Projects Kurt’s Puddle Jumper - 1930 Model A Extended-Cab Pickup Build

Why? Lack of engineering and forethought. Design in my mind was they would be vertical attaching to the front of the rear crossmember. I left the rear shocks till the end after installing the gas tank and battery box. When I got to the shocks I realized I didn't have room. I have seen plenty of shocks at an angle and found this place they would fit. The shocks I got were the shortest I could find.

Got the other side of the bed sides primered yesterday. Hope to put first coat of finish paint on tomorrow.

 

An easy way to correct the shock angle would be to extend the shock mount on the axle a couple of inches lower.

 

Got two coats of paint on both sides of the bed sides. Took 4 days to do it since I needed to let them dry 24 hours before turning them over. Had to keep the garage heated to the 60s the whole time burning up mucho propane. Will suspend work on Kurt till it warms up a bit.


Last photo is shiny because it was still wet. Should dry satin like the previous pic. Notice painted with a brush. I decided it is a 93 year old farm truck and that is how it would have been painted back in the day.

Cutlas Fan, problem is not with the shocks needing to go lower but the top mount is in the middle of the bottom edge of the bed side. Decided I can notch the bottom of the bed side for the upper mount. Tried mocking up where it needs to be notched.


I need to figure the height of the upper mount. Tried to find online where in the shocks travel it should sit at rest. My shocks have 5 1/8 inch travel. I found recommendations for 2.5 inches of travel each direction but think I should go 3 inch compression and 2 1/8 rebound. Opinions?

 

My opinion, for what it's worth, as you've mentioned the compression should be more than the rebound!

 

Got the first replacement upper shock mount fabbed to mount the shock close to vertical. Need to round the edges, finish welding it, and paint it. Then try notching the bed side to fit over it.

 

Finished the first new rear shock mount (except paint). Bolts also need locknuts.



Notched the bed side to clear the shock mount. Need to widen the notch for clearance. Sorry for bad photo.


Of course the shock mount to frame bolts conflict with one of the four long hanger bolts that hold the bed on so need to drill some new holes. Next I have to do what car manufactures sometimes forget to do and make sure I can replace the shock without removing the bed. I'm hoping to find I can remove the shock mount with the shock attached since the top shock bolt is perfectly aligned with the bed side.

Yesterday was a throwaway day since it just got above freezing and I didn't want to waste propane heating up the garage.

 

Well turned into a throwaway week, not just a day. Too cold and wet to waste propane heating garage and the 2 days it would have been possible I had to run myself and the Bionic woman to the doctor. Finally got out in the garage again this morning.

I declare the left side shock mount is done except for paint. I welded the mounting bolts to the bracket so I didn't have to fish a wrench behind the shock. Completely mounted the bedside and was able to install and remove the shock without removing the bedside.



Made a template from this side to begin the pass side.

 

Got the pass side shock bracket finished, both painted and installed and began putting the bed back together.


Stripped the rust and paint from the tailgate and welded up some cracks. Primed with Rust Restorer.


And a topcoat on the inside.

 

Outside of tailgate topcoated . Sure shows the dents with the new paint. Seems very shiny for Satin Finish.


Rear bed structure had to be reworked with the stake pockets Rebuilt. Had to trim both the inside ends of the stake pockets and the bar the hinges attach to.


Bed reassembly coming along. Hope to install the hinges and tailgate tomorrow.

 

Getting there. This all started last Nov when I got around to installing rear shocks and had to totally remove the pickup bed for access. While it was off I decided to do rust repair and strip and paint the bed. In the midst, a redo of the shock mounts to make them near vertical. Well the shocks are done (except for replacing regular nuts with locknuts) and the bed is almost all reinstalled.

Got the tailgate hinges mounted and the tailgate installed.


Still a bunch on the punch list. You can see the lower bolts to hold the hinge bar to the tailgate are missing. Waiting on shorter bolts since the hit the bed framework. Need locknuts and shims on the hinge bolts and they need to be painted. The drivers side chain needs to be painted. You can see green twine in the stake holes to pull the taillight wires.

Waiting on new bolts to secure the wood floor of the bed. Ordered from McMaster-Carr this morning and they say they will arrive tomorrow.

 

Slow, but progress. Had a cold snap the end of last week and I didn't want to use all my propane so nothing done Friday and Sat.

The weekend however was devoted to watching Nascar at Daytona. Lamenting not being there. It was the 65th Daytona 500. When they had the 50th, I counted up and I had been there for 29 of them. 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 95-2009. From 1995 to 2009, we stayed in the west lot in our MH. I stopped going after reaching 30. Not because I reached a goal but because I figured out I was spending over 5% of my retirement income to be there. That and getting real mad when they tried to outlaw having dogs in the Motor Home west lot. Plus they had the bill for the next years ticket in my mail in March right when I would get home from the current years race.

As it is, they backed off on the dog ban and the next year my best friend in high schools son became president of the speedway. Still did not go back.

End rant!

As to progress, got the correct bolts in the tailgate and the chain painted. Ordered the wrong size locknuts (1/2, needed 7/16). Got the forward bulkhead installed and the wood floor ready for bolting down. Got one of the taillights wired and mounted.


Punch list (for the rear shock project):
Varnish underside of floor
Install left taillight
bolt floor in place
reinstall exhaust pipes
lock nuts on hinges
reinstall gas tank and battery

 

Looking good RG!!

I have a Daytona 500 rant. I hate green white checkered rule on superspeedways, always have.

 

Jrs50, I totally agree. I hate restrictor plate racing, stage racing, and the silly rule that they score the leader when someone asleep at the switch finally decides the right person is leading and pushes the switch for the caution flag. Positions should be when the accident begins.

Got the left taillight reinstalled. Too nice of days so had to trim trees the past two days.

 

Slow, slow, slow, but progress. Got 3 coats of varnish on both sides of bed floor and bolted in place with stainless screws. Got the taillights rewired (with plugs to allow disconnect this time). I forgot with all of the bed framework and bed sides painted, the bed does not make a suitable ground for the taillights. Have a ground strap on order but managed to get a good enough ground the lights are on in the pic.


Goal for the day is to get the exhaust pipes back on.

 

No pics but goal for day exceeded. Exhaust pipes back on and gas tank and battery mount reinstalled. Fuel pump and relay panel remounted.

 

Had this post typed and then got a security error when trying to upload a picture. Start typing all over.

I thought I was finally going to be thru with the rear shock project on Weds. I got the battery reinstalled after playing battery musical chairs.

Last Fall the batt in my MH died at the time I pulled the battery when I disassembled the bed for the rear shock project. Since I'm cheap, I decided to use the Model A batt in the MH to at least have emergency starting power since the MH is just sitting there. This Spring the batt in my daily driver pickup started failing. If I didn't use it for 5-7 days I would have to put it on the charger. So Weds I broke down and got a $54 batt at Wally World and put it in the pickup. I moved the pickup battery to the MH since it is plugged in and continuously charged. This let the Model A have its own battery back.

In the preceding pic, you can see the gas tank is not all the way down on the left. Turns out the bolts holding the drivers side shock mount are blocking it from going down.



I considered several solutions involving cutting access slots to allow shorter bolts with nuts inside the square tubing. I told the Bionic woman I would sleep on it and think about it. Before bed the solution popped into my mind. Enlarge the holes on the inside of the tubing where the offending bolts come thru to be large enough to put a 9/16 deep socket thru. I measured the socket and it said 3/4. I had a 3/4 inch bit and enlarged the holes. Unfortunately the socket was a hair too big. Dig out the 7/8 inch bit and try again (that's good since 7/8 is the largest bit I have, only hole saws larger).



So now the gas tank slipped right into place where it belonged. Wired and plumbed it up, added 2 gal of gas, and Kurt fired right off.



Not quite done however. Need to install a ground strap for the taillights, install some cable clamps on the taillight wires, and cut off the excess on numerous bolts sticking down under the bed and framework. And I can't forget the locknuts on the tailgate hinge bolts.

 

Had a really bad storm hit TN Friday afternoon. No visible damage here, but lost power for 5 hours. Long enough I got the portable generator from my MH going and strung cords to power the sump pump, alarm, refridge, lights, TV, and Sat. (got to have the essentials). Why the sump pump and alarm first? Both had annoying alarms going off saying power failure as if I didn't know. I still had an alarm going off in the entertainment center. An hour later I found it was coming from the surge protector/power strip so had to remove it. Tested yesterday and it is fine with house current but does not like something coming out of the generator.

Took much longer putting things back to normal after power was restored. Didn't get every working properly till this morning so only got 2 hours working on Kurt yesterday.

Got the ground strap for the taillights and cable clamps on the taillight wires installed.

 

Over a week since my last update. Little to report. Other than the locknuts, the rear shock project and bed restoration sidetrack is completed. Got the long bolts underneath trimmed off.
A lot of time last week on everyday life. Doctors, mowing, and maintenance etc. Curtailing garage time to conserve propane. Waiting on a delivery now since I'm down to 4%.

Did get started on the next major project involving removing the seats and floor to:
Bulkhead ears
Lower driver seat 1/2 inch
Replace wood with Steel seat runners
Paint Seat Brackets
Install Seat belts
Notch floor for ladder bars
Trans ear clearance
Seats out and floor under drivers seat removed. Just installed passenger seat last May and I forgot how I got the bolts installed. Took almost 2 hours to get it out. Waiting for a steel delivery for the new seat runners.

 

Steel arrived and all cut to size. One side of drivers seat fabricated. Still need to weld a plug in the front side. Finally got propane so can work comfortably in garage (then why am I sitting at the computer? typing this).

 

On Friday I got the 2nd seat mount fabricated. Seemed to take a long time. Figured out I had to drill holes 34 times even though there are only 7 holes. I had to drill a lot of 1/4 inch holes first to guide a hole say, then 11/32 holes on the other side, and then the hole saw. A lot of changing bits in the drill press.


Saturday, I got the end of the tubes (actually rectangular) plugged. Took longer than expected because my welder decided to act up. Would not feed consistently. I had gotten a new roll of 10 pounds of wire last December but had not installed it. Once installed and threaded, welds went much better.

 

Looking good RG!!
I can sympathize, I too detest working in the cold. I have a buddy that comes down from Illinois. He gives me a hard time. He always tells me, " The heat is in the tools!"

 

Tomorrow it would be 3 weeks since I posted progress. I did not want to post till I could report real progress. Between doctors visits for the Bionic Woman and myself and spring yard work, progress has been slow.

I did checkoff two little items. Locknuts on the tailgate hinge bolts and locknuts on the front mounting bolts on the ladder bars. Rest of the time has been working on the mounting rails for the seats. The conversion from wood to steel in the mounting is now complete and the rails are painted.


Next up is clearance channels in the floor for the ladder bars.

 

Quick update from yesterday. Modified one end of my homebuilt metal brake to allow shorter legs.


Trial bends on a piece of scrap for clearance channels for the ladder bars.



Not bad for the first try. Only problem was the big homemade wingnut got un the way of the final bend. Will replace it with a regular nut. Now I have to remember the order I used to make the bends.

 

Too nice of weather so spring yard work took priority. Yesterday made 2 more scrap bend tests that came out good. Only have enough 16 ga left to not screw it up. Decided to scribe marks for more precision in positioning than using a fine magic marker.

Looks close. A bit of trimming to do against the bulkhead. Tricky compound angles.

 

Finally got caught up on spring yard work and got back working on Kurt. Got the drivers side ladder bar clearance channel done (except for paint). Got one seat belt bracket fabbed.



Bottom view:



Yesm I need to pull the ladder bars and get some paint on them. Now I need help. How can I shorten the buckle side belt so I can get the buckle closer to the center of my lap? It is 4-5 inches to far left on top of my thigh.

 

Great build so far!

 

Hang in there! Still reading' along... Off topic... how far are you from Paris, Tenn?

 

Thank you Jonboyl and Parnell for the encouragement. I'm plugging away, slow but steady.

Parnell, I'm 165 miles from Paris down I24 from Nashville about 60 miles.

 

Working away for the last 10 days but not a lot visual to show in pictures. Finished the clearance tunnel for the drivers side and made a panel to close the bulkhead on the drivers side. Also made a filler for the gap outside the frame rail on the floor.


Painted



Pulled the driver side ladder bar and cleaned of the rust, painted it, and reinstalled with grade 8 bolts.



Now moving on to the passenger side. Got the clearance tunnel fabricated. Paint it today and work on the bulkhead ear for this side.

 

First the positive progress. Got the pass side bulkhead ear fitted and mounted. I know I made a number of marking points a couple of years ago but my old brain can not remember where I put them. So I had to make new one to mark the holes in the bulkhead ear. (I put these in my tap and die drawer).


Got the pass ladder bar cleaned up, primered and painted.



Now the negative progress. I knew I had to replace the bottom of the quarter panels and have had the patch panels for a couple of years. I held off body work because it is not my thing. I last did auto sheet metal repairs on my youngest daughters 79 Sunbird when she was in high school. She is now 50.

I found on the driver's side it was easiest drilling the seat belt mounting bolt holes in the frame by cutting out the rot and using that for access to drill from the outside. All good on the driver's side and the rot ended well before the top of the patch panel. I was not so lucky on the pass side.

I did not take a pic before cutting the rot out, but you can see I had to cut about 4 inches above the patch panel in the front. Also serious rot at the bottom of the b-pillar.



Someone years ago patched with mesh and bondo.



Patch panel fits pretty good but I need to rebuild the b-pillar and the empty square hole.



Was going to work on this yesterday but the Bionic woman had me busy planting flowers. And now instead of being out in the garage working I'm sitting on the computer writing this.