jonpaul03

Its probably more expensive to ship from Canada.

Those compacted foam paint stripping wheels (I get cheap ones from Harbor Freight) for angle grinders and drills work really good as long as you stay off sharp edges. I personally follow one guidline... Its better if you take the item and take it to bare metal and do it how you want to. Its ALWAYS worth the time! (Dont ask my wife though ) My entire BRAT has been stripped to bare metal...except the undercarriage at this point. It will last longer that way. I have seen about 3 on the road in Colorado in the past 10 years and I want mine to be seen forever!

Its also possible with a good stripper and a pressure washer, but it takes longer. I only sandblasted the welds at the end of the spokes...

It would look good, but I wouldnt do it...I think it wouldnt last. Bedliner also holds brakedust more than paint which will eat them up in a hurry! I took mine down to bare metal via paint stripping wheels/wire wheels and sandblasting...primered them quick so no rust would form. Then I would recommend wheel paint, caliper paint, or engine paint. Its ceramic (therfore harder). All of the spray on bedliner I have used is easier to chip/scratch and wheels take the brunt of the punishment. Powder coating would be ideal, but its more expensive unless you have the means within your household to do so. Note: Removing the factory paint on them is a PAIN! (unless you have commercial grade stripping materials)

Here are a few more pics... Decided to go black with the wheels...

Well....looks like I need a head (preferrable two non-cracked heads), one of the flares on the spider was broke off, and possibly a new intake manifold and EGR tube running to the head...if I cant get the damn tube off and bust the intake in the process!!

Will do... thanks.

ok... I still think I need new/rebuilt heads as well. The combustion chamber, valves, and tops of the pistons were fowled really bad. The valve seats look pitted as well. Now, I found the EGR tube running from the intake to the head is clogged with crap and I can't get the tube to come off of the intake...what a pain it is. The EGR port running to the tube was also completely filled in as well...

If you remember from past pics...there were primer spots all the way around the bed of my 78. Those were holes made by the previous owner to install a toneau cover. After filling and finishing bodywork on the holes around the bed, the roof, and the holes on the bottom of the doors from the chrome trim... here is the primered product of a lot of time with a body filler and a sanding block in my hands.

Does anyone have a set of these that are for sale, or know anyone selling some?

Does anyone have any good pics of the intake manifold where the EGR valve bolts on? Specifically the port that runs at an angle towards the flanged tube that goes between the manifold and the passenger side head.

Thanks... I will mention it to him when he comes to Denver in a couple weeks...

Here are some more.... My father-in-law works for a company that restores/remodels private jets. He was nice enough to take my factory vinyl seat covers and make new ones out of really nice black leather. I had him add a pocket to the back of though for storage. I still have to heat shrink the leather to get the little wrinkles out, but here they are. In my opinion, I am one lucky dude to have these seats!!!

I sprayed bedliner on the inside of my fenders and the underside of my hood as well. The fenderwells were in awesome condition! Like I said before...I only had to patch one 50cent piece sized rust hole in one of the fenderwells...thats it.

that black on my inner fenders is bedliner as well...

The cylinder walls look really great. I can still see the hone marks, there isnt a ledge on them, and there isnt any type of scoring from heat or blow-by at all...would it still be a ring problem?

The first time I did this I had the engine in the car. Now that the engine is out and everything is exposed I am going to redo the engine compartment. I may change the paint to bedliner though.

I was contemplating that, but I wanted the extra support and sound barrier. Plus I wanted a way to hide where the carpet ends.

Its 3/8" plywood with a funky grain...stained with a dark stain called Jacco Bean and the polyurethaned.

What looks gold?

It smoked really bad on startup and when I would hit the throttle, so I decided to rebuild it expecting bad oil seals. I just came across the cracks.

nope...

I guess I will keep the story of my 78 BRAT goin... Next....I decided to change it up a little bit. I hated the flimsy vinyl wrapped partical board behind the seats, so I decided to do something different. Its waaaay more solid and sound proofs a bit. Check it out...

Me too! When I tell people that I am restoring a car they always ask me "what car?". When I tell the a 78 BRAT, they always ask me (in a weird and very curious kinda voice) "Why?". I alwys answer... "CUZ THEY ARE AWESOME!!!" They will never understand unless they have owned one. I think the 8 spoke steel wheels are they cleanest looking if I cant have my other wheels back....

I wish I still had them!!! Unfortunately, I was forced to sell the 79 when I joined the military. Atleast its still on the road! I sent a good center dash section for the radio and such to the guy last year. I couldnt stand the thought of it and him sufferring with the lack of a functional interior.