Projects Oh no not another Willys Gasser build, this time a Willys shop truck

People like you are rare. Doing all this fabrication instead of farming it out to a company. The
" if someone or something else made it so can I" mentality is unfortunately dying. Thanks for letting a lot of us, and the younger crowd realize people can do great work. And to not be scared of trying something for yourself. Keep posting, looking awesome!!

 

Thanks dude, I just like making stuff to be honest, I enjoy doing it Its only old cars really, they ain't complicated

 

Those will never do Steve! You wont have that traditional squeak when you lower the tailgate to load your parts in!

 

Hahaha, and that Vall is exactly the reason I put the bushes in, I remember the tailgate also rattling on my last pickup, quite annoying !!!

 

I am sure you will be missing the rattling! Ha..

I am not seeing the opening for the stake pockets. You do want the ablility to run a billboard on the side of the bed...
Sorry to question your plans.
Great work as always!

 

Your right !!! no rattling on this one
no intention of running stake boards mate, I actually detest the things, thanks for the comments, they are appreciated.

 

Been beavering away on the tailgate, its the same 16swg steel as the sides, same tube top & bottom also, the sides of the frame are 2" x 1" x 16swg box.
I started making the frame up but suddenly realised i was a bit short of material for the top tube, where would i find a bit at 8pm at night, had a rummage through the scrap bin and found a piece 3/4" longer than I needed, i never throw offcuts away, you just never know when they will save the day !!!
I turned up a joiner from a piece of 1" bar but I knew this is where my problems would start !!!
I clamped it all to a piece of angle but as you probably already guessed it was bowed when unclamped, I tweaked it here and there but still not straight enough
Then it came to me put it in the lathe chuck with a revolving centre in the other end and warm with a Mapp gas torch while pressing a piece of wood against the tube, amazingly it came out arrow straight !!!

Heres the pics













Next job was to cap the ends of the tube off.








Now I had the parts of the frame I started on the box sides, the round tube sits on the ends of the box so needed to put a semi circle in them, I didn't have a 1" milling cutter about so had to settle with a 1" holesaw, did the job just right.








Next everything was clamped down the bench and squared up and welded.








I had previously cut and put a 20 degree bend in a piece of sheet to use as an infill panel, this was tacked in many places. It will get fully welded once its all put together.


The inside





The outside







Here it is with the top tube tacked in, I need to trim the top edge yet, nothing too complicated but i'm pretty happy how it looks





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Very nice job on the bed, and end panel Steve!

 

The parts you make look soooo NICE! Looking awesome! Cant wait to see more!

 

I have to book mark this one. Sweet!

 

Thanks Vall, its come out pretty good I reckon.

 

Hopefully you won't have to wait too long, gonna start on the body yhis weekend, thanks

 

Hahaha, a stretch of the imagination Kev

 

A modest genius!

 

Your too kind Kev, I just bash and weld bits of metal like yourself, but thanks and I will take it

 

Been making good progress with the bed, one of my pet hates is rattling tailgates so I decided to put a return on the sides of the tailgate so I could glue in a U shaped rubber, basically 2 pieces of angle, I couldn't find any angle so cut some 3/4" box down each side.







Some nice chap pm'd me saying I didn't show enough welding pics and asked if it was because I farmed it out I explained Sue does all the welding and left it at that So just for him, here its tacked up & then welded.










Heres where the U shaped rubber will sit.









Just need to make a cross piece to go under the tailgate (nothing in the scrap bin) and it will be virtually ready for fitting.








I also altered some bolts to look like rivet heads to hold the tailgate hinge brackets in place.








I finally made a decision on my rear lights, couldn't make my mind up between 32's or these 37 Chevy's, I plumped for the 37 Chevys as they are nice and the squareness suits the bed shape and I've not seen them used much before.





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Mostly been loading up for the swapmeet tomorrow but managed to get a few more bits done, as the tailgate is raised slightly so its level with the floor when opened there is a small 1.625" gap under it, I filled this with a piece of 1.250" x 16swg box section, I wanted to bolt this in place so a piece of 1/4" x 3" bar was welded inside on the bottom face so it could be drilled and tapped, also the ends were capped with 1/4" so they could be drilled and tapped also. One side of the end caps was radiused to sit nicely in the bottom return of the bedside.
















I also made up the closing mechanism, basically shaped plates that locate on a pair of antiluce fasteners, simple but clean & tidy. I gave them a quick polish to add balance to the polished hinge brackets. (the antiluce fasteners haven't arrived yet)






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Antiluce fasteners? Make sure you post pics, Steve--haven`t heard of those, and I have a 56 Ford Pickup to finish the bed and latching on......

 

Commonly used on trucks & trailers here mate

 

My turn again . . . brilliant.

Got no angle? Just cut some box tube and make it. Just another day in the shop. Especially love how you can visualize the completed components and then flawlessly execute.

 

Cheers mate, I used the box because angle has a sharp corner and box has a radius, radius looks way better.

 

very cool

 

Thanks man.

 

Been making the bed furniture the last few evenings, I wanted chains for the tailgate and needed to make up the various fixings etc etc, also the Antiluce fasteners turned up so they needed fitting also, for these a bit of 3/4" BMS bar was turned down to 1/2" and holes drilled in the rear stake bed pockets, the bar was then inserted and plug welded from the rear, I will tig the tailgate side later.














I spun these parts up in aluminium in the lathe, the next pics explain where they go.















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I really love all these little detailed pieces!

 

Cheers Vall, just trying to make it look tidy, got to put floor in next and then it's virtually done

 

Woo hoo yesterday was like summer had returned So got a chance to get the floor in the bed, I'm using a sheet of 3/4" WBP Plywood, i decided to put in a 1.25" x 16swg square box subframe to support the floor slightly higher as the kickup in the frame was a bit on the close side. The 16swg is nice and light but strong.
The subframe is bolted to the returns on the bottom of the sides, I didn't want to use rivnuts here so turned up some threaded bungs and welded them in to the tube and then sanded smooth.


















Next job was to cut the ply and drop into position, its held in temporarily with some button heads as run out of countersunk screws. I've ordered some ribbed rubber for the floor covering which will get glued down as I want it usable, In the last pic you can see marked out where I intend to put some polished stainless strips.







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BITCHIN !!! Chris

 

Thanks Chris