Yeah it’s not that big a job, the easiest thing to do is raise it another half meter along the top, remove the roof, build new trusses that bolt to the existing trusses and hey presto, jobs done.
Hey Guys. I got the edge welded into the side of the fender so it’s starting to look like something. Here is the before and after shot.
And this was as far as I got, as I realised I could not weld the rear section on until it was fastened to the frame. And I could not access the frame as it was sitting inside of the trailer. So the trailer went back outside again.
I needed to get a front end under it and I had one lying behind the truck, this one was from a 37/38 Ford, it was missing the leaf spring which actually worked in my favour. I wanted to fit the Dragways I picked up before Christmas, only to find out the studs were too short. At that point I realised I would have to take the wheels off the rear axle, so once I found another set for the back, I was able roll the front end under the truck.
And here is the other side, this is just a temporary fix, it steers and it rolls, but there are no shackles so I took the chain from the trailer and wrapped it around the leaf spring.
The cab is not bolted down, I loosely pieced it together because it was taking up space where it was laying. Now that it has a front end under it, I can finally get around to clamping the front fender in place and welding it together. The other thing I want to do is bolt the running board in place.
Hey Guys. I after returning from Easter, I went back to work on the fender. I used the fender on other truck as a jig to make sure the sections, I was welding were squared up.
I made another cardboard template off the fender on the truck, to make sure the side radius on the fender I’m making up is the same.
The very last thing I needed to do was finish the inside edge where it transitioned from the horizontal flange that ran along the top of the frame to the vertical flange the ran along the side of the frame. This proved to be quite a challenge.
Rather than try and bend down the existing material, I opted to cut it out, then make up a cardboard template of the hole. I then traced the template onto a new section of steel and began welding it in.
It’s about 90 percent completed, because it’s a reverse curve, I was forced to put a relief cut into it to bring it down. Once I have made a filler piece, it will be complete.
The next stage of fabrication will be the rear flange that fastens to the running board and the wheel well that sits inside the housing. I would like to set the fender up on the truck first to see how it sits before I trim the edge for the running board to fasten to. Unfortunately the bolts that held the original running boards in place still need to be cut out.
Luckily the running boards I’m using are mint, not a single bit of pitting or rust hole and they also have the brackets with them. These are by far the best items I have for this truck, so it will be imperative to get the fenders fitting perfectly. It makes sense to get the fender fitted before I do any more work on the wheel well, so that it what I will be doing next.
Taking small pieces and creating a "new half of a fender" is no small task. "Necessity is the mother of invention". Incredible work Sir.
I got the sides of the wheel wells welded to the centre section and it’s just sitting loosely inside at the moment.
I pulled the running boards out to start finishing the end of the fender, only to find, they are not as mint as I remember. The running boards themselves are fine, it’s the brackets that are damaged.
Mocking up the running board gives me a better idea of the flange that will need to be made up for the end of the fender. Once that’s completed, I can do the final t******* on the wheel well and start fitting it in place.
Hey Guys. I got a bit more done this weekend. Capping off the end of the fender and t******* down the wheel well once it was squared up with the edge.
While you are drilling the running board holes do not forget to drill a drain hole in the spare tire well. Just a reminder in case you forget.
Hey Guys. I’m getting close to finishing all the welding on fender. I didn’t have much time last month to work on it as I was away for one of the weekends and lost a whole Saturday the following week. I still have one end on the flange to weld then I will begin the process of plug welding the wheel well into the fender.
Once the welding is done I want to start stripping out the outside ch***is, I need the front fender braces and splash apron, I also want to remove the fenders and running boards. The next task will be to start setting up the fenders and running boards so that I can get the cab lined up.
The other thing I want is to is remove the cab mounts off the firewall from the other cab as the ones on good one are not the correct type.
The Jalopy Journal
