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Old 09-22-2014, 10:08 AM   #11
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

I pulled the side window to fix some rust between the body and top. Continually realizing that I bit off more than I should have and bought a hunk of junk but I'll win out over the rust eventually!


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Old 09-22-2014, 10:12 AM   #12
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

I decided to cut out the rusted gutter as much as possible and sue fiberglass and bondo to seal it all up and hopefully make it all look okay.

Bondo bondo bondo...still a work in progress with sanding still to do.

Fiberglass work from the inside. Luckily I had some fiberglass experience from surfboard shaping as a kid so this part was quite a bit of fun!
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Old 09-22-2014, 10:15 AM   #13
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

Window re-install. Had to rig up some wood spacers to make the window seal up properly without an interior wall to cinch up to. The spacers ended up working great.

I've been doing the build up at my parents place in the High Desert so the extra hands came in handy with the window install.

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Old 09-22-2014, 10:18 AM   #14
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

You know it's high pressure and total concentration when the tongue comes out haha

Some quality farther son time!
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Old 09-22-2014, 10:23 AM   #15
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

Next step is to upgrade the seats. Luckily the parents have an old RV that is no longer mobile so the offered it up as a donor. Such a score and saved a ton of money...they even have swivels on them but that doesn't mean the switch was smooth!
One of the seats from the RV had a huge electric base that stretched down about 3 feet, so after wrestling it out of the or rig I was able to cut it down and use an old metal frame to set it up for the van. Re-use and recycle at it's finest.


Some more help, this time from the cousin. Cutting up the old frame and using the angle iron for the new mounts.
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Old 09-22-2014, 11:15 AM   #16
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

Moch up and weld on the swivel base.

Welds are finally starting look presentable...it's been a bit rough dusting off the old welding skills.

Final moch up with mounting frame. I wanted to use the same holes as the old chairs to make it as easy as possible. Frames aren't exactly square but they do the job.
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Old 09-22-2014, 11:19 AM   #17
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

Final view with the new seats and swivel mounts in! Looks way better than the originals!
Out with the old

and in with the new!
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Old 09-22-2014, 11:23 AM   #18
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

A few other fixes.
The driver side door had cracked around the bottom door hinge which made the door sit to low and a struggle to open and close so I welded it up and reinforced it.

Driver side floor board...yep you guessed it was rusted to hell so I managed to throw in a patch.
Before:

After:
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Old 09-22-2014, 11:26 AM   #19
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

The rig was registered in Nevada but had a title in California which made for plenty of fun at the DMV but after 4 months and 4 trips, I finally got her registered and got the California plates! Hope it's the last of the DMV madness!

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Old 09-22-2014, 01:02 PM   #20
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Re: 78 Ford 4x4 First Time Build For Pan American Trip

Did you ever consider doing a body swap for a non-rusty body, and then moving over the top? Might be less work in the long run, considering all the rust you keep finding. Nice job on the repairs, though!
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