My XJ on crutches!!???

[Cobia]

Hey Nathan and Mike,
I'll keep the pics coming as I progress through the project, actually my first frame up bike project so I want to document it. I've done boats and cars before but not a bike.

Mike,
I've used the BBQ paint with mixed results on headers before. Ironically, the cheaper Walmart/Krylon held up better than the Rustoleum on my headers. The Rustoleum washed off when I was checking for header temps with a water spray bottle.
This primer and paint seems very solid so far. When I flipped the wires up over the engine to hoist it up and spray the bottom of the engine with primer they left some grease streaks over some areas. That primer hadn't been on over an hour but when I wiped the grease off with acetone none of it came off. It was unfazed, good feeling about that!!
BTW - I'm a Badger --- Go Big Red!!!

[natemoen]

BTW - I'm a Badger --- Go Big Red!!!

I'm sorry about that (I'm from North Dakota and Minnesota )

[Cobia]

I went by where you're living. But, we all can't be perfect....right???

[natemoen]

I went by where you're living. But, we all can't be perfect....right???

Yeah I know, I just wanted to kindly point out that the badgers SUCK

[Cobia]

In my last reply on the subject...
I guess the Badgers suck when they're No. 5 in the country and routed the leading passing team in the league (Indiana) 83 to 20 last Saturday, and on the way there whooped Minnesota 41 to 23 (I guess that's why you're pissed at them!!) and Michigan St 34 to 24.
And midway through the second half of the Indiana game a couple of guys from Pasadena decked out in Rose Bowl blazers were seen walking behind the Badger bench..... but let's not forget that they haven't been to Pasadena since 1999 when they won their second back to back Rose Bowl victory.
They still have two conference games left, an away game at Ann Arbor, and Northwestern at home.
So, is it too early to start partying like it's 1999??
Who knows.

[natemoen]

No offense intended, just friendly college rivalries.

[KA1J]

Really looks pretty, you're going to do a great job on the restore.

[Cobia]

Thanks KA1J,
Lot of work but well worth the results.
And Nathan,
No prob. Where did you go to school? Or what team do you root for? Remember, you still live in Wisconsin. Hey, send me some cheese curds, I'll pay for them. We can't get those in FL!!!

Today I degreased and drained the frame, and inspected it for weak spots. Found none. I intended on finishing it, but while sandblasting it the darn hopper hose kept getting clogged. In my last attempt at unclogging it by blowing air back through it, the syphon hose blew up!! Had to stop with about 50% of it done @#%^#$^%#$^#$^.
Now I have to drive 30mi to Harbor Freight to get a new one so I can finish the frame tomorrow. I should've known it wasn't going to be a great day when I hung the engine from the hoist to let it air dry, and while moving it away from the sandblasting area the right rear caster broke off!! Had to block it up with some scrap wood to keep it from leaning too far over.
I'll post pics later, gotta take a shower and ride up to HF for a replacement sandblasting setup. I guess it could be worse, I could be buried in snow and not be able to run this errand on my G, or do my resto work on the J.

[Cobia]

Frame

Here's the frame in the only position, that I know, where you can drain the water from inside it. It got there from the high pressure rinse after degreasing it.

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And a few other shots of the worse of the rust I found, which wasn't much and mainly around the welds.

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And here's the engine hanging out to dry in the sun.

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Today I wanted to finish painting the frame, but just as I got done sandblasting the frame it started raining and I couldn't. I had to scramble and get the frame out of the rain so the rust wouldn't start up again.
Although the rain felt good in the 85 degree heat, the humidity got too elevated to paint.

[DGXSER]

Although the rain felt good in the 85 degree heat, the humidity got too elevated to paint.

Sure.....Sure.....go ahead and rub it in!!! High of 40 something today I think! Feels like the white death is just around the corner!!

[lancelot455]

the white death is here already. Expecting 4 inches of it by morning and had winds gusting to 35 mph today.

[DGXSER]

the white death is here already. Expecting 4 inches of it by morning and had winds gusting to 35 mph today.

Well when you live in Regina (yes I know two fellows from there, I met a few years ago at a pump companies class in Skokie Illinois), you have to expect that. Ya'll have snow on the ground more than not don't you?

[lancelot455]

It's about 50/50 depending on how much snow we get

[bikerphil]

Looks good, Cobia. I like the extra gussets on the frame near the steering neck. Better for these twisties we have down here in Florida.

[Cobia]

Frame update

After a hasty start this mid morning, I washed it down with acetone and started painting. Halfway through I remembered that I neded to take pics for you guys, so here are some of the rear and some of the mid area after I sandblasted it and before painting it.

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This is how it looks after applying the paint, Duplicolor Epoxy paint.

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And here it is hanging out to dry.

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And, Yipee!! I've got matching numbers!!

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And the main mishap was that I backed into the rubrail of the boat next to where I was working and it busted my left rear glass

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But I finally got them home.

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And, of course, just SOME of the parts that I've yet to strip and paint, not to mention install.

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More to come, if you're not sick of this by now.