body rebuild

[Retiredwarhorses]

This body was a wreck....but after about 1000 rivets, 6 tubes of body panal adhesive and a ton of labor...she is back together.
while it was cheaper to just source another body, this was for a customer who is building it as a tribute to his fallen comrades he served with....just needs final paint.

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

IED? Holy crap.... I think it would have looked better original as long as it was structurally sound. Thanks you guys for serving.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

I was trying to load the other finish pics....having issues.
it can be seen on my retired war horses Facebook page.

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Holy Moly, you do great work.... A lot of time in there.

 

[NDT]

Back when I was doing what you are doing, my rule was, if a body was rolled and the A pillar beam was cracked, the body went in the scrap!

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

The A-pillar was toast...but it ws replaced...those are not that bad to do.
Done severL of them.
The D-beam is a PITA.

 

[FASTNOVA]

I've seen Steve's work up close and can say that the truck's that he works on actually come out better than when they came off the assembly line. Please keep us posted as this restoration comes along.

 

[infidel got me]

Man that's a lot of work. If that wasn't a customers request would you normally have scrapped that one or do you go that deep into them?

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Man that's a lot of work. If that wasn't a customers request would you normally have scrapped that one or do you go that deep into them?

I would have have recovered the good parts off of it...and that wasn't much. Fenders, 1/4 deck panels, D-beam and a few other items...it got new floors, entire A-pillar area, new battery box floor, left and right rocker panals, new rear seat bases' new B-beam uprights and sails. I still have to put in a new steering column support.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Let me add, before the GP trucks, I would have rebuilt a body this way, did several. But now that body's are cheap and plentiful...it's not economically feasible. I was able to get 10k or more for a rebuilt body.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Her are some finished pics...as well as a small pile of old parts.

 

[infidel got me]

WOW, that's not a rebuild that's a resurrection. Do you work alone- or do you have other employees? Is it a common practice to rebuild the tubs, I noticed a few in the background. Outstanding job, I must say you are focused on what you do.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

WOW, that's not a rebuild that's a resurrection. Do you work alone- or do you have other employees? Is it a common practice to rebuild the tubs, I noticed a few in the background. Outstanding job, I must say you are focused on what you do.

i have 3 employees, me, myself and I, we sleep and eat together, work the same hours, even share the same wife...lol
no, just me....thank you.

 

[Predator42]

Awesome!