New body prep |
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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Posted: 27 Apr. 2017 at 12:06am |
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Working on a new MD Juan body and just got started, I'm painting this body for a friend of mine. Depending on how fussy you are be prepared to do a lot more than sand and prime. It looks fine in semi flat black but when you get into it the little things start to show, this one is going to be Normandy blue so everything will show even more. Just about every area of the exterior anyway is going to need at least some body work. The outside corners of the hood and front fenders show tooling marks when I started to sand them and have to be fixed to show a smooth radius. The back end around the tailgate in somewhat less than flat. The sides seem to be alright other than the spot welds and the joint where the body narrows. All in all the construction is solid and I would buy one in the right circumstances, still lots easier than chasing rust. I have not seen another one but I would suspect they are similar. A lot of the bends are not as crisp as I would like to see them but once painted and assembled most of it won't be noticeable. Not complaining just want to give people a little heads up on what they are in for.
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3191 |
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Since MD Juan tubs don't come with top bow pockets, bow storage pockets and fuel tank strap hold down weldments you will want to add those if they are part of your friends plans before you do any finish painting.
I didn't do any body work to my MD Juan tub, I figure that the spot welds and minor surface imperfections were probably representative of what came out of Toledo circa 1946. Of course, your friend might have other ideas about how he wants the finished product to look. Overall, I thought that the MD Juan tub was well constructed with the exception of some of the captive nut cages were not welded down very well. A simple matter to correct. There are a lot of holes to locate. Edited by SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A - 27 Apr. 2017 at 1:02am |
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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danover321
Member Joined: 30 May 2012 Location: Smithville, MO Status: Offline Points: 357 |
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I'm dealing with the same issues on the 01/2015 manufactured body my brother purchased. There are grind and die marks all over the thing; however several of the inprovements are visable. There is certainly less care on the cj2a bodies than the MB kits. My MB kit required several modifications for everything to mate properly. That's the way it is with patent parts.
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44 Willys MB 379XXX
45 Willys MB 459XXX 46 Willys CJ2A 38008 46 Willys CJ2A 38136 47 Willys CJ2A 97474 US Army Active/Reserve 1989 to 2005 Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq Invasion 2003 |
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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I have all the weld on pieces in the back of the bed and I made templates off an original to put them on. I plan on doing the hood , grill and fenders first then get them out of the way and then the tub and windshield. I also plan on installing the top bows and top to make sure the windshield will fit where it should. The windshield mounts will need a lot of tweaking so it will fit the cowl without being able to put your hand under one side. Maybe I'm too picky but that's the way I like to see it, the interior and underneath will just be primed and painted. I have most of the holes drilled but still have to locate the footmans loops, I figure I'll put the top on first and put them where they need to be instead of having to move them after. Overall it is built solid and all the welded joints seem to fit tight.
Edited by leecarr - 27 Apr. 2017 at 1:56am |
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Mike S
Member Joined: 20 May 2006 Location: West Coast Status: Offline Points: 2318 |
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I agree. Not to 'original' specs or even close. Made in the Phillipines by semi-skilled people in a hurry. Mine took a ton of rework and parts from the original body tub. I used the original hood, grille, windshield, and tail gate. Still took may hours to get more or less right.
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'47 CJ2A -- #114542
Warn FF D41 rear Lock-Right locker 11" drum brakes Dual master cylinder T90C Transmission 16 X 6 Jeep truck wheels Cooper STT Pro tires |
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2t2-crash
Member Joined: 26 Apr. 2016 Location: Tacoma, WA Status: Offline Points: 224 |
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The quarterpanel I got from the for my front passenger side was all jacked up. Remember a lot of the panels are probably used on the Jeepneys too.
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Adrian
Member Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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Weld the top bow pockets on the rear corners of the tub, the MD spot welds are tiny and my LH rear hoop pocket fell off a few weeks ago
Go to ;MD Juan Body Faults,(search on the page) big list you best know about before painting....you have been warned!! |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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I have all the fittings to weld on yet. Once I start working on the tub and flip over I plan on checking out everything real close. My own jeep is a franken jeep, but it will all original parts other than some rust repair. The new body is definitely the better way out for some people but where I do everything myself it cost me nothing. With half decent parts with little rust I think I would stick with the original stuff. If you have to pay to have it done the new body may be the cheaper way out depending on how picky you are and how you plan on using it, for mostly off road paint it and go. This one is going to be a driver and some local cruise nights so I want it decent.
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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A few more pictures, obviously the shiny spots are high and the dark spots are low. Everyone of these marks will have to be fixed or it will show especially through a dark color Like Normandy blue. The windshield latch holes will have to be welded up and re drilled. Edited by leecarr - 27 Apr. 2017 at 10:07pm |
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Adrian
Member Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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The original bodies were as best as I can tell not perfectly flat anyway, they are a farm truck and looks came second.
I put minimal filler in my one and it came up very well. Just be careful that the paint from MD Juan has actually stuck on, in places it chips off to bare steel very easily and anything you paint over it will do the same. If I had to do another one I'd take it back to bare metal myself everywhere. |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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2t2-crash
Member Joined: 26 Apr. 2016 Location: Tacoma, WA Status: Offline Points: 224 |
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Wow, that things more F'ed up than a football bat ain't it?
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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I plan on sending all the black stuff off, another big project. I have a lot of original parts and even at 70 years old they don't look like that. No tooling or forming marks. I realize that they are a small company but if the dies and jigs were set up properly it doesn't cost anymore to make it right. But they really don't have to, have you ever heard the expression "the only whore in town". I also noticed that the bottom edge of the hood below the willys stamping has pulled from the stamping and leaves the bottom edge with a bump. Not to noticeable unless you sight directly down the edge. That's staying, it's fixable but way to big a project.
Edited by leecarr - 27 Apr. 2017 at 11:50pm |
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Ryan_289
Member Joined: 17 Mar. 2013 Location: Russellville AR Status: Offline Points: 1299 |
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My windshield/cowl fitment was the same. It's in the cowl somehow. It was the same with the repro and original windshield. We heated the arms on the windshield and shifted it over to fit. Look closely at yours. I bet you don't have to redrill the dash latch holes, just fix the windshield to fit.
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wadoyado
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 29 Sep. 2016 Location: Mi. Status: Offline Points: 728 |
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Leecar...Thanks for the detailed pic's, I actually feel a little better about the rust chasing project I started before the forum. I've been around auto-part manufactures most of my life and can't believe the hood and other parts ever made it out of the factory....rework pile if not scrapped. They probably have a policy of zero scrap--just hit it with a sander call it good. Quality control?? I personally put this on NAFTA. Joe wadoyado
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the jeep you've been driving all your life" (Mickey Mantle paraphrase)
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leecarr
Member Joined: 27 Sep. 2016 Location: Massachusetts Status: Offline Points: 910 |
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Sanding this black primer off is like working in a coal mine. The back edge of the hood where the brace is welded on is far from flat.
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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NAFTA has nothing to do with it. MD Juan has been making Jeep bodies for decades and they never were very good. I don't know what kind of machinery they have to press the steel, but they need something better than what they have. |
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Adrian
Member Joined: 01 Oct. 2011 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1517 |
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I consider the MD Juan bodies to be very good value for money.
I couldn't have fabricated my own one as good for any where near the price of their one. They are not perfect and the problems start when you try and match original and after market parts, I brought the "master kit", complete body, fenders, seat frames, fuel tank etc and it all went together ok. If you are aware of the faults before you paint then its easy enough to correct them. I contacted the factory direct and they were great to deal with. I would buy another one, as time goes on they are making them more accurate and a better product. They are good solid steel and for me that was a better option than importing a rusty original from the US. Adrian |
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1946 CJ-2A Column Change 14605
1973 Saab 96 |
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wadoyado
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 29 Sep. 2016 Location: Mi. Status: Offline Points: 728 |
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the jeep you've been driving all your life" (Mickey Mantle paraphrase)
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