Toms 79' "WoodBine Beaster" Canadian no longer a mess SSII!

[winchested]

Well got this rig home... Should have left it where it was and ran.

Well I'm Into It for about $7000 Canadian. About $6000 too much.

It's a 1979 345 4 speed SSII... That's about all that's good about it.

The top is a Kayline original but all the mounts and metal pieces look to be mangled custom pieces.

There isn't 1" of it that hasn't been scabbed together but at least it has floors. The show bar look like it's been hit before. And it's welded in at the bottom feet.

The wiring is all messed. At least it can be started.

The power steering pump is full but the belt just slips on the pulley as soon as you try to turn. So prob needs a steering box rebuilt.

My plans of a show able truck are out the window. This thing is just going to be a cruiser Thant I'm not worried about beating the shit out of. It's so far beyond being nice.

A whole new tub woudnt be a bad idea.

The frame has a couple patches.

The rear bumper has been welded into the frame...

Ugh

 

[winchested]

 

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[winchested]

Engine needs to be pulled and resealed everywhere.

Big question guys! Front axle has only 1" clearance between the bump stops and the axle is this normal or are my springs super flat?

 

[BigRigg]

Based on the shackles, I think the springs are flat.
Personally, the scout looks pretty clean from what I can see in the pics. Yes it has had the floor and floor supports replaced, and not professionally, but still looks okay.

Power steering pumps are pretty cheap and easily had here on bp. Wiring was hack from the factory, so yeah it needs to be upgraded. And there needs to be a little work done to the roll bar...your scout leaks?! Wow. rock auto is your friend... if they ship up there.
Its a project, but I still see the potential. It could be really nice, and for not much more.

I'd check out project ebay disaster and deedman's build. Search his name, I can't remember the build name. These will give you good inspiration. You've got a good platform there....

 

[Darrel]

It looks like a great starting point. A restomod/driver is so much more fun than a show truck anyway. The springs do look flat. On the floors I would just get it rhino lined. Maybe grind down the welds some. Looking forward to seeing what all you do to it.

 

[winchested]

Well. I've got to thinking and am going to put a slow plan into place.


Body:

-Sanded and bed lined some color close to woodbine green.
- Inner tub done in the matching green or a black.
-the bed needs 1" tubing welded in as cross braces and the center body mount brace needs to be looked at as the PO hobbled something terrible together to replace the original rotted out one
-underside will be painted with chassis saver and a rubberized coating
-New fiberglass inserts as these originals are so beat to hell.
-seating needs to change likely. Driver seat is too close to dash for my height. Will likely get some better seats front and rear (the rear seat was added and is all there but the catches that hold the seat from folding forward are not there will have to figure this out as my kids won't be allowed in it until it is safe.)
-the dash pad is the nicest thing on this scout.... Will paint the dash and add some speakers and a vintage USB style radio.
-think it will likely just get a Bimini top as all the hardware and rails for the original are junk
-no doors or I might just run half doors made out of the originals
-will need to cut out this beat to hell show bar and get a proper cage made that covers my rear seat and has a cross bar behind the rear seat.
-engine compartment stripped down and hit with chassis saver or similar paint
-might get rid of the fender flares as they kinda look stupid with tires that are tucked under the body so far

Frame:

-cleaned up and any crappy metal cut out and replaced.
-reverse shackle the front
-cut this hideous rear bumper off or modify it in place since it is already welded to the frame.
- straight steer brace
- gas tank skid plate cleaned up and bed lined


Suspension:

-Since my stock springs are flattened out I will likely just do a 4" spring under lift so I can run 33x12.5R15s. Likely the superlift or skyjacker brand. What ever is cheaper to get up here in Canada.
- I will do a cut and turn on the front C's.
-shackles are toast anyhow so reverse shackle sounds like a good plan up front.
-poly bushings front and rear.
-need to put some sort of locker set up in the rear
-needs new diff covers.
-needs new front brakes and backing plates
-will do the bearings.
-has auto hubs and they cycle from locked to auto by hand, not sure if they actually work or not.


Engine:
-will be pulled and cleaned/painted
-need to check compression and under valve covers has a rather loud ticking and a light knocking from underneath. Will pull and re gasket everything on the engine.
-trans shifts great it seems
-clutch has lots of travel, seems about the last 3" of travel engages the clutch (not sure if this is normal"
-carb takes a while to get fuel into when cranking. I have never owned a carbd engine before so not sure how to start it properly I just kept pumping and cranking until it finally ran
-think it is a 2 barrel 2300 with auto choke.
-fuel pedal seems like it's a mangled custom piece that needs attention.
-xfer case seems to shift thru all 4 spots fine when sitting still. Is this normal? No clue.
-rad seems fine other than a cracked and leaking lower hose.


Ill add to this list as I think of more and get further into it.


I only have $2000 CDN to play with this year so we will see what I can do. Probably not much.

I'm going to strip the interior, pull the tub. Oh the PO also welded the front out fenders to the lower windshield frame and the whole inner fender at the wheel arch.... Should be fun as hell getting those separated.

 

[winchested]

Oh and the big one is wiring.... The marker lights worked when it was on my trailer. I backed up off the trailer now the marker lights and tails don't work but the heads do... The alt gauge works. But none others do. The dash lighting doesn't work...

The fuel gauge, temp gauge etc don't work. I'll likely goto custom gauges with an rpm gauge too get rid of the stock dash.

 

[BigRigg]

10k at least for all that work. The tires, lockers and lift will eat up your 2k.

The bad thing is, so much more needs to come first.

Get the scout running good, stopping good, and safe first. If that includes a rewire and new gauges, your going to be 800 or more into that alone.

Time to start a build thread, tear you scout down, and spend the next 5 years updating your progress here. You are officially one of us! Welcome to the club!!

Now get to work!

 

[Big_Al]

I'm with BigRigg, get it running, stopping and safe, then worry about the cosmetics and custom touches. Any nearly 40 year old rig will have a list of issues, unless you buy a $30-40k frame off restoration. And even then, it's buyer beware.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[winchested]

Biggest issue my wife won't even be seen in it when it's this color so it needs to be changed even if I just hit it with a DA sander and then shoot a coat of primer over it. Anything is better than this sunburst yellow.


Even if I tried to get it on the road this year I'm Into $1000 at least to pay the taxes on it and license/ insure it. Almost not worth it when it's in this state.

 

[winchested]

Did some work today.

I'm going to pull the engine and give it a super clean down and probably reseal.

The lower grille valance is okay, the grille looks to be from a hit and run... (not the plastic ssii grille) the light buckets are messed up....
The drivers side has had torch or plasma cutter work done to it...

Not sure why the rad is offset and sideways...

The hood was a metallic green underneath so not original, as original was Tahitian red. The front edge of hood looks like it's all bondo.

The front frame bumper mount has been hit or rotted out and is the worse patch I've ever seen in my life.

More and more this should have been $600 instead of $6k.


Need to do a compression test before I pull the engine. PO said he thinks #1 cyl needs valve seals.

Scared to drop the oil pan and find cam bearings...

Need to find a $500 parts scout in better condition than this one...

 

[scoutpappa]

take a deep breath. you have project and a whole bunch of parts to start with. I've had worse specimens and had a lot of fun regardless. deep breaths and as stated above...start with getting it running and stopping. make a build plan, so running and stopping, then paint, then fixing rust, or fixing the frame, then paint, then rust, then top and environmental protection. the build plan is your personal priority list. keeping it running and moving is the big one. you have a floor so you're way better off than some I have had that were daily drivers.

 

[winchested]

Got the power steering working! Next I need a check valve for my compression tester. Waiting on that. Then carb needs a rebuild.

 

[winchested]

I'm in search of a parts scout now... I'm in need of a few parts... Frame, rad shroud, front grille, front inner fenders. Frame is pretty soft in the center on this bucket of regret lol.

Hopefully I can find something. Otherwise I'm going to be buying lots of 3/16" flat bar and boxing this thing up.


Hey the whole bed pan is brand new at least.


So PO welded the inner front fenders to the outers at the wheel arch and at the windshield frame. Not sure what they look like under the SSII door inserts...

At least it's got floors eh, not pretty but they are there. The floors were braced with 1" tube between the rockers and trans tunnel which is nice.

The seat belts and seat bases are just bolted to the floor.... Is that how they are supposed to be.?

I figured they should be bolted through a cross brace for rigidity.

 

[BigRigg]

Just bolted through the floor. Scary, I know.

 

[winchested]

So got my compression test done on the 345.

2: 128-130
4: 138
6: 135
8: 140

1: 65-68 oiled test results same
3: 135
5: 138
7: 140

So #1 has some smoked valves likely.

 

[winchested]

Picked up a 4 set of 15x 8.5 wheels. 3.5" BS. The guy has another on his jeep as his spare he might sell me he has my number. It has a brand new 33. 12.5 super swamper on it. I really don't want that tire lol.

Likely going to strip the clear off of them and paint them black.