Since so many of us are building our trucks, as opposed to driving them, I wondered what progress, if any, was made this past weekeend.

My working time this weekend was limited to about 4 hours each morning. After that, the temperature gets so high in the garage, I have to quit working. (103 by 12 noon today. Fans just don't cut it.)

I finalized some details on the rear tank install by adding a turn in the gas door down tube so it will align correctly with the tank inlet. Looks good.

I also final fit the internal doubler at the fender attach holes in the cab front quarter panel I installed. NOTE: This job would have been a lot easier if I had bought and fit the doubler to the panel before I welded the panel to the cab...DUH!!

I gutted everything out of both doors in prep for sandblasting them. I'll definitely have to re-skin the passenger door lower area, maybe the driver's too. But then, I enjoy that stuff.

What about you?

 

went and looked at another project truck with dad... he has really enjoyed workin on mine, and likes going to the cruise ins... so we are lookin for a truck for him.... i found one thru a friend of a friend, who is terminally ill, and wants his project to be completed and driven... it is in several pieces, all of which have been stripped, and rust replcement is about 25%, with a semi rolling chassis... but is powered by a ..... gasp.... choke... ahhmmm .... bowtie... but as i pointed out to dad.... a 4.6 will go in easily at this point.

 

finished one wall with the OSB. One left to go. Then it's on to the woodshed. After that, the chimney in the garage. All-the-while the house should be built(contracted), and then I can get back to the truck for this winter...with heat! (that's an extra 8 months of progress around here.)

 

A two high holy days of shop work! Removed the bed from my 51 and started cleaning up the frame from the cab back. Removed the old auxilliary spring mounts in preparation of installing my "new" reverse eye springs and got to use big hammers and air chisels on the rivets. Good therapy. Found a crack in the top rail, passenger side just behind the cab where the bed bolt went through the frame...had been repaired at some point in the past with a really nasty and ugly weld (and that describes my welding so you know it was bad) and that had cracked as well. Sawed out the old crack to maybe 1/8" and partnered a piece of 1/4" plate under the top rail...drilled holes and rosette welded it to the top plate and then welded and filled the crack...also welded the plate from beneath (not good for an amatuer welder) and got a little "chernobyl" blob onto my soft white belly - burned right through my shirt and did some damage. Amazing how fast you can get out from under a truck when you think you're on fire! Ground the welds flush and I think that one will hold for awhile. Bandaid on the burn and learned not to lay right under it - duh.

Went ahead and cleaned up the rest of the frame and primered the whole thing. Will hit it with semi-gloss next weekend.

Continued work on my sway bars (a vendor who I won't name sent me a Ch__Y front bar even though his internet catalog and SALESPERSON swore it was for my truck) and then didn't want to pay the shipping back since "they sent what I ordered". Long story but I think I can make my own brackets and use it - beats crawling around the junk yard which is what I was gonna do so I painted them and got about half the brackets made. Checked the rear bar and it's also for another marque (love those internet catalogs for accuracy) but once again shipping from FL to CA stinks so think I'll see if I can make it work too...truth is it's probably the same bar anyway. Anyway they are now a lovely shade of flat mettalic silver and the new brackets are half done.

Bolted up the front end pieces and new (well new main leaves anyway) springs and it looks like I may get the 3" drop I was looking for. All in all a most satisfying holiday weekend!

OilLeaks

 

I had planned to work 3 whole days on my 53, but Murphy jumped up at the last minute and said "No way" . I had a water pipe rupture in my mobile home Wednsday and flooded about a third of it . I spent my entire holiday weekend ripping out particle board and replacing it with plywood and new carpet. There went quite a bit of the funds I had saved for the truck Oh well, time to save a few more dollars and plan another weekend for the truck

Hope everybody else got more done on their trucks than I did!
Jeff

 

Didn't accomplish anything this weekend. I spent some time leaning over the tailgate sketching out the bed layout and trying to decide on a reasonable temporary bed for the Old Horse. I got some good ideas from you guys and I think I have A Plan.

Undid all the bolts under the seat so I can load it in the back of the Jeep and take it to the upholsterer tomorrow (nothing exciting, I just can't sit directly on those ($&#^ springs any more).

 

I did make some progress on the frame on my 55'. I removed the old rusty battery tray and cleaned the frame and running board supports. Then prepped and painted POR15 on the frame section. Let that dry and mounted the new battery tray.

Last weekend I mounted a 68' Mustang bucket seat on the drivers side. Fits pretty good with the tilt column.

I tried to bleed the brakes only to discover my master cylinder is leaking. Looks like it has had a slow leak for some time where the fluid has removed the paint on the power booster.

One step forward and 2 steps back. Guess I will have to look into converting to a remote fill master cylinder. Anyone done that with a 74-78 Mustang II power booster? I think No Limit Eng has one, waiting to here back from them via email.

 

Finished up the Jag IFS install on my '48. It's sitting back on all four wheels now after last weekends install of the TCI leaf spring kit. Hey Oileaks, I have the same crack in the same place. I've heard of several that cracked in the same spot.

 

I removed the original rear end from my 56 , & turned the leaf springs around as the previous owner had put them on backwards , mounting the rearend 4 inches too far back.I got the motor mounts & trans mount crossmember made & ready to weld . Also replaced the timing gears & chain in the 472 Caddy engine.I plan to go to the "Shades of the Past"rod run next Saturday & hope to see some 53-56 F100s there . I will be looking for reverse opening hood setups to help design my own .

 

I got a lot done, too -- my truck isn't done. I put on new weatherstripping on the driver's door, which went exceptionally well. I bought mine from Dennis Carpenter and the fit is impeccable.

I re-installed my glove box, glove box door, radio grille and trim. Cleaned up and re-installed the spotlight, got a new 12v bulb on order from NAPA.

Waxed about a third of the truck. That's the curse of having a nice paint job, now you have to wax all of it!

"Nuthin" -- do you have the bed wood drawings? I have them and they are on Earl's site. They are for a shortbed but might help you.

Anyone still working on bed wood; washed mine for the first time and realized that a drain hole in the countersunk bolt holes would be a great idea....otherwise it just sits there, slowly trying to soak in...

 

Finished rebuilding the rear drum brakes on my Mustang. With that job done, used the truck to haul landscaping materials...the honey-do list in the yard demanding most of my weekend. Two cubic yards of mulch fits just fine in the 8 foot express long bed, by the way.

I hoping to finally tear into the truck this fall and start the process of rebuilding it one section at a time.

 

The closest thing I got to accomplishing any truck work was the order I placed for parts! Spent the rest of the weekend laying bamboo flooring. I guess I have a bunch of markers now so when the parts arrive I'm outta here!

 

Almost finished the bed inside / trunk.
Like randy said just too hot hope it cools down soon.

 

OK first I had to put a new gate in to get to the back yard and shop. The old cedar fence style gate just fell over one day. After that was done I rolled out the Ranchero and puled the engine and tranny. Had to do them together because the engine was seized. Got it out and got the tranny seperated. Took the 460 off the engine stand and put the 170 on. Tore it down to short block and unseized it. Rust in #4 was the culprit. Decided to get a new longblock. Cleaned up me mess and put the Ranchero back inside the shop. Relaxed and recovered Sunday. Sat on the beach at La Jolla all day Monday. Rich.

 

Us CA boys were sweatin this weekend. I finished covering my sunvisors in suede and put them on. Then sat in front of the air vents with a cool one. Took my front grill off, to replace or rechrome? and then sat in front of the air vent with a cool one. Did find some time in between to go for cruise. Next project is investing in a Vintage Air unit for the truck. 107 degrees in my neck of the woods.