What I did today...

[66trkbldr]

More pride in the whole DO IT YOURSELF. it pays off in the long long and sometimes realy long run!

[jason65]

Originally Posted by TimE

Thanks for the comments Jason.

I have always tried to do my own work. Everything I do has been mostly self taught with advice from friends(a special thanks to my old pal Ray S.) and family members. This truck is the deepest I have ever been in to a vehicle before. When this truck is done, everything labor wise will have been done by my hands.

What color was your truck originally? Mine had been painted with, I think, Western brand paint with a royal blue(not positive on actual color name). I had thought about going back with that color or a suede light blue but I am thinking about a darker blue at the moment. Still undecided though...

Won't be any updates for a few days, got some personal business to take care of...

I have no idea what colors it was. I've stripped threw to many to remember. I was thinking of the flat blue but I decided on a gloss.

[ChiefRocka]

Man, you DO have your work cutout for you......I never seen so many people battling rust, but here....

Great progress !!

[4dranch]

Nice work Tim, and thanks for the updates.

[TimE]

Originally Posted by gulfcoast66

Nothing like your own hands doing the work.... More pride in the end product.... I think.....Chris..... Good luck with it...... TimE

Originally Posted by 66trkbldr

More pride in the whole DO IT YOURSELF. it pays off in the long long and sometimes realy long run!

That's how I feel too, guys!!

Originally Posted by jason65

\ I've stripped threw to many to remember.

Been there, done that! Looking forward to seeing yours with some color on it.

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

Man, you DO have your work cutout for you......I never seen so many people battling rust, but here....

Well, unfortunately we don't all live in the "land of no rust".
Sadly, this one appeared to be the 'best' cab that I had.

Originally Posted by 4dranch

Nice work Tim, and thanks for the updates.

Thanks 4d, and everyone else, for all of the comments. I need all of the support that I can get on this one. I think it will turn out pretty well though.

I probably won't work on it again until next week. Still have some other things to take care of tomorrow and then I have to work all weekend but will post up when I get things moving again.

Thanks again for all of the comments guys!

[kizer]

Originally Posted by 66trkbldr

More pride in the whole DO IT YOURSELF. it pays off in the long long and sometimes realy long run!

Amen I figure my truck is 40+ years old then I have 40+ years to well fix it up right.

That is a lot of floor work. Only thing I can suggest since I haven't done mine "as of yet" is take your time and before you cut anything to patch is make sure you double check your cuts and angles to make sure the patchs fit. I'm sure that is obvious, but I've done stupid things and had to re-buy things because I didin't think it out.

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by kizer

Amen I figure my truck is 40+ years old then I have 40+ years to well fix it up right.

Thats about right!

[tiggamonsta]

They say the average home project runs about 4 years. With the current economy I am figuring about 6 on mine.

[TimE]

Alright guys, it's time for an update(finally!). I haven't worked on the truck since the last update until today. I spent some time plumbing air in my shop/shed last week when I was off and then spent time with the family last weekend.

Today, however, the truck got some attention. I also learned something today...I HATE SPOTWELDS!!!! Those things are a pain in the tail, and that's being real nice.

This is the sheetmetal that I was planning to start installing today.




Here's how far I actually got...





Needles to say, I was disappointed. I spent a lot of time today removing spotwelds and taking out the rusty remains on the drivers' side floor. I ran up town this evening and picked up some Cold Gal. spray anticipating coming back, sandblasting the floor braces and the rest of the remaining metal on the drivers' side and start installing panels.

I filled my sandblasters' hopper(40lb HF special) and hooked it up to my freshly plumbed air, suited up and blasted for about 3 seconds. The nozzle clogged up. Went through this process too many times to count. It would either plug at the tip or at the fitting on the bottom of the hopper. I am just about ready to throw this d@%^ thing away!

I tried to get the blaster to work for about an hour and just finally gave up. The short bursts that I would get before it clogged were great. I guess I need to empty it out and strain the sand...that's gonna be a pain...and try again some other time.

I did get most of the metal partially fitted anyway. After looking at everything mocked up, I am leaning heavily toward buying the "outer rear floor section". The floor pan does not match up very well at all on the lower front edge. It looks like my time is going to be pretty tight for a little while and I think buying this panel would speed the process up somewhat.

I split and tweaked the "front door pillar" so it would butt up/line up properly. Also got the inner cowl panel fitted up. It still needs some final trimming and it will be ready to install too.

I'm plan to sit down and look at the finances and place another small sheetmetal order tonight or tomorrow. Gotta work the weekend...

[joe231]

well, any progress is just that....progress
you get all those parts from classic parts?

[protrash64]

Hey TimE.........stop getting that sand out of the sand box, probably all the cat turds getting stuck in your blaster.

[TimE]

Originally Posted by joe231

you get all those parts from classic parts?

Yessir, I did. Gotta make another order soon...

Originally Posted by protrash64

Hey TimE.........stop getting that sand out of the sand box, probably all the cat turds getting stuck in your blaster.

I wondered why the stuff smelled like poop! D@%^ I hate cats!!!!

[joe231]

[jason65]

Man there aint no way I'd cut up a truck like that. I'd never get it back together wright. Good to see progress.

[TimE]

Thanks Jason!

[TimE]

I spent several hours Friday cleaning the cab. I pushed it around closer to a water hose and pressure washed the cab to get rid of the excess dirt, sand, grinder debris, etc. Pushed it back out in the sun to let it dry. I finally rolled it back into my shed and started welding up some of the pinholes on the A-pillar. I was messing around with the welder and my Dad came out and told me he was going to get the neighbor to clean up some of the property line by my shed.


Here's a pic of our neighbor in action...


Watched him until almost dark and then we took the kids and my parents and went to a Mardi Gras parade.

Didn't have much time to do anything Saturday. Messed around on here for a while and went and finished welding the pinholes up and we loaded up and headed out for parades again. We went to one here in town at noon and then went to one in Daphne in the evening. Here are some pics from the night parade.

Me and my boy talking to my Dad about a spotlight mounted on the back of a late 60's Ford flatbed.



Here's some pics of various floats...

[TimE]

Spent most of today fitting the front floor pan and trying to get everything trimmed in and do a final mockup before I start welding it all together. Got the pan pretty close and tacked it in a few places just to eyeball it. Cut the tacks loose and finished fitting.(Man this stuff takes a long time!!) My hands started to get numb from the cold so I figured it was time to give up for tonight.

Heres's where I left it at about 7:00.





As you can see in the pics, the pan was not large enough to replace all of the rusted out area. The rust extended all of the way to the transmission hump. I also trimmed the footwell a little short so I will have to cut a small,long, narrow wedge to fill that in. Oh well! It's only time.

Heres a pic of a couple of my recent acquisitions...



When I was ordering more sheetmetal, I decided to go ahead and order a set of polished stainless scuff plates. They look really nice in the light. The shield is one I bought from Harbor Freight. Cost me less than $35 out the door. It was on sale and then I had a 20% off coupon too. It works great but the flame stickers are pretty cheesy though.

Anyway, that's what my weekend consisted of. More updates in the not too distant future...

[jason65]

Good to see progress. You look shorter than I imagined.

[scotts62]

Lookin good Tim! Keep the pics rolling in! (i have no room to talk...)

[4dranch]

Nice work Tim,
And nice pictures.

[TimE]

Originally Posted by jason65

Good to see progress. You look shorter than I imagined.

Thanks Jason. Maybe it's because I'm wider than I should be.

Originally Posted by scotts62

Lookin good Tim! Keep the pics rolling in! (i have no room to talk...)

Thanks. On your behalf, you do have about 10 different things going on right now though. It'll all come around in time. Good luck today!

Originally Posted by 4dranch

Nice work Tim,
And nice pictures.

Thanks! My picture takin' abilities are not very good but I try.

[jason65]

Oh. I thought you were on the left. My mistake.

[scotts62]

Originally Posted by TimE

Thanks. On your behalf, you do have about 10 different things going on right now though. It'll all come around in time. Good luck today!

Thanks but coulda went better.... Passed one real easy and the one i thought i knew most about, well there was nothing on the test about what i thought i was studying for.. i wasn't too impressed with that one

[TimE]

Originally Posted by jason65

Oh. I thought you were on the left. My mistake.

That's "mini" me!

[4dranch]

ttt.....
any updates Tim? you may have already told us,
but where did you get the repair panels from?