This thread would not be complete without the wheel and new shifter **** in place.

 

veeerrrry nice!!!!! I can only dream.

Gil

 

Hey HD,

Have you seen how much those are selling for on e-bay - restored or in restortable condition (and I may have mentioned this to you in another post about 3 months ago - "guard that steering wheel withyour life" - remember)

They are getting up into "Four figures!!!!!!!" sometimes. You know - the big "$K"

It's beautiful!

I restored my own as well - and it's held up really well. I got a 1/16 drill and drilled little holes into the inside of the cracks - maybe 3 holes per crack on each side, then masked the crack with a very small opening and filled it withthe good boat epoxy. After it had cured, I brushed on some on th eseam and let it dry. Then it was just a matter of hand sanding/feathering it down so th eedges of the fill were gone.

I finished it up with Rustoleums Epoxy Appliance paint, and did the same spray a coat and feather thing until all the lines were gone. One final coat of Black Epoxy Paint and it looked good as new - it cost me about $25.

 

That looks really nice. Where did you get the ****?

Also sent you a PM about the old/temp wheel.

 

Thanks Lady and Gents.

Julie, I wish I had your patience.

Frank, Quality made the **** for me and it fits my hand perfect.

 

LOL!!!!

Patience is about the only choice when you are short on time and $$$$. I call my truck the Bonus Built not because Ford called them that, but because it only gets built if I get a Holiday Bonus!

Actually I find it very relaxing to work on a certain component until it's "just right." Some times I'm really motivated to show some large progress and sometimes I want to just work with a part or system.

And, after looking at you cab picture, I think you've got me on this one!

Restoring an "Extra Cab" you notice when someone else has theirs all cleaned up and looking FINE!

Your door panels and arm rests look great - chrome wings, fantastic. What's interesting is both our trucks are the same color on the inside - the tan. And you have done you ash tray and glove box in the light gray too!

But my main color will be almost a turquose. If you saw the pictures I posted of my progress last week (I forget the post) it's the same color as the visor and Continental Kit.

Oh here I'll show you. Outside trim - drip rail, stake pockets, spare carrier and grille will be white with this color; and inside will be base color, light gray (door panels, kick panels, and hood liner) and seat wil be gray and white!

Here's my color, 1953 Oldmobile "Royal Marine Blue" with white



I can't wait until my interior looks as good as yours - next 2 week off period I have - it gets done. The new heater side cowl vent door was the first step.

 

Looks good Julie.

Only thing I am worried about is painting the steel steering wheel on my 56 (doesnt have that plastic coating stuff). I hate to paint it and few years later the paint dulls or rubs off. Currently the paint is very wore off but I was wondering what paint would be strongest. I can get enamel mixed in the factry color but I can also get acrylic lacquer. I was thinkin going that route would give the factory new shine with maybe a clear coat but I dont like clear coats they have a plastic look to them and they dull on the hood after a few years.

 

Julie, I think your color choice is really going to make your truck stand out. Not to mention all the other cool mods you've made, I'm impressed and I have to say I really like your tilt front end.
What looks like tan is gray, it's a Heron Gray a 1960 356 Porsche color and the gray you pointed out on the ash tray and glove box is silver. Like yours there is still so much to do.

 

I found the wheels had some type of a "hard rubber" coating on them. If it was old, it tended to crumble. You couldn't tell until you started to wet sand it, then it clumped up.

I sanded it all off, then spray painted my wheel with the Rustoleum epoxy paint for appliances - three coats waiting 72 hours between coats and wet sanding with 1000 W/D. If you use that be sure to follow the instructions for recoating as it will lift the previous coat off if you dont recaoat within an hour or after 72 hours.

I've had that on my wheel now for two years and I haven't been able to dent it. As a matter of fact, on the outer part of the wheel, my handling of it there seems to have actually smoothed and polished the paint. Normally , heat/sun and the oils from your hands will decompose the enamels.

I've found this Epoxy Appliance Paint (for $7 in the spray can from Rustoleum) to be absolutey bullet proof. I clean my hands with diesel fuel and usually test drive after work - not even the residual diesel fuel touches it.... I pay my "nail lady" ALOT!

Thanks! Same color scheme as my 55 (which I miss ALOT) I love my inventions and gadgets! But honestly, only a girl could get away with some of that bling!



Heron Gray? Nice! I just used the industrial strength enamel from Rustoluem - light gray. I don't know why, but for someone who likes to paint cars, I never thought of ordering a gray color. Wierd, Jul!

 

Im not sure though the website listed on page one only shows a 56 truck wheel with thecoating. The car how ever looks like its just painted cause its wore on the front and rusted but the back of the wheel still has aint as well as the spars. But I used enamel on the hood of my 82 truck and it just split and cracked cause they didnt mix the pigment paint right. So I kinda dont want to use that only option I have is really clear coat (which in my opinion looks like clear plastic) or acrylic lacquer but that was a GM thing not used on Ford in the 50`s.

I thought about getting on of those brody ***** and attaching it to the wheel with rubber insulator and just use that for steering to protect the steering wheels finish