Busy times...

Hi all... at the beginning of the year I had a bright idea of getting an 11plate cat D Jimny and doing a speculative rebuild....  Get to know the cars a bit better and make a few quid....  

My bestest mate, Richard had just taken on a barn at a local farm and suggested we share it,  it's on a peppercorn rent and gave us somewhere to knock about that wasn't a pub.... Richard has been at my and Sue's (Finance Fhurer/wife) side since my heart failure was diagnosed and understands my embarrassment at being so feeble on the tools, doing 95% of the work when "I" do a job on my car..... without complaint or comment... 

Everything was ticking along nicely 

 

The deal I had with the cars supplier includes ALL parts to repair, so we. were quite brutal with the removal of the damaged parts, the drivers side inner wing had a small crease that would have pulled out but we cut the whole thing out knowing the extra panel was free...

So we ended up with a complete front end from another late model car, both wings, bonnet, bumper, radiator, front end chassis and the promise of anything else needed. 

sniper

The plan for the rebuild was back to standard but with the refinishing done by Terry Lofley & Son in Shirebrook....

With the standard that they finish Jimny's to, I was confident enough that a good, safe car could be made and also a profit....

Sadly...

Richard had some problems that kept him from the barn for a few months and whilst it was stripped and ready to re-build, I could not progress past the point pictured above.....

I used to be a multi-skilled maintenance fitter with C&G papers in mech/elec/gas/steam/welding, welding was a particular skill I was comfortable with... I qualified as a 6G coded pipe welder in TIG/MMA and full TIG. I was also positionally coded on MIG.... Quite a competent welder, often working on high pressure steam and gas systems....

I touched on my heart problems, it mostly means that I have no endurance at all, taking a wheel off can involve several tea breaks.....

The most painful thing to me, is that I have a pacemaker fitted and that means I can't even be around a welding machine, never mind use one.... Powerful EMF forces interfere with the electronics in the pacemaker and I end up with a disturbed heart rhythm... So its an absolute, no welding, not even near me...

Richard wasn't available to weld for me and to be honest, the barn was a bit lonely.... I struggled with a way to move forward....

I got my thinking cap on and got a mate to load the car and bits on a trailer.... off we went to Leeds, Keith (Keithy on the forum) is a bit of a Jimny Guru and a very proficient welder... I left the car with him for a weekend and came back to it with all the chassis, inner wing and front panel fitted and looking ready for the panels.... If you can get your car to Leeds, it is always worth asking if Keith can help, he really is good...

So, now the welding is done and its off to Terry Lofley to have the chassis, inner wing and front panel primed and painted in Raptor. Then the panels refitted and painted to suit the charcoal grey car.... Terry is doing me a great deal but it means I have to wait until the high paid work he has, quietens   down.... 

Thats where the Jimny is.....

The busy times continue mind....

sniper


 

The Finance Fhurer decided she wanted an allotment...... 3 months work, blagging favours left right and centre... Massive help from Bob Chappell and the lads at RSC Agri. If you are in the North Notts. area and need any tree work, fencing or shelters, he is your man....

 

Busy times  are not done yet....

sniper

The Finance Fhurer's mode of transport has been a PCP contract car for the past 10 years, she's a  nurse/cynical lead and has to travel in her job.....
Covid came along and Sue had just changed cars to a VW T-Roc, nice car, she is now working from home with no business travel, only 7k in 18 months....

The allotment has quite a steep grassy unmade roadway to it, I had shown Sue how to place car and have a run at the slope so as to not struggle.  Rain made it quite tricky and the other plot owners had warned about getting stuck.... In a road car, it was quite possible.

Sue came to me and suggested a third motor, something she could throw gardening gear in and not be worried, something that might also cope with the grassy bank a bit better..... A small van maybe. 

I agreed that a third vehicle made sense for both of us, keeping road miles off my Jimny and keeping her all but new car, clean....

A van would be no better than a car on the grassy bank so I suggested she have the 11plate but having driven my car, a Jimny was not for her.....

Following negotiations and having had to wait to borrow a tow vehicle a few times whilst building the allotment, a bigger 4x4 was decided on....

Enter "Lottie" 

 

1996 Land Cruiser Prado 90 3.0TD

The busy times continue....

sniper




sniper

"Lottie" (as Sue named it) looked in reasonable condition but she was as poorly (rust) as any Jimny might be, underneath.... Chassis definitely worse...

The rear bodycounts were separated and crashed at every pothole, not a nice place to be....

ICE 4x4 at Bolsover were in mind when purchasing the car, I knew it would be going to them as soon as they could fit it in.... The extent of works were discussed and a price agreed....

Soft sandblast
Rust inhibiting primer
Cut out all rust back to sound metal
Plate and weld as needed
Two coats of MIO gloss paint (MIO is a fancy paint with metal flecks in it, super hard wearing against saltwater, they paint oil rigs with it)
One coat matt stone chip to protect the paint
Replace all suspension components and fit new (springs, shocks, arms, links, bushes)

Here she is after sandblasting....  horrific....

 

Enough to scare any vehicle restorer and certainly enough to make an owner weep....

sniper

A bit more rust than expected was found... and the price had to be negotiated again, I was very surprised at the way ICE4x4 handled it.... They were in a prime position to have my trousers down but they asked for a very reasonable addition, which was agreed....



So Lottie is saved....

sniper

Lottie's underside....

     

How she stands now...

 

All new standard suspension still lifted it by 4".... The old stuff had covered 205k kilometres and must have been pooped....

 

I'm a shortie like Sue, it's a bit of a hop to get in....

sniper

Looks like the lads at ICE done a good job pal
Many more years in it now 

Busy times for sure mate!

wrote:

Busy times for sure mate!

I would be in a lot worse position if were not for your help Keith....

sniper