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Hello all - I'm very new to any type of vehicle restoration and need some advice on where to look to figure out how to fix various holes in the body and interior of my M38A1 - specifically the interior at this point.

I've purchased a new boot for the shifter as the old one was rigged with a CJ boot. The PO put all kinds of holes around the old boot and I want to fix them. See pic below.

That said, I don't know if bondo would be OK, if I need to try to weld them (I'm a terrible welder but can work it if thats the best way), epoxy, etc.

Also, some of the holes have been wallowed out and the thing that serves as what would be a cage nut (not sure what they are called on these things) is gone so a bolt can't be screwed back in (check out the master cylinder access plate). Would I just buy some type of cage nut to put the bolts back in?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-Casey

You could pull that whole tranny cover and take it to the workbench, flip it over and repair the damage and/or replace the missing nuts.

Same with the tranny inspection cover.

And yes, welding new steel would be preferred if the holes go completely through.

Thanks, Brian. I'm not really sure what nuts to use. I can't find what they are called in the parts manual and am not so sure what to look for at the store. J-bracket nuts look like they would work so I might try that.

I'll try my hand at welding those holes with my harbor freight 90 amp beast of a welder. Should be fine for this kind of work in all honesty.

one more thing, can I completely weld up the holes that are 'wallered' out (notice I'm from TX) and just re-drill them? That is to say without patching them with more metal. (This is how little I know and youtube hasn't been a heck of a lot of help with this one.)

You have 5 panels that make up the tranny cover.


Note the small cover that the boot pokes through has "NO" holes arounf the big hole with the rolled lip. Your new boot if it is the correct boot clamps to the shifter cane tower.

Unbolt them all and move them to your work bench and do whatever it takes to make them match the illustration above. Captive nuts and their holders are available from resto parts houses.

Old fashion AC Arc Welders are a bear to work with for tacking light gauge panels and filling holes in them. Put your computer to work for you and google welding techniques for filling holes in automotive panels. Study and practice then you should be able to "Git-er-done".

Got an oxy-acetylene outfit?

You could really old school it and braze them closed.

By the way that is a great photo Wes.

It answers a lot of questions for people wound up in all
of the clutter.

looks almost like they put the rear blanking panel from the transfer in place of the master cylinder cover.

Kind of looks that way but you can see the one flat side
next to the tunnel and then make out where the original holes
are.