fbekholden.com

Hmmm, original bench seat is the plan and no I haven't test fitted it - or even thought too... Anything I should be looking out for?

Dave

Just clearance to new tunnel. Specially if there is someone short needs the seat forward.

FB ute driver, EK van project

Thanks Clay. Well I dug out the front seat from the shed and the clearance looks good May as well leave it out now and start working on it. I've only got 1 good attachment point, the rest rusted away...

Speaking of rusted away, I think I can save the internal tunnel brace after amputating the rust infected legs. But it seems like an overly large bit of kit for what it does? Cheers

Dave

Dave, delete the internal tunnel brace as the carpet over the top will look lumpy. I have Hydro floor not aftermarket tunnel. I suggest bending some rectangular tube 50 x 20, by pie cutting it, form it to the floor and weld to the underside or fabricate from sheet sheet.
A bit hard to see with the trans in place. Hope this helps but it's your build so do it your way.
Roger

I’m happy now you know it fits. I guess the original tunnel top sits level with the floor where the seam forms to box section so it is unlikely to foul.

As Roger suggests, take in to account your intended flooring. I like the original style rubber that M Vigo makes which is moulded from his original Hydramatic floor pan I believe. Hence if it were me, I’d keep it. But then most fit carpet.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Thanks Roger and Clay. I might leave the tunnel brace until I test fit the Hydromatic (in the waaaaay off future) and if there is room put it underneath as Roger has done. I'd like to have carpet and smooth as possible.

Spent the last couple of hours wrestling with a front seat sliding mechanism... Dave

So test fitting the front seat distracted me and I've stripped it down: Only 4 bits of broken springs. I was able to fix 3 and the 4th is high up in the backrest so probably won't bother. Seat mounts were nasty... One of the front ones was missing the bottom 'hooks' altogether (initial repair in photo above), the other front one I ended up putting reinforcing plates on the outside of the 'hooks'.

Had to fabricate the attachment point for one of the rear mounts. Lucky one of them was in one piece to use as a template but it was pretty thin so ended up putting a reinforcing plate on it. Lots of rust preventative spray, primer and matt black later and it is all prepped and ready to go to the trimmers at some point, when I've got the other relevant bits ready to go and settled on colours - yes Orange! Cheers

Dave

My fault. 8 )

You really sorted it out Dave. Trimmers can sometimes hold projects up so be good to get it off to one while you move on with the body.

FB ute driver, EK van project

Hi Clay, no worries, I appreciate the advice to test fit the seat. And it had to be done at some point, and I'm easily distracted...

Dave

Might be a bit late, but I've got spare seat springs here if you need to do a replacement.

Cheers,
Harv

Thanks Harv, appreciate the offer. It's actually only the little bit on one spring that goes from the top wire to the inside of the top rear support so I'm inclined not to worry.

Cheers

Dave

Finished off front floors - made plenty of mistakes with my patch panels so patched the patch panels and now it looks like a patchwork quilt of patched patch panels... but I'm getting good at welding gaps... Now the roof. Other than fixing the rear support it looks like I've got to replace the bit as marked. Any advice before I start cutting?

On a side note I got my 1988 Range Rover going

Cheers
Dave

Wow Dave the floor is looking fantastic. Especially like what you've done around the trans hump. Looks like you have mastered the bead roller too
As for roof, if you can get that done right, you might as well put up a shingle outside 'panel beater works here'. Couldn't get any harder than getting roof panels finished with the right curve and dent free. If anyone can do it, you can.


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Looking good Dave. I’m in the same boat with front floors. I’m thinking about replacing some of my joins between old and new with additional patches. The repair panels didn’t really extend out far enough, and I’ve had to butt weld to some dubiously thin bits.

I’ve got a pretty good (I believe) sedan roof here you could have. Pity we are so far apart.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

Thanks Brett and Clay. I've been keeping an eye out for roof cuts but not finding any (thanks Clay, yeah handy to be closer right now!) think I will tackle it myself and try to patch it. I have a contour gauge on order and seemingly not having to replace the 'corners' I avoid the worst of the compound curves. Probably still a job for an english wheel though, which I don't have... And I'm concerned about long welds on a large relatively flat unsupported panel.

Dave