She'll be comin' round the mountain
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,986
Likes: 446
From: Central Illinois
So the entire bottom 1/3rd of the cast aluminum grill was broken off and missing. I extended the remainder with a wood center post and 1/8 x 1 aluminum strap from the hardware store. This was bolted and epoxyed together, then 1/4" foam board wrapped around to get the surround area. This foam was covered with fiberglass window screen and epoxy mender. The horizontal grill bars were formed from 1/2x1/2 aluminum angle, wrapped around a tire for the curve, and pinched a bit in the vise to match the cast grill bars. Dowels were inserted into the wood center post and everything sanded a bit and seven colors of paint, some set on fire, some fine sand and wood ash dusted on the wet paint to look sand cast.... Good thing for the heavy steel bumper, it wouldn't withstand much of an impact. (careful buying a used car from this guy) 
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
The REALLY high dollar clients in my cabinet shop have already had pearl inlaid, high polished cherry cabinets in their mainland residence with the finest granite countertops from Brazil. When they build here in the islands they want to fit in and not be too showey. I provide them with time worn cabinetry and floors from hundred year old buildings, complete with rusty nail holes and wear marks showing the heritage of the wood etc. At least 4 times it has trickled down to me finding them an old truck for weekend dump runs and hauling brush around their 200 acre waterfront estates. Honestly they don't want a lowered, chrome wheeled, metalflaked hot rod or even a totally restored Barret Jackson/Pebble Beach rig. They want a funky old truck like a barn find, but of course they'd like it to start right up when they come up to the islands for their summer vacation. I found one for the family that owns the space needle (yes , it's privately owned) but had to scuff it up a bit because it was 'too shiny'. I couldn't have agreed with them more. It was. My favorite was a '40 ford 1/2 ton for the co-founder of Oakley. It is a beautiful truck, just stock and not over done. This has been a great place to do business, live and raise 4 kids. I am blessed to do what I love for work, and I know it.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Got sick of doing test drives with no bed and my rough road. My head shakes like a crash test dummy and my brain rattles so I placed the bed on and loaded a couple of short timbers I had laying around. Now it rides better. Replaced the six gallon boat tank with the aluminum one I picked up at a salvage yard. Nice that it is warmer after work now.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
It's 9' long. My wheelbase is something like 131", so the bed is correct. The bed for the 157" wb is 11 or 12'. You should grab that bed when things thaw out. This one came on my '59 f350 that I put a 9' flareside box on. I was going to put it on my '37 to replace the homemade wooden bed, but in '37 they hadn't standardized the frame with yet, so it didn't fit on the width. Therefore I had to buy another truck so I'd have something to mount the script stakebed on. Sounded logical at the time.......
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 777
Likes: 0
From: Neosho, MO
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,927
Likes: 136
From: Houston
Now that is a minimalist truck! It looks very rugged with no fenders, hood, radiator protection, lights, etc, but with that long rear view mirror. Nothing but the minimum required to get the job done (when it isn't raining, during the daylight...)
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Thanks, I have been getting very anxious to get the front sheet metal back on. After work today I did a lot of cup brush work on the old bed, and a bit more primer. If I put the front clip on too soon, I will be kicking myself because all the wiring and everything under the hood is soooo much easier the way it is.... But these are a very handsome truck with the waterfall grill and all. Or the jailbar grill, if you're looking through it that way!
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Well it was in the 60s today and so I got a few things done. We did go to town and got some things done and some shopping etc. We are having company tonight so I had to take a bit of time to make it not so white trashy around the place. I painted the stakebed and got quite a lot of welding done on the front clip. The other thing I got done today was to trade my '60 panel truck off to a friend of my employee. The guy is 28 and he kept asking if I'd sell it. I finally traded it to him for mowing my lawn for the whole summer. Until you see my place you won't appreciate the deal I got for a truck I paid 300 bucks for......We loaded it up and dropped it off on our way to town. Fun to see a young guy so jazzed about an old truck. He grew up going to car shows and swap meets with his grandpa. See, sometimes this stuff sticks 
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Continued rare 60 degree weather, so I got a bit impatient and reinstalled the front clip. Not much clerance on those 8.25 meats, but it steers and when loaded or compressed, the axle moves ahead, so from what I have read, the will work. I painted where I can't get later, still undecided what to do about paint/patina combo...... I didn't want to drain and disconnect the radiator. I had 2 30 year old guys here briefly on Sunday afternoon, and I didn't want to miss out on their strong backs. I couldn't get the 2 long, large headed carraige bolts through the radiator support with the radiator on the frame, so for now I used some shorter smaller ones til I pull the rad. Is there supposed to be a rubber pad or something between the radiator support and the front crossmember? (where the 2 big carraige bolts would pass through? I'm working on the grill bars, but I'm not having any fun trying to get them pretty. Tempted to make a nice straight pair out of maple.......No, Seriously folks.