Got a late jump today but I got the stake pocket in ..... I also patched some additional holes, welded up a couple other areas, and only have a couple places left to weld, and one final modification .... but that’s for tomorrow. I also removed the rear axles, backing plates, ordered new axle bearings and seals, and I am ready to swap out the 2:78 pumpkin and install the 3:55 unit I have ......
No pics today as I had multiple things going on and the build was only when I had the chance. Our ac died and they came twice to fix it but it has other issues unfortunately - of course, it would die during a heat wave. Fortunately we have several ceiling fans on warp speed to keep things almost tolerable ..... All the welding/fixes/mods that needed to be done are done. I can now start metal prepping the bed. I also rec’d the new axle bearings and the seals are installed - just need the bearings pressed on. Parts are coming in to finish the chains, and I hope to install the 3:50 pumpkin tomorrow. We shall see what surprises tomorrow brings .....
Love your boards, thinking on my 39 ford pickup, might use some over 100 year old wormy chestnut , I have left over from some furniture projects I did in the past.
Thanks Davin - I really like the boards but it is somewhat unfortunate that they will be flanked with newer boards. But, just like the boards you are thinking of using, they certainly will be a conversation starter!
Today I went over the bed one more time and then metal prepped the bed with a product from KBS .... Messy work but it’s now done. Getting the rear axle bearings pressed on this Friday so I will swap out the pumpkin tomorrow. It was hot but the weather was good so outside work was done today. Tomorrow does not look so good so it will be inside work ......
Lots of good ideas on your build; and, I am sure you will be flattered to realize many of us take notes. This is especially true in my case, as recently I made a deal for a Forty Pickup; probably my last full out construction project. My last Early Ford was a '37 Coupe and I had Pete Eastwood's talented help on it. Only this is now , thirty plus years later and I will cobble it together as time permits. As to the V6, I ran an earlier version called 'the 229' in a mid seventies GMC. It was my mule. Boy did it buzz when I got it wound up, though my final thoughts are even a pissy little 305 has a more useful power band. Keep up the good work 'cause that first trip on its own power and what comes after that are so rewarding you may want to build another one with 'His' on it.
Thank you for your kind words and actually it’s my wife who will get the thrill of the first drive since it will be her truck. The V6 has been hopped up and should equal a sbc. I bought it cause it was an offer I just could not refuse ..... lol!
I didn’t have too much garage time today but the 3:55 pumpkin is in and the bed was painted with 2 coats of self etching primers ..... It looks a lot better in the pics than in person - it is not smooth in any way I will leave it like that. It’s themed as a late 50s early 60s shop truck so it would have plenty of imperfections ...... For you paint gurus - I need to find a paint flattener for my acrylic enamel paint purchased from TPC Global. They no longer carry it. I am trying to match what was done on the cab. PPG has two products and the one, DX 265, looks like it will work? The paint is an 8-1 mix with hardener plus the flattener. What else do I need to know? I will call PPG tomorrow but I would like to sound somewhat intelligent....
Thank you! I owned the red truck HamtownAl pictured and ever since, I have been waiting for the day to have another one ....
This is a guess, but my local dealer(PPG) has a system called Shopline that is inexpensive and may have a flattener that will work with your TCP global. I'd try the dealer first; if they have been in business for a while, their experience can be helpful.
The color is a duplicate of the 39-40 Ford/Mercury Blue Poly code # M-1774 Where is your PPG dealer located? I would like to talk with them .....
I stripped the tailgate of paint and sprayed it with self etching primer .... .... not too bad so far. Got the rear axle bearings installed - johnrodz, owner of the Virginia HAMB Special Bonneville race truck, took the time out of his preparations to leave for Bonneville to do that for me - thanks John for doing that. I shortened the rear sway bar support rods for more travel but I will need to bend the bar out about 1/2 “ do that it will clear the frame if it travels that far .... I also drilled some holes in the frame that were missing for the running boards.
Tom, What self-etching product did you use? Also, where did you mount the rear sway bar to the frame to clear the tank? Thanks! Bill
HotrodA - Rust-Oleum is what I used - do not have a paint sprayer setup as yet. The rear sway bar is from Ch***is Engineering I believe for 35-40 cars. I don’t remember if it mentioned trucks but it works. They give you the mounts for a particular location on the frame - pretty easy install .....
Busy day today- well, at least for me. Forgot about one spot on the bed I did no finish off so I knocked that off. I then got out the torches and bent the rear sway bar.... ... giving me more room by the frame. I bent it out nearly an inch on both sides. Took off the front sway bar which needed to go out an inch per side- it took two shots but it’s now good .... Of course the sway bar frame mounts ended up being right on a frame rivet on each side so I fought them but triumphed. I need to drill one more hole on each side to complete the mounts. Although I have no pics, I worked on my hood. The hood was a 41 and the PO welded up the front hood ornament holes to go with a 40 styled hood. Fine by me but the welds were done with patches from behind leaving a void that needed to be filled. I picked up some metal to metal paste and went over it once the other day. Today I sanded it and gave it a light second coat which should finish it off. The PO was also none to careful with the hood with several push ins and minor dents on the top. I am not going for perfection but I woukd like to see it smooth from my vantage point within the cab. I have a nice little dolly for the hood - I will get a pic tomorrow - and made a first p*** on it. I didn’t do too bad but it may need to be put on an English wheel - we shall see. My final item was to move the gas filter and pump. I put in a cross piece to hold both and there will be a piece coming off of it perpendicular going back. This will provide a safe route for the fuel line and rear brake line no where near the exhaust and the pump and filter will be easy to service both .... Sorry for the bad pics but I think you get the idea. At first I had them on the frame rail but what with fuel and brake lines, it was getting way to crowded and was not going to work. This will provide a safe and shortest distance to the tank. I keep chipping away on it......
First, here’s the dollie I used that I mentioned yesterday .... I also rec’d the one hook I needed thanks to 40FordPU and started pkaying with the chains. The driver side latched nicely but the p***enger side was loose and the tailgate would flop. The main latch to keep it closed looks like this ... ... but the p***enger side had a gap where it loops over the tailgate hook. So I welded in some pieces to tighten things up .... ... and it works great. The hook on the bedside was getting kind of thin so I welded it up some ..... I also installed the fully loaded rear brake backing Backing plates, park brake lines, rear drums, and the rear tires .... .... and dropped it down. I checked the sway bar again for clearance and all is well .... I drilled the two holes needed to finish the front sway bar install, and here are some pics of my hood I worked on ..... I haven’t sanded them down for the second time but it is making those holes look a lot better ..... The support bar for the fuel filter and pump is welded in and the the front to back rod to run the fuel and brake lines has been started. Another good day by my standards .....
So yesterday and today I spent on doing the rear brake line and fuel line. I had to do some maneuvering to get the pump and filter to work where I liked it and eventually moved the pump to the side rail.... I didn’t want to go to the side rail but it just made the most sense after messing with it all day yesterday. Waiting on a fitting to come in so I can run a hard line right from the pump. I also rec’d a pair of chain covers from 38Bill on the Fordbarn. He heard I was going to use bicycle inner tube for covers and said he had a pair he would send me - thank you! They will last a long time and I like the “original” look to them .....,
Started on the exhaust yesterday into today (only an hour or two today - visited the grands! Wooo hooo!). I wanted the pipes to go all the way out the back so that meant going over the rear axle. I had bought a Speedway 14-gauge steel pipe kit and it had loops to go over the axle. But with the shocks right there I needed more room to clear things. So I cut them in half and welded in a 3” section .... Then using some crates I approximated the 90 degree going forward with the muffler attached .... No pic for it but I then attached the long pipe going forward as well. Since this is a truck with running boards and full fenders, wanting to stay away from brake and fuel lines, as well as ac hoses underneath, I am running the pipes underneath the frame. As for the mufflers, the baloneys pictured have cutouts within .... My question is, which way do the go facing the engine? Open end going forward or closed end? I will be back at it full time tomorrow .....
I'd say if the rough side with holes is toward the engine it would be quieter than if the smooth, bumpy side faces engine. The holes would trap some of the sound if they are toward the engine. Other opinions? Phil
Phil - thank you for your response. I thought the same thing. I just wanted to hear what others think. I really do not know if there is a right or wrong way - I know these baloneys can be loud so I am looking for the quieter way. Thanks again and I always appreciate your and everyone else’s Likes and positive responses!
As I understand it, wood and metal strips work in tandem. The strips fit into a relief cut in the wood and cover the gap between the planks. This is necessary because of the expansion/contraction of the wood from moisture. There is more information available on the net. I installed a couple of Brazilian Apitong wood truck beds when I worked at Horsepower Engineering as a flunky. It's the same stuff used in big truck flatbeds and, while hardly cheap as pine, will last long after you forget what you paid for it.
Fortynut - thanks for your input. I just got the strips in today so I will be playing with them soon. I will only need 3as there are only 4 boards - the two from the tanner in the middle, and two 1” think pieces of yellow pine on the outside. Wifey will decide which side of the tanning boards she wants topside. If she wants the smooth side I will try and get the pine boards close and let Mother Nature do the rest. If she picks the cutup side, I will probably let the pine boards weather naturally then seal them .....
Cleaned up the shop a bit and also the brake and fuel lines by eliminating a few joints. I had a joint in the fuel line between the filter and the gas tank ****** and it was not a good setup if I had to remove the gas tank. The line was a barbed end on the filter but accepts a 3/8” steel line now and it is bent and placed under the rear bed support so the fuel line arches over the sharp edge of the tank. Also, I padded the fuel line as it goes under the bed support and the hose clamp for the line going to the tank is accessible from underneath, easing gas tank removal .... The rear brake line now only has two joints vs the three before and both lines are just neater now. I also started installing the front wood bed support and the two steel supports. The front wood is installed via an end tab on the bed rail with a hole in it for a lateral front-to-back bolt. Once the bed is in place, a long bolt goes vertically through the wood and frame rail. The front most steel support is bolted on, the rear, tac welded to the bed rail and then both are bolted to the frame. The real wood support is bolted to the frame and I see of no obvious way to secure this support to the bed at this time. Any ideas? My muffler clamps are coming and I all ready rec’d the hangers. Unfortunately my engine shop is swamped and my engine startup has not yet happened so the rest of the exhaust will have to wait ..... Btw, I have one new brake line yet to install on the entire truck - the short rear axle one - and so far, the third try was NOT a charm! Lol! A**** other things, I now have a problem with a flaring tool ! Lol!
Been working on the project, just nothing really “newsworthy”. Finished that one last brake line and bent up the gas line all the way to the front - just need to install some line holders. I am also working on exhaust support, painted the bottom of the gas tank and whenever it stops raining from this tropical storm I will paint the top, painted the truck bed wood supports, and started cleaning up the backside of the frame for paint. I also have had some honey dos to take care of the last couple days as well ..... happy wife, happy life!
The Jalopy Journal
