OldTires, I'm pretty sure you are right about the leak. I'm gonna get that fixed this weekend. I also have a leak on the drivers side that is due to not having a latch on the driver door, which also going to try and fix this weekend. Once I'm 100% certain that all the leaks are fixed (by spraying the jeep liberally with a garden hose) I'll put the carpet in. I already have the new carpet sitting here, waiting to be installed.

As for the underside, all the seam sealing is done and I just got it primed. There are a few spots that I couldn't get to with the seam sealer, but 90% of the seams are sealed. I'm sure it will be fine. I don't think the underside was ever seam sealed from the factory anyway.

Tomorrow if weather permits I'll top coat the underside with Duplicolor paint. After that I'm just gonna spray on rubberized undercoating and call it a day.

After the underside is done I can put the gas tank back on.

 

When I first got my Jeep and I saw all the rust underneath it, I sprayed RustOleum Hammered paint on it to slow it down, followed by the cheap Rubberized undercoating from a can that you can buy at Autozone.

Now the Rubber is slowly flaking off and I think it traps moisture in between the coating and the metal. Plus I can't just reapply paint to the dirty areas because I first have to remove the remaining rubber.

I will not be using the Rubber coating again. You can do Google search on it and you will get different opinions on wether it helps or hurts preventing rust.

 

It might be one of those things where some people just use it too late. Once the paint is gone and the rust has started, I think any type of coating will just trap moisture and make it worse. However if you have brand new shiny paint, I think an undercoating might give it a little extra durability. But that's just my thoughts, I could be wrong.

 

Got the bottom painted yesterday. Also checked to see if the cowl is leaking. It's not, as far as I can tell. I ran a garden hose into the cowl and ran it for 5 minutes, no leak. I'm pretty sure I found the leak though, it's the seam between body panels under the hood, at the very top of the firewall. The sealant there is crumbling, so I'm gonna remove all the all sealant, and reseal it.

 

Looks top notch. Great job. Looks like once spring gets here I'll start on mine. Yipeeeee

 

Been super busy with other stuff lately, but I did manage to make some more progress on the Jeep today. Got the rusty gas tank primed with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer, man that stuff is awesome. Goes on like tar. Also ordered new fuel filler hoses for the gas tank, and stainless steel hose clamps. By the way things are going, I should have the gas tank back in by the end of the week. *fingers crossed*

Also, started installing the carpet today. I have no pics because its dark but I'll try to snap a few tomorrow. The carpet is cut WAY oversized in all dimensions, so it's gonna take awhile to get all the trimming done. Also, the carpet was not molded properly, it's like it was made for a jeep that doesn't have those crossmembers that the front seats mount to. I actually had to cut the carpet around those crossmembers to get it to fit. Fortunately you wont see the cuts, because they will be under the seats.

I took a break from the carpet cause it's getting late and I'm sick of holding a flashlight in my mouth. I think I'm gonna pull off my seat covers and try to wash them, then call it a night. Will post more pics later.

 

Here are some pics of the seam sealing I did to fix the leaks:







So far it seems to be working. Also I got started on the carpet:

 

Well I made some good progress yesterday. Got the gas tank back in, finished installing the carpet, put the seats back in, installed seat covers, steering wheel cover, and floor mats. Here's how it looks now:





Sorry the pics are dark, once again it was after sunset by the time I finished.

 

Real nice, Baconfat. You did a great job. Thank you for taking the time to share the process as it will help me when I do mine.

It happens to me too that no matter how early in the day I start a project, I often finish in the dark.

 

I use concrete and metal prep from Home Depot to do a phosphate etch prep, then use Miracle Paint from Bill Hirsch. He restores Packards, and this paint is polyurethane, moisture cured, and lasts. Need to overcoat it if it is in the sun, but for frame rails and underbody, it is the cat's meow.