1967 Patrol frame off restoration - light

[RMP&O]

Cool Rob! Maybe all the Colorado Datsun dealers were getting the emblems made at the same place? Yes the Dick Wheeler emblem is going back on, got to get it chromed first though.

Body for this truck is going to be heading to the body shop in a couple weeks.

Cheers

[RMP&O]

This truck just made a fairly large deviation from stock. But hey, it is non-matching numbers at this point at the main goal here is a usable Patrol that is fun for all!

So we are going to be doing a roll cage or roll over protection. It is not going to be your typical roll bar. Rather it is replacing the soft top bows from the front seats back. Tabs will be welded to the roll bars so that the stock soft top components from the front seats forward can still be used and kept on the Patrol. The idea here is protection in the case of an accident or a roll over. Yet, with canvas on the truck it will looks just like stock. Front attachment of the canvas to the windshield frame remains as stock, same goes for above the front doors. What this also does is allow us to run front shoulder harness seat belts as we will have something to tie those into.

Cheers

[moore_rb]

That should be a very cool modification...

[RMP&O]

That should be a very cool modification...

Ya it is a user build and Patrol. Not a show truck. Owner wants to use it and drive it around a lot so I think safety things are great to do. Let's face it, you do not want to be in a stock Patrol, particularly a soft top in a roll over. That could kill more than just the Patrol!

Cheers

[RMP&O]

So the body on this truck went to the body shop last Friday.



It doesn't look like much but that is a complete Patrol!

Tomorrow a rolling chassis with the tub, floor pans, firewall, windshield frame and soft top go to a shop in Idaho. They will be building the roll cage. At the same time I am dropping off the engine at the machine shop. As previously mentioned the motor doesn't need a rebuild but it does need a re-seal. It has a lot of leaks. So it is going to get torn down, everything checked out, all parts through the tanks for cleaning, replace what needs to be replaced and then sealed back up.

I am currently working on the frame. Pretty far along and just about have the caps done for the body mount outriggers. Had six busted bolts in the bottom of the frame, all came out nicely except for one that gave me hell. Will post pics of the frame resto being finished soon.


Cheers

[RMP&O]

64 at the fab shop for roll bar work



Engine to the machine shop for checking, cleaning and reseal



Cheers

[miller]

Looks like things are moving along. Ive heard you talk of a roll bar the sits under the soft top frame. Is that the plan for this project?

[RMP&O]

The roll bar is replacing the soft top frame from the front seats & front doors back. So all the bows and hoops will be gone replaced by the roll cage. The idea is the truck will look the same with canvas on it as it looks with the stock soft top frame. The roll bar will tie into the front parts of the soft top frame that are stock, like the cantrails above the doors.

Cheers

[RMP&O]

Frame repairs moving alone nicely....

weld through primer


new cap for the outrigger


The "X" cut in it actually lines up perfectly for the support inside the outrigger, hard to get a good picture of it


welded on


original cap overlay, I beat it flat to use as a template




other side after clean up


finished


mangled spot that received a patch


since this is not a "show" truck I am calling this good on the inside for clean up


Cheers

[RMP&O]

With that done, time to flip the frame over and do the cap.







Bit more work to do on it but not much.


There was about a quarter sized dent in the center on the cross member, I worked it out.



Cheers