New bed being installed.

Box

Well once again we made it, now as soon as dad gets home he can start with the floor. Hopefuly by then I will have the fenders done too?? We have football and cheerleading this year, and all the fenders need is time.



Plenty of people to help get it mounted without scratching the soft paint. drill holes, attach bolts, and screws, find out that we bought the wrong nuts for the bolts, find other bolts, can't get them in the middle of the night you know.

Sunday afternoon, it's painted, I wasn't real happy with some of the body work, but now that it's painted it came out a lot better than I anticipated. If it only have fenders we would really be doing good, but with Ethan getting older he has intrests other than working on a dented fender all the time (football, quizbowl, track, video games, girls etc.)

Here it is Saturday night in the county seat, and we're ready to sand the primer. It was hot but we got through it.

Well we've been at it a whole year,one box, and it's still not done. But we are getting close. We finally got it strait, the front, and the drivers side that was so bowed in, or was it out? I had to cut the side almost in half to get it there but it is done and once again, I am not a procrastinator, the parade is only two days away. (I think I said that before)

The box, I never dreamed it would take this much. These old trucks were used in their day, and the boxes took a beating. Not only that, they had many failings, some of which they still havn't fixed to this day. The front was rotted out, and badly bowed, so out it came and we found a better one to put in it's place.



Then we squared the box in an attempt to get measurements for the cross members and how it's going to fit.

Stake pockets where either rotten, or they where badly dented, here we are trying to get one of those big dents out.

The rear end was rotten, and the valance panel was gone, another rear cross memeber, and a custom made valance, since most parts for this aren't available. Seems that the world has forgotten that Ford put an eight foot bed on these trucks too, all the repro parts are for a six footer

Finally the tailgate. WOW. Luckily I have three. One is rolled over at the top, but maybe useable. One has a grain gate cut in it, and the third is not much more that rust, and brazing rod. Scott and I spent an evening trying to take the extra roll out of it, I think we are getting close for a box that goes on a pickup that is a driver.

Finally recieved the bed wood, when laid out as will fit, it took up most of dad's livingroom floor, He's trying to round the edges just a little so that the finishes will stick better.

That rock hard maple is really hard stuff, good thing they came so close to finished.

Doors and trim

Here we are in the parade. I have done a lot of little things since then, (wiring, tuning, and it has been cold this winter) but you can't tell from the outside. Next post will show some pictures of the box that I have worked on this winter in the cold.

It's been a while, since I last posted. it's not that I havn't spent a lot of time on the project, it's that I havn't taken many pictures, and those that I might have taken wern't big changes anyways.


You can see here though that the body work on the hood and doors is complete and we even got a little paint shot on them a couple of weeks ago.






This is Labor Day weekend, the weekend of the Little Worlds Fair in Kismet Kansas every year.

The big parade is on Monday, and I though since it seems to be running good, and is a complete cab and chassis I would enter it.

First things first though, it needs a bath, and here is the one to give it to it. Kids who go through automatic ones all the time wouldn't know what she's so happy about.










So, After much ado, and many late nights, we finally got the trim painted and put on. it has been a scramble to get it all put together for the parade, late nights trying to get lights to work another rebuilt carb. Then there is the fiasco at the court house that almost makes me ready to send the truck strait to the crushers; They told me that since I had a title and no plate, I couldn't get one, 2 trips and several hours in the court house finally got that solved.





Here Scott is putting on the last piece of trim, I think we are going to make it, entries are only 12 hours away, and we still have big color sanding marks on the fenders.

wow, Do a couple of little touch ups, on the big scratches, and let's get to bed. the big day is tomorrow. we can polish it later. Hope this keeps your intrest alive. I hope to have a box on it by Christmas, I know that dad (the wood worker) is already looking for some maple to put in the floor.

running with the front end

After much ado with many poorly made reporduction parts, and taking the engine apart, having valves returned, and lots of other small problems, I finally have it running, and driving.


You can see and hear it run on youtube.com and searching for running flathead







a couple of weeks ago I and Scott, mocked up the front end to straighten the hood, and finish getting it ready for paint. although it will have to come off again, along with the doors, it is looking pretty good, and I hope to make a few rod runs this summer. Dad tells me that he is working on the bed, and has ordered the maple for the floor.






Last winter dad rebuilt the dash, and I put it in when we before we got it running. I still havn't put enough gas in it to see if the gas gauge works, and the speedometer worked for a brief time, but has now quit, and I havn't had the time to see what is wrong with it. All the other gauges seem to work just fine.

glass

we put the rear window in first. Before we got to the glass though, we finished getting the interior panels in the cab. I will post pictures of it in a few days I hope.




Here are the steps used to up in the front winshield. First come the glue on the rubber

then the rubber on the window

rope it in with a piece on nylon string, and a couple of putty knives
clean the glue off the glass and install trim

engine compartment

Here's dad attaching the fuel lines for the umpteenth time. Problems have abounded to get this running. poorly made reporduction parts, including fuel pumps, points, and even a brand new set of valves that where miss machined.
It is running now, and I'm trying to find out to upload the video. I accually got to take it out for a drive this evening. found out more problems that will have to be delt with in the future.










it should go before long now. Just finish hooking it up, and listen to the flathead roar.

assembling the cab

mat, glovebox, and wiring going in

attaching the blocks under it

down

checking alignment

some images of it mounted