I am a relatively new forum member, and only a lurker so far. But seeing the other post today about a 66 Series IIA, I wanted to put my project out there.
This will be a project for me and my son to work on over the next couple of years. Long story short, it seems as if someone did a pretty decent restoration on this thing 10-20 years ago, but then it sat in a field in Florida for 5-10 years. It had a Southern Overland Company sticker on it, and the owner of that firm said it was his yard that it sat in for a while.
It ended up with me in NY a few months ago. The body and galvanized frame are in really good shape, but the bulkhead is rotten. I want to turn this into a beach wagon that is also capable of taking some mountain bikes into the hills. I don't plan on ever having a top on it.
So far, I've just been cleaning and ripping things out and just knocking out some of the easier repairs, mapping out the wiring (with the help of a map I found on a UK forum, etc.). The biggest pain in the ass right now is the seat box and floor panels. I ripped out the rotted seats, but every single nut/bolt/screw in this area is rusted beyond the effectiveness of WD-40/PB Blaster, so that's going very slow. Just bought an angle grinder, so that might get some action soon.
Here are pics (to be updated as much as possible):
http://imgur.com/a/3L8DD
I've been doing a bit of research on the bigger jobs while chipping away at some of the low-hanging fruit.
I'm sure I'll need a bulkhead. Looked into a new one from Pegasus Parts (UK) but they don't answer their emails or phones. Had a couple leads on refurbushed ones closer to NY, but nothing has worked out yet.
I've researched disc brake conversions. Leaning toward Forbyn Bros. They tell me that I'll need a new brake tower, especially if I want to have a dual master. The brake and clutch towers are rusted out, so I'll replace those when I do the bulkhead anyway.
The gas pedal mechanism was completely frozen, but some WD-40 sessions got it working perfectly. The parking brake was frozen, but I have that working now.
Bought a new electronic ignition system and new coil from Pertronix, with new cables (from RoversNorth) and plugs (Amazon). I'd like to try to get the engine running soon, but I want to check the fuel systems from tank to pump before I do that.
Bought an AC Delco alternator (Amazon) and a new bracket from Ike at Pangolon.
Bought replacement splash guards and under seat battery box from RoversNorth.
Bought a K&N air filter.
Bought a spin-on oil filter from Rocky Mountain Products.
Bought a galvanized tow hitch from Ike at Pangolin.
It's going to be an expensive project, but I'd like this to become a family heirloom to hand down over the years.
I'm pretty new to all of this, so I am learning as I go. Any advice is much appreciated. I always wonder if someone on these forums will recognize this beast...we'll see.