82 year old rusty frame

The welder's a 140 amp and on the frame I'm using at full tilt with some of the lowest feed speed I recall using short of body sheet metal. It again is penetrating, other than a few times, real well it's just I can't get a good surface hardly ever trying everything. It's getting embarrassing even though me and you fellow HAMB'rs are the only ones seeing it right now. I don't in the least want to sound conceded but I've always welded damn fine prior to this welder and this frame. I don't want to replace the welder yet I want to buy the parts to finish this truck and money is tight. I also fooled myself into thinking the welds on these cars in the beginning must have been sick on average, so this would make my build more period correct, yeah right, LOL.


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Nice build.....but dude ditch that flux core shit! If don't have agon-co don't weld


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Mike! You just bummed me out! I think it is a F-1 axle. It came with the truck all torched to hell and back to fit the Plymouth leaf springs. When it sat in the drive way for a few months the "drop" shape started to grow on me when I would come home. as I mentioned about a hundred times on this forum I'm poor when it comes to money to spend on an extra vehicle. So I looked at a way to use that turd axle, I love to make things myself that tend to fool non experts. I almost thought that i was one of the brave few to think of and do this. It seemed like an old hot rodders type of "make do" repurposing, not like the way everybody drops major cash on status quo axles, no pun intended. Without offending anyone, there was noway that I would hack together a non-factory looking mount system like you may have seen in some magazines that i don't subscribe to. Also I want to be able to slip in a standard dropped axle if one ever falls into my lap.
So the next big weld I referred to earlier is the closing off and shaping of the I-beam portion that I drilled through to make the spring perches fit(hard steel! hard steel!) I most definitely need to get a handle on my welder before I do this work. I havent figured out what steel to use as a "boss?" and I don't have torches so I thought of heating it in the fire pit blacksmith style, haha. Don't fret everyone this will look clean and unsuspecting before it rolls down the road. The main reason for saving this axle though is the same as the frames, money, money, money.
It looks like I let a 33 X-member from the HAMB classifieds slip away from waiting too long juggling funds, AUGH!!! Looks like I may go back to fabin one, at least I'll save $ on blasting. I have a couple ideas brewing for boxing and making the X. Also I've decided I want to go with a front crossmember style motor-mount system. So I continue to look into pulling out my El Cheapo stamped piece. I was thinking about grafting on the back portion of a 33-34 crossmember onto my existing one then shaping the front side to reassemble a Henry model A stamping. I stated before that I cling tightly to the concept of "I did it all myself" so I like all this extra work and I won't be taking the axle to a professional, anybody call shotgun for a ride down the mountainside?


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You're the man! Making this work on low funds and looking after two kids? All the dads on the site appreciate the balancing act you're pulling off. Inspirational, it is...

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Alright I bit the financial bullet today, bought some Argon. Lets hope things get back to normal.
Now I'm thinking I need all the factory ford holes fore of the firewall on the frame or the rails will look to unnecessarily modified, too custom. Funny considering all the welding up of holes I've been doing to hide its Mopar roots. Ever weld a hole closed just to drill a new one a quarter of an inch over? Oh poor poor me.


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Don't you want co2/argon mix? Or even straight co2?

 

Oh no! I'm a big stupid head! See how out of practice I am. I haven't purchased welding gas in at least seven years. Guess I gotta go back.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Thanks Mart, eminent disaster aborted, Wyatt


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

I know, it's nothing to brag about but I did a little stripping, welding, straightening, and smoothing of my rear wheels in Lieu of my tires showing up hopefully soon. I'm about half way before I have to add a little filler then prime. It's about the least rewarding work to date. At least I'm still moving forward.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

So I never take the easy road it seems. Case in point my gauge cluster. I have been fighting this issue since about day one. I have stated that it is very important for me to feel like I'm back in the day with this pickup. One way I felt I could get there was with trying to keep the vibe or feel of a 30s automobile. I have a vision of when you climb in the cab a and take a seat that you feel it is the 30s and your waiting for someone walk in front of the radiator grill to hand crank it over. Only with the push of that little stainless button...BAMB!!! Now it ain't the thirties no more! It's undeniably HotRod Fifties and then some.
So blah blah blah, I'll get to the point now. I want the interior perspective to to seem all's well and sort of original. So no modern gauges and such. Well of coarse the PU came without a tunnel or any electrics to speak of, time to source them out. Woe! who keeps makin all this 32 stuff so expensive? For a couple of years from time to time I keep losing my chance for a speedometer as their prices shoot to the moon, I mean the thing almost fits in a coffee cup. Time to start thinking like a hot rodder. I learn a little about Ford original speedos. One thing I notice is Delco being one of the manufacturers suppling Ford. I think one day if I searched eBay leaving out 32 and maybe used 30s speedometer, SW, Delco or something and came up with this 33 Chevrolet AC piece. It looks like this: this pic is from after I cleaned it up on the inside and pulled out the number wheels and reloaded them to zero. But notice the needle? It's the same as the Fords. I had crossed my fingers it might slide into the ford dash tunnel, no such luck. I have noticed really bad 32 gauges for sale before for parts. I think I could try the AC guts in a 32s shell because the three ford used look practically identical on the outside. I pickup a 19$ 33-34 SW truck speedo that no one else bids on just like my new 39$ AC speedo but this thing is junk. I just want the shell it looks like this:
I go and crack the 32 open as soon as it arrives to see if their gauge faces are the same size, they are, awesome. Next I need to find out if the Chevy mechanism sits at the same depth in the Ford can, it does, check. Now the screw holes in the back clock in the same position but the AC is on a bigger circumference, so I'll need to drill new holes.
Funny thing I noticed about there comparative conditions is the Chevy piece which is super clean, has a disintegrated gauge light window lens. The Ford's is almost perfect, win for me. Time to clean up the bezel and see if its useable. Here's a light fluff with steel wool: why do people always shoot up old cars? I found some 12gauge buck shot pellets in the shell to match the dents in the face and bezell. I removed the dents a little bit now but they're not perfect that's cool with me it will match up with my panel good. it looks like this and works out with the cheap oil and temp gauges I whipped up to go with it. this whole setup has cost me about 200$ so far. And to my surprise under a ton of black paint I had a stainless trim ring in the dash that cleaned up nice, no charge.
now I have two new dilemmas, do I cut down the ACs clean convex lens to fit or get a new flat piece made to keep more of the Ford look? The other two have flat glass. And what direction and order does this ring go with the glass? Does the glass set in it?
0h and my steel toe backing plate scoops are ready for some body filler and primer then paint. Can anyone tell me if the factory finish was a satin or a poor glossy effect? I'm afraid gloss will look to modern or noticeably altered.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

oops, forgot this one.
I was going to do the "Brian Bass Bendix Brake Mod" but decided I just want to move forward and I want to save some mods for winters to come after its finished.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

I use CO2 from a fire extinguisher, its modified so the siphoning pipe is cut of.
So it releases gas instead of CO2 fluid, when used.
It will work if you keep the pipe and turn it upside down.

And it only cost 20$ to fill. instead of 100$ for the Argon gas.

Like your frame work.

 

Old frames:
I started with a crusty twisted Ol 32 frame too...but i got it and a 46 front axle, a 60 8 3/4 rear end and a pair of bones for 300 bucks!
I probably spent 400 bucks on welding supply filler rod and 2 tanks of Argon on it...
Old frame rails have more soul...!
Use what you have!...awesome work man!...keep it up!
T

 

Shine, that axle is really nice! I suggested to a 'rat rodder' to do the same to his, but he went to the Turlock swap meet and shelled out $300 for an old Mor Drop! (he said he was savin' money)
I saw an F-1 axle under a '38 Ford 'Claimer' (jalopy roundy-round racer) back in '57 or '58.
We were in the pits of San Jose speedway, and more than 5 were running pickup axles. (some ran 1 ton types, but those were using the heavy spindle/hub, with the wide 5 setup)
The few with F-1 and F100 axles had spring perches fabricated from heavy channel, torch cut to shape, and used a single leaf transverse style, so at a glance it looked like a '32-'36 type axle (dropped) if only from a distance.
The straight beam across the bottom gave it away, but just to someone with a 'trained eye'...and the drop was worth going after.
I'd look for a professional welder in your neighborhood. Grind some pieces to fit (for the 'bosses') and have him arc weld them in. (pro welders make nice beads) Finish the welds with a dremel tool and sanding drum. That axle already looks sharp!

 

Thanks for the good words Mike and everyone else. You guys keep me pushing hard. I use to weld for a living but that was way back before my previous 7 years of drivin the Big Rigs and six as a MC technician and then another six painting cars. so I'm not worried about doing the work. I do have access to My Father in-laws arc welder I just hate the things. Yes I will blend the bosses in real nice, nothin I can't handle with my porting tools. The recent welding troubles seem to stem from being out of practice or hurrying(i mostly get to sneak in this work during my 19 month old twins nap times in the morning) I'm on edge when I get to work on it, I can't get comfortable. If I find time at night when they go to bed I keep waiting for my wife to barge in and interrupt me which she does a lot. But my final issue is I have to build this one alone I want to be as proud as possible so it means a lot for my pride. I hope I don't sound like a jerk, I really do want everyone's input but I want you HAMBrs to know what I'm thinking.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

What brake scoops? I don't see any stinking brake scoops. again I ask can anyone tell me what finish the factory put on juice backing plates? What level of sheen? I'm ready to put my top coat on these guys.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

In regards to my front axle work... I'm not happy with loosing the cast finish. In order to get a believable factory looking profile I have needed to do a lot of grinding to remove the leaf spring mounting surface. Once I weld in my filler perch boss pieces there will be more to come. I already started to peak it some but the cast line on top from ford is more of a like 3/8 ish bead. I think I want to emulate this to the perch bores. I have to weld up two holes on each end already maybe then i should build up something to work with. So my final thought just struck me a moment ago was that maybe I could prime it with a rough texture paint roller to get a simulated cast finish? Has anyone tried this before? or any other ideas?


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

After you get all your welding done take an air needle scaler to it to add texture back to it

 

Thanks a lot that makes a lot of sense! Funny, I have one and I think I never would of thought of that. I hate when your brain freezes up like that, you know.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

No problem chief

 

Why on earth didn't I become a HAMB member about four or five years ago?! Although I've been checking it out for longer than that I hadn't started to reap its benefits till about two years ago.
So today I noticed while stripping the paint off my front rims that not one of the four are matching. Yes they're all ford style and old factory equipment but now that I'm paying attention I can't miss how they're so different. The worst one is a rear 15 thats' lug holes are inverted compared to the other three. The two front 16s have slightly different shapes to the convex smooth outer portions of their respective centers and the four hubcap bosses don't match. One front's outer most lip is shallower than the rest and another one has a 1/4" deeper offset. There is more differences but these are the most noticeable. Jeez Loueez!


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Some of us are all late for the train, mister. I joined for the articles first, pictures second.....Playboy subscription/HAMB. Never knew so much brain material existed for hot rodders. The Britannica of Steel and Gasoline here. I am or was or should not be...just a muscle car guy. This place sets me up for my next cash sinkhole misadventures. Gotta' love it!

 

So let me tell everyone about how I use to walk through 3' of snow uphill barefoot to school everyday. I worked at a glass shop for awhile after high school about 22 years ago. You would think that I could remember the sweet science of cutting a circle. Well I broke 6 before I got one barely useable, tried two more times and gave up. Maybe it's the old window glass I'm using? But you just have to have 1930s glass in your 30s speedometer, right? Maybe it's the circle cutting thingamajig I made myself because I'm a cheapskate. I suppose I could get one made by the pros, yeah right! . Point is that I almost have a hand built hybrid speedo if I clean and secure the not so perfect flat lens.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Although I have nothing against Krispy Kremes, this is the kind of donuts I prefer in the morning.
Thanks ErikB for the unique rear tires. Now I have to finish my rims. It's way to humid here today to spray anything important.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

You can get nice curved glass "lenses" in a lot of sizes from a lab supply company, try Edmund Scientific. I use them for clock faces. They are cheap too, I know you'll like that.

 

no need to turn on the air compressor for sixty odd year old beat up rims. Thank you rustoleom! I love this color but it needs to be darker to look 40 ford, oh well, you live learn.

"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

It's all about lighting. This is what they usually look like... but this pic was just a test light spray last year.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

Yup amen use what you got and do it the best way you can. Rather use old then new

 

Thanks Muttley for the cool tiny EELCO oil breathers! I can't decide if I should run them both on the left side valve cover ah la dirt track/stock car style to go with vibe of the engine I mentioned I was shooting for. Also don't know what finish to use on these tired Cal-Fabs. Maybe just clean'm up as best I can to match the breathers. I've wanted to paint the engine 1949 copper looking but I don't think that's somethin you would have seen on a Holman and Moody engine in the sixties. Bruce says it'd be fastest red.


"Listen Mr... It ain't broke if I can't fix it"

 

I dig it all man. You're doing good. Holman Moody just built engines......you will find all kinds of colors that their customers painted after. Do what you want. I like every choice so far. Hell, I'm buying tickets to see this show. Here every day! lol