Nice work so far. My truck was mostly rust free but for areas that I could not get to I used this stuff… https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-in...z-aerosol.html

 

53deere, Folks,
I went through your entire thread on your nice truck again. Yes I like the 15 inch steering wheel. At least the little bit I have driven it. Might keep mine black? Thanks for the info on the Eastwood paints.

 

Hey Chris @Effies 56 hope you are all doing well, wondering how your projects are going? Drop us an update when you get a chance.

Greeting form Germany

 

Matt, Folks,
We have been busy, like everyone. The 66 got new Monroe rear shocks today. The old ones were shot.
That was a slam dunk small project while I wait for the welder repair or replacement. Still many things to do , just seems to be busy on other projects. I bought some Clecos and pliers for holding sheet metal. Never had any. Will try them at some point. Maybe on the floor panel? I did slip on a steering wheel and put in an milk crate and moved the 66 out of the lift bay. She starts really good with the EFI! I think this may be fun to drive when back together. First show in the area is next Tuesday About 10 miles from home.


John brought over his wife's 90 mustang and we changed the rear shocks on that today also.


A couple days ago he brought her 1955 Ford Town Sedan with him:


We have been mowing the lawn in between rain drops too. Ford Jubilee and JD 272 mower


On rainy days we watch some Vice Grip Garage episodes:


Hope all is well in Ford Land!

 

Chris, good to see you are not slacking...

And if it was not said before "nice shop setup." Up until a few years ago, I had the privilege of having access to a friends workshop. He had lifts, welders and whatnot, and it was so much nicer than crawling around on the floor. Unfortunately, his lease ended and as he was somewhat into retirement anyway, he sold off all his kit and well...now I am back to crawling around on the floor. It means I tend to procrastinate on stuff, as I am feeling my age more and more everyday.

Anyway, looking forward to the next progress reports and wish you and yours a great day.

 

Matt,
The shop has been wonderful the last 3 years. Cheryl and I spent more time in it than the house. Just about could live out there. Cheryl just doesn't have the ability to stay out there now.
So I get a few hours a day to work out there. The shop is 6 years old, size is 40 by 64 feet. Loft area above one end. Yea most of that stuff was not in there. Not hard to collect stuff.

 

It's got to be nice to have the space. One of the big adjustments (only one of many) about living in Europe, is that there is not the same wide open spaces one often experiences in the United States. Because there is a need to preserve what open spaces there are, things are built close together, and often there are limitations size wise. Not always true, but noticeably more often than I was aware of when living in Virgina and or Georgia. For example, my wife's village is about 28-30 homes all nestled onto roughly 5-8 acres, and yet the village with surrounding fields and forest, is nearly a 1000 acres, all part and owned by various folks from the village (I assume). The home my wife grew up in, was built by her parents and sits on about a 5th of an acre, and that is all my mother in-law owns, Mellie's Father was born in the village (he pass before I met my wife) and his family still has some portions of the fields and forest, but I can't say how much.

When we first moved here, Mellie's aunt tried to give us a plot of land so we too could build, but the land was outside the buildable area, so while a kind offer, not practical. Then a year or so later, the Mayer's son and his wife wanted to move back and build. His parents had a beautiful lot, just adjacent to my mother in law, but it too was just, and I mean just out side the allowable building area. The whole town signed a petition asking that Mattis and Katya be given permission from the larger city council to develop the lot as a building site, all the utilities were just a few meters away, and it is a perfect and natural extension of the existing neighbourhood... No such luck!!!

Now mind you, that is not always bad either. The village of Oechelhausen has houses gong back several hundred years, and there is evidence in another valley of the same village of people living there nearly a thousand years ago (or so I was told). So I suppose that if the anything goes rule existed, there might be endless sprawl and the charming villages would simply disappear like they have in the more populated areas like Cologne and Munich, and traffic would suck.

Anyway, I too, with God's help, hope to be in a new woodworking workshop by the end of the year. We bought a HUUUUUGGGEEE 0.18 of an acre commercial property here in Netphen, got permission from the city council to build a workshop, and just got the building permit pushed through last month. It's been a nearly four year ordeal thus far, not really in a bad way, just slow.

But with all things in Germany, there are rules to follow, and the largest I can build (also afford) is roughly 40' x 80' main two story tall hall with 1/5 built out as two stories inside with a 16 x 16 two story bump out on one side. In total, it will be roughly 4500 sq feet of working space, spray room, technical room, storage, office space, his and hers bathrooms and changing rooms (rules...rules...and more rules) break room....I am sure I am forgetting something... Oh, and now I just have to figure out how to pay for it all. I will be putting in heated floors, so I can keep the shop above 65 degrees year round and probably run mini splits in the office/client/employee areas.

Sadly, I have no space for a lift, if I could, I would. But Lucy, will have a place indoors, or at least under a carport, at night, and my new "American Craftsman" logo on her doors. She too has to earn her keep after all.

Wishing all a happy Friday from Germany and sending good thoughts and prayers to you and Cheryl for some good fun and productive time in your shop...together.

 

Matt,
Just amazing. Thanks for your support! I am sure your 1966 Ford truck will stand out like a sore thumb in your town! Lucy will be a great advertising tool also! Your building sounds very nice and large. Great detail! It this for your wood working business? I love the heated floor system we have. Yes about 65 F is a good place to start. We enjoy opening our doors in the summer. We get a great breeze from Lake Erie shores about 20 miles west of us.

We have antique tractor plow day tomorrow so I need to get moving and get a tractor ready. Friend is going with me. Cheryl just can't do things like she could a year ago.

I hope to get back on the 66 project truck next week. Even getting the steering column repaired would be good. Don't seem to be moving very fast here. We have first car cruise in next Tuesday. I need to check the carb on the Comet. Its not going to high idle like it should?? The Old 2100 2 barrels are good but this one has given me grief since we got the car.
I like the way the 66 truck starts with the EFI which I know nothing about, but so far it seems to start very well!

 

My truck came to me with an aftermarket EFI distributor, and while I know very little about it, Lucy does seem to fire up and go with little effort.

A friend here, actually Bob, who was both first and second chair Cellist with our local philharmonic orchestra, for over 40 years, had a little side gig. Working on classic cars mostly selling and installing "Illuminition" which uses an infrared switch and chopper wheel inside the distributor eliminating the points and condenser, but otherwise looking factory. He does a pretty good job of hiding the controller so that at first glance things appear correct, but like the EFI, the cars start right up and require less care in the fine tuning department. I have from time to time, gone and looked at some pretty cool and rare cars.

The only real problem I have with my EFI, is that is trying to get some specs, the sopped company that sold them claiming they are American made an whatnot, won't take any calls, and there website is set up that no matter what email address you enter, it claims you have not entered a valid one... Ok, left me a bit raw when I wasted a lot of time back in 2024 as I wanted to know the mechanical advance and if I could or should change anything. But once I got past my annoyance, I have to say, it has been somewhat flawless thus far. The only other problem, is that the overall aluminium stalk distributer, is a bit tall, and makes it impossible to put a larger diameter air filter on it. The tuck can with a nice Edelbrock mate black air filter...sitting in the cab...as it won't clear the distributor.

I did however grab a distributer from another FE motor I found in a junk yard in the event I ever have the funds to have Bob, do a refresh and put in his system for a more original look.

Hope you get the Comet going and can go enjoy the first cruise of 2026. And as always, keep the info coming, it is always nice to read up on everyone's various projects.

 

Matt, Folks,
Oh We will get it going again. I think the problem is in the carb. I have wing nuts on everything, I have had it apart so many times!

We will try to plow some ground tomorrow. The Allis-Chalmers D14 is loaded with the two bottom plows. Will try to get some pictures too. Just an escape from reality for a few hours. I was able to mow the lawn with the Ford Jubilee today. I use the trailing finish mower.

On the 66. Our son Eric will bring his Hobart welder over for me to try to stick the patches in the cab floor next week.

 

Guys,
Had a good day plowing ground on Saturday, We used our D14 with two bottom plows.




Ten or more antique tractors made short work of the 30 acre field.


On mothers day Eric brought over his Hobart set up with .030 gas wire. I may get to try it today on the 66 patch panels?
A friend is coming over the work on replacing a oxygen sensor on his Tundra.
Hope things are good in Ford Land! Weather is getting too where we can almost have the shop doors open!

 

Guys,
A little welding, a little grinding, at this pace I should have the patches in the 66 done by Christmas! Will try to get some pictures. Pretty exciting stuff!

 

Guys,
Trying to make rust repairs to the 66 F100 floor areas.


The borrowed welder:




The spot on the side of the foot board




Getting cleaned up a little


The floor panel is next.

 

IMHO...your welds look cold. I suggest taking a few of your scrap cut outs and butt weld some together so you can see the back side to know if there is enough heat to make full penetration for the weld. I know...I know, too hot and you burn thru, but too cold by the time you clean it up with the grinder there is nothing left of the weld. If you can still see the seam on the back, you're too cold, and also its a good place for moisture to hang in and start the rust all over again. Try an experiment!

 

That is the first time I have heard or read the "cold" reference, and it seems fitting. I will try to remember it the next time I need to weld something and also do some practice runs (at this point all of my welding is practice runs) before I try to fix what needs to be welded.