Timber Cruiser 5 yr. Service

[Captain]

Every 5-6 years, I tear into my 1987 Suzuki Samurai, Off Roading Trails Exploring Rig to work on Upgrades, Major Repairs, and Rust Areas.
This time around, it is going to be mostly RUST Repair. The worst is the left rear corner panel area. I can't believe it got away this BAD.



Here's after I drilled out the spot welds to remove the fender lip bracket.



The right rear only has two places where the inner fender meets the floor panel by the fill pipe.
The front end was only real bad by the battery box, as acid corrosion has taken it's toll.
But, while ordering a New Soft Top, saw adds for New Fenders scroll by.......$258.00.
Backed up the screens, and not really reading, just looking at the pix, thinking a fender skin for $258.00, might save a lot of sand blasting, sawzalling, and refab work .....
Read the description.......IT'S Both Left and Right COMPLETE FENDER ASSEMBLIES for $258.00 !!
And the Right side assembly has the Battery Box !! And for another $68.00 I can have the front grill support.
So a Whole Front Clip for $470.00 including tax and shipping !!
Here's a pix of the stripped front end, still have to unbolt everything from the firewall yet.

[SuperBuickGuy]

love cheap parts...

[Beagle]

not that I'm a.d.d or anything but is that a Wizard in the corner?

[Captain]

Beagles, if you mean the old Outboard, it's a Seahorse 3 1/2 hp. Needs a carb float. Original float is Cork, and the new gasoline eats them up.

[Captain]

This morning at my Monday P.O.D. meeting on the War Board of Projects in the shop, decided to order a NOS left rear fender skin. With the good inner fender still there, it will save Time and Headaches, even though the fender I ordered is for a "TinTop". I'm planning on matching it in on the horizontal body line.
Also want to note, those are "Roller Tires" as when l'm sand blasting, I won't have to worry about the good tires and rims.
Today's plan is to remove the seats and carpeting to clean up the surface rust by the front floor drain plugs.

[Captain]

Thank You Kay_B,
See you are New Here,
Welcome to the Group Home For Rusty Iron Junkies!!!
Most are Good in the General Public, some can get Growly, but don't bite ....... LOL
And Advice is FREE, so are OPINIONS.....
Enjoy

[Captain]

Now that we got that straightened out, they shipped two right fender assemblies. The left fender came late yesterday.

Still working on getting things apart, and other projects that need attention.

[Beagle]

Beagles, if you mean the old Outboard, it's a Seahorse 3 1/2 hp. Needs a carb float. Original float is Cork, and the new gasoline eats them up.

I'm getting old and less clever-er. I should have guessed it from the letters on the cowling. I've got one of it's cousins, a wallhanger 3hp twin Evinrude from way back. It came from the coast and the block is one piece (as in seized from rust)...

[Captain]

After cleaning out everything that I pack for traveling in AREA BFE....

removed the seats, and carpeting.
Had to remove the Doors to get the fenders loose.

Then removed the entire front clip.



while waiting for the left rear fender skin,
going to sand blast the smaller rust areas.

[Dan Barlow]

Having a 6000 pound 4x4 that I'm afraid to off road because I'm afraid nobody could pull me out , I love this project . They just had one of these that they stretched into a pickup on dirt every day and they just loved it .

[Captain]

Lots of things are happening, but not many pix taken. Spent the last couple of days Sand Blasting and cutting out the rust spots back to bare steel.
Cut up a junk steel cabinet for the patch steel.
Spent a Good Hour and a Half vacuuming out the interior after final blasting.



I blasted around some previous fiberglass repairs as I found out (after reading the side of the new epoxy) resin doesn't stick to paint !!
You are to get down to bare steel.
So I might need more epoxy resin.
I promise to take more pix on the rust repairs

[Captain]

Well, back at "This Project ".......
It's October and Snow Flies here within a few weeks.....
With other Rusty Iron Vehicles needing repairs, Car Shows, 2 week Road Trip to Detroit, Family Events......my Excuses for Procrastination are convincing, eh?
Started on patching up the rust thru areas.
Being my Go To Off Road / Exploring Rig, I am using the Patch Metal and Fiberglass method as this is NOT A MALL CRAWLER Show Off 4x4 rig.....though it has been seen Beach Cruising for Chicks along the Missouri River in North Dakota...

[Captain]

Here is some of the patch work.




that hole in the firewall was from a Battery Acid Leak!! I didn't find it until the Battery gave up the Ghost a few years back. The top where it was TO BE SEALED to bottom case was leaking/fumes as it Charging, and Off Road Angles causing spillage.....



This is just floor Rot, I am rethinking about putting the Carpets back in and going to removable floor mats to let things dry out after Excursions......."What !!! That Creek Crossing isn't Higher than the Snorkel Intake!"

[Captain]

I fiberglass'd over those floor patch "tins" on both top and bottom to water proof them.
"Hey ! HEY HEY ! I Got Water Coming In On MY SIDE !!" (The Matt Memorial Ride in West Virginia......the Guest Spotter, as We Submarine'd the Timber Cruiser up to the Windshield Wipers) water was coming in thru the floor drain plugs, and the heater as water was over the fresh air grill on the cowl.

started to spray the front inner fender assemblies with Truck Bed Liner


And the front frame and firewall

[Captain]

Now, the front "Chin" and top "Lip" pieces that hold the fenders and front clip together
were from a different supplier and extremely cheap, ......
NOW I Know Why.......these two pieces are Factory SECONDS !! Some of the bolt holes are Punched Wrong, the hood support rod bracket is welded on upside down, and fitment is going to need...."Cut to Size.....Trim to Fit "
Glad I found out before mounting the fenders. I was able to See these defects, and do the Major corrections while everything is apart.
I will still need to do some modifications, but I want to wait till I hang the front fenders.