My M416 restomod/hole to throw money in

[RedHeep]

Friday was my only day off this weekend to work on the trailer so I had to hustle. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Low humidity and 68-70 degrees outside.

Turned the garage into a paint booth.

I have never painted anything besides a brush or a rattle can. I’ve watched car shows for years and professionals make it look easy.

I ordered ww2 correct olive drab from a paint company called Gillespie and mixed it 1:1 to spray out of the best Chinese hvlp gun I could buy on amazon ($36). My first couple of passes were a mess because I had the air pressure too low but I figured it out and it went ok for not knowing what I was doing.

The paint leveled out a lot better than I thought and covered up a lot of my mistakes. She’s a ten footer but I can say I painted it myself.

The inside will get bedliner but I don’t know if I’ll have time before nacfest.

 

[Anak]

Looking good.

 

[macgyvr]

I did a connections box like that on my old car trailer years ago and it makes thinks so nice.

Keeps a bunch of extra wires out of the plug.

mac 'paint looks good from my house' gyvr

 

[chuck619120]

Nice work! I can't wait to see it in person.

 

[RedHeep]

Lots more details to post but today was a big day.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

Looking good. Didn't connect you and the FJ I wheeled with at NACFest to this thread until these pics.

You planning on leaving the fenders red, or will you match them up to the tub?

 

[RedHeep]

I fly under the radar nowadays.

The genders will get color matched. I had to put them on to take it to get weighed for registration.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

That's fine, just wish I'd realized it sooner - this was the first I'd seen you since the run back from Moab in '08, is all.

Anyway, makes sense on the fenders - doing a job right sometimes does have to take a back seat to the bureaucratic process...

 

[RedHeep]

So after the paint we got the tub put on the frame. All of my mount tabs lined up.

New tail light brackets showed up so I test fit them. The modern tail lights are bigger than an M100 so it was a little tight to the tub.

I fixed it by adding a 1” spacer and a longer bolt for some clearance.

Did a quick test fit of the fenders. Really the first time since Nate and I did the math on the frame crossmembers that we would know whether or not the axle is in the right place. It’s pretty damn close.

 

[RedHeep]

I had to get it weighed for registration and we still had a hub bearing clearance problem. I found washers on amazon with the correct ID but the spindle has a chamfer. So I dremeled it a bit to fit.

Ground the OD down so the inner seal would fit and slid it down the hub.

Slid the hub on and instant M100 spindle M416 hub marriage. I haven’t found anyone on the internet that has done it (or needed to) so I’m claiming to be the first.

Got some fender hardware and installed it so we could go to the weigh station.

Then towed it to the scales for the first time. The hubs didn’t explode so it must be ok.

Any guesses on weight?

 

[RedHeep]

Had a spare Friday last week so I mixed up some more OD and cleaned the fenders up. I sprayed a bunch of coats on both sides. It was 80 degrees out but the humidity was only 50%.

Then I got the NOS wheels I bought on eBay and sprayed them to match. I bought them from a surplus place for $40 a wheel. They have a 1988 build date.

Finished up the last of the painting with the tail light brackets.

 

[RedHeep]

Installed fenders and pulled it out to test fit the canvas cover I bought. I spent some time hacking up a synthetic winch extension to make ropes instead of the old school WW2 correct ones.

I’m not done yet, but it’s looking like a trailer.

The M416 wheels were designed for bias ply tires and tubes. The valve stem hole is 5/8” instead of 1/2”.

I got TR415 valve stems from an American company called Milton and got this kick ass box.

The TR415 is designed for tractor wheels so it’s got the right size for the bigger hole. I ordered the installation tool with the parts.

 

[macgyvr]

1200 lbs Bob!

The trailer is looking great!

mac ‘nos’ gyvr

 

[Rob Mayercik]

x2. Looking real good there.

 

[RedHeep]

Decided to put the license plate in the middle. It's screwed to a amazon bracket with a spacer I made to recess the bolt.

Putting the light and license plate brackets on the same bolts that hold the tub to the frame has saved me from having to drill extra holes in it.

Threw the kid in the tub and we scrubbed it with simple green and scotchbrite, then degreased with alcohol. The raptor liner folks recommend sanding, but I think it's because a pickup bed typically has clearcoat on it. I figured this would be ok.

Masked off under the rail. I watched every scout in the troop throw stuff in the trailer at camp and slide every tote down the rail. So the rails will get lined and hopefully that seals up that seam enough that it doesn't rust in the future. I used Trimwire masking underneath the traditional masking tape for a clean edge since the bedliner is thick.

If you haven't used masking tape with a drop cloth attached to it, you're missing out. I wrapped the trailer in plastic in about 2 minutes.

And this was about 20 minutes after I sprayed. It was pretty easy, it doesn't really come out as a fan pattern, but you can see where it lays down and you can work it for even thickness. I used the whole gallon kit, which was really two good thick coats and a quick spray to even the texture at the end. The color doesn't match, but I knew that going in. I like it better than black.

 

[RedHeep]

Tires showed up today. I went with a 215/85r16. They’re load range e, so heavier than they need to be, but I like that they’re skinnier than the 225/75r16’s that were on there before.

Plus it means my new wheels match the paint color and everyone knows how important it is to look good.

Back from the tire shop.

They’re about an inch more in diameter, so a half inch taller.

Of course the hub cover sticks out like a sore thumb. We’ll see how bad it bugs me. I’m ready for this thing to get used.

There’s a lot more clearance to the tub now and it fits inside the fender.