Jeep repairs to Artsy Metalcraft

[VaRobot]

My 97 Wrangler failed State Safety Inspection last year due to rust through on the frame and a cracked exhaust manifold. It also had a leaky heater core.

My summer has been sent correcting these deficiencies. I plasma cut my frame and MIG welded a "Safe T Cap" in place. Replaced the Exhaust Manifold and Heater Core.

While doing this, I educated my son in Plasma cutter and MIG usage. We created some crafty stuff. We have a friend who owns a craft store, I told him to make some stuff to sell there, it might beat his five dollars a week allowance.

Pics of all this in the following Posts

[1William]

Great looking Jeep. I think these vehicles are classics.

[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by 1William

Great looking Jeep. I think these vehicles are classics.

Thanks! after a year and a half, I have it back in for safety inspection today, say a prayer they don't find anything else

[DLRIDES]

Congrats on the repairs.

IMO , young people need to at least “see” this type of process to appreciate what it takes for the conveniences of the modern world to work. When some snowflakes puts gas in their car, both “magically” paid for with the family credit card, someone welded that pipeline in 120 deg heat standing in 2 ft of sludge. When that food is delivered to their table at the restaurant, there was a farmer that woke up at 4am worked 16 hours, and repeats that process every day.

[cop414]

Wow, great repairs, well above my pay grade!

[VaRobot]

Frame Hole, Frame/Rust Plasma Cut and Installation of Safety Cap

[VaRobot]

Exhaust Manifold Replacement

[VaRobot]

To replace the heater core properly, the entire dash and steering wheel needs to be pulled. That is why a mechanic charges $1600.00 to install this $100.00 part.

Many Jeep owners get creative by cutting a hole in the heater box rather than removing it. The hole is later patched. The dash simply needs to be pulled out, not removed for this. New (inferior) Aluminum Core is then installed after the factory (superior) copper core is removed.

[VaRobot]

Now for the artsy. With a metal detector my son and I found 60 feet of 3/4" logging cable buried in the dirt on our property. We figure it was last by a logging truck more than 20 years ago and eventually buried itself in the ground. It had relatively little rust and actually catches on fire when I plasma cut it. Catches on fire because it is still caked with lubricant between the strands.

This cable is tempered and very springy. This is a problem for many of our projects, so I anneal the cable to soften it up and get rid of the springiness. I do this by cooking it on charcoal briquets for 12 hours +

The cable and sheet metal are part of several of our projects. The plasma cutter and mig allow us to make many items.

[VaRobot]

Thanks Guys!

[VaRobot]

More pics

[VaRobot]

More

[sco]

Looks great. I had a green 97 wrangler with a black top. My first car at 17 years old. I think about it a lot still. I loved that Jeep!

[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by sco

Looks great. I had a green 97 wrangler with a black top. My first car at 17 years old. I think about it a lot still. I loved that Jeep!

Thanks! I love my Jeep because it doesn't have all this modern stuff on it where the engine shuts itself off and brakes on it's own, etc etc etc

[sco]

Originally Posted by VaRobot

Thanks! I love my Jeep because it doesn't have all this modern stuff on it where the engine shuts itself off and brakes on it's own, etc etc etc

Manual windows, manual locks, no cruise control.

Not sure how I would adapt today to that vehicle, but at 17 it was the best thing in the world.

[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by sco

manual windows, manual locks, no cruise control.

Not sure how i would adapt today to that vehicle, but at 17 it was the best thing in the world.

lol :)

[East Bay Rider]

Originally Posted by VaRobot

Thanks! I love my Jeep because it doesn't have all this modern stuff on it where the engine shuts itself off and brakes on it's own, etc etc etc

Originally Posted by sco

Manual windows, manual locks, no cruise control.
Not sure how I would adapt today to that vehicle, but at 17 it was the best thing in the world.

I agree. That's how my 2012 Tacoma is. I call that the luxury of simple reliability.

[VaRobot]

Annealing that cable to get the springiness out of it

[superdog]

this is an incredibly cool thread.

thanks for sharing.

[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by superdog

this is an incredibly cool thread.

thanks for sharing.

Thanks!

[swils8610]

Wow! The welding job looks amazing as does the art work! Jeep looks great! Very cool indeed!


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[East Bay Rider]

Fun art and great lessons to the younger generation.
Well done on your repairs too.

[swils8610]

Nice Tacoma! Tacoma’s have a cult like following similar to Jeep.


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[RW16610]

Great thread! I really enjoy seeing this kind of thing and also worked on my own car back in the day. Ah, I'll never forget my first car. Every time it broke (and it broke very often) I got the tools out and figured out how to fix it. I learned a lot and have many skills and memories now that I cherish.

[VaRobot]

I had a Tacoma I loved before I bought the Jeep. One day rain turned to ice on I-64 :(

[swils8610]

Damn! Hope everyone was ok. It’s a Tacoma; flip it back other and drive it!


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[VaRobot]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Damn! Hope everyone was ok. It’s a Tacoma; flip it back other and drive it!


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It was just me, it was the most gentle flip over you could imagine, no injuries. I learned seat belts don't want to release when upside down and all your weight is on them

Insurance says once all the vehicle weight has been on the roof, the vehicle automatically becomes "Totaled".

[breitlings]

well done Mr Robot.

[othertbone]

Best part was doing it with your son!