Why am I making this so hard when articles like this are availble.
How to Restore a 1951 Ford Pickup | eHow.com

 

Wow, I didn't follow all the steps! Is that why it took $15000 and 2 years? But seriously, I hate ehow. They pay so called "writers" to come up with these stupid articles. Most of the "writers" have no clue how or what they are doing. If we are lucky they are copying what someone once wrote in a book on the subject, at worse it is dangerous advice. I still have a "how to paint your car" article from ehow posted on my shop wall. I laugh at how easy they make it all sound. It's on the internet, it must be right. Ya right!

 

The only way you can restore a whole truck in thirteen steps if that is how far it is from the parking lot to the front door of a professional restorer.

 

I got so pissed off at one of their articles on F-150's that I signed up so I could post a comment. Same thing, some journalism grad turned loose to scan the internet for info. Couldn't even do that right. Check it out: 79 Ford Truck Specs | eHow.com

It's laughable!!

 

Remove the wheels completely from their assemblies, and use grease and a rubber mallet to help with removing any parts suffering from excessive rust.




Read more: How to Restore a 1951 Ford Pickup | eHow.com How to Restore a 1951 Ford Pickup | eHow.com thats why it was so hard to get some parts off i didnt use grease and a rubber mallet

 

Yeah, plus... "Perform patchwork on these areas by soldering healthy metal into damaged sections with a MIG welder. Ensure that the body of the truck is straight. Replace any bumpers, fenders, doors or other parts that are severely eroded."

We all ought to post comments on this so they stop this nonsense!!

 

Pretty sure Steps 7 & 8 can take 2 - 3 years, unless someone else is doing it. Hey AX, how do you solder with a MIG welder?

So now I need to be worried about "erosion" rather than rust?

<li class="step "> 7 Survey all that has been removed from both the exterior and interior of your 1951 Ford pickup. Each viable item needs to be cleaned and restored individually. Replace all damaged parts and accessories, including any metal components with signs of excessive rust or erosion.


<li class="step "> 8 Examine the body of your truck, including the frame, hood, bumpers, fenders, doors, floorboards and tailgate for holes, scratches and rust. Perform patchwork on these areas by soldering healthy metal into damaged sections with a MIG welder. Ensure that the body of the truck is straight. Replace any bumpers, fenders, doors or other parts that are severely eroded.

 

Dang - I never knew this: Ford '79 trucks had a total radius of 468 inches and stood from the wheels to the hood, roughly five feet.
What the bleeding heck is the total radius? - Is this something importand that I have been missing for the past 55 years?

 

HUH, wow. I think I've been going about it all wrong. I spent way too much money over the years on tools and equipment when all you really need is;
Jack(hydraulic jack suggested)
Jack Stands
Grease

Even so, I think I screwed up with #2. I definatley failed this part;

 

If the ability to be organised was required I'd wager most of us would be disqualified!

But I will drink to your final comment...a few times!

 

Mines "orginized" its all put in one pile of parts and bags of labeled hardware.

 

I forgot the tarp. Damn. Now I will have to start over.
Down at the bottom there is another article - "how to customize a 1951 Ford Truck". The picture they have of the truck is a '40 Ford truck, either that or they did one heck of a customizing job, maybe it was a two tarp job.

 

Well shoot, that's my problem. Why didn't you guys point me to this first. It would have cut years off my build.

I like that they suggest soldering healthy metal on, then sanding and painting. AFTER that you put the engine back in. It has to be so much easier installing the engine and drive train with the freshly painted body back on.

Whenever I search for answers to some of my questions and I get to ehow, I do read it, just to verify that their instructions are still completely worthless.

OH, this one is good: "The result of the strong engine allowed '79 Ford pickup models to reach top speeds of 123 horsepower"

 

I thought I'd expand on the article. It seems like a lot of input has already been offered but I will still post mine. It took a lot of work and I'm not just going to erase it.

Things You'll Need

• Jack (hydraulic jack is suggested)
• Jack stands
• Grease
• Large tarp
• Labeled storage containers
• Large rubber mallet (optional)
• Ratchet
• Socket set
• Tire iron
• Power sander
• Large work area
• Replacement parts
• Electrical outlet access
• Broad range of automotive tools
• Ford reupholstery kit
• Air compressor
• MIG welder
• Welding masks and gloves
• Primer and exterior paint
• Engine hoist (optional)
• Ford rechroming kit

Additional thing you’ll need not mentioned above:


Must haves:

Money
Time
Understanding spouse (very rare, still looking)
More money
More time
Air tools, DA, grinder, spray gun, that can be used with the air compressor listed above.
Patience (which I usually have very little of)
Good first aid kit with lots of bandages
More money'
More time
Proper safety equipment to wear while spraying “Primer and exterior paint”
Knowledge to know what kind of “Primer and exterior paint”to use and how to use it and where to use it.
Common sense (a very rare commodity sometimes)
More money
More time

Nice to haves:

Cutting torch, screw the penetrating oils, nothing will remove a 60 year old rusty bolt better, either by heating to cherry red or just plain cutting it off.
Some mechanical ability or more money
BFH (if you don’t know Google it)
Friends that know more than you do about auto repair or more money to have someone else to do stuff you don’t know how to.
Ability to know what you can and cannot do. (Don't be afraid to at least try something, you just might learn something new.)

BTW, what the hell is a “Ford rechroming kit”?







Instructions

1)Look for a truck you would like to restore. Do a little research to find out parts availability. Because larger trucks are less popular and parts aren’t as readily available as smaller trucks, parts are going to be harder to find and cost more. #1 to check on is wheels and tires for the bigger trucks, they are very hard to find and a lot more expensive than the for smaller truck. Larger trucks also take up more room to store and work on. I've seen many posts from large truck owner who find out after investing a lot of money in restoring their their trucks they find wheels and tires almost double what they have already spent on their trucks. After finding a truck you can afford to buy and work on follow the suggestions below.

a) Visit as many on-line reproduction parts retailers that you can find that sell parts for your truck and either study their web sites for prices and parts availability and/or order their catalogs.

b) Find other people who have worked on vehicles like the one your are looking at. Ask them about parts availability and leads on finding used parts. Body parts are some of the hardest parts to find in useable condition. Many mechanical parts can still be found at a good locally run auto parts store or a good national company like NAPA.


2)Purchase handbooks and magazines concentrating on restoring classic Ford trucks, especially those from the 1950s. Find classic Ford enthusiast groups in your area to find others interested in restoring these classic trucks who might assist you with your project. The more knowledge you acquire concerning restoring these classic Ford trucks, the easier it will be to successfully restore one.

a) Buy a owner’s manual. This is the most important book you can buy. They run about $35-45 and worth every penny. The manual will have 96% of all the information you will need to work on your truck. You cannot do the some of the simplest repairs to one of these trucks without an owner’s manual.

b) Join FTE, the 4% not covered in the manual can be found here with a simple site search or post.

c) When you do join FTE LIST YOUR LOCATION IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER!! Sorry, just my little pet peave. It's easy and knowing where you're located is very helpful to know when you're looking for help or parts.


3)Set aside a large work space that can accommodate a fully disassembled Ford truck as well as provide extra space for equipment, storage bins and additional lighting. You also need access to electricity and the ability to keep this space organized to prevent misplacing any parts, accessories or components.

a) Yeah, right. Most people will have barely enough room to store a vehicle in one piece. No matter how little room you think you will need to work on your project at least double it, to be safe, triple it. I will guarantee you won’t have enough room.

b) Be prepared to occupy 99% of your two garage and listen to your better half complain because you haven’t been able to park her car in the garage for over two years.

c) You will need more tools than you already have. This is not a bad thing, it is always good to have a reason to buy another new tool.


4)Secure a tarp to the floor in an area of your work space. Place parts and components upon this tarp during your project in order to maintain a clean and organized work space. Create labeled containers for small pieces as well.

a)Yeah, right, who is going to do this? Within a month of tearing your truck apart you will have parts all over the place. I guarantee the tarp is going to get in the way and will be tossed to the side within a week. If you’re smart you will have most of your removed parts in marked boxes or bags.

b)Get a digital camera. They are cheap. You don’t a top of the line camera. Just take as many pictures as you can of every part from every angle before and after removing it from the truck.


5)Disassemble the exterior by removing the bumpers, the hood, the large front grille, the doors and the tailgate. Remove the headlamps and taillights. Raise your Ford truck with a jack, then secure it with multiple jack stands.


a)This is actually pretty good advice.

b)Remove the front clip as one piece. There are only 8 bolts that hold it to the frame, cab and running boards. Once the bolts are removed flip the fend clip over and go at the rest of the bolts with an angle grinder, or my favorite, gas wrench-a torch.

c)Do not scrap any piece that has the least bit of use left in it until after you have finished the truck. You will never know what piece can be easily replaced. Some pieces will have to be repaired or rebuilt because you won’t be able to find replacements.



6)Remove the wheels completely from their assemblies, and use grease and a rubber mallet to help with removing any parts suffering from excessive rust. Remove the axles from the frame by unbolting them. Disconnect the engine and other power components, then use a hoist to pull the engine and transmission out of the truck's body. Place all components onto the tarp, storing smaller pieces within the labeled containers.

a)I would suggest leaving the wheels on until you actually are going to work on the chassis and brakes. It’s nice to have the wheels on to move the frame in and out of you work space if you don’t have enough room to scatter your parts all over the place.

7)Disassemble your Ford truck's interior. Remove the components of the console and then dismantle the interior's trim. Remove the seats and set them aside for individual restoration. Use a Ford-specific reupholstery kit to restore the seats separately. Check the viability of all interior components, restoring those that can be reinstalled. Remove your Ford pickup's front and rear fenders.


a)See 5b above for the front fenders

8)Survey all that has been removed from both the exterior and interior of your Bonus Built Ford pickup. Each viable item needs to be cleaned and restored individually. Replace all damaged parts and accessories, including any metal components with signs of excessive rust or erosion.


a)There are a lot of parts lying in front of you. Don’t be discouraged but realize it’s going to take a lot of time to get it all back together. Life get in the way, kids, work and possibly sickness. Take the initial time you estimated it will take to restore your truck and multiply it by at least 3.

9)Examine the body of your truck, including the frame, hood, bumpers, fenders, doors, floorboards and tailgate for holes, scratches and rust. Perform patchwork on these areas by soldering healthy metal into damaged sections with a MIG welder. Ensure that the body of the truck is straight. Replace any bumpers, fenders, doors or other parts that are severely eroded.
(I think the word should be "corroded", we'er talking about a truck, not a river bank.)


a)You don’t “solder” healthy metal, you weld new pieces of metal in and it’s not all that easy. You have to have experience in welding metal. It just doesn’t melt together. If you don’t have experience find someone who does of take a course at a local tech school at night. It’s not that hard after you learn the basics.


10)Use a power sander to sand the exterior of your 1951 Ford pickup, ensuring that the surface is smooth and even. Attach the fenders. Make sure that the panels are aligned, then prime the exterior. Once the primer has dried completely, paint the exterior of the truck.

a)There’s a little more than power sanding the exterior of your truck. You have to remove the dents and imperfections by using body hammers, dollies and other body working tools. Like welding, it takes practice. You also have to be able to apply plastic body filler to fill shallow dents, no more than about 1/8”. Getting a good paint job on your vehicle is dependent 99% on the body work under it. Not only does it have to look good it has to stay on the body. Improperly applied filler will have a good chance of showing through the paint job. Also applying paint isn't as simple as just spraying it on. There is a lot of prep work before spraying the paint

b) You also just don't spray the paint. You have to have the proper equipment, the least good respiration protection.


11)Restore viable power components such as the engine, transmission, radiator, alternator and carburetor. Examine the quality of the driveshaft, starter, axles and brake systems. Replace components as necessary.

a)Don’t see anything wrong there.

12)Use a hoist to lift the engine's components and then lower them back into your Ford's engine well. Install all of these components, testing to ensure everything is working properly. Installation may take three times longer than disassembly did. Be patient and work slowly to prevent damage.

a)Don’t see anything wrong there either but I would strongly recommend leaving the front clip off while installing big, heavy pieces like the engine. What take a chance of scratching a freshly painted fender while manuvering the engine into the engine bay. It's also a lot easier to work on the engine without have to bend over those big fat fenders.


13)Ensure the viability of all electrical components, replacing any damaged wiring or segments. Install and rewire the headlamps and taillights, then install the brake systems beneath your Ford truck. Attach the front and rear bumpers, then install the windshield, mirrors and windows. Rechrome damaged trim along the exterior, then attach new wheels. Remove the jack stands and lower the truck safely to the ground. Then just hop in the truck and drive away.

a)I just added that last sentence because they made it sound so easy. All of things they said are correct but it’s going to take a lot of money and time to accomplish these tasks. Like all aspects of a restoration it takes more time and money than you think it will.

14)Install the interior. Start by installing new carpet, then install the reupholstered seats. Install all interior components, including the door panels and handles, console, controls, seat belts and gauges. Ensure that these components are all working properly, then test drive your Bonus Built Ford truck to complete this restoration process.

a)Unless you’re doing a custom job Bonus Built trucks didn’t come with carpet or “seats”, they only had one bench seat. They also didn’t have “consoles”, unless they’re referring to the dashboard.

 

The tarp thing was funny. Made me feel like i should give back all the money i made as a professional car builder all these years. I've never put down a tarp before working on a car. Do people actually get paid to write this kind of drivel? Where do i sign up?