I hear ya about using it as a truck. Precisely why I don't want to do the middle of the bed fill spout.
I really need to get the bed back on to know what the options are
Option 1 would be to use the bed stake pocket with the filler on top, and using a flush mount cap
Option 2 would be beside the stake pocket, but inside the bed
Option 3 would be a housing on the wheel well with the fill spout there. On the rear of the wheel tub where it slants down, and just below the highest point of the tub. I've seen that on a local pick-up and thought that was a good idear. The would make the fill tube very long though. I'm thinking that particular truck had the fill fitting on the left side of the tank
And then Option 4 would be behind the license plate. I'd have to look at something to keep fuel from sloshing out. A sealed cap would do it. Maybe some sort of baffle in the fill tube. My particular tank is vented at the top where the fuel pump drops in. So the fill tube might not need to be vented.
Still some research to do. It may come down to trial and error, or more accurately, trial and try something different.

 

Thank you. I'll have one more close look at mine, and make a decision.

 

I reckon it's time to bring this thread up to date.
Most of the electrical stuff is done, and the Holley Sniper is all wired in.
Exhaust is done to the mufflers. I used a DIY kit with various bends and straight pieces, along with a pair of Thrush Turbo mufflers.
The motor has been filled with oil and coolant, and I have spun the motor over with the starter (no spark plugs or valvetrain) to build oil pressure. Then the pushrods and rocker have been put back on and adjusted.
A note about the product Gasgacinch. We all know it, and we've all used it. But, I'll never use it again. Because it is a "Cinch" that whatever you use it on, no matter how perfect the sealing surfaces are, it's gonna leak. And that's all I got to say about that.
But with all that, and the plumbing complete, she's just about ready to fire up. We will do that next weekend. My oldest son, an EFI tech for a manufacturer of high performance parts, will be here with me to guide me through it.

While I wait for that, I've started reattaching some of the body work, getting tires mounted and setting 'er back on the ground. With the dropped beams, the top of the front tire is about 1/2" up into the top of the fender arch. Once the rest of the bodywork is back on, it might drop another 1/2" or so. While I would have liked a bit more drop, it'll work quite nicely.

So yesterday, I took the passenger side door apart. I knew the glass needed to be replaced, since it was broken. Someone in this trucks past had drilled set screws into the door handles, and into the spindles of both the window riser and the latch handle.
Aside from that, the riser mechanism itself is really crusty. The gears (at least on this side) are OK. Replacement riser mechanisms seem to be out of stock all over, and a bit on the expensive side. So, I'm thinking of drilling out all the rivets, getting the pieces cleaned up, lubed up, and reassembled.
But, I have a question....
Are there replacement spindles available?
Or, maybe it would be worthwhile to install a power window kit.
Anyone with experience with either? I really needs to know!

 

Lookin good.

 

Mikey,
Checkout this thread.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...regulator.html

I have never encountered any spindles in my searching so had to buy the whole assembly. Check out Ben in this thread he had some RH regulators and LMC had the door latch assemblies and LH regulator.

the spindles have hard lives

 

Thanks for the link SwampRatt. I reached out to the fella that had the three RH units, and he is down to one that he wants to keep.

I'm gonna try something I haven't seen done yet. I am gonna try grafting the splined end from an easily obtainable "whatever" onto my existing regulator assemblies.
Maybe it'll work....maybe not. But since I have the means, why not give it a shot?

It won't be today though.

 

somebody I ran across in my searching made extensions for the splined handle. They stick out too far to suite me but folks are trying.
I think some welding skilz would come in handy.

 

I found some of those on Amazon. That would work I think. A bit expensive at 23 bucks each.
More research to do. I have time
Thanks SwampRatt

 

It's been a few minutes since updating this thread, and much has been accomplished.
Exhaust system....DONE!
Front body work on...DONE!
Doors inside paint stripped, mechanisms removed, etching primer on the inside and door shells installed back on truck and adjusted....DONE.
Center of stock grill repaired....DONE
Engine bay wiring including Holley Sniper and plug wires...DONE
Building a roller throttle cable linkage from aluminum I had in stock...DONE
A spot of rust repair on the cowl at the base of the windshield...DONE
Driveline made...DONE
And the biggie.....RUNS and DRIVES and STOPS!
In my quest to find door window parts, I've come up short at every turn. So a change to the Master Plan was made. The regulators were absolute trash. Could not be saved. Replacements were not available, and even if they were, the prices were really high. For an extra hundred bucks, I found a power window kit from Nu Relics IN STOCK! So I bought it.
Forum member ibuzzard had given me a lead on the vertical division bar on ebay. The seller claimed to have 'em in stock. As it turns out, they did not. So, I'm in a holding pattern on window stuff.
So far, all the electrical stuff has functioned following the complete re-wire using the universal kit from EZWire. All the gauges work, alternator charges, the oil pressure is really good, and the lights that are hooked up are working.
I reckon that brings it up to current. The NextBigThing is getting the floor of the bed cut out, and re-installing the bed onto the truck to get the wood plank floor figured out. Once that's done, and the front windshield in re-installed, I reckon I can get it registered and insured!
I can just about make out that pin-point of light at the end of the tunnel. As long as it ain't an oncoming freight train, it'll be great!
And now for some photos....

 

Mikey you are moving at warp speed, love your work and looking forward to maybe a video of the truck running!

 

Thanks lizardman!
Normally, I would not have a "Gotta Be Done By Date." The goal is to use this as my daily driver. Although as a recent retiree, "daily driver" is not exactly accurate. But right now, prices for new and late model used trucks are massively inflated. I'd really like to have this mostly ironed out so I can sell my '12 Ram soon, because it's currently worth more than I paid for it!

But I gotta say that what "They" say must be true....
The last 20% takes 80% of the time!

 

I almost forgot...
I was playing golf on sunday and I saw this logo in the pro shop window. 805 is a beer made by Firestone-Walker, a semi local Central California brewery. It's even the correct year!

 

Very nice. Good job on the grill.

 

Thanks! I think at sometime in its life, it got into a bar fight and got its front teeth knocked out. Who knows?
So, i made "false teeth" from some aluminum sheet I had on hand.
Not perfect by any means. But no money was spent. I could not justify $800 for a new one. Not for as homely an old girl such as this!

 

I started working on the bed in earnest over the weekend. It became apparent that my original plan to simply cut out the rusted floor and build up the bottoms of the vertical sections and stick in some "L" sections around the perimeter, then make a wood plank floor is gonna fall short of making this a usable bed. This sucker is rotten. It is FUBAR. The top of the bed rails are rusted through in spots as well. All of the cross-members are rotten.The seam between the fender upper and lower section is rotten. I could still make it work, but it would be a LOT of work.

Sooooo..... New plan. The exterior fender are fine below the seam (which is also rotten). The lower panels can be used in my "New Plan" which I think will be pretty cool.
I'm gonna build a flat bed. But not your typical "Farm Truck" flat bed. The fender panels will be incorporated. Rather than explain, I've done a quickey rendering in Adobe Illustrator. (It's what I did for a living)
Essentially a raised bed. Still wood plank floor. I think I could even incorporate storage below. Put some stake pockets in, some corner anchors for tie-downs....
Behold!