted regulator, which also has a good dryer.
• The epoxy lays down more like real paint. I love working with it because it's very predictable and easy to set up just right. It mixes 1:1 with its activator, so a gallon goes a very long way.
• The high-build always seems like it was set up wrong, but you just have to go real slow and just lay it on thick or else it leaves a very rough dusty texture that you'll be sanding away. I took a tip from Eastwood's online reviews and added a bit of thinner to the high-build to help it flow better. It was simply too thick for HVLP otherwise. It's supposed to be 4:1 with its activator, but more like 4:1:(almost 1) with a bit of thinner.

Below is fresh epoxy on the doors before flash. You can see how smooth it lays, but also how it does NOT hide a thing! Look where the light is reflecting below the window, how wavy my weld seam still is. That was after several rounds of body filler and block sanding. "Looked" pretty smooth to me, until I saw it in wet epoxy. But it sure is durable. 

This is the high-build on the cab roof corner, before I figured out how to spray it properly, hence the dimpled texture. But it sands amazingly easy without clogging. All those little divots are gone now. The epoxy will clog any paper it touches, but you can't put high-build over bare metal without the epoxy first, apparently. 

Anyway I'm learning a lot and this is very exciting to me, so I thought I'd share all my hard-learned lessons with you all.

Looking good.

I have lots of the dimples from my super high build too. Mostly gone ish.....

I had a spare fender I sprayed with epoxy, its been sitting outside, in the rain for months. It looks amazingly good still. Impressed.

Everything you read says to use guide coat, yet if you look at this pic, you can see where stuff is low or not.

What grit are you using on the high-fill? At this stage I am still using the 80 grit. Coarse makes flat and fine makes shine.

I check by blowing off the dust and wiping down with Prep All. Same stuff I use for final wipe down before spraying. When I spray the high build with some thinner, I can sometimes jump straight to 400 grit. But for the really dimpley stuff or problem areas, I start with 180. 

Clean your gun! This clog almost ruined the first shot of color. 

Speaking of color...