Got out into the garage - did some general clean up, tinkering, thinking. I apologize in advance for the long post.
I think I have a plan for next steps - please let me know what you think - as you know I am in over my head and need second opinions!
As it sits:
Chassis is more or less done and ready to accept the body. Need to run fuel and brake lines, instal mech. fuel pump, and do misc tasks.
Body is on a wooden cart I build when I took the body of the frame. My attention needs to shift to the body and how to get it ready to mate to the frame once again.
There are some rust areas that I don't know if they need of should be addressed before moving the body back over. See pics below.
But what really seems to by tying my brain up is how to clean/prep/finish the underbody and firewall before putting the body back on the frame - once it's on the frame those areas are more or less inaccessible.
So I am thinking of I need to build some kind of rotisserie or better yet just a simple "tub tipper". I think I can leverage the rear seat mounting bolts (4) and the front most body mounts. Build it out of steel w/ casters and then tip it when I need to get to the underside.
The questions/concerns I have:
What is the correct order of things? Once I have it on the tipper, I would like to send it to a media-blaster to have the whole thing blasted & primed. Then I can "undercoat" the bottom & paint the firewall. Do I then tackle the remaining rust while its on the tipper on do I do that with the body back on the frame?
I also think I should redo the rockers (PO installed). I would assume this should be done with the body back on the frame. I have new body mounts to install, and I would do it with the doors and top installed to ensure straightness.
So does this sound right:
Build tipper cart
Put body on cart
Have body blasted and primed
(I would like to do this with the rocker panels removed and major rust areas exposed to clean out better - this ok?)
Repair all non-structural rust
(rear tailgate areas, rear wheel tub area)
Undercoat and paint firewall area
Install body on frame
Install Doors and Top
Repair structural rust
(rockers, torsion boxes, footwells, B-Pillar)
Body work & Paint
