Mr. Dibbles Mutt Restoration - Photos & Updates

[mrdibbles]

Thanks guys Oh and I concur on the Honda Polish... just ordered some more in fact!

[cstaup]

For about the same price, Plexus works well also

[mrdibbles]

Spent some time today working on the M151A2 and got the NOS front harness fitted and put the NOS steering wheel on. I'm not a big sticker lover but put this one on because well... it adds some color to an otherwise colorless Jeep I also put the grille on just for fun, towards the end, to see how it's all going to look. I'll have my powerpack in it within the next couple weeks. Won't be long before this is ready for the road. Here's some pictures of where it is to date:

[halftracknut]

WOW!!!!! That Mutt looks new!!!!! Fantastic job....When can I send mine down? HTN

[mrdibbles]

WOW!!!!! That Mutt looks new!!!!! Fantastic job....When can I send mine down? HTN

Thanks HTK... let me finish this one before talking about the "next" one. Especially since the next one is already here

[moose53]

yeah and I got dibs on being next...no line jumping HTN !

Jim

[Mr. Recovery]

Mr.D, up close your A2 looks sooooo much better then the 718 I just finished You are the Restoration "KING"

[toptiger]

Looks fantastic.

[mrdibbles]

Thanks guys!!! I've learned a lot from this forum so really you guys are my life line when I have questions. Knowing there's a resource like this board makes a person like me think that there's no limit to what can be done with these M151's. There are things I've never done (for sure) but on this forum there's many that have. Leaning on you all has made the quality of what I do exponentially better. Plus taking one's time, NOS parts, and posting pictures publically doesn't hurt either

[csmith]

Another great restor Mr D, or should I say Mr KOR (King of Restorations) Thanks for taking the time to keep the photo history coming, this thread is a great archive I go back to often when I want to know how something goes together, or want to know how something should properly look

[Ralph Fuller]

Another great restoration by Mr D.
Your stencils look fabulous...how are you doing them so well?

[mrdibbles]

Another great restoration by Mr D.
Your stencils look fabulous...how are you doing them so well?

Thanks Ralph. I was shown how to do stencils by Mark Witham (in Dallas) whose done more than a few world class restorations. He truly is the best ... I am just his grasshopper. Also... as a kid... I built lots and lots of models. This required lots of detail work, lots of tape/masking, and practice-practice-practice with rattle cans. Anyway the stencil templates are all done by Rick Larsen and I buy his "paint mask" style. No secret there... he's the best. With his stencils seriously it doesn't take much "expertise" to get these results. What I will say is that stencils look best over the Field Drab Brown Gillespie (RAPCO) paint. This is my opinion only, and isn't period correct for Vietnam (as far as I can tell), but it is what was done during the post VN period on up through today. I see lots of trucks coming through DRMO with this done. The stencils just seem to "pop" when framed in the brown background. Black on OD to me just falls a bit flat and the letters are somewhat hard to make out because they seem to blend in with the green. For black paint I strongly suggest using Testors Flat Black modeling paint (small can). This is another trick shown to me by Mark Witham. Testors dries in seconds and doesn't peel (like Home Depot Flat Black) when the stencil template is removed. Secret here is being very stingy with the black paint. Lay it on real thin. When that urge hits to go over the "TP 20" one more time you must to step away. This way the black stencil's lettering isn't "raised", it will be less apt to chip, and it won't look like a sticker (too much paint looks this way to me). Trick is to use just enough black to coat all letters/numbers evenly. I remove the stencil template within a minute or two of laying down the black paint... being very careful (yes I have buggered them and had to redo so careful removal is key). Then within a day or two I coat the stencil with Pledge (in the brown can). This will sharpen all of the letters (by making them "pop" just that much more) and darken the blacks, browns, and OD just slightly. It will also give your stencils a protective layer so that if you spill oil or some other fluid on them you can simply spray them again with Pledge and wipe clean. Mark Witham's restorations are, in some cases, 10 years old and they all look fresh and new. He taught me the Pledge deal and it's legit. I Pledge the entire Jeep, not just the stencils, and that's how I clean it too. Soap and water only when made muddy (which for me is kinda rare )

[Horst]

I am especially looking forward to your results on the engine. If the balancing is noticable and so on.

Great job on the body work. I have done my M201 from the ground up, probably not as good as yours but close. Only problem with it was that it somehow lost its original spirits. I know this is very wierd, but it is now a too neutral car to me, doesn't have the smell of an Army Jeep if you know what I mean. The M151, like your next project, is very low miles and not restored, just repaired, so it still has that feeling and "smell" of a military Jeep...

[toptiger]

Horst, I think many of us know what you mean about a jeep having spirit. Mine has plenty of it, perhaps a bit too much.

[Ralph Fuller]

Thanks, Mr D: Your explanation on stenciling belongs in the Wiki.