Finally got a little work time in on the '52 F-1 yesterday. Between family duties (mother-in-law spent a few days visiting the baby) and having to replace some tools like a floor jack and stands that were sold during the move, it's taken a little time to get rolling. Thanks to some Harbor Freight coupons I now have a 3 ton floor jack and matching 3 ton stands, along with a new 4-way lug wrench (didn't sell the wrench, just can't find my original).

Also got off the fence with the 12 vs 6 volt issue and bought a new 12 volt solenoid identical to the original 6 in appearance. Even though I'll be swapping cabs eventually I went ahead and hung it on the firewall to allow me to tinker on the motor some in the meantime.

Once the jack & stands were on hand I yanked both front wheels and drums. Now, this truck project was started in 1998 and by the looks of the spider webs and mud dauber nests inside it wasn't re-visited. Sort of a weird mix of maintenance levels. All lines look new before the frame was painted. Wheel cylinders and adjusters are clean and look new or close. Linings have maybe 1/8th inch or better down to the rivets. The three hoses look re-used, all cracked badly. Master cylinder has a cracked & torn dust boot. No idea if it's been rebuilt but I'm going to look into replacing it with a dual chamber anyhow while it's off the road.

Spent a good 10-15 minutes eyeballing the underside of the cab while lying on my back - much easier than crouching, bending, trying to twist my neck, etc. Found many more issues than originally seen, patches galore that are shoddy, just tack welded in place and not sealed. Swapping cabs with the '51 is ending up being an even better call every time I dig deeper.

One thing the former owner did that is proving to be annoying has to do with hardware. As he removed something, he simply tossed the hardware into an old toolbox. He also threw in parts that he replaced, like thermostats, broken clamps, and what looks to be a set of king pins. Since I didn't disassemble it, I'm having a pisser of a time trying to figure out what I have and what I need to replace.

Been busy selling off my other 'stuff' to pay back the initial purchase price to the savings account. Only $700 or so to go, then the proceeds go to the truck rebuild. Until then it's a few bucks here and there. So far I've gotten a rear bumper (and a spare front as part of the deal if anyone is in need) and Ilya has the front hood valance I was missing. Baby steps....

Anyone recognize the 'new' (in '98) front shocks? Apparently the back didn't get changed and I'd like to find a matching set to these rather than buy 4 new ones. I'm guessing Monroe?

 

Good to see you getting back at it. Any progress is good progress.

 

look'n good, and remember that it's all about the journey so enjoy. It rained here all weekend, like 4 inches, but I got my bed, rear fenders and running boards hauled tot he sand blasters. Supposed to rain most the week so I'm not sure how much he will get done - but it's progress.

 

Nice start. Keep at it bit by bit and you'll be cruising it one day. I keep telling myself that anyway.