xuv-this
bondo afficianado
- Location
- southwest VA.
before the server crashed earlier this month, i had a thread about chopping up an xj hatch, mating it with the opening window part of a wj hatch, and using the contraption to fill this hole:
several people requested to see pics of the ongoing progress, so here goes:
this is what i started with: a 99' xj hatch and a 00' wj hatch.
it must of taken 12 different tools to dissassemble the glass/needed parts fron the wj hatch...
here is what i am going to combine:
here the tools i used to cut the two were ofcourse a tape measure and sharpie marker (not shown) left hand cut metal shears, cut off wheel, plasma cutter, and of course the classic grinder.
the two peices cut and being fitted together:
patch /tie-in peices were cut, fitted, and welded from sheetmetal....
kere it cannot be seen, but the wj glass hinge mounts were braced from the inside before any cut or weld around them was made. if they don't keep their exact original positions, the hinges will be sprung out of whack, and the glass will not seal to the (removed of course)weatherstrip.
not even close to fitting! i pounded the pinch seam on the trailer flat to it's piller, and below the window, where that distinct bodyline carries accross the side of all xj's and ties into the hatch, the hatch changes angle.where the hatch swoops around the side at this point(just above where the taillights go(were) on the hatch), i cut a slit to allow me to straighten that line across the front on each side.i also had to trim the inside a bit too.
if you notice the cut made in the top outside corner of the hatch, the hatch was roughly 3/4 of an inch too narrow on each side! i heated the entire side edge with a torch and used a slide hammer too pull each side out. the glass is back on here for test fittingthe hatch, the gap on each side of the glass under the window seam needs to be consistant to insure that it will seal to the window gasket. when the hatch is pulled onto the pillars and is tack welded, that gap becomes pretty imporntant (in addition to the tape measure) to tell you if it is straight.
here we go!the hatch is also too short on the sides to reach all the way to the door, so another 18 gauge strip had to be added:
several people requested to see pics of the ongoing progress, so here goes:
this is what i started with: a 99' xj hatch and a 00' wj hatch.
it must of taken 12 different tools to dissassemble the glass/needed parts fron the wj hatch...
here is what i am going to combine:
here the tools i used to cut the two were ofcourse a tape measure and sharpie marker (not shown) left hand cut metal shears, cut off wheel, plasma cutter, and of course the classic grinder.
the two peices cut and being fitted together:
patch /tie-in peices were cut, fitted, and welded from sheetmetal....
kere it cannot be seen, but the wj glass hinge mounts were braced from the inside before any cut or weld around them was made. if they don't keep their exact original positions, the hinges will be sprung out of whack, and the glass will not seal to the (removed of course)weatherstrip.
not even close to fitting! i pounded the pinch seam on the trailer flat to it's piller, and below the window, where that distinct bodyline carries accross the side of all xj's and ties into the hatch, the hatch changes angle.where the hatch swoops around the side at this point(just above where the taillights go(were) on the hatch), i cut a slit to allow me to straighten that line across the front on each side.i also had to trim the inside a bit too.
if you notice the cut made in the top outside corner of the hatch, the hatch was roughly 3/4 of an inch too narrow on each side! i heated the entire side edge with a torch and used a slide hammer too pull each side out. the glass is back on here for test fittingthe hatch, the gap on each side of the glass under the window seam needs to be consistant to insure that it will seal to the window gasket. when the hatch is pulled onto the pillars and is tack welded, that gap becomes pretty imporntant (in addition to the tape measure) to tell you if it is straight.
here we go!the hatch is also too short on the sides to reach all the way to the door, so another 18 gauge strip had to be added:
