2012 A Spacecab Odyssey

[bradzuzu]

It's not anything to do with the sunroof and the drain down hoses is it ?? That thought just ran through my head after dealing with the amigo having wet seat belts on occasion ..

[DSUZU]

No. I thoroughly cleaned and tested them when I was doing the body work to the roof (after I melted one while welding). It seems to be more of a "Spacecab" issue with the quarter windows, After working on it this morning, I can still see a little seepage coming from the vertical seal on the D.S. I'm going to go all the way around it with silicone where it clamps on the pinch weld. I'm also getting a leak at the top of the driver's door. Seals there all look good, just have to nail that down real good. Good thing is right now I have all carpet and the front seat out. Of course, it's very cloudy and strong possibility of rain. GRRRRRRR!
I'd like to paint the inside of the doors and door jambs (due to the extreme color change), but that ain't going to happen with this humidity. Dennis

[bradzuzu]

Man that's crazy weather to work in for that specific type of project.. I got used to drips with the soft tops when is first take off , doesn't mean I liked it any I think the hard top seals better so hopefully the kids won't have to play dodge ball in the back seat anymore.. Couldn't you mix your paint a little hotter for the humidity ?? Small areas won't flash to bad at least ...

Can't wait to see this done !! It's going to look killer !!

You'll probly look like a middle aged pimp/ macdaddy lol

[DSUZU]

If the weather holds, I may try to shoot door jambs tomorrow. Maybe. Making cardboard blanks now for overspray. We'll see what the weatherman brings. Currently still have L/R quarter window out. Sealed all the way around the rubber seal. I had scrounged an extra set of Spacer quarter window gaskets when here was a chance, and I had picked the best set to put on. Again, I think the problem lies with there being a vertical seal and the water running off the roof directly behind the glass. Even considering fabbing up a custom ventshade for the rear windows if necessary. I'll probably add a picture of the blank after I finish making it. Dennis "MacDsuzu". (wonder if fuzzy dice come in burgundy?)

Door blanks 002.JPG

[-88-]

Graphing is a little beyond my computer skill level. FWIW, I think the Rustoleum was the best. The SEM is probably better material, but costly.
I had a little setback today. With all the rain, there seems to be a leak. I pulled the rear interior panel, the left rear quarter window, and pulled back the left rear interior panel. It seems to be from the rear quarter window seal. I ran a bead of silicone at the top, but then an afternoon shower came up before I could put the quarter window back in. More tomorrow. hoping I don't have to drop the headliner again. Dennis

It doesnt have to be a graph graph graph, just each brand with roughly a paragraph of pros cons best materials etc...you mentioned SEM, but I'm lost again on which that was.

Hopefully you find the drippies, aint nothing worse then chasing leaks, or wire shorts. And when I finally get my spacer this is all super relevant to my plans for it, so I shall continue to push you for more.....MOOOOOOORE!

[DSUZU]

SEM was the brand that was sold at the auto painters supply. It was a quart can, and for the 60.00, it sure didn't go too far. It is probably the highest quality. SEM is sold by several of the "hot rod" supply sites like Eastwood and Summit Racing. It is not available in rattlecans (to my knowledge).
IMO the Rustoleum was the best. It had good coverage, good price (even considering shipping), and for what I was doing, good color match.
The Duplicolor is probably equally compatible with the Rustoleum. My main problem was that he Duplicolor was not a good color match for the original Isuzu Burgundy color.
How well will each hold up? Only time will tell on that. Way back in the day, the stuff I used was called "Marhyde". It was real good stuff. You did a wipe down with lacquer thinner, sprayed on the Marhyde and it stuck and wore real well. I had a bucket seat for my old '68 Malibu convertible upholstered at a shop. Apparently, they were out of black molding (or "welting"), used dark blue, and sprayed it black. After about a year, the highest wear area just started to show the blue. Dennis

[shaggydoink]

(wonder if fuzzy dice come in burgundy?)

Never seen 'em, but I know someone in Florida who can probably custom dye a set for you.

Jonathan

[DSUZU]

Well, the deed is done. Am I happy with it? Not 100%. The darn gun kept dripping (time for a new gun, I guess I got my 14.00 worth out of it). It got a few drops in places where I didn't want drops. There may be some orange peel, but I won't know until everything sets up. I am glad this was just door jambs. I did shoot part of the inside of the tailgate. Part of this was a confidence builder, and I don't have confidence in this gun. A new one will be coming. At least when everything is dry, I can finish putting the interior back together and deal with the leaks. Dennis

Paint! 001.JPG

[DSUZU]

Went out a played a bit more. Leaving the truck alone so it can dry, so I focused on playing with paint. Once the hardener is mixed in, you have 8 hours and the stuff is hard, so I had about 6 oz that was history anyway. I dug out my old Binks type gun and tried it on the tailgate and then on the front of the bed and a section of the side (of the bed) that I need to strip down to bare metal anyway. I think I got a much better pattern with the binks, but that may have also ben because of my gravity feed being bad. I'll see how this dries out. Will pull tape later this afternoon, but no reassembly until tomorrow or maybe even Monday. Dennis

[bradzuzu]

Looks good Denis , it didn't click when you said door jams.. I was thinking rockers I guess.. Taping is a pain !!

[bradzuzu]

Why is the grav gun leaking ?? What pressures are you spraying at ??

[DSUZU]

I've got it set for around 50 @ the gun. If I turn the needle way down, it doesn't leak, but I don't get any paint either, as I turn the needle up, I get more paint, but then it dribbles. I most likely ruined the gun. I used it to spray the dye, which was water based, and I probably left water in it, ruining it. They're less than 20.00 @ Harbor Freight and when it worked, it worked pretty good. For now, painting the door jambs was the next step in solving the water leak issue. When it's back together, I expect to nail that down (then the daily rains will probably stop too).
Rocker panels are one of the things I will still need to paint. The Rodeo and pickup LS models had the contrasting color below the molding line, and I already have the bright silver for that.

[DSUZU]

Tape's off now. Could be better, could be worse. Not showroom, but good enough for me. Dennis

Tape's off now 001.JPG

Note the front of the bed in the background just above the rear view mirror. It's about 20 feet from my neighbor's pool. I don't think he was real happy with the paint smell.

[4BYDIG]

Itching to see this thing complete, do the spacecab windows not open like in newer ex can trucks?

[DSUZU]

They do open, but only about one inch. There is no hinges, just the flex of the plastic mounting brackets on the front (which I bought extras of). If that leak isn't rectified, and I think it will be, I may just run a bead of silicone inside of the windows and not use them. Don't like that plan, but it's an option. Dennis

[shaggydoink]

Tape's off now. Could be better, could be worse. Not showroom, but good enough for me.

Looks fantastic to me Dennis, nice job!!

Jonathan

[bradzuzu]

I agree , it looks great !! That's a ton of work to do , very tedious ... I did all if that to my 91 and in the end a kid cut the perfect body up with a hacksaw... Talk about a broken heart and mad all at the same time situation ... I think I'll be sad to see you sell your trooper...

[DSUZU]

I've enjoyed the Trooper. When I went from my old '87 to the '94, I felt like I had given up my personality. A good friend calls it "character". He says he just loves it when he pulls up to a place and sees a vehicle parked out front that is "other than the norm". Not to take anything from the second gens, there was just something about the first gens. I call them "Box Troopers". As soon as I started driving this one ("True Blue", my '91), I felt like I was back home. There is the rare instant comraderie when I see another first gen out in traffic. My daughter still gets freaked out about the times I have parked it and had people approaching me wanting to buy it. Will I miss it? Yes. Can I afford to keep it (including wife's approval)? No. On the other side, it will be time to pass the experience on to someone else who will hopefully catch the Isuzu fire. Hopefully, the pickup will fill the gap well. I've been without a pickup for 22 years now, and there are many times I've needed one (using a trailer is just too inconvenient). There is also the added fact that the Trooper is going to need some attention that I just won't be able to give it. Dennis

[krazzedbwoy]

Times like this, I wish I still lived in Florida. Plenty of warm weather to work on your rig and since it never snows your vehicle hardly rusts nor do the junk yard finds and donor vehicles

[DSUZU]

Wow, Florida to Canada is quite a change. Right now it is ungodly hot. Rust can still be a pretty big issue due to the saltiness of our air. Finding donor vehicles is a toss up. A few months back, there were a number of first gen Troopers at the yards and there were several pickups (always seem to have a supply of Rodeos due to the popularity. Haven't seen a first gen in a while, only one pickup (well picked over this last week), and only 3 Rodeos, all '96-97. It's strange how the LKQs will post the occasional Isuzu in auto parts, and you get there and find a few that they never did advertise. Disappointing how high their prices have gotten.

[hotdoginabiscuit]

A quick word on the uniqueness of first gen trooper, I have never had so many compliments on a vehicle that I have purchased for so little money... It took me to Oregon and back after driving up and down southwestern Oregon's mountains with only a slave cylinder going out. Wonderful vehicles these old Isuzus...

[DSUZU]

Dyed the front carpet this afternoon. I had previously done the rear, but didn't take pictures. I blew it off with compressed air first, vacuumed it (it had been in the truck through all the sanding), then I gave it a good spray with lacquer thinner through my paint gun and sprayed it with 2 cans of Duplicolor fabric and vinyl paint. After picture is the first side and you can still see gray at the top. I flipped it around and repeated the process on the opposite (back floor) area. I did not spray the vinyl / rubber foot pad, I will do that with the Rustoleum, which has a better color on solid surfaces. This is 2 cans, and it covered pretty well. The carpet was liberated from a Rodeo at the boneyard and trimmed to fit the front and rear floor area of the Spacecab. I mentioned earlier that I had scored a nice Spacecab rear carpet. They have a unique molded shape and a stitched in access cover to get to the tool box under the left seat riser. Dennis

Carpet Dye 001.JPG

Carpet Dye 002.JPG

Yes, it's draped over a 2x4 that is resting on my chimenea

[bradzuzu]

Looks like it turned out perfect !! Was the lacquer wet still ??

[shaggydoink]

WOW!! I'm blown away, that looks amazing!!

[DSUZU]

I just barely misted the lacquer onto it, figured it might help the fibers absorb the dye. Didn't really turn out any different from the back one, which had also turned out nicely. Now to solve the leak issue and get the whole interior in. Dennis