Next time you get back to the states go to an A&W Restaurant as they normally have it on tap and fresh out of the kegs. It is much better
What did you do to your TJ today?
- Thread starter LJRubiconGuy
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Next time you get back to the states go to an A&W Restaurant as they normally have it on tap and fresh out of the kegs. It is much better
Next time you get back to the states go to an A&W Restaurant as they normally have it on tap and fresh out of the kegs. It is much better
They make this in Idaho springs and it's amazing
Next time you get back to the states go to an A&W Restaurant as they normally have it on tap and fresh out of the kegs. It is much better
My Mom worked at an A&W in the late 50s/early 60's in VT/CT. Roller skates and all. She used to bring home the root beer in cardboard cartons. Never had anything taste that good since then.
I see we have the same taste in parts and stickers
My skidplate is hopefully going on later this week/next week when the temps are back in the 50's. View attachment 660945
Shit we are gonna hit over 28 today and I was thinking I’ll have time to lay under my Jeep and tighten some jam nuts.
Outlaw star
Member
Last night I put the TJ on the interstate, for a 160mi round trip, for the first time since putting the new springs and suspension on. Does 70-75mph without any issues or vibration. Think I did pretty damn good on my rear axle adjustment and front end alignment.
Final chapter in my hardtop repair and refinishing ordeal (for now). I think we left the last installment with me having shot epoxy sealer and reduced Raptor, as well as some random large blobs of coagulated material, in a somewhat poorly lit garage. Scuff and respray were in order. Some progress has been made...
I decided to hand block the finish back as opposed to using a machine sander, I felt the foam backer might be a bit too forgiving on the large blobs and not flat them, which was the point of sanding in the first place. Not exactly "wax on, wax off", but I suspect I'd have done Mr. Miyagi proud (again).
View attachment 652757
Everything blown off, cleaned up and ready for remasking, I decided it was still too dark and added yet another 4' LED fixture at the head of the garage. Also rotated one of the ceiling fixtures and moved it to the spray side of the rear wall of the "booth" to help. The wall fixtures are wrapped in saran wrap to keep them from getting coated in overspray. Looks much brighter in the photos than it actually is, but about as good as this half-assed spray setup is going to get (maybe...).
View attachment 652759
View attachment 652760
Wiped down and tacked off, I prepped my spray kit and mixed up the Raptor. The new DeVilbiss 600 micron cup filters didn't quite fit in cheapo D1 Drizzle, but a razor blade and some fine sand paper helped persuaded it into place. I'm happy to report that the filter did its job perfectly, in both allowing the thick material to flow but also preventing the blobs from passing out of the gun.
The top is once again black and textured. If I'm being honest, while I am happy with my damage repairs, I'm not happy with the finish. But this is not down to the Raptor, the compressor, the gun or even the meat sack operating the aforementioned...I've identified two main remaining issues. The first is space, my garage is about 8'6" wide, 20' deep and 12' high, and while the length is fine and the height is workable, the width for spraying an item this size is pushing it. I nearly got runs at spots in every coat on the sides due to my elbowing the damn walls mid spray pass. There just isn't enough room for proper spraying technique and a 6' 5" human with a comparable wingspan to work. The second is ventilation, as in I had none. For smaller items this hasn't been an issue, but for something this size and with a very large horizontal surface, it was a bigger problem. I was getting good coverage and a pretty consistent surface finish upon initial application, but because I had no way to vent the overspray coupled with the 12' ceiling height in the garage, I ended up with a large volume of mist hanging above the sprayed top when I finished. As the mist settled, it fell on the curing finish, creating a more inconsistent, flat/matte finish.
View attachment 652763
This is what I was shooting for all over:
View attachment 652764
I accept that I was pushing the limits of pretty much everything in my situation, but sometimes we need to do things out of necessity. Lessons have been learned and I will be spraying more items for sure (half doors, bumpers, fender flares), but nothing this large in this location again. I've already got a design working for a cheap portable booth of sorts with ventilation to setup in the garage space, more on that later (and in another thread).
Still need to source some new foam seal and install the hardware, but I imagine she'll be back on Tess before the end of the week. I'd like to give it a few more days in the relative warmth of the garage for curing purposes before installing.
~~~~~
In other and overdue news, I'd like to give a shoutout to WTF member @MikekiM for doing me a solid on the door cards for my half door build. Mike had posted a couple of times in the past about having interior plastic parts dyed, and I thought it seemed like a better alternative to paint for long term durability. In trade for some 3D design and print work on my end, he agreed to serve as middleman to facilitate getting my cards dyed, given I couldn't seem to find anyone in my neck of the woods with the capability. Settled, off my door cars went to LI, NY and Mike's care.
I doubt either of us could have predicted what would transpire in the coming months (yes, months), but I do feel somewhat foolish about the whole thing now as I put him in the situation in the first place by asking, and I'm not particularly keen on burdening others. What neither of us knew was, literally days after dropping off my cards at his body shop, the tech that does the dye work was seriously injured in a boating accident and off work injured as a result.
Now I was in no hurry to have them back, wanting them done properly and still having more work to do on the shells, so I did not press for updates. Mike checked in occasionally with both me and the shop, but apparently the shop did not make him privy to the situation initially, maybe not the best customer service decision on their part. In the end, the tech eventually recovered and returned to work, the cards got dyed and sent back to the PRoMD approximately 3 months after sending them off.
I don't know the gory details of what Mike might have dealt with on his end, but he handled the situation as admirably and tactfully as I imagine anyone could have (at least on my end) and I believe put a lot of pressure on himself over the whole thing. As well, throughout the entire ordeal I believe he was also dealing with some Jeep transmission issues of his own. So just thought I should offer a public "Thank You" for the effort and an apology as well. It wasn't my plan to insert a minor shit show into your life, and for that I am sorry.
The cards came out great, I think you'll agree. The cards/doors are from an early TJ, the shop redyed to match my '05 and I've got to say, the color match to my full factory cards is about as close as I could have ever hoped for.
Before:
View attachment 652772
After:
View attachment 652773
Really great job!
Kiwi TJ
Just asked myself if I’m crazy and we all said No
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Next time you get back to the states go to an A&W Restaurant as they normally have it on tap and fresh out of the kegs. It is much better
Im eager to try any brand...Thanks for the tip. Fingers crossed I'll be back in the States Sept 2026... Me and my mate are thinking Texas this time round.
We have AIRBNB Hobbit houses here in Va to make you feel right at home.
https://treetopbuilders.net/pages/shireton-hobbit-house-rental
We have AIRBNB Hobbit houses here in Va to make you feel right at home.
https://treetopbuilders.net/pages/shireton-hobbit-house-rental
View attachment 661011
Oh no he might find a Hobbit mistress in VA...........
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I don't know, this could be them here.
FYI. I spent 1/2 the day working out in the cold. I didn’t have it in me when i got home. Would’ve required work lights and cold wrenches.
It was 37 today in the garage so I started putting my engine back together. They sent me the wrong size freeze plugs (core hole plugs) so that ended things for the day.
Started cutting the seats for the new valves. Did not have to deck the block or head because my milling machine and indicator said they were quite flat even after all these
years.
Started cutting the seats for the new valves. Did not have to deck the block or head because my milling machine and indicator said they were quite flat even after all these
years.
Wife wanted to know the who and what of this box...
Hmmm, haven't a clue, let's look...
I dunno!
Stickers included!
One is installed. Had to rework the wiring a bit.
New one on left. Not aligned. The optics are pretty much identical to stock, they're just new. Somewhat brighter as I found a newer/brighter LED bulb for it. Better comparison test coming before I get the other one installed. I'm off to dance class today.
Hmmm, haven't a clue, let's look...
I dunno!
Stickers included!
One is installed. Had to rework the wiring a bit.
New one on left. Not aligned. The optics are pretty much identical to stock, they're just new. Somewhat brighter as I found a newer/brighter LED bulb for it. Better comparison test coming before I get the other one installed. I'm off to dance class today.
New rear brake pads, rotors and parking brake shoes. Will need to adjust the parking brake more.
Kiwi TJ
Just asked myself if I’m crazy and we all said No
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Picked up a toolbox for my daughter’s Christmas present….
( she’s like the son I never had 
)
Chatted to the guy at tool shop as he used to own a TJ he bought it brand-new.
( she’s like the son I never had )Chatted to the guy at tool shop as he used to own a TJ he bought it brand-new.
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Picked up a toolbox for my daughter’s Christmas present….
Chatted to the guy at tool shop as he used to own a TJ brand-new.View attachment 661371
I have a daughter like that!
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