. Chassis is complete with all new parts . The springs were rusted together . All leaves media blasted , epoxy primer , gloss black paint . New bushings & bolts . New king pins . The right side was cake The L side was a day project . Idiot PO had the locking bolt in backwards . Drove it out . Had limited hammer swinging distance . Would not budge . Ground off the top and heat & beat . Bent over a big a** drift punch twice . Cut it off and drove out .the king pin .Had a spare set of spindles so had the new king pin bushings reamed to fit by a guy who works on old stuff .He owns General Pershings Dodge parade car . It is awesome . Will be by there late in the day this week and take some pics . Larry always has you check out his fridge . Colds ones . He is a hoot . Known him for 35 yrs.

Rebuilt bored 239 . All new engine parts , drive line parts , brakes . Cab , doors ,bed strips , tailgate are near paint . All other parts ar enew & awaiting installation .Would like to have it done by Jan '14 as AACA is having the national meet here in Pt .St. Lucie . 3.5 mi. away . If it is not done will set up in the swap area /

 

Off to a good start!

 

Much of the work on this truck was done outside the shop .Wasn't bad from Oct- May but June -Sept . gets a little hot & humid in S. Fla.Any replaced parts were given the media blast , primer & paint treatment which were many of them .Picked up a H2O pump at the Nov. Daytona swap meet .Traded 2 car pumps & a little cash for it .Scavenged some parts from two F-5 trucks in the woods in Ala. Had been back there before but this time I decided to get permission . Noticed the trucks off the hwy. back in '90 on my first trip to from S. Fla.-B-ham to see one & only daughter (firstriders _daughter on FTE ) who will present me with 1st grandchild in Nov. The area where the trucks sat was field then but now is grown over with trees . Contacted the owner thru the little store down the road .Told him who I was . He said" Was that you parked near the property with the white van ?" I said "Yes ." I quickly checked to see if it was still there for yrs. later one could not see it from the road .He asked what I needed . I told him & he asked what would you offer fort he pats .I said "$100 ."He said "I'll sell you both trucks for $100."Evidently he wanted them of the property real bad .well what was I going to do with 2 F-5 trucks in Ala. ? He said" Get give the $$ to the lady at the store and get your parts ." So off I go back down the road to the trucks . Carry a small generator with a sawsall & a hand ful of metal cutting blades . Fire up the genny and cut the whole front end of the truck . Needed the lower grill valance . It was in very good shape Also took the grill .& lower fender ext.panels for resale . Also took the air cleaner , under engine pan , fan shroud . road draft tube with attaching tab , & other small items for the stock truck build .Seems every part of my builds has a story .

 

More pics as we know "We all like pics " Took the old green doors to the Nat's in '09 sold them for $150/ pair & bought a very good set of five * extra cab doors for $100 in Deland . Fla.Picked them up on the way back .I know more parts stories .

 

You are making some great progress. Great work.

 

No wonder it takes so long to restore these old pieces of iron . Most all parts are rusted & need media blast ,immediate primer & paint Flat towed this '52 F-1 from N.E Ct. to S. Fla end of Oct '07 . That is a story in it's self .You know you have a serious vibration when your rear view mirror falls of the windshield . Flat RF tire on F-1 . No problem . Dodge van wheels are the same bolt pattern as the F-1 Wife thought I was getting it for parts WRONG !! Why did I want to do this? Beacuse I thrive on challenge & I can Have the completed chassis in a storage garage with many parts awaiting the cab & doors to be painted .All new bed sheet metal is awaiting paint also Bed sides , front panel , tailgate & lower rear panel .Grill is painted & ready . Lower front valance panel & lower fender panel extensions need some minor block & filler work . They are close .Front fenders have had the usual places metal replaced & need rear patch panels replaced . Rear fenders came from N.J.& have had the usual rot places metal replaced .

 

As seen in previous pics the exhaust on the LF side was short for some reason . If installed as purchased the cross over pipe would have been tight up under the oil pan . So I added 2 1/2 " to down pipe , a little welding & grinding & problem fixed . The under engine gravel air deflector pan & oil bath air cleaner came from the Ala. F-5 & were a rusted mess when taken of . Media blast prime & paint . The air cleaner has some major pitting so it required extensive filler & sanding .The steering arm nut needed some heat & beat to remove . Ended up putting it in the axle backwards , using a 2' breaker bar w/ a 3' section of pipe .,progressing 1/4 turn at a time .It did not beat me . Chased the threads & good to go .What a difference new king pins make . I was amazed !

 

Denny...that is an awesome job on the restoration. Thanks for posting all of the pics. I guess this comes under the category of..."if it was easy, anybody could do it".

I think you probably have a bigger challenge down in S. Florida....if you don't get something on the clean metal right away...it'll rust up faster there than in most other parts of the country.

Dan

 

Bare metal parts will flash rust in the shop over night That is why I call the media blaster on the morning of pick up . He has the parts just completed when I arrive there . Haul a** home & prime immediately.More pics .

 

Note on the bed boards . They were setting out side of a parts trailer vendor for 3 days at Daytona last Nov. right behind me . Sunday noon everyone was packing up . I asked the guys how much they wanted for them . They said $40.00 I said SOLD !!! Needed refinish but no big deal for a lifetime master woodworker . The Wis. license plate truck yr. tab ( b-4 & after pics ) was yrs. in the search . Of course I found it in Wis.,The 1ST-RIDE has a restored (7 hrs. worth ) '52 Wis . plate . Have a restored '51 plate for the stock truck so to change it up a bit will put the '51 plate on it with the yr. tab.Stopped by the body shop today to deliver more parts to prime & paint Front bed panel & rear bed valance . He said I am on the agenda for next week .We will see .

 

Slow down, Denny! or you'll have nothing to do this winter!

 

How do you think I stay slim & trim ? Have always been mentally & physically active . It is opposite of winter up north in N. Wis. where I grew up .When it is -20 degrees in Wis I am running wide open in S. Fla. getting tons of work done and burning all day light hrs. .It is great painting & wood finishing weather .The heat & humidity is playing havoc with the furniture finishing now . Usually takes till 1 pm. to burn it of . Currently 11:30 am & humidity is 82%. Delivered 5 boxes of heater parts , fresh air tubes , 2 FORD script fresh air heaters & the bench seat base for the stock truck to the media blasters thur..The seat back is done . Media blasting the seat back was a PITA . Priming & painting it was like pi$$ing in the wind . Took it to 3 upholstery shops w/ new padding & material .One wasn't interested in doing it ,the next said the cover will not fit as did the last one . Well if you do not want to do the job just tell me .I am fine with that . So fine I did it my self . Set the cover in the sun for a while , applied under cover batting & proceeded to install more hog rings than ever before . Granted the cover went on way tight but it looks awesome .

 

Same wheels as in pic #2 . One beauty ring is an original .All 5 wheels were sand blasted , a few hrs. of filling pits , sanding , epoxy primed & painted . Contributed to Corky Coker's habit w/ new 6:00 x 16 WWW . Ready for attachment to truck .Spare is an original Firestone Deluxe Champion 6:50 x16 Gum dipped WWW.

 

I agree. Your seat cover looks awesome! Nice work.

 

Nice work on your truck Denny. The body looks pretty god for an old New York truck, or, at least the driver's door does. My Dad lettered so many trucks with those weight numbers.

Keep up the good work and the pictures coming.

Aloha.