M718A1 restoration

[Hambone]

Looks Great!

Thanks Lou, I will have all the parts bolted back on tomorrow, maybe I can get it back in the jeep this weekend.

[Lou]

Great news. Brings back fond memories. This is what ours looked like before it went back in.

Mutt_Powerpack_028.jpg

[Hambone]

Looks like yours turned out nice, hope mine looks that good, all my fuel and vent lines were painted, so I'm looking forward to getting all those cleaned up.

[Lou]

It was a mistake keeping them unpainted. In a couple of years they started to rust (steel lines). So mine are now painted. Did it with a brush, did not look fantastic but they are not rusting. One day will sand them down again and thin the paint more so the brush marks do not show. Way to much work to remove them all and spray paint them, we use it for the woods, function over looks, lol.

[Hambone]

So now you have me thinking, I have seen them painted and unpainted, didn't they come from the factory unpainted, anyone?? I can see where you would want yours painted.

[lpcoating]

Interesting topic. I just bought new rubber and steel fuel lines from Rapco. I have not opened the box yet and now I'm curious.

Guy

[rickf]

When the motor comes out of the crate it is completely painted, everything is the same color. Either green or black. I would think the production line motors would have been the same since they would have been assembled and then painted so they did not have to waste time masking.

[Hambone]

I see a lot of silver lines on the jeeps, are those lines painted or coated, I would think bare steel lines would start to rust immediately.

[rickf]

I'm not sure but I think you will find the original lines are like the exhaust and have a light zinc coating to prevent rust. Same with the gas tanks and that is probably what that white powder is we all find in the tanks. The zinc coating coming off due to alcohol in the gas.

[Hambone]

I'm not sure but I think you will find the original lines are like the exhaust and have a light zinc coating to prevent rust. Same with the gas tanks and that is probably what that white powder is we all find in the tanks. The zinc coating coming off due to alcohol in the gas.

You are probably right, it won't scrap off as easy as paint, made a little progress today.

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[Hambone]

As everyone knows, finding litter mounts for a M718 has been a challenge if not impossible, A generous member finally got his light fixed in the attic and stumbled upon a treasure . He has found the drawings for the litter mounts , he is taking the time to scan and forward them to me, so I will do my part to catalog them, each part has several pages of drawings. Hopefully I can get Guy to take a look at them and estimate a cost to reproduce, I know it wouldn't be cheap, here is a sample of the drawings.

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[lpcoating]

Interesting! Send me some prints!

Guy

[Hambone]

Litter pins are unobtainable, so I've been thinking how I was going to make them, broke an old screwdriver and it came right to me.

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[rickf]

Hey Guy?! CMD to the rescue.

[Hambone]

Found out real quick that I couldn't drill that screwdriver.