Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Took the day off yesterday to go look at a 69 Roadrunner. Didn't buy it, but it was a nice day trip. Back on CRLS today I cleaned up a section of the frame where a PO had hacked it for header clearance. I plan to set the 350 in the rearward holes using the I6 perches. I'll be using the exact same block hugger headers as on my previous build. Based on that experience, I know there will be no interference, so I wanted to fill in the notch in the frame.

As luck would have it, I happened to have a piece of material in my scrap box that was almost a perfect fit ...just hung out a bit too far. Marked a line and cut it with the bandsaw, then did some minor sanding to get a nice fit. With the MIG cranked up to the max I laid down a fat bead and then ground it down. Fixed a couple other places while I was at it.

A wider gap with the heavy plate would probably have resulted in a bit better penetration. This is one area where the TIG differs from the MIG. Once the MIG wire hits the material and the metal transfer occurs, there's no going back. With the TIG, you can wait to feed the wire till you have the weld puddle like you want. Still in all, it made a nice repair and after the frame's blasted and painted, you'll never know the difference.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Looks great Vic also
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Looks great Vic --what does Tues look like for some help on that Body work on my cab?
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Perfect, just give me a call and let me know when it's convenient to come over.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Not to be that guy, but with a MIG, it's important to v-cut your seams back at a 45 deg angle, to give you room for the "root" of the weld and to allow penetration to the bottom. Still looks good to me!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

An example-
Attachment 1108926

Attachment 1108927

I need some TIG lessons! I've done some on stainless, but not much. Gas, for that matter, I got a full torch rig and need to learn to gas weld. I hear it's similar to TIG.

Oh, PS- Brake Cleaner and Scotchbrite followed by lacquer thinner is pretty good for getting anti-spatter off for paint. I've never really needed to use it in the automotive arena, things just dont seem to get that hot, and whatever there is just dusts off afterward.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Yep, same with a TIG when welding material as thick as that in your example. Just figured an .060" gap on .125" plate with MIG amps maxed out would burn thru. Not so. I'll know better next time. Thanks for the heads up.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

PS again- a Public Service Announcement to all who may be watching.

The Brake cleaner trick is great, but be sure you're done with all welding/heating operations on the part entirely before doing it. Don't heat/weld ANYTHING with that stuff on it. I can tell you personally, it will ruin your whole damn day. Just an FYI.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I've been doing some decidedly unglamorous work on CRLS, so I haven't been posting much. Mainly getting the frame/suspension disassembled and prepped for the sandblaster. In keeping with my "reduced budget" approach, I plan to retain the stock drum brakes. I was pleasantly surprised to find the drums have never been turned and the linings have a lot of service life left. I'll clean them up and freshen the hydraulics, but other than that, they should be good to go. I also finished welding and grinding the passenger side door bottom. Turned out pretty nice and hopefully will not interfere with the rocker panels. It will be a while before the verdict is in on that one.

Also took some time to patch the driver door. Had to do both lower corners, the area where the mirror attaches and the door jamb where the upper hinge bolts on. Major ugly in all those places with MIG welds on top of welds. Cut most of it out and made new replacement patches.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Holy smokes you have gotten a lot done since I was there last.
Nice work on the door speaker enclosures and the rust repairs.
I can't wait to watch you section that bed.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I cant wait for the bed either (-;

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Looking good! How 'bout you come on out to CA for a vacation and do all the sheetmetal work on my Coca-Rustola C20 long step. Not sure if I'm up for the job.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Whoof! That was nasty! Good work there. X3 on the bed, can't wait!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

As much as I like CA, sheetmetal work ain't my idea of a vacation. ;)

Won't be long now. In fact, I need to check your schedule to reserve LBT and the trailer for the trip to the metal blasters.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Anytime, let me know!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I may have found at least one reason the brakes weren't working all that well on the drive home...

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Wow that's bad, never underestimate the depths of stupidity and ignorance of the P.O haha

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Last load on the way to the blaster's. Should be squeaky clean in a couple of weeks. They're going to squirt the chassis and suspension parts satin black for me, so that will save a few headaches here at the house. Workshop almost looks abandoned. I have a ton of stuff to do between now and the time my parts are ready to pick up. Still cleaning and painting small items. Need to check with my engine builder and see where he is on the block and heads. With the workshop empty, it would be convenient to assemble the engine and bag it for installation once the chassis is rolling again. You can't really see it but Eagle's sign says, "Best strip joint in town." ;)

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Good progress! Time to have an epoxy party!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Yep, won't be long now. Hopefully, we haven't seen the last of the nice days.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

With the workshop semi-vacant, I was able to move some of the parts around that needed cleaning and painting. When I got this truck, it had an interesting hood feature that I kind of liked. It was poorly installed (naturally) but it seemed to work with the hood lines. Brian G. donated a hood he's not planning to use, so I figured I might graft the hood bubble onto his ...assuming it was salvageable. So today I finally got around to grinding the rest of the bondo away from the seam to expose what I might be facing. Actually looks good so far, although I'll know more when I get the spot welds cut and see what's underneath. I wish I knew what it came off of. Got a car designer buddy that may be able to point me in the right direction. Looks sort of Mopar'ish.

Also got the TH400 tuned up. It was filthy and had a bent vacuum modulator as well as several dings in the pan. Degreased and washed it then rubbed it with lacquer thinner to remove any residue. Repainted it with wrinkle finish and installed a new filter, gasket and modulator. Hammered out the dents in the pan and shot it dull aluminum to mimic the aluminized finish it had when new. While the speedo gear was out, I logged the number of teeth on both gears so I'll know what I need when the time comes. I found a Lokar knockoff firewall mount trans dipstick on eBay. It came with a tiny little fill adapter. Never occurred to me that the braided steel line has about a third of the cross section as the stock tube. Guess I'll fill as much as I can before I insert the tube and then the rest once it's running.

While going thru my ever growing swap meet pile, I found a pair of shocks I took off the other truck when I converted it to QA1's. Also found a brand new set of tie rod ends that had the wrong taper for the silver truck, but will work just fine with CRLS. Love it when I find hidden treasure!

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Great job tearing into that cab. You are very brave, that sucker was toast!

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Seems like they're always worse after you get them home than they look when you're opening up your wallet. We'll see how it looks when it returns from the metal blaster. There's usually a surprise lurking somewhere under all the layers of paint and filler.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Since the P.O. decided to just tack weld the hood piece you lucked out and with a little dent removal at the nose it should be a really nice piece to butt weld into the other hood, I can't wait to see the modification done right by someone as good as you, it's going to look killer!

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

x2, git ta choppin! This is gonna look great when it's finshed.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Good grief man. What a way to tear into a truck.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

LOL yeah Vic never does anything halfway, it will be the nicest parts hauler on the road that's for sure.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I've had to share my time the last two weeks with Rachel and Ryan, the twins that used to live next to us in Houston. They come up for a visit every summer and the build takes a back seat out of necessity when they are here. Ryan and I did put in some shop time cleaning up and painting a few subassemblies, but at 9 years old, he was more into building a model car than a real one. Maybe next year he'll want to spend more time in the workshop. We did manage to finish a '69 GTO Judge model on which he learned how to handle an airbrush. We met their parents in McAlester, OK on Saturday for the hand-off, so the house is pretty quiet.

I had built up a list of things to do, so I headed out early this morning. First on the list was picking up my wheels from Chip. Did not realize they were clear coated, so polishing them was a bust. After loading them up, I hauled them to the blaster to have them stripped and glass beaded. I may chuck them up in a lathe and sand the rims, leaving the blast finish on the centers. Then have them clear powder coated again. We'll see how they look when I get them back from Eagle. They had finished my chassis parts in Satin Black. Looked nice from what I saw. All remaining parts should be done by next week.

Also stopped by the machine shop to check on my engine. Bobby said he would probably have everything ready by the end of this week, but no later than next week for sure. He looked busy! After leaving his place I stopped at LMC on the way to Eagle and picked up a rebuilt quick ratio power steering gear and the stainless trim for the drip rail.

Back home, I ordered 3" drop rear coils from CPP via eBay. They're having a special right now with free shipping. Also ordered an aluminum, rear mount, side fill fuel tank from Boyd's Welding. This will force me to hit the salvage yards for a fuel door setup. Also need to research a floor mount e-brake handle as I plan to do away with the dash mount hand brake. I've always liked poking around a salvage yard, but there's no place hotter in the summer or colder in the winter.

With the kids gone, I'll be playing catch up for the foreseeable future. I'm looking forward to starting a punch list. Went to my favorite cruise in last night and it sooooo sucks not having a ride.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Late in the build, I noticed the filler off my 05 Chev ccsb would be a good fit, but we already had the parts. There's a couple at 24hwy picknpull. Also, I've seen mustang ebrakes mounted outboard of the seat on the drivers side. Maybe a pull one out of a Toyota pu? Food for thought. Sorry again about the wheels!
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Thanks for the tip, Chip, I'll see what I can find at the yard. Wheel deal is all my fault. Ten seconds with some aluminum polish would have told the story. Next time you'll know to ask, "Are you really, really sure?"

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

I can appreciate all the hard work you have in your rust repair. Nice job salvaging a bunch of parts most wouldn't attempt to fix. Keep up the good work.
subscribed.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Wow. You have no fear and incredible skills. Sub'd
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Took a break from bead blasting hardware and modified the inner roof panel. It came with a raised plateau and pre-drilled holes for mounting a stock rearview mirror. Since I don't plan to use that setup, I needed to smooth out that area. Started by cutting out the raised area and scrounging up a piece of sheetmetal. Marked the shape I needed then rolled an offset around the edge. After a little trimming, I positioned some clamps to hold the patch. Then out came the MIG. Ground down the ugly and it's ready for spot putty and primer.

Next up is making the passenger side of the firewall mirror the driver side and patching all unnecessary holes.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Sure glad you're not getting all "custom and detailed" on this one, Vic. Wink wink nudge nudge.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Crow tastes pretty good sauté'd with butter and garlic. ;)

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

BTW, Vern (Boppa, of the legendary yellow truck) and I had a productive morning at the Pick 'n Pull yesterday. Was able to scrounge the gas filler door and tube from a Blazer for only 10 bucks. Counterman didn't bat an eye that I left a gaping window in the LR quarter panel. There was a tiny dent elsewhere on it, so I didn't feel too bad about destroying it. Besides, it's for a good cause ...cause I needed it!

Vern scored a handful of braided ground straps and a trans dust cover for 5 bucks, so we kicked butt.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Awesome work on the roof panel patch.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Good news! The strip joint called and said my stuff was ready. Reserved a U-Haul truck for 24 hours and ferried everything back here to prepare for reassembly. Had to move a lot of parts around to make room but felt really motivated.

Over the weekend, I worked on subassemblies and also began prep on the firewall. I want to smooth it out and make it a bit more symmetric since the heater box and fan will be replaced by a block-off plate for the Vintage Air. I also plan to mount the fuse panel on the kick panel and route the wiring along the fenders to hide it better. So various and sundry f/w holes need to be patched. I used poster board to make a pattern that matched the f/w on the driver side, flipped it over and transferred it to a piece of sheetmetal. Rolled an offset bead around two edges then used a homemade corner roller to lay over the upper edge to mimic the rest of the panel. Spot welded it into place and then used my power nibbler to make a single opening on the driver side where several smaller holes needed to be filled. Made a patch for it as well as the clutch and e-brake cable openings. All are now tacked in place and ready for the MIG. It will have to wait, however, as I have bigger fish to fry.

Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Looks good! I gotta get over and play with the bead roller.
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Re: Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step
 

Progress update. Since picking up my stuff from Eagle Stripping, I've been working on several fronts. I seem to do best when I work on something until I wear out, then attack something else for a while. Rotating between tasks seems to help me avoid vapor locking when something doesn't work out. Anyway, before sending the cab and other parts out for blasting, I had trial fit the inside roof panel and the outer skin as well as some smaller patches in the drip rail above the door frame. I went ahead and spot welded the patches and the panel in place then butt welded and ground the seams. There are a number of small pinholes in the windshield frame and in and around the drip rail. Structurally, these areas are pretty sturdy, so rather than waste a bunch of time trying to MIG the holes and grind the area smooth, I plan to lay fiberglass in the affected areas, then cover it all with acoustic deadener before installing the outer roof skin. Suitable fix for a rat truck!