I'm retrofitting a factory tire swing onto my 4runner over Xmas break...follow along!
01-01-2017, 10:42 PM
#42
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yep, so when I looked up the best primer possible, I went on a lot of the classic hot rod and vintage car forums and everyone unanimously said that Southern Polyurethane, Inc made the best epoxy primer. It is NOT cheap. However, 1 quart (+1 qt hardener) of the stuff has lasted me quite a long time. I clean my metal, get a nice grit on it, wipe with windex (another hot rod paint trick) and dry (either hot air dry or wait a bit) and just paint the epoxy primer on. I have used it on just about everything on this 4runner. My repairs aren't pretty, but they are solid and I want to keep them that way.
01-03-2017, 07:11 AM
#43
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, I drove it to work this morning!
Got the guts from my old tailgate swapped over, bolted everything up and I am now driving with a tire swing and a rolled up window, which was my original goal! Here are the things that will still need attention -
1. Welding up support panel inside body (won't attach a rear tire to the tire swing until I do)
2. Need to bend back to shape the license plate bracket (slightly bent, PO must have backed into something at some point)
3. Need to wire up the license place bracket wiring. I believe their is room for it on the wiring harness, but I might need to splice wires. I will soon find out!
4. My rear window was rolling up slightly sideways so I think one of the rear window regulator arm rollers is not seated in the window track. Oops!
5. Need to paint the tire swing plastic trim brackets and find the bolt covers
6. Need to use more epoxy primer on the rear lower quarters when there wiring harnesses come up through (some spots of bare metal there).
The casualties:
1. My garage (it is such a huge mess right now...had no time to clean it up)
2. Dremel cut-off disks. I went through these like coffee at 5am. They are so delicate, but I know of no other options pricewise.
3. Bondo - while not related to the tire swing, I got rid of that huge pile of bondo on my roof. The dent doesn't even look that bad. But when you grind away on bondo, it creates a lot of dust, so another casualty was...
4. Vehicle exterior - this thing needs a car wash BAD.
5. My epoxy...I'm nearly out, and I have many more rust repairs ahead!
6. My driveway - I used the top of it to paint the tire swing. Should have used a ground cloth!!
Things that were almost casualties:
1. My eyes - from splashing acidic de-rusting solution in them to forgetting my goggles while manning the grinding wheel a couple times...whew!
2. My hands...from all the sheet metal cuts, welding burns and de-rusting solution (acidic), I thought my hands would be in far worse shape. So far, so good!
3. My lower quarters. From the rust that was in there, they could have easily been toast if never checked. From now on, they are getting the triple protection - epoxy, corrosion inhibitor, and grease.
4. Battery. From not driving the thing for almost 2 weeks and sitting in sub freezing conditions for most of that time, I was a little nervous. No problembs...go Optima!
I'll get some more pictures up when I finally install the last body pillar and install the wiring for the license plate bracket. The nice thing is having two wiring looms (the vehicle's and the license plate bracket's) to compare each other to.
Got the guts from my old tailgate swapped over, bolted everything up and I am now driving with a tire swing and a rolled up window, which was my original goal! Here are the things that will still need attention -
1. Welding up support panel inside body (won't attach a rear tire to the tire swing until I do)
2. Need to bend back to shape the license plate bracket (slightly bent, PO must have backed into something at some point)
3. Need to wire up the license place bracket wiring. I believe their is room for it on the wiring harness, but I might need to splice wires. I will soon find out!
4. My rear window was rolling up slightly sideways so I think one of the rear window regulator arm rollers is not seated in the window track. Oops!
5. Need to paint the tire swing plastic trim brackets and find the bolt covers
6. Need to use more epoxy primer on the rear lower quarters when there wiring harnesses come up through (some spots of bare metal there).
The casualties:
1. My garage (it is such a huge mess right now...had no time to clean it up)
2. Dremel cut-off disks. I went through these like coffee at 5am. They are so delicate, but I know of no other options pricewise.
3. Bondo - while not related to the tire swing, I got rid of that huge pile of bondo on my roof. The dent doesn't even look that bad. But when you grind away on bondo, it creates a lot of dust, so another casualty was...
4. Vehicle exterior - this thing needs a car wash BAD.
5. My epoxy...I'm nearly out, and I have many more rust repairs ahead!
6. My driveway - I used the top of it to paint the tire swing. Should have used a ground cloth!!
Things that were almost casualties:
1. My eyes - from splashing acidic de-rusting solution in them to forgetting my goggles while manning the grinding wheel a couple times...whew!
2. My hands...from all the sheet metal cuts, welding burns and de-rusting solution (acidic), I thought my hands would be in far worse shape. So far, so good!
3. My lower quarters. From the rust that was in there, they could have easily been toast if never checked. From now on, they are getting the triple protection - epoxy, corrosion inhibitor, and grease.
4. Battery. From not driving the thing for almost 2 weeks and sitting in sub freezing conditions for most of that time, I was a little nervous. No problembs...go Optima!
I'll get some more pictures up when I finally install the last body pillar and install the wiring for the license plate bracket. The nice thing is having two wiring looms (the vehicle's and the license plate bracket's) to compare each other to.
Last edited by Red Leader; 01-03-2017 at 07:12 AM.
