Belltown Build - 1974 Scout II

So - a little embarrassing here. Finn and I went after the windshield seal for an hour or so on Saturday and just couldn't get it to fit. Strings, prys, we tried all sorts of stuff. Googled a couple of videos - they make it look so easy. Decided to have a beer and think on it - and googled a local glassman. He got back to me in a few minutes and sympathized with my plight , etc, etc. Made an appointment for Monday. He swings in this morning and I show him what we have: the seal on the windshield frame. Well, it turns out me and Finny had the seal on backwards! God, sometimes it hurts being clueless. So he shows me how it is supposed to go and points out the zipper lock, etc. I didn't want to send him away then, he stopped in and only fair to allow him to do the work and get some cash. Anyway, a few minutes later he insists that the seal is too big, will never fit. I say, "I don't know, everything I've read says it looks too big, but you work it on...." "Nope," he says, "who you going to believe, a fella that has been doing this shit for 25 years or the internet?" Anyway, he can order a seal he claims will fit, so I say ok and send him on his way to come back in a couple of days with his better seal. Then, now that I have the clues I tackle it myself - and I mean myself - Finny is up at my parents house trimming hedges and other yard work they need. Anyway, 30 minutes later I have it done and I text the expert to cancel the seal order .



This weekend we got a a bunch of little things done and got the brakes filled, shocks installed, the shifter modified and the tunnel cover and boots on. Starting to really see the light - still have a bunch of cutting and buffing but sort of waiting on weather for that, rather do it outside, but we have had some rain coming through.

Good times - Bob and Finn

 

Yeah those windows go in real easy once you have the seal the correct way.Its alittle easier with the windshield frame laying down like that.

 

Coming together. But still everything needs to be worked. And sometimes trying to find the little pieces that came flying off 18 months ago can be a challenge - hence why the glovebox door remains open - the dash side latch bar is gone. We will have to make something there. Happy with the look of the flocking. Had to cut the jeep shifter off and replace - like the look of the long straight shifter. Just lots of odds and ends.

Still a couple of grounds to land, and a radio to install.




Aside from being 25 years old, the back seat upholstery is pretty nice - unfortunately it is red. We will likely just throw a blanket over it this summer and then take it back out in the winter to recover. There's people here itching to go for a ride in the the Scout this summer...

Happy 4th everyone - thanks for looking. B&F

 

Hahaha....I looked for my glovebox door latch for nearly a month...found it in a bag marked glovebox door latch.....no telling how many times I looked right at it...go figure

 

I can’t wait to see pics of it all together. I know photos never do something like this justice - that color is really awesome.

 

good work guys! Best $$ to me on my project was the glass guy coming here and doing both windshield and rear hatch for cash on Saturday. I would never be brave enough to tackle glass. Funny too how (in my case) if I see it too many times I don't see it anymore LOL. The old 80s F150s used a small cable on the glovebox instead of a rod, eyelets on both sides I seem to recall. Had a couple of those back in the day. If you guys get stuck on that situation Ill send you one as a congratulatory prize. I think I have a loose one floating around here.

JJ in TN

 

I have a glass guy doing my Travelall windshield. Don't feel bad!!!

 

I'm with JJ...after I watched the pros break 5 windshields trying to get one in my C30, I think its money well spent to have someone else do it...

 

Problem around here is no one will work on old cars anymore,had a hard time getting my daughters Catalina done through insurance,they did it because it was glued in.

 

Plugging along. The bike shop is closed this week so I have Finny virtually the whole week. We finally got all of the odds and ends tied up under the hood and there were no more reasons not to start the engine again and see what was up. She started right up, and nothing burst or leaked. There are some mysteries to solve, and plenty of tuning to do. The megasquirt ECU is really cool, and we will certainly learn a lot working through the tune. Timing at idle and the IAC stepper motor calibration are first on the list.



We got a door on. We are reasonably happy with the fit except for the lower rear. Seems like we didn't get the shape of the B pillar quite right when we re-built it, so it is a bit "shallow" and there is a gap there. But it is what it is. The handle and windows took us a couple of hours, but everything works as it should. We were dreading door re-assembly but it was easy. One mis-step when we installed the wing window before the front window track, but no biggie. Our handle knobs are worn right out, so I've got to find some new handles I think.



I have a lot of respect for you guys doing all this solo. Hanging and aligning the doors solo would drive me crazy.

We got the fuel filler in, and the cap on.



Also got a lot of the lights wired in, and there is some wackiness there. The dash will come out for some trouble shooting. No big deal .

Getting closer and closer! B&F

 

Like Jrc55's (and other's) build, it's real exciting to see a project nearing completion and even completed, but a sad day from a "following along" perspective.

I agree with your hanging the door solo statement. The few times I've hung my doors, I did ask Kate to start the screws after I had everything lined up. And each time she swears that she won't ever help me again!

Scouts looking better and better!

 

Good progress B and F...getting close..

 

Looking good. And yup, hanging doors solo sucks.

 

Great Job guys! Love it. I saw the you can get new cranks at Super Scout Specialists or lord knows I have a box of those things.

JJ in TN

 

Ed you are on it as usual, including taking advantage of Kates talents. Mrs JJ has been subjected to similar activities. I think she swore off helping me either after re-cabbing my '75 200 in the driveway at the old house with rr ties, a screw jack and some cinder blocks or when we moved a pick up bed. HAHA


JJ in TN

 

I've had many times holding something that is way too heavy or requires a lot of pressure and telling MrsKenmore who has the screw gun, "OK!!! Go!!! Send it home!!!!"

Build is coming along nicely.

 

Its not all Scout work. Finn got to do some fishing at the family's place at Brant Lake in the Adirondacks. Perfect weather and the fish were biting. First you gotta fish for your bait and then you fish for the real thing. Both Finn and Uncle Peter caught 20+ fish that morning, but Finn got the prize:



That's a happy kid right there. B

 

man that looks good.... congrats

 

We finished up the wiring - and chased around a few mysteries. We replaced the wiper motor with a jeep unit, which wasn't terrible but did require that we remove the windshield frame again to install the motor and then one more time to "clearance an interference. But now it works fine. We've started it a bunch, doing some idle tuning and also drove it around the neighborhood - which was very exciting. This is how it looks today:



Finn did a rocker replacement on a buddy's S-10 and that buddy is a sign guy with a plotter - so we will get custom stripes in exchange. Good deal for everyone.

We cut the old roof apart to make a "tin bikini". Use redheads can't take the full sun for long, and also we need the tin top to carry the paddleboards and kayaks around. We were trying to figure how much to leave:



I liked it better short - cut just behind the back seat but I got voted down 4:1, so it'll stay long. We are going down to the jeep shop tomorrow to bend the hoops and then we will put it in. Then there is some finish work to be done. We will paint it white.

Meanwhile finishing up odds and ends. The biggest of those is a new water pump - and because everything is shoehorned in there it means we will have to take the hood off to get the nose off to get the radiator out to get to the pump. But, that's life.

And then we are working on the tune, which is really interesting. Anyway, I think we'll be driving this in a week or so. Good times! Bob & Finn

 

Looks good Bob and Finn..!....unique idea with the top...