Notices
1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Fat Fendered and Classic Ford Trucks

Abe's 54 Rebuild Thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 24, 2016 | 03:28 PM
  #91  
dennisb56's Avatar
dennisb56
Laughing Gas
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,239
Likes: 53
From: Coatesville, PA
Looks fantastic. You must be so happy to have it back and looking so good.
 
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2016 | 03:40 PM
  #92  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by dennisb56
Looks fantastic. You must be so happy to have it back and looking so good.
Yes it is good to have it in my garage. But there is much work to do. He got it done faster than I expected.

But No more pictures until I have the headlights in, the bed boards in, and the seat in.
 
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2016 | 05:02 PM
  #93  
Jim and Austin's Avatar
Jim and Austin
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 249
Likes: 0
From: SE Ohio 45629
Abe you sure are making progress, It will be nice to make a country road tour with all the beautiful spring colors in a nice clean 54!
 
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 12:53 PM
  #94  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

the rear cab mounts were replaced when my truck was in the body shop. He didn't think they needed replaced. He didn't think new arms would make a difference.

Here is a pic of one old one. The other one he had to cut in half to get it off. The bolts were frozen and he couldn't bang them out.... Now I don't know how he got the bolts out by cutting it in half. Perhaps once it was in half he could bang on the arm and get it to move and break the rusted bolt free.




It did lift the back of the cab off the frame by another half inch or so.
 
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 03:27 PM
  #95  
bhalemail's Avatar
bhalemail
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 688
Likes: 6
From: Central PA
Wow Abe, looking very good. As for the mounts, I agree if the other looked similar then it was not the issue however new bushings and rubber bushings were definitely needed. Mine were wore all the way through the inner bushing, rubber bushing and into the mount itself. Needless to say mine were toast. I wonder how the rubber wedge between the mount arm and frame looked? That definitely could've made a big difference. Sometimes they aren't even there anymore which would make things even worse. Did he mention them?
 
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 03:38 PM
  #96  
CBeav's Avatar
CBeav
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 791
Likes: 11
From: Louisville
Agree with the wedges may have been offset or missing plus the rusted bolts could also have been worn/rusted off-center. Once you're back on the road you may notice that the ride has softened a bit and maybe 'that occasional noise' has disappeared.

Truck looks great!
 
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 04:19 PM
  #97  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by bhalemail
Wow Abe, looking very good. As for the mounts, I agree if the other looked similar then it was not the issue however new bushings and rubber bushings were definitely needed. Mine were wore all the way through the inner bushing, rubber bushing and into the mount itself. Needless to say mine were toast. I wonder how the rubber wedge between the mount arm and frame looked? That definitely could've made a big difference. Sometimes they aren't even there anymore which would make things even worse. Did he mention them?
They were dry and hard. I replaced them too.
 
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 10:40 PM
  #98  
ALBUQ F-1's Avatar
ALBUQ F-1
Fleet Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,303
Likes: 1,062
From: NM
Hard to believe you started this rebuild 5 weeks ago, and are down to final details! It's like it was never off the road. Great job!
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ways Ford is LOSING to the Competition

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now

 Brett Foote
story-2

This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-5

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-6

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-7

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 25, 2016 | 11:07 PM
  #99  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Great job by my body guy. He really hustled this time. When I rebuilt the truck the first time he had it from June 1998 to July 1999! Now there was a lot more metal work to be done: all four Cab corners, a used bed, replace windshield and rear window, sandblasting the cab, patching floor boards, and painting interior. And more.

This time: patch rear fenders, paint new bed, prime, prep and attach new front fender, paint wheels, put on new rear cab mounts, prep and paint cab, hood and all four fenders, paint running boards and front bumper. And he is very reasonable.
 
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2016 | 08:58 AM
  #100  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Yesterday I did something to the truck that I have been meaning to do for the last 15-16 years! And with the seat and floor mat out it seemed like a good time to do it! I replaced the rubber seals for the openings for the brake, clutch and steering column. I have had the rubbers from Mid-Fifty lying on my workbench in my garage all those years. Good thing they were in a zip lock bag or they might have been dry rotted too! No I did not take out the steering column, I cheated and cut the rubber to get it around the column and the remote shifter tube.
The old rubbers:

The new ones installed:


 
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2016 | 08:59 AM
  #101  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

The upholsterer called this morning and said the seat back foam was too short and not wide enough for the seat. I got it from Mid-Fifty. I will call them after I go see the foam for myself.
 
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2016 | 11:24 AM
  #102  
CBeav's Avatar
CBeav
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 791
Likes: 11
From: Louisville
I've had that happen to me before, Abe. Was the foam tightly wrapped for shipping? If so that can reduce the size of the foam considerably. While it may eventually return to full size eventually who wants to wait for that to happen? My cure was to use a steamer to return the foam to full size. Pretty quick and simple.
 
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2016 | 12:26 PM
  #103  
ford_pickup's Avatar
ford_pickup
More Turbo
15 Year Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 619
Likes: 0
From: Liberty Hill, Tx
Wow, great job, quickly done on a Great Truck
 
Reply
Old Mar 29, 2016 | 04:29 PM
  #104  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by CBeav
I've had that happen to me before, Abe. Was the foam tightly wrapped for shipping? If so that can reduce the size of the foam considerably. While it may eventually return to full size eventually who wants to wait for that to happen? My cure was to use a steamer to return the foam to full size. Pretty quick and simple.
No it is the wrong size, not tapered like the picture and the description in the catalog said. It is a seat bottom I think. I told them I want a refund not an exchange. I will use the upholsterers foam.... a alot cheaper and quicker, too.




 
Reply
Old Mar 30, 2016 | 08:26 PM
  #105  
abe's Avatar
abe
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,426
Likes: 5,433
From: Central PA
Club FTE Silver Member

Today I was going to give my bed boards one last coat of paint. When I got the truck back from the body shop I compared the green of the painted boards with the green of the truck. The boards were a shade off. So I took the can of paint and the painted ebd strip to the paint store lady. She matched it pretty well. To make sure the the last coat was dry I sat the boards out in the sun. Some of them bubbled up so I let them cure all day. Oil base takes a while to dry thoroughly. So I will try to paint tomorrow.

So today I painted mirror arms, the backs of the mirrors, the mirror bracket that goes in the door, and all the hardware. I adjusted the cowl vent so it won't hit the back of the hood.

A good day. Hopefully paint tomorrow.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:50 PM.

story-0
10 Ways Ford is LOSING to the Competition

Slideshow: 10 ways Ford is losing to the competition

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 09:52:01


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now

Some great targets in today's expensive world.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-15 09:35:19


VIEW MORE
story-2
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level

Slideshow: The VelociRaptor Expedition gains a lift, upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes, and trail-ready equipment while retaining the stock 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-12 11:01:55


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-4
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-6
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-9
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE