Well, I the second truck finally arrived so I can now begin the real tear-down. I am a little disappointed with the frame on the second truck, so I will probably go with the first frame. As you can see from the pics, the previous owner did quite a bit of adding on the the frame to accommodate the flat bed. Nothing that can't be fixed, but it will definitely be more work than the little bit of straightening that will need to be done on the first bed. I do have a bit of a decision to make with respect to the cabs. The bottom half of the new cab is much better than either of the other two cabs, but as you can see, the roof on the drivers side will need some work. Question is, which is going to be more difficult? The roof on the new cab, or the floors on the old cab? Keep in mind, I am a novice. Either way, it will be a challenge. My ultimate goal at this point is to get one of them into running condition so my son can use it as his daily driver, while doing a complete frame off restoration of the other one. My goal is 1 year for the first and 5 years for the second. Am I crazy to try and do both at the same time?
The seat was a pleasant surprise! I looks to be in really good condition. I am going to strip it down, and have it blasted and powder coated. Then it will sit until I decide what to do with the interior.
As mentioned, I will most likely use the first frame for the complete restoration truck. You will notice that the rear crossmember is bent. This has caused the driver side rear of the frame to bend in 5/8". This should be an easy fix. They question is can I fabricate a flat crossmember, or do I need to find a donor? The factory crossmember has an arch to it, but it doesn't appear to support anything. Do I need to follow the same shape as the factory one?
Looks Good. No your not crazy for doing both trucks! lol. Just take your time on the frame off truck.
The Jalopy Journal
