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Operation Bobby Lee.....

29K views 154 replies 13 participants last post by  mopar1 
#1 ·
After our very successful chapter meet playing with my truck there has been some interest in how the project is going and when we were going to have another play day so I have started this thread to keep everyone up to date.
There is a story behind the "Bobby Lee" but I won't expand on it here.  It goes back about 15 years....
This project is a complete frame-off rebuild.  It is intended to be a camping and travel truck when it is completed.  Part of that is due to the fact that if I raise it up I won't be able to get in the garage.
The last chapter meet was held in my garage and three very gracious men showed up and proceeded to removed everything attached to the frame as well as start tearing down the axles.
The frame has been powder coated and just left again tonight since they did a very poor job and they have the privilege to do it again.  I am in hopes this will set their expectations of how the rest of the job needs to happen.  They were very responsive and picked it up within a few hours of when I called them.  I don't think it will be a problem at all.
I just finished the rest of the tear down of the axles tonight.  They are next to go to powder coat.
The skid plates and lots of other goodies are at powder coat and will come back soon with a blue hammered finish that will go well with the blue body.
The coater is working me a deal if I get a bunch of stuff done now since it is his slow time.  This means that the body needs to have all the trim removed and the windows taken out.  He is in a big hurry but it will probably not happen until I am off for the holidays.
I figure that by the first of the year, most of the powder coat will be complete and the body blasted and primered.  The body will also have a black finish on the bottom that is a chemical reactive coating comparable to powder coat.
Looks like things could really move fast for a little while.
The question has come up concerning what my schedule is during the holidays.....
I plan on working on it a lot between Christmas and New Years.  Mopar1 suggested that maybe we could get together on Tuesday as a group.  I am open to any time if anyone else is interested.  I also may have 12-22 & 23 off but I will not know until the last minute on those days.  I am considering a couple of vacation days this week.
If we get together after Christmas there probably will be plenty of Christmas dinner goodies left over.  Have you had enough burnt chili???
You guys respond and let me know if anyone is interested in a play day or week!
thanks
Leftymopar
 
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#2 ·
Got the chassis back today and sent out the axles.  This coater is really slow now at the shop so he is turning things around pretty quick.  He ordered the blue hammered powder today and will get it in tomorrow.  Hopefully I will have a lot of blue stuff before Christmas.
Learned something new today.  I was taking the piston out of the calipers so they could get coated.  I discovered that 150psi in the brakeline hole equals a very fat black finger when that sucker blows out!  Man this is fun...

Mopar1... game on for the 27'th.  What time?  Is anyone else interested?  I think we will be working on the body so it can get sent out.  Taking off trim and removing windows.  If that is done before then, we can start putting together the chassis.
 
#3 ·
1:00 sounds fine to me.
The black coating is happening today.  The blue in the next couple of days.
Took a couple days off and got the main body almost ready to go out.  Still need to take all the trim off the doors and hood.
Maybe we can work on chassis.
 
#5 ·
mopar1 said:
Great! ;) Sounds like there will be plenty of things to do on Tuesday! Do I need to bring anything? Are you using new bolts on it as you go back together?
I am planning on using new bolts. The issue is that we may have to stage things so I know what bolts to get.
I don't think you need to bring anything unless you have an adjuster for the rear axle.
 
#7 ·
olegreen84 said:
Need pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Progress?
We made some nice progress Tuesday and his powdercoated parts look very nice!
I have been trying to post some pictures here but haven't had much luck yet. I'll keep trying. I have one posted in the gold member photo pages but when I try to post the same picture here it doesn't work. :(
 
#13 ·
looking good lefty, i'll have to stop up one of these weeks and check er out in person.  Karl
 
#16 ·
Slowed down a bit.  I am waiting on everything to get back from the blaster so I can see if I have any money left.  Right now I am trying to get my blessed u-joints out so I can get the axles, driveshafts, and steering knuckles sent out to powder coat.
Next up will be replacing the axle bearings and putting the diffs back together.
Had the radiator support powdercoated like the frame and will be having the inside of the fenders coated with POR15 to keep the rust out.
 
#20 ·
Sorry guys, I have been out of the loop lately.  Man, I would check this site multiple times a day and here since I got back from vacation I haven't hardly been on it.  Jump in sometimes and check the adds and that's about it.
No, I haven't done jack squat.... I have a buddy here that will help me get the axles back together but I haven't even got back with him with a parts list ( he says he can get me a good deal)
As far as the body though, the stripper called today and told me to get the garage cleaned up.  They will be spraying primer sometime between tonight and this weekend and he wants it out.  He said he ran an add in the Auto/RV and he has been getting a bunch of cars lined up.
I picked up the misc body panels last week.  They are all primered too.
Hey Mopar1, how we looking as far as engine prospects for a mpfi magnum?  any fish out there?
later
 
#21 ·
Looks like were going to fort wayne soon to help motivate lefty. You ready mopar1?
 
#22 ·
hey lefty, get some parts together and i'll see about stopping by to lend a hand if you want to get a weekend wrench session together with the others.  been wanting to see the progress you've made since the last time i saw the truck.  later, Karl
 
#23 ·
olegreen84 said:
Looks like were going to fort Wayne soon to help motivate lefty. You ready mopar1?
I missed your post. Yeah, Lefty must be needing some motivation :) Does anybody else need anything from a 93 Dodge? Axles, frame, Misc. parts?
 
#26 ·
Nice progress on the axles Leftymopar! Are they all set up and ready to bolt back on? What did you have to do to them? Are the front axle shaft u-joints new or did you have them powdercoated?
 
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