Featured Projects KEEP ON TRUCKIN

"They're never done" truer words were never spoken and they apply to the 41 pickup. Earlier this winter I got to work on the rear springs, and they are holding after adding longer shackles in back. I won't know for sure until it is driven and I am on the DL still. The transmission pan bore witness to the loss of al***ude with some missing gloss black, so I began forming a much-needed skid plate to make sure that paint is the only loss down under.

Another project I have been tossing around (manners gentlemen, manners) is the seat. I hurried it to the upholsterer a few years ago as the roadster show dates were bearing down on me and I have always regretted that. The issue is the seat bottom overhangs the pedestal by 3". That doesn't sound like a lot, but you have to have 10" long fingers to turn on the seat heaters or the accessory toggles. Before you jump to any conclusions, I can still palm a basketball, but I still can't reach those switches.

Today I removed the lower cushion at the hinge points and here is the issue.

This is a Glide seat and very comfortable but I installed it as far back as possible and as a result the back is rather straight up and down. I can't afford to move it forward a lot at 6.2" but I could move it enough to get one more ratchet on the seat back recliner. That is evidenced by the front bolt hole after pulling the frame forward an inch or so.

That leaves 3" that needs to be removed from the sides of the frame and of course, the back end of the bottom cushion. The frame is easy, I will remove it, cut it and weld it back up. The seat bottom will require my daughter. She is coming into town next week to remove the upholstery since she is the one that gets to put it back on after cutting and sewing it up. Once the material is out of my way I will shorten the seat frame 3" and weld it back up and powder coat it and the seat frame. Once done, the front of the seat should be flush to the pedestal and look like it was supposed to be there rather than someone having added their mum's couch to the cab. It will also increase the space needed for stepping into the cab which is at a premium in these old trucks.

As for that aforementioned skid plate, it is out to Mr. Powder Kote for some protective semi flat black. There is not a ton of room down there, but I built it out of 3/16" steel, after all it is a skid plate. I drilled a large hole to access the drain plug to make it less of a chore to change the transmission fluid, I mean why wouldn't you?

I beveled the leading and trailing ends to direct rocks, sticks and protesters under the plate. That meant slicing the material so I could bend it, welding braces to prevent it from straightening back out while hot, and welding the slits back up. Thanks for the tip @Pist-n-Broke. I moved the heat around to prevent warping and distortion. Seemed to work.

The attachment brace (also 3/16") spans from side to side, atop the lower frame rail. I added bracing in the corners to strengthen it and some lightening holes because I could. I also added 1" slots in front to allow air to p*** between the pan the skid plate. Not sure if that was needed but it looks cool. Sort of a Romulan Bird of Prey design from Shatners Star Trek (traditional).

Installation is not horrible; it slides in like I said above the lower frame rail and then 4 grade 8 bolts will secure it. It isn't light (a light skid plate?)! Having it hang from the frame rather than bolt under it helps with installation.

There is not much room under this truck so the skid plate needed to hug that pan. It is tight but will provide protection so I don't tear a hole in the pan and upset the environmentalists circling the cruise ins.

All of this work and effort could have been prevented if my wife had been taught to drive a stick! Teach your children and grandkids to drive a manual transmission and how to cook a rare steak, for the love of all that is holy!

Next up, removal of the seat frame and some gratuitous welding and grinding. "They're never done"...no **** sherlock!

 

Great work. Why not chromed as nice as it is.
Glad to see you work with the stuff you have going on.

 

Nice work, drive a handshaker- and medium rare…

 

Very nice work!

 

Letz see pic of the whole truck

 

This hasn’t been polished or plated. And shown next to a cup of “beverage” I’m gonna have to say it. This is AI lmao

 

Nice as usual, get back to your old self man.
Dan

 

Funny, @Pist-n-Broke said the same thing. He even said he was going to rat me out to the HAMB for not plating it.

If AI stands for Alcohol Infused, it is!

I am working on it. in the meantime, I have to get the winter chores done.

 

That's some quality there. Good job

 

Hmmm wonder what that would look like engine turned…

 

Oh, we just about found out . When the Wizzard asked if I was going to chrome it, he did admit that no one would see it other than the guy I ran over.

 

And even then you'd still have to remove it to clean that whole ****** mess, probably find something else to address...like you said "They're never done".

 

Could paint it black and have it lettered “what are you lookin at?!?”

 

I nearly used the plasma torch to cut a design in it. It seemed such a blank canvas.

 

Damn it Billy, no wordsmith other than Mike Tyson, has said truer words

 

You could letter on the bottom of the skid plate.
“IF YOU CAN READ THIS PLEASE FLIP BACK OVER ONTO WHEELS.”

 

Nice looking piece!

 

Cool.... Nice ....1940?... turbo400 behind a ford v8?

 

Billy, wouldn't it be less work to relocate the switches to a more forward position than moving the seat and all that other work? DL? disabled list? You hurting buddy?

 

Damn Thats SWEET!!!!!!

 

"Rubber side down"

 

So close but I am afraid those choices are incorrect. 1941. Dodge 46RE behind a built Desoto 330 Hemi. As a consolation prize please accept the HAMB home edition board game.

Yeah, some inner ear issue. No balance which means no driving and UBER to my Dr appts. I thought about the options including moving the seat base but I never cared for how far the seat intruded into the cab when the doors were opened. That bottom cushion is just too big for that cab. I got in a hurry as the Roadster Show approached and rushed the seat to upholstery. Lucky for me that one of my hobbies is redoing stuff that I that I thought was done.

That is the Dodge 46RE or A518, 4 speed automatic. Basically a 727 with an OD added to the end making it very large! At the time I thought Mopar/Mopar combo but this wasn't the easiest install. Nice running combo though.

 

Get better buddy so you can get cruising!

 

I am working on it. This is one of the most annoying illnesses you can imagine. I'm glad it is winter, I'll get back in the ****pit by the time the rain stops this year.

 

Ah, with the open door the seat bottom issue is evident. That 3" or so will be a much better deal. As for the skid plate chrome vs powdercoat treatment, either will slide over the odd rock,lump or protester equally well.

 

And it goes even further...the seat is wider at the front; the cab is narrower toward the cowl. My door panels are a bit puffy (not flat cards) so the seat slightly makes contact with the door making it hard to close the right-hand door without being firm. Moving the seat back will also fix that issue.

It was an oversight by the builder, and it is being remedied (under warranty).

 

Remedied under warranty, but, still p***ing cost on to customer!!

 

I have to say Billy, I am a little disappointed. Any real hot rodder worth his salt, would have made a die and punched louvers in that skid plate, then chromed it. I'll just have you know, I am sitting here, in the snow, crushed from the weight of disappointment. Oh, and don't give me some lame excuse about it being 1/4" plate.....

 

I cut a louver in a license plate bracket that was 3/16" or 1/4". It was originally the front plate holder on the super deluxe bumpers I used on the truck but I used it out back and that meant adding a tag light and I didn't want to use LED litebolts. So I cut a slit in it with a cut off wheel, pounded it open with a chisel and a 10 pound hammer I call Mj"ölds"nir (My Olds refuses to come apart unless I wield this hammer of the gods), welded up the ends, polished it and had it plated.

So, I knew I could put a few louvers in the skid plate using the same technique, and I thought about it for quite a while...at least two doubles. In the end I p***ed (not p***ed out) and decided no one was going to see it other than someone wedged under there and it would only provide a finger hold anyway.