# Arizona Jeep Project



## Kraffty (Dec 1, 2021)

I posted a pic or three of the new to me 1997 jeep I picked up mid October. My original plans were to do little to it other than make sure it was mechanically sound. Well after having some time to think it over I've decided to put a little more effort into it and make it a DIY project. Already have solid running gears so the main parts of the project are cosmetic. I've replaced sway bars, worn or broken. The entire exhaust, shot and bad O2 sensors. Today I gutted the tub, sanded and roughed up the surfaces in prep for spraying Raptor bed liner, hopefully Friday. Searching for a back folding seat and then plan to have all upholstered. It has a broken rear coil and I'm trying to decide whether to just fix the rear suspension or put a new lift kit all around. That way I'd know I have good shocks and coils from the start. Replacing front fenders, fender flairs, grill, windshield and tires at the end. Body and Paint by Kraffty which is the part I'm looking forward to but fearing the most. Color choice of the day is turquoise body with black roll cage, windshield, grill, bumpers and side bars. I haven't rebuilt a car since my spitfire and GT6 days in my 20's and 30's, should be fun and even though I plan on making it pretty I still plan on taking it out to get scratched and dirty in the desert.


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## ibglowin (Dec 1, 2021)

Perfect time of the year for this DIY project! Looking forward to the updates.


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## NorCal (Dec 1, 2021)

Nice project!


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## sour_grapes (Dec 2, 2021)

Wow! Impressive project!


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## jswordy (Dec 2, 2021)

Great project. I'm an old body man. Body and paint is a take your time thing. If you can feel your bodywork with the tips of your fingers, or see it, painting it won't make it better. That's a beginner's mistake.


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## Kraffty (Dec 3, 2021)

Everything I've seen or read says exactly what Jim said, prep, prep, prep. I took my time getting the bed ready for the liner coating and I'm really pleased with how it laid down. 3 days total labor, $150.00 in Raptor materials plus about $100.00 misc. materials which will also be used when I paint. Now it just needs to cure for 5 or 7 days. the shiny finish should dull down a bit while I decide which next step I'll take. Leaning towards suspension but it's hard (impatient) not to want to get onto the body work and paint.


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## Kraffty (Dec 11, 2021)

So I've started prepping the extra set of used front fenders that came with the jeep. Sanded down to metal, primed and painted black in the engine compartment side, black frame paint in the wheel well side and just primed on the exterior sides. Stripped all the components mounted to the inside of the fenders then pulled the fenders off. Plan on pulling the original grill tomorrow then starting to sand the replacement down to metal and then priming. Made the decision to buy a new 2.5 lift kit and then I'll be able to install the new shocks and coils while it's stripped down and setting on jack stands. Should make life easier even though it means it's going to sit a couple of weeks until parts arrive. In the mean time I can clean up the engine compartment, knock off the surface rust from the frame and suspension and paint those parts black with POR 15 to protect them. Lori's only concern is "we better not have to pay someone to put it all back together", how tough can it be... right...?


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## my wine (Dec 11, 2021)

I see you have jack stands for your jack stands. Is that to help with the lift kit or did you just need more elbow room under there?


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## Kraffty (Dec 11, 2021)

Yes, need extra height to allow suspension to drop. Once I disconnect the sway arm links the rest of the suspension should fall enough or be pushed down with a bottle jack enough to let the coils just pull out and same with the shocks. Putting the tires under the frame is an extra safety step I just learned on YouTube in case the jack stands fail or tip.


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## jswordy (Dec 13, 2021)

Kraffty said:


> Lori's only concern is "we better not have to pay someone to put it all back together", how tough can it be... right...?



Take lots of pix! My project has been ongoing for 15 years due to delays and life happening. The pix are invaluable.


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## jswordy (Dec 13, 2021)

Kraffty said:


> Yes, need extra height to allow suspension to drop. Once I disconnect the sway arm links the rest of the suspension should fall enough or be pushed down with a bottle jack enough to let the coils just pull out and same with the shocks. Putting the tires under the frame is an extra safety step I just learned on YouTube in case the jack stands fail or tip.



Nah, those H-F stands ain't gonna fail!  Seriously, I have a set of them, too.


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## heatherd (Dec 16, 2021)

Awesome project! I have a 2016 Jeep wrangler willies now. Its Jeep #4 for me. I'd like to get an old Jeepster or Scrambler as a fun car.


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## Kraffty (Dec 22, 2021)

Lots of work over the last week and a half, though mostly behind the scenes (prep) stuff. Front fenders are ready to hang as soon as I finish installing the new suspension and have been painted with black undercoat inside the fender wells, Gloss black inside engine compartment surface and primed exterior surfaces. I spent about 4 days cleaning the frame from the firewall forward and treating with the 3 step POR 15 Coating to prevent any future rust and improve looks. Front suspension parts have all finally staggered in and I can hopefully install them tomorrow. After having some time to inspect things closer I chose to replace the sway bar bushings, track bar (beefier and adjustable for the higher lift), tie rod end to drag link, steering damper, bump stops (extended models) and lastly the 2.5" lift Coils and Shocks. I was told by the original seller that this had a 2.5 lift but it turns out it just had 1.5" spacers on top of the stock springs, these springs are a good 7" longer and I expect it to set a bit higher when done. Once I button up the front I'll strip and coat the rest of the frame and then replace some of the rear suspension parts and hopefully be ready to start on the body work. Pics are the replacement body parts and then the before and after frame coating and the pile 'o suspension parts to install.


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## sour_grapes (Dec 22, 2021)

Holy Catz, Mike! I am awed!


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## ibglowin (Dec 22, 2021)

Looking impressive!


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 22, 2021)

Very cool, Mike! So much for buying a 'beater' just do drive around to photo sites, eh?


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## Kraffty (Dec 22, 2021)

Boatboy24 said:


> Very cool, Mike! So much for buying a 'beater' just do drive around to photo sites, eh?


I don’t believe I’m the only one here that ends up going a little over board once taking on a project. My wife gives me grief but understands where things are heading well before I do whenever I take on a interest. I just want my Beater to be nicer than it needs to be. … speaking of Nor


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## ratflinger (Dec 23, 2021)

pfft - I've got way over $20k in a $5k Corvette that hasn't run in 10 years


However - the Jeep does look nice


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## Kraffty (Dec 25, 2021)

New front suspension installed, Grill and one fender bolted on. Frankenstein collection of body parts on front end (different years of TJ fenders, grill and hood) fitting together perfectly so far.


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## ibglowin (Dec 26, 2021)

Hopefully no leftover "extra parts" !



Kraffty said:


> View attachment 82558
> 
> New front suspension installed, Grill and one fender bolted on. Frankenstein collection of body parts on front end (different years of TJ fenders, grill and hood) fitting together perfectly so far.


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## Sage (Dec 26, 2021)

Looking good!!


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## Kraffty (Jan 15, 2022)

progressing slowly. Over the last couple of weeks I've dropped the rear suspension. Cleaned and treated the frame from the wheel well back and installed the lifted springs and shocks. Put in new isolators for the springs and buttoned everything up and took it for a test spin around the block. Feels awesome compared to when I first drove it. All of the videos I've watched imply there's no need to replace the stock track bar on up to a 2-1/2" lift BUT the axle is about 1" off center of the frame now so I've ordered a beefier and adjustable length bar to re-center the axle. So except for the control arms I've just about completely rebuilt or replaced the entire suspension.

I've probably watched over 100 different videos on Jeep repairs and modifications and the one theme repeated is the rust problems. While this beast came from the midwest originally I've only had to cut off one bolt so far and I owe that to WD-40 penetrating spray. On my second can now and I regularly start treating any nuts or bolts a few days ahead of when I plan on working in that area.

Next up the 3 feet or so of frame between the wheel wells and I'm ready to start on the body work.


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## sour_grapes (Jan 15, 2022)

Mike, you are living your best life! Your kitchen, art, photography, cooking, and now the jeep are impressive. (And I probably missed something.) Good retirement stuff!


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## Kraffty (Jan 15, 2022)

Thanks Paul, Lori and I are very fortunate and absolutely loving life! 
I'd been kicking around ideas for a clever name or slogan for the jeep that references photography - 4byPhotog - Fauxtography - or something along that line and I woke up a couple of days ago with this in my head. Jumped up and sketched it out over morning coffee then knocked out the artwork later that morn. Think I'll have it made up in cut vinyl to stick above the "jeep" on the sides when I'm done.


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## sour_grapes (Jan 15, 2022)

Very nice!

On that subject, I have some sad news to relate. I finally broke down and sold my beloved 1995 Honda Civic a few months ago. The relevance here is that this was the car that I installed your Papa wine, Mama wine, Baby wine, and corkscrew graphics on. I doubt the new owner will appreciate the graphics as well as I did!


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## Kraffty (Jan 21, 2022)

Suspension Phase Done! Time to move on to the body work phase. The new 2.5" lift kit added about the exact amount of height I wanted. As reference, the tires are 32" tall so the entry is about 33-34" high, Lori had to use a step stool to climb in. I've received the new 3" tube nerf bars/side steps but won't install until I've finished the body and primed. Hopefully Jim can chime in about paint temps, I'm thinking I won't be able to paint until springtime since we'll rarely be in the 60's before then. I've also decided on gloss destroyer grey, non-metallic, for the body, roll cage, doors and windshield frame. Working on a spread sheet but so far I've spent 2500.00 (all from the floor boards down) on top of the original 5000.00 for the jeep itself.


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## jswordy (Jan 25, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> Suspension Phase Done! Time to move on to the body work phase. The new 2.5" lift kit added about the exact amount of height I wanted. As reference, the tires are 32" tall so the entry is about 33-34" high, Lori had to use a step stool to climb in. I've received the new 3" tube nerf bars/side steps but won't install until I've finished the body and primed. Hopefully Jim can chime in about paint temps, I'm thinking I won't be able to paint until springtime since we'll rarely be in the 60's before then. I've also decided on gloss destroyer grey, non-metallic, for the body, roll cage, doors and windshield frame. Working on a spread sheet but so far I've spent 2500.00 (all from the floor boards down) on top of the original 5000.00 for the jeep itself.
> View attachment 83655



Yep, you need 70s to paint. Right in there, it flashes off the solvents well, but not too fast or slow. I prefer that 70-80 range, either with a heated space or outdoors. If outdoors, I would construct a 2x4 frame and cover it with plastic to paint your vehicle in. There are an amazing number of bugs that'll get high on the fumes and will fly right into your smooth paint job. So, are you using a one-part paint, like acrylic enamel? 

Waiting on the weather gives you a lot of time to really smooth out all the bodywork. I'd go over those areas once they are pretty smooth with a high-build primer and then sand them really smooth. This is gonna look cool.


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## gilroyca (Jan 26, 2022)

Paintsociety on Youtube has some of the best instructional videos about automotive painting. Check them out. They almost make me brave enough to try it!



https://www.youtube.com/c/PaintSociety


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## jswordy (Jan 26, 2022)




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## Kraffty (Jan 27, 2022)

Two Stage? Looks really good and smooth in the photos.


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## Kraffty (Jan 27, 2022)

The main reason I'm willing to attempt doing my own paint (other than cost) is that the body is already pretty straight and it's almost entirely flat panels. I mainly have to fill, smooth and then block between flat edges as guides. I've stripped all trim, sanded down most of the body with 100 grit just to see what I had under the paint - no filler or rust so all original surfaces. UPS delivering Body filler, abrasives and primer today. Checking on the hi-build primer, think I need another gun to spray that as a final coating, the one I bought has a 1.3 nozzle, maybe a cheap harbor freight gun just for the hi-build would work.


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## Boatboy24 (Jan 27, 2022)

That looks really cool the way it is. Give it some clear coat and run with it!


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## jswordy (Jan 27, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> View attachment 83877
> 
> 
> View attachment 83878
> ...



Ah yes, you are getting there. I've been painting stuff since I started carrying the hose for my Dad at age 7.

Yep, get a cheap Binks No. 7 knockoff from H-F. They actually spray darned nice. I have finish coated with them. Used to get them for like $15.95 and literally just throw them away when the priming process was over, lol. Be sure you don't get one of the ultra-cheapo guns with a pressurized cup. Wish you were here, I'd toss ya 3 or 4 of them, lol.

What you want to do now is lay down a base primer coat. I would use red, since you are topping with gray. (The color contrast will help you with your topcoating.) Then you want to buy a little guide coat primer, say in gray. That can even be spray bomb primer. What you do is spray on several layers of the red base, allowing it to tack dry in between, then sand it down with 320 or 360 wet or dry paper (wet) until the tips of your fingers tell you everything is smooth, then just lightly spray a fog of the guide coat over it.

You take a straight backer for your sandpaper and lightly work your way over the fogged guide coat with a 400 grit wet or dry paper (wet). The places you need further work will become evident very quickly. If you built enough red primer to start, you can just sand some more on it and keep applying guide coats the same way until it is smooth (all or almost all of the guide coat comes off when sanded).

If your guide coat shows it is really wavy, you might need to buy some spot putty and spread a thin layer of it over the area, then sand that down smooth before starting the process again. The more time you take on this, the less disappointed you will be with your results.

Some people like to then go over it with 600 grit, but I stop at 400.

I am old school so I use lacquer based primer surfacer. It is banned in many states now, though, so you may have to go to a newer formulation.


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## jswordy (Jan 27, 2022)

Boatboy24 said:


> That looks really cool the way it is. Give it some clear coat and run with it!



I almost bought a Studebaker Hawk once that was done just that way. $3,000 and I prolly could have talked him down. Boy, those were some awesome cars for their day. Should have bought it! But I needed another project like a hole in the head.


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## jswordy (Jan 28, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> Two Stage? Looks really good and smooth in the photos.



Yes, two-stage. It was my first experience with it. Much more forgiving than singe stage, to my surprise.


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## jswordy (Jan 28, 2022)

So, I got permission from Mike to hijack his thread with before and after shots of my 1969 Fairlane project.

Before...
















After...
















Continued...


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## jswordy (Jan 28, 2022)

...and that's about where it is now. Thanks, Mike.


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## Kraffty (Jan 29, 2022)

Shout out to @jswordy - Jim was kind enough to spend over an hour friday afternoon talking me through the process and answering a bunch of questions I had about body work and painting. He even prepared a list of important thing to do or not do once I get to the paint part. Thank you Jim, a little shared experience and encouragement helps greatly.

I filled, shaped and sanded my very first panel ever. You really do have to have everything prepped and standing by because once you start you're on the Bondo's timeframe. You only have minutes from the time you mix in the activator until it starts hardening. Once it's applied to the body you start taking the high spots down while it still hardening then sanding before it turns to complete cement. I'm working small areas at a time and have it broken into about 14 sections plus the hood. I plan to go over the whole jeep like this then take a second pass before using the High Build primer Jim suggested before final sanding. Hopefully I get a little more proficient at it as I go, this little corner took me about 3 hours to get to this point.

The body is not near as flat as I imagined, this should really make a big difference once I'm ready to paint.


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## hounddawg (Jan 29, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> Everything I've seen or read says exactly what Jim said, prep, prep, prep. I took my time getting the bed ready for the liner coating and I'm really pleased with how it laid down. 3 days total labor, $150.00 in Raptor materials plus about $100.00 misc. materials which will also be used when I paint. Now it just needs to cure for 5 or 7 days. the shiny finish should dull down a bit while I decide which next step I'll take. Leaning towards suspension but it's hard (impatient) not to want to get onto the body work and paint.
> View attachment 81702
> View attachment 81703


wow i can't hardly believe that someone took your wheels and most of your parts and left your poor jeep on jacks in your garage ,,, nice ski sticks and cowboy hat though ,,, lol  
Dawg


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## jswordy (Feb 2, 2022)

So Mike must be buried in sanding dust or something...


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## wood1954 (Feb 2, 2022)

Looks like the perfect vehicle for northern Arizona


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## Kraffty (Feb 2, 2022)

It's a learning process for sure. I've made it up to the fender panel, just passenger side. There are going to be some "pick your battles" decisions to make but overall I think it's going well. It's very flat and straight now but I'm absolutely going with the High Build primer sealer once I'm done with the filler to deal with pinholes and some sanding scratches but at this rate that's weeks away. Tomorrow the fender then pull the hood and cowl and start down the driver side.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 2, 2022)

Looking great, Mike. I love what you're doing here. Don't know if I mentioned it before, but I owned a '98 Wrangler Sport that I bought new and kept for 13 years. I love seeing these pics. Really impressive work.


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## Kraffty (Feb 2, 2022)

Brief history on the Jeep TJ. This model came after the YJ and was sold as a 1997 to 2006 model with actual production starting in 1996. There were approx 125,000 1997 TJs built (2 years) and over 800,000 TJ's in total before becoming the modern JK model. Mine was built in Feb of 1996 and it's VIN number show it was just the 2,333rd TJ produced. This one is as base as it gets, 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual SE model - vs. Jims Sport which had the straight 6 and about twice the HP at about 220 or 240 vs mine at around 120. I think they only came in 3 basic colors, black, green and red.

Don't know whether to call this an update, renovation, restoration or partial rebuild.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 3, 2022)

Is renorestobuildup a word?


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## hounddawg (Feb 3, 2022)

Boatboy24 said:


> Is renorestobuildup a word?


DONT KNOW,, DID HE FIND WHO STOLE HIS TIRES WHILE IN HIS GARAGE,,,,,
Dawg


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## jswordy (Feb 4, 2022)

Mike, yer doing fine, man! Looks real good from here. That high-build will fill any pinholes, for sure.


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## Kraffty (Feb 9, 2022)

So another milestone reached. It's taken 10 straight long days to do the body work all around. I've used almost 1 gallon of body filler although most of it ended up sanded off and on the ground. I have a glazing compound that still has to be used to touch up pinholes and some scratches but there aren't many of those at this point. I still have to sand/scuff up the windshield frame, roll cage, door bars and cowl but no body work involved in that. Very close to that first coat of primer and that'll be a good indicator of how close I really am. Man, this is like real work. I've got neo-sporin and bandaids on 7 of 10 fingers. Splits, dry cracks, raw spots scratches and cuts are winning. I have to say heavy applications of medicated creams and plastic gloves make quite the fetching look as I try to rehydrate the hands before bed each night.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 9, 2022)

Looking good, Mike!


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## Sage (Feb 9, 2022)

I've found nothing better than the old fashioned stinky bag balm in the green square can. It will rehydrate and heal your hands like nothing else.

Nice work on the jeep. I've used 2 coats of primer before. First coat to be able to see what still needed work. Glazing putty would hopefully do it then a second coat to even it out for paint. On a really particular job, 2 or 3 colors of primer in small guns. Layers showed when you had it filled after block sanding.

I would really get tired of sanding!!


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## jswordy (Feb 14, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> So another milestone reached. It's taken 10 straight long days to do the body work all around. I've used almost 1 gallon of body filler although most of it ended up sanded off and on the ground. I have a glazing compound that still has to be used to touch up pinholes and some scratches but there aren't many of those at this point. I still have to sand/scuff up the windshield frame, roll cage, door bars and cowl but no body work involved in that. Very close to that first coat of primer and that'll be a good indicator of how close I really am. Man, this is like real work. I've got neo-sporin and bandaids on 7 of 10 fingers. Splits, dry cracks, raw spots scratches and cuts are winning. I have to say heavy applications of medicated creams and plastic gloves make quite the fetching look as I try to rehydrate the hands before bed each night.



Looks great! And just think, you started with a basically straight machine. No body work to do on it, like pull out dents, etc. I have seen guys gripe and gripe on car forums about how their body guy is taking soooo long. Well as you now see, there's a reason! You'll be much happier with it now that you have done the prep, really. And you're probably getting pretty good at it, now that you are about done doing it. That's how it works for me with stuff, anyway.


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## Kraffty (Feb 14, 2022)

Thanks Jim. I'm thinking that having used the glaze and then block sanding with 400 grit I may not end up having to do the high build. It really is smooth as glass now almost everywhere. The windshield frame was really a PIA with all the intricate shapes, really glad most of the body had flat panels. Roll cage and cowl left then primer if weather permits, think we're heading into a couple of cold weeks here so maybe just keep nit-picking and fine tuning till it warms.


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## jswordy (Feb 14, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> Thanks Jim. I'm thinking that having used the glaze and then block sanding with 400 grit I may not end up having to do the high build. It really is smooth as glass now almost everywhere. The windshield frame was really a PIA with all the intricate shapes, really glad most of the body had flat panels. Roll cage and cowl left then primer if weather permits, think we're heading into a couple of cold weeks here so maybe just keep nit-picking and fine tuning till it warms.
> View attachment 84677



Any primer/surfacer you use will build up, the high-build just does it faster. They are all high solids content, except the spray bombs. The lighter your color, the less you have to worry about imperfections showing up. I have seen some really cool looking grays out there riding around now.


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## Kraffty (Mar 5, 2022)

learning this is very true...


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## Kraffty (Mar 13, 2022)

Hopefully this link will work. I plan on spraying a couple of coats of primer today. Just have to hang plastic sheeting to the garage walls and mask off the wheel wells and tires. I'll make the decision of when the paint goes on after seeing how it looks once primer goes on, could be Monday or next weekend. Getting Closer!


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## Kraffty (Mar 13, 2022)

Sitting back and having a beer or 4 and enjoying my handiwork. Think I'm good with the one coat of primer though I'm probably going to give it a light wet sanding before actual paint later in the week.


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## Kraffty (Mar 22, 2022)

100 days or roughly 500 hours of labor complete. Seat covers, decals, hood lift assist and support on order but other than tires I'm done for now. First time working on exhaust, suspensions, spray on bed liner, body work, masking, priming, painting and installing a windshield and I'd consider it successful. Gave it a tune up this morning and drove it out (on-road only until the paint cures completely) and it feels great. I haven't run the final numbers yet but I don't think I'm not far off my original budget.


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## ibglowin (Mar 22, 2022)

Beautiful job Mike! 

Now why didn't you paint it Sedona Pink? LOL




Kraffty said:


> 100 days or roughly 500 hours of labor complete. Seat covers, decals, hood lift assist and support on order but other than tires I'm done for now. First time working on exhaust, suspensions, spray on bed liner, body work, masking, priming, painting and installing a windshield and I'd consider it successful. Gave it a tune up this morning and drove it out (on-road only until the paint cures completely) and it feels great. I haven't run the final numbers yet but I don't think I'm not far off my original budget.
> View attachment 85968
> View attachment 85969
> View attachment 85970
> ...


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 22, 2022)




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## Kraffty (Mar 22, 2022)

ibglowin said:


> Beautiful job Mike!
> 
> Now why didn't you paint it Sedona Pink? LOL



I could side hustle as a "pink Jeep Tours" driver. Too late now.....


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## Rocky (Mar 22, 2022)

Standing tall and looking good! Nice job, Mike.


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## Kraffty (Mar 30, 2022)

So I've been asked by a few locals what's the jeep's name, I guess that's a thing. For those who don't know, it's the name of a song.


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## NorCal (Mar 30, 2022)

Nice work! Love the color.


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## cmason1957 (Mar 30, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> So I've been asked by a few locals what's the jeep's name, I guess that's a thing. For those who don't know, it's the name of a song.
> View attachment 86312



Great name and band.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 30, 2022)

Kraffty said:


> So I've been asked by a few locals what's the jeep's name, I guess that's a thing. For those who don't know, it's the name of a song.
> View attachment 86312



Looks fantastic, Mike! Love the DMB reference.


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## jswordy (Mar 31, 2022)

Time to go out and SCRATCH IT!


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## Kraffty (Apr 29, 2022)

Last post I think, I'm finally having new tires put on and an alignment right now. While it sits at Big O the custom sign I ordered for the Jeep Bar came in so I got that hung. It's been a fun project. I've had lots of compliments and already been "ducked", an odd but fun thing jeepers do to other jeeps to show appreciation for their vehicles.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 29, 2022)

Love all of it, Mike. And I hope this isn't he last post. I'm sure there will be more tweaks and I'd love to see some of your Jeep adventures documented here.


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## Chuck E (May 1, 2022)

Well done, Mike!


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## mikewatkins727 (May 1, 2022)




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