Here are a couple of P/S pump pictures...





The pulley diameters were chosen based on recommendations from the KRC engineer. He wanted the pump to be turning over at about the same RPM as the crankshaft. Spinning the pump too fast will foam the fluid. The pump pulley is right around 6 inches in diameter and the crank pulley is just a tiny bit larger than that. KRC supplied everything, including the mounting bracket and stands.



The steel arrived today. It is not much to look at, but now work can begin on getting the frame set up in the jig. We are still figuring out exactly what we want to do with the cross bracing.



Once we are through the Holidays, hopefully the pace will pick up a little.

 

Thanks for posting the P/S pump pics! I appreciate it. I am currently using the front drive off an 89' F-150 which uses the Ford C3 pump I think it is. I have never been a fan of those pumps, so I have been looking for options since I am not married to the current front drive.

Thanks again,
Jeff

 

Shortly after taking possession of my '58 F-100, I began the task of rounding up the parts necessary to complete the restoration. This included getting my hands on some replacement parts to take care of the crash damaged sheet metal.

Even though my truck has apparently spent it's entire time in California, it still has areas of rust and rot. I needed doors, fenders and a replacement radiator support. My goal has been to try and find parts which did not require significant rust repair. The cab will require some rot repair, including the lower cab corners. Otherwise I have been successful in obtaining parts which are pretty much void of rust and damage.



I managed to locate an excellent passenger side door up in Susanville, California. After a media blast and a coat of primer, this door is just about ready for paint. I also made a drive out to Las Vegas and picked up a nice driver's side door from Ryan (78_f800crewcab4x4). It is currently getting stripped and primed.



Front fenders were next. I found these two rust free beauties here in California.



I picked up this cherry front valance (gravel shield) from Jess (mrcman58) in Los Banos, CA. Almost all of the sheetmetal parts have been purchased from FTE members.



Ebay has also been a good source for parts, especially the NOS stuff. I managed to score this NOS '58 grille and an NOS front bumper, both of which are sitting at Sherm's chrome shop in Sacramento, CA waiting their turn to get plated.



These NOS parking light assemblies were also an eBay find. From a parts stand point, I have just about all I need at the moment. More parts pictures when I have time.

Hopefully I will have a progress report on the frame by the end of the week. I appreciate all of the feedback and nice comments.

 

Nice progress, Keep going.

 

Cool project great condition to start with..I've got a 58 too..nice trucks..good luck..i like what you're doing.

 

Time for a quick update before the weekend. The frame jig has been leveled and the chassis is almost completely bolted in.



The plan is to bolt the frame to the jig in a total of 8 places, 4 on each side. The final two mounting brackets for the back end of the frame have yet to be made.



The goal is to get the frame perfectly level from front to back. Can you see the double zero on the level?



The stock front engine mounts, front shock mounts and the forward spring mounts have been removed. I am leaning toward keeping the large front factory cross member although I am getting some resistance to this idea. Anybody have an opinion one way or the other?



Next week we should be in a position to start removing the stock cross members and begin the process of boxing the main channels.

 

I put a Jag front end in mine and I have kept the front cross member. My reasoning was strength, plus it helped keep the dimensions of the frame locked when I began boxing the frame.

 

Quote:

I put a Jag front end in mine and I have kept the front cross member. My reasoning was strength, plus it helped keep the dimensions of the frame locked when I began boxing the frame.

That was my thinking...The kind of ugly stock cross member should be stronger and it helps to keep everything lined up while the rest of the fabricating is going on.

 

Another week has gone by and it is time for a progress update.



As you can see, all of the stock cross members have been removed and about 2/3 of the boxing plates have been tacked in place. The nuts for the bed fasteners need to be installed before the rest of the boxing plates can be welded in.



With the forward boxing plates installed, the IFS cross member was set in place and mocked up.



It should not take much to get the IFS cross member to fit perfectly. I am very impressed with the Roadster Shop craftsmanship.



Hopefully all of these modifications will make Old Bleu run like New Bleu.



There is no shortage of holes that will need to be plugged up.



At the moment, this is where we stand with the build. It would appear that we have all of the parts needed to continue making progress. I will post another update in a few days. I appreciate all of everybody's help and input.

 

I’m stoked to watch this build. This is the same direction I want to take my ‘57.

Nice work. What shop is this? Might be worth the drive for me.

 

The work is being performed at "Mike Porter Street Rods" in Atascadero, CA. They do nice work!

 

Looks great, nice set up they have for this kind of work.

 

Great Thread, Awesome Truck!

 

very nice,

 

Hey Ed, the passenger side door in one of the pictures above is the infamous "Deschutes County Road Department" special. As you can see, it is just about perfect. Many thanks for your help in getting that door to be part of my project!