I have trimmed the welting to fit the curve of the fender and cut away enough welting for the rear fender studs on the side of the box. It looks to me like it would be easier to install the fender loosely and then insert the welting before tightening the fender bolts. Any recommendations?

 

You've got the right idea: install the fender loosely then work the welting in before tightening.

And I see you're a Michigander, too...now how cool is that!
Norb

 

I haven't painted my '51 yet, but the last vehicle I painted was a '40 olds, and it worked better to install the welt after the fenders were loosely bolted up. The olds was a show car, very picky owner, so the hardest thing for me was making the rubber welting straight, as it would bulge out near the bolts after they were tightened up, because the welt was compressed more in those spots. I actually ended up compensating for this by pushing the welting in further where the bolts were before I tightened the bolts. This took a long time to make it perfect. I'm not sure if we'll have to do this on our pickups. Let me know how it goes, I'm curious.

Gary

 

I plan to install both back fenders in the morning. I will let you know how it works out. I need to update my gallery with a couple of pictures anyway. Box is installed with new wood and stainless strips, latches, hinges and LED tail lights, etc.

 

just curious...I know that when these trucks came off the assembly line that the wood beds were painted with the same enamel as the rest of the body. Was the welting painted, too?

 

I have had both front and rear fenders off and back on my Effie a few times. I've tried placing the welting three different ways.
1. installing it with the fender.
2. Loose install the fender then stuff the welting in the crack, and
3. (My favorite way) Place the welting on the fender back using small dabs of RTV silicone. I let that cure for about 8 hours (overnight) and then bolt the fender up. The welting doesn't squirt around and even stays on the fender if I remove it later. When you want to take it off, it peels right away.
BTW, I've always seen black welting on the trucks that use it, except for the one I saw with a crappy paint job where they just painted the welting the truck color. (yuck!)

 

While installing mine I found it easier to star tightning in the middle (top) of the fender and work to the ends. Just seemed to form to the fener contour that way. Good luck.

Don

 

I'm learning that these trucks, as they were rolled off the line, had aesthetic details which not only run contary to our own sensibilities, but are sometimes downright repugnant. These trucks didn't capture the imagine of anyone, 'cept maybe farmers. It wouldn't suprise me a bit if the welting was painted.

 

Ranger Pat, did you convert your stock tail lights to LED or are you using aftermarket lights?? If you altered your stock lights, maybe you could post a picture??

By the way, do all stock tail lights 53-56 have two lights in each housing (an upper and lower) or just one light in each housing?? Mine have two in each but not sure if someone added the second light.

Kevin

 

Kecky, I installed the small round LED lights in the roll of the pickup box rail. I have the old teardrop style '39 Ford tail lights mounted horizontally below the tail gate in the stainless steel rear sill cover. If the sun light comes in through my shop windows on Sunday, I will post some pictures in my gallery under "Parts". The welting installation went without a hitch. I did learn it would be better to cut the welting by laying in on the fender flange than using the studs on the box side. The radius is slightly different so the ended up a skosh shorter than optimum by using the stud pattern.

 

I cut the welting after sizing to the fender. I then used a small amount of spray adhesive and fit the welting to the fender prior to mounting. Worked very well.

 

Used 3M weatherstrip adhesive and attached welt to the fenders while off. Came out perfect.No fooling around trying to get it in properly or scratching the paint.
Fred K.

 

Sorry. Ignore this duplication.