As promised, I did get my box and cab off the frame. I removed the glass and found no rust under the windshield, and also found only surface rust around the drip rails with none on the inside. My top 1/2 should be good to go with only normal sanding.

Sort of wished I hadn't looked at the bottom of the cab - have a major repair to do to the rt front cab/door post. That part of my donor truck is ok, so will cut the metal from it. Have a second small patch to do on the same spot on the left front. Sucks. Once I have replaced all the sheetmetal I can I will treat the rest of the bottom, converting and neutralizing whatever rust remains. It would be heartbreaking to have rust poke through again in a few years.

I hope to have the bottom and firewall all repaired and painted this week. However I have a lot to learn about rust and this is the week to do so.

Wish me luck - this is the first time I have done any cutting and welding other than for practice.

 

I opened the frig took out a cold one, then went out to the garage looked at my truck. Popped the can open, thought to myself damm it's sure hot out here. Then went back inside and sit by the A/C.

 

LOL.... I'm with 51Ford. Since I injured my right knee and the thermometer is in the 3 digits. I didn't get much done on the truck, but I sure filled my recycling container with aluminum cans. LOL....

 

I wasn't as ambitious as WillyB, nor did I pull a tab this weekend (must be doing something wrong!) I decided it was time to get the engine running, although I have the seat and gas tank out of the cab. Found me a wooden crate to sit on and rigged up a bottle of gas to the end of the fuel line.
Instead of the engine started, I found the flexible line to the fuel pump spewing fuel. So I pulled the flexible line from under the tank as well and went shopping for replacements. Seems that the fuel line had some different threads and adapters on it so I never did get it completed. I did get enough hose to replace the glass bottle I had taped to the cab wall and can now run fuel from the bed with a gas can. I really didn't like the idea of an open fuel bottle in the cab anyways....

 

Well, I got the roof of the cab insulated and part of the Rod Doors Headliner in, only to find out I'd cut and installed the Headliner rubber wrong
Had to remove and reinstall the CD Remote control to put in the Headliner as well.
Has anybody wrestled with installing the Rod Doors Headliner? - the side pieces are a b*t#%h

Also repaired the ceiling of my camper in preparation for our Road Trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains and "Walton Mountain".

Need to finish adjusting the parking brake and clean things up b4 we head out dark and early Tuesday!

 

I repaired a broken exhaust hanger. Less than 100 miles, and I'm already doing repairs on my "restored" rig

 

UPS came in Friday eve, so I spent this morning puttin in a 2" x 16" billet coolant overflow, clear dist cap, billet vacuum adv cover, yellow Taylor wires and Billet Specialties wire looms. Friday morn, I installed the "Classic" half wrap steering wheel in grey leather. Looks real fine and feels great. Mostly starting up and listening to the engine run to break in, sounds much like the late Mustangs. Not driving yet.
WillyB: don't fret , my 56 looked even worse when I had thecab off and took a better look. It'll be ok ,you'll do just fine, perhaps better than the resto "pro's" since you will want the best on your own. Gavin

 

Played in my brand new garage for the first time yesterday. Installed a new bracket on the tach. Fixed the #^*^ horn for the 3rd time and added a couple of brackets to better support the stereo. Got to get busy this week and get stuff sorted out hung up, & stored cause i can't find any thing after the move.

 

Well, after painting more of the trim on the house and pulling the engine from the wife's driver (93 Suburban) in preperation for a crate engine, I did manage to actually touch my truck this weekend. I got my intermediate shaft for the steering painted and installed, I painted and installed the radiator/fender support and installed the fan and radiator. I even went so far as to start taking the front clip off of my parts truck.

I guess it goes without saying that I did leave a few round water marks on the cowl from frosty beverages. I have an old Pepsi machine that keeps beers just perfect (it'll freeze light beers)

Bobby

 

fabbed hardware for the hood rollers and started on patterns for the center console, still waffling on removing the instrument cluster hump from the dash, have already fabbed the filler piece, want to make sure I'm doing the right thing before I whack up the dash.

 

I know what you mean about the dash, I have a cluster from a 58 Pontiac that I think would be cool in my truck (there is a pic of the cluster in my gallery) But it will take some extensive dash modifying. My sheet metal skills need to get a bit better before I tackle it (and I think I would need to have another dash laying around just in case...)

Bobby

 

Rebuilt the fuel pump for the third time after using the wrong sealant on the gaskets. It dissolved and went straight for the carburetor. Cleaned the carburetor (again) and got everything back together so the engine now runs like a watch again. I'm was one for three on my weekend to-do list. Oh well, one for three would get me in the hall of fame in baseball.

 

My panel frame is out getting media blasted, so I didn't do anything to the interior.
I don't see the connection either, but it works!

Also, trying to figure out how to improve the gas mileage on the pickup. The Edelbrock on the 390 is only getting about 6 mpg in town right now.

 

Gman,
Let me know what you find out. I get about 10mpg in my 390(a 360 built up to 390) with the stock 2bbl carb

 

attention all dark siders and closet dark siders! Has anyone seen a 56 dash without the instrument cluster hump? I'd sure like to get some feedback from one of my own on this