It finally got warm enough to get out and do some work on my F-3 yesterday. I wanted to pull the gas tank so I could determine it's condition, but to get it out, I had to pull the seat out. Would you believe some dufus WELDED the seat frame to the floor pan? I dragged out my BFH and chisel and two hours later had the seat out. That was just about all the fun I could stand in one day! Ain't working on old trucks great!

 

... yeah, welding stuff all over the place is the route some odd dudes take. The other odd dudes would just drill a few more holes into your floor pan in order to mount different seats. That's what happened to my floor board. It looked like swiss cheese and I had to do the welding. Now I am using the original mounting holes for my '80 Full Size bench in my 54 F100. Just made me two nice adapters using solid square tube. Looks like it came from the factory like that.

The day you will not see any further crap on your truck is the day you have taken it apart to the very last nut and bolt. Till then expect to see more stupid welds, holes, ....

... but then, then the fun starts (sort of). So, have fun (some time later !!!)

 

Just be glad you aint driving it Vern. The frost heaves and potholes are so bad this year Ive lost 3 bulbs already. Plus my jewels are taking a beating

 

My bed had a metal floor welded in so I used a 1x1 solid steel pry bar to break every weld took ten minutes and boy was I tired after. Drank about 2 liters of juice. I forgot to mention the bar is 5 feet long and weights 30 pounds.

 

I know how that goes, Vern. I needed to take the door panel off my '56, so I could have a new window cut and installed. Someone epoxied the door handle on. I had to cut it off with a cutoff blade in my 4" grinder. I am replacing the shaft in the door regulator now.

 

Abone,

WHAT ARE PEOPLE THINKING? THAT'S NUTS!


Carl,

Those frost heaves and potholes are why I need that cushy Volare suspension!

 

Cool, welding right next to the gas tank. Hold muh beer and watch this!

 

I know my frame was sure something to look at when I first brought my F-3 home. Had no box on it so I could get a good look.. at one point someone had chopped the rear 3 feet or so of a the frame rails off (cut off just behind the rear spring mount) and then welded them back on ? my guess is that I had some sort of wrecker type bed on it... but the tail pieces looked to be in the same rusted shape as the rest... maybe the owner just got bored and wanted to practice cutting and welding.

The truck also had some sort of makeshift hitch on it that looks like it was made from a collection of tractor bushhog blades... I went to remove them, and with one hit from my 3lb hand sledge, the welds snapped clean off... I sure hope it wasn't used for any major hauling.

Yeah, you never know with these old truck waht kinda improvising was done to make them more useful.

Jon

 

It might of had a hoist on it. My frame is cut after the axle but I'm gonna keep the hoist and raise the floor in the bed so it looks normal.

 

im glad im not the only one with previous owner blunders!

 

Seems to me that someday I'll be a previous owner. Wonder what some young punk will be thinking when he/she looks over my work?

"Jeez, that old coot used steel fenders! What the he!! was he thinking? They've only lasted 50 years and they're rusted out again!"