Rebirth of Monster Mudder

Power's back on, only had to resort to a fire in the fireplace and a propane camping lantern and a couple of emergency candles I made. But it's still pouring rain and freezing outside so it may go off again before it's all over. Seen power out here for a week or longer after an ice storm.

We raise scottish highland cattle, they call them the hairy cows around here as they have long double layers of hair and do really well in the winters here.

Here's a link for the adapter: https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCA1820-Dewalt-Battery-Adapter/dp/B016K1UD0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484449651&sr=8-1&keywords=dewalt+18v+20v+adapter
 
That'd be why they look different! I've always liked hereford's, their fuzzy heads! Never got wrapped up in one breed tasting better than another, some of the best steaks I've had were actually Holstein!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
We raise them as grass fed, drug and steroid free and have them processed at a usda facility so we can sell the beef ourselves.
 
That's cool, we haven't had any livestock for about 10yrs now, gotta admit that I do miss it sometimes, just not the cleaning the barn out, or feeding in the winter!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
Been working on the molds, sanding them down and working out the imperfections. Finally got my new front coil springs in yesterday, ordered them before christmas, guess they were backordered and had to call 2 or 3 times to find that out.

Should finish up the rear fender mold tomorrow night and getting closer on the sides for the grill, then need to turn my sanding to the main grill. I'm filling in the bump where the radiator cap was raised up so it will be smooth while I'm at it. Hoping to shoot gelcoat on everything friday.

32257782241_1ec37ae5fe_k.jpg


32257781801_7fc653001f_k.jpg


32257780141_f4c842f8fd_k.jpg


32377733475_86ce890b27_k.jpg


31566893323_5c1183ddc5_k.jpg


32377732565_3b27f7baf8_k.jpg


32227570612_bbc9e87835_k.jpg


32227569072_b03b4f92b0_k.jpg


31566891803_d1764158e9_k.jpg
 
Well, haven't gotten to work on the molds much the last few days due to things happening, but sanded my arms tired today on them. Rear fender is done not along with the front two fenders and they are ready to have gelcoat sprayed on them. The two grill sides just need some finish putty sanded and they will be ready. Then I just need to finish the main grill shell.

Got the front diff out of the truck tonight and it's ready to be hauled outside and sand blasted so I can give it a good coat of por 15 and then I will swap the gears and put the new springs in.

4 days till I leave for Vacation with my wife, we are ready to get the hell out of dodge for bit and relax. Ready for warm weather and cold leaded drinks...

32351393911_b03b9927fe_k.jpg


32321303332_8545ad3987_k.jpg


32094492110_c2f325e314_k.jpg


31661316053_e23c7bd019_k.jpg


32321300272_65c2b4b377_k.jpg


32321298452_c59b04f160_k.jpg


32094486540_595d005c88_k.jpg
 
Cory, that's the turbo bouncer... for when she's out in the shop with me. She has a ball bouncing in it.

Thanks John. I plan on picking up the new clutches and gaskets for the trans when I get back from my cruise and getting the trans reassembled and ready to go back in.
 
Finished sanding the two sides of the grill today and bit the bullet and shot a coat of gelcoat on the front fenders, rear fender and two grill sides. Hoping I got the mixture of Gelcoat, Styrene, MEK, and Surfacing Wax right to get them to harden right. Going to let them sit for the week I'm on the cruise and will start wet sanding them when I get back.

My VB is on it's way back from Muldoon's and my shocks were finished today and are on their way back to me as well from Cali. Also ordered the 13mm Plungers and Barrels and flat shock plates for the truck today, so they should be here when I get back as well. Going to be a busy few weeks out in the shop after vacation.

32358477582_cd32398739_k.jpg


32131854250_4b3b8ed487_k.jpg


31699016593_e4a8d43d84_k.jpg


31667175344_f673c0dc7b_k.jpg
 
Well the 7 days cruise is over and having rum and tequila withdrawals, but it's time to get back to work on the truck. Let the molds sit for a little over a week while I was gone and there were still some places that weren't hardened, so I brushed on a coat of surfacing wax and will clean them off in a couple of days with acetone and see what I need to do.

Yesterday was a rare day with very little wind and about 50 degrees, so I setup the sand blaster outside and went to work blasting the front diff and control arms. Did a little on the rear traction bars as well. Need to pickup some parts for the sand blaster and more material ended up fighting it the last part of the day out there getting it to work.

Front diff is done and it's been washed in POR 15 degreaser. Will put the etching material on it tonight and wash it off and let it sit for another day drying and then will start painting it. Once it's painted, will get the 6.17 gears installed and it back under the truck with the new springs.

While I was gone, my 13mm plungers and barrels came in so I need to get the pump off and taken to Thompsons and have them work some magic on it. My shocks arrived back from bilstein, they cleaned up the flaking paint on them and made them look good again. Got the flat plate shock mounts as well. The valve body arrived from John at Muldoon's so I need to pick up the trans parts here in town and get the transmission rebuilt.

Way too much to do in 2 months time

32706103266_ec61e1838b_b.jpg


31932766843_6ddacccb73_b.jpg


32706051686_86b4dd87bc_b.jpg


32706045316_08c12a07b1_b.jpg


32593328482_bcdc97510b_b.jpg


31932724093_4c97355af5_b.jpg


32623295141_4c25170849_b.jpg


31932706063_d3d8a63f59_b.jpg
 
Had another good early evening for sand blasting and so got busy with my new nozzle / gun that I picked up yesterday, my old one was worn plumb out.

Got quite a few parts sand blasted that needed it. Not going to be able to use the flat plates with my remote reservoir shocks, just can't quite get them to route right so back to using the shock towers. May throw these flat plates on my 99 at some point or put them up for sale.

After getting home from the legion meeting, got the diff painted with por15, the 4 trailing arms and one of the main traction bars. Will rotate the diff tomorrow and finish painting it and the traction bar tomorrow night and start prepping other things for paint, then start changing gears on the diff thursday night.

31962090653_e12aaf9abb_k.jpg


31962089593_efe166a5bb_k.jpg


32396068550_6cff5e5a68_k.jpg


32776277185_eec0135f08_k.jpg


31962088093_a3c12d6e35_k.jpg
 
No, last year was the first time I attempted it. The normal prep didn't work and the por 15 didn't stay on components like it should have, so since I was pulling the diffs out to change gears thought I would sand blast them while I was at it and then coat them to see if it held up better. I have por15 on the firewall, underside of the cab and floor that has been on the truck since I put the 46 body on it and they have held up really well. The frame for the most part held up as well, just need to touch up a few places on it and recoat those areas.

The truck may be on display before my first race where a lot of people might see it so I wanted it to look good for that and some car shows I want to hit. If it doesn't hold up this time, I'm giving up on coating stuff. Because powder coating doesn't hold up, regular paint doesn't hold up, por 15 was my last ditch effort.
 
NakeDiesel said:
No, last year was the first time I attempted it. The normal prep didn't work and the por 15 didn't stay on components like it should have, so since I was pulling the diffs out to change gears thought I would sand blast them while I was at it and then coat them to see if it held up better. I have por15 on the firewall, underside of the cab and floor that has been on the truck since I put the 46 body on it and they have held up really well. The frame for the most part held up as well, just need to touch up a few places on it and recoat those areas.

The truck may be on display before my first race where a lot of people might see it so I wanted it to look good for that and some car shows I want to hit. If it doesn't hold up this time, I'm giving up on coating stuff. Because powder coating doesn't hold up, regular paint doesn't hold up, por 15 was my last ditch effort.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. I was going to ask about powdercoat. That's too bad. Hopefully this does the trick. I've always thought that sandblasting seems to be the best primer! :lolly:
 
I've used a number of different chemicals and hacked together coatings that I've sprayed onto the underside and paint of the truck to help with keeping the mud from sticking and thus pulling off the paint from baby oil to diesel to diesel and atf and just atf, haven't found the best solution yet. If baby oil wasn't so expensive I'd buy it in bulk as it seems to work the best. I buy the dollar store out of it when it goes on sale. But all the power washing we do during the season just destroys coatings.
 
Gotcha. Have you looked into boat stuff? There's some pretty crazy boat coatings that are insanely slippery. Stuff past just wax.
 
No, but if it's anything like the gelcoat I've been fighting to make molds, I'd probably end up blowing the truck up in frustration getting it to work right....
 
Bed liner type coatings? Or would the mud get in the micro pores and stain it and look ugly?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top