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AWOLs 1997 M1097A2 Build

Awol

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527
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MA
Finally able to get it in the sun, after seemingly endless rain. Looks pretty good. Still need to cut and buff, but I'd like the paint to be a little harder before doing it.

Also had the original hood and tailgate markings remade, and will go on the truck along with all the other original markings.


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Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
Had a little whoopsie while buffing the hood. Burned the clear a little, right smack dab in the middle of the hood. Not a huge deal, just gotta sand it back and blend in some color.

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TOBASH

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Last edited:

Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
Seems like you either need to use lighter grit and sand a little less OR paint thicker coats.

Been there. Done that.
I was in an awkward spot with the buffer, and stood it too much on its edge and burned the clear real good. Getting to the center of the hood on these things isn't as easy as you'd think lol

Just got done spraying the clear and blending it with UPOL #9 blending agent. Now I just gotta let it harden up, then a quick cut and buff on the repair and it'll be good.
 

Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
Ran a 5% eyebrow on the windshields today. It's about 4" long. They sit up higher on the window than the sun visors do when they're down. Looks damn good imo.

I need to get a better pic of it outside, but here's one right after I did them. 20240503_162251.jpg
 

Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
Installed a Black Dog Customs cargo divider/ rear curtain sealer. Fit is decent. It's a little short on the driver side, so you need to seal the ends with silicone or seam sealer. I used some black seam sealer I had laying around.

You gotta drill a bunch of 3/16 holes, and make sure to not go too deep or you'll puncture the fuel tank. I'd recommend using a drill bit stop.

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Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
Little update:

I've taken the truck on a few short trips, but today I took it on a 70 mile journey through back roads and farmland. It performed flawlessly! Cruises at 65mph no problem, doesn't get hot, and doesn't seem to have any weird shimmy or shakes. It's pretty cool cruising down the road knowing that this truck was sitting in a lot down in GA only a few months ago. Now it's cruising around New England.

Next up is the stereo. I need to lay it out and see where I want to put stuff. The Bluetooth speaker I'm currently using isn't gonna cut it lol

Pics don't want to upload right now, but I took some.
 

Awol

Well-known member
535
527
93
Location
MA
So, got in a new set of doors from West Kentucky Surplus. They arrived in about a week, and were packed well and arrived safe and sound.

Took about a day to install them, just taking my time and screwing around. I started by taking the door and holding it up on the truck, and setting the gaps with two paint sticks taped together. After that, I marked the holes for the door hinges, and drilled those out.

After the hinges were loosely mounted to the door, I put the door back on the truck, and installed the new door strikers. After that, I shut the door, and reached through the open window to tighten down the hardware for the hinges to lock everything in place.

Overall, the doors are pretty awesome. The finish on the fiberglass is very smooth and won't require any bodywork before painting. The glass is nicely installed, and doesn't rattle around. The door handles feel solid, and aren't loose. Interestingly enough, each door came with two sets of keys. All 4 doors are keyed the same way, so having 8 keys in total seems odd, but whatever.

My only complaint, and it's nothing serious, is the hardware for the door hinges is kinda soft. The heads of the screws are Phillips, and tighten into lock nuts. The Phillips heads are pretty soft, and want to strip out very easily. Not a huge deal. I'll probably replace them with actual hex headed bolts.

Here's a few pics of the doors. Now I just gotta pull them back off and paint them. I'll also be tinting the windows while they're off.

Looks like a damn police truck right now lol

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