Bada Bling

Had a nice Hotrod bench session yesterday with Van Aldershof and Jim Luther. Those two are full of information and I had the opportunity to ask a multitude of questions. They have been a great help in guiding me in the right direction. This project would be a lot tougher with out their help.
I did bring in the Chevy steering column that Aldershof got for me at a local junk yard and took the aluminum drop piece off that he had made out of a one inch piece of aluminum and got it nicely polished up. I used a buffing wheel on my drill press with some white diamond polishing compound on it. Didn't come out too bad.
Now I have to catagorize all the stuff I learned from the boys and get ready to order parts when we get back fron Asia. We leave on the 7th of January and will return on Feburary 18th.
Happy New Year to whomever reads this stuff and hope 2012 will be as good or better for you and me as 2011 was.

Mary's Lamp

Finished my daughter Mary's lamp today. It is actually a display case/lamp to house the Saguaro cactus bones she was given by a friend. The case is made out of hard maple with black walnut accent pieces. Most of her furniture is of the southwestern motif so I decide to try to make it blend in.
Since we leave for an extended tour to Viet Nam, Thailand and Cambodia on
January 8th for 5 weeks, I will deliver it to her when we get back.
Glad it's done and hope she likes it.
Now back to ordering parts for the F1.

Mary's Lamp Slideshow

Baby it's Cold Outside

Well I haven't died yet but the build has slowed down because my shop is not insulated or heated. It's 18 degrees out this morning with three inches of snow on the ground. I know, I know, for some of you Northerners thats balmy weather and your probably on your way to your favorite ice fishing hole, but this old body needs heat.
I did get the gas tank installed and started doing the plumbing before it got miserable out there. Sooo, I started ordering some parts. Decided on the Speedway Stainless Steel Rams Horn manifolds and they arrived last week. Got some other engine parts too. HEI distributor, One wire Alternator, Fuel pump. Lots more to get yet.
I moved indoors into the wood shop and am in the process of finishing the lamp I started for my daughter Mary last year. She acquired the bones of a saguaro cactus from her friend Bubba (Automatic Slim) in Texas about 5 or more years ago. Mary asked me to make a lamp out of it and after a lot of pondering I decided to make a lamp/display case for it. She likes the Southwestern motif so thats what i'm building. I'll post a picture here when I get it finished. Should be in a week or two.
Meanwhile, Stay warm. I'm trying to.

Rear spring perches welded in

After rechecking the pinion angle I tack welded the spring perches on the rearend in place and then took the rearend apart so I could flip it over to finish the welding. Got it all back together including the rear sway bar.
Got the gas tank out and painted the straps that hold it in place. Will put that in on the next warm day. Then I will run the fuel line to the front and hook it up to the fuel pump.

Engine and Transmission Install

My advisers arrived yesterday to help me install the engine and transmission.
Van Aldershof, Bob Ertzinger and Jim Luther came with smiling faces and tools in hand to direct the installation. We started with a small calamity when we saw there was no dowel pin in the rear crankshaft to align the flexplate. With a little scurrying around and some phone calls we found out from Tony Cetta that the dowel was for flywheels (when a clutch is used) and wasn't necessary for the flexplate. The flexplate went on nicely and then on to the torque converter. After putting some fluid in the converter it took three of us to finally get it seated on the transmission shaft. We found it wasn't seated the first time as we were putting the engine and tranny together and had to take it back apart. It finally fell in place with the familiar clunk and all went together nicely. When you have 4 people doing this job it goes a lot smoother. After it was set in the frame, Jim installed and torqued the flywheel to converter bolts. None of us were sure what the torque specs on these bolts were so they were torqued at 35 pounds. Jim later called me and said we should check this torque spec to make sure we were right. I found out it should be about 65 pounds according to the bolt maker ARP. Jim advised me to take them back out and reapply some loctite and retorque them to 65 pounds..
We then set in the driveline to make sure it was the correct length. Perfect. We checked the rear pinion angle on the rearend housing and it was very very close. Now I can weld the spring perches on the rearend housing.
All in all, it was a great day. It sure is nice to have knowledgeable friends
Thanks Van, Bob and Jim.

Rear Bumper Brackets Done

Got some half inch bolts today and put the bumper brackets on the rear of the frame. Gonna look good with a chrome bumper attached.
Most of the stuff for the motor/tranny hookup came today. Was like Christmas. Should warm up next week for the attachment and drop in.
Finished winterizing outside today. Got to put the snow plow on the lawn tractor tomorrow.

Back to work, (Pun intended)

Back is feeling better so got all the necessary items ordered that will be needed to mate the tranny and engine. Most items are coming from Summit Racing. Looks like UPS will deliver them sometime tomorrow. I spent some time yesterday tapping out all the bolt holes in the block so it will be ready to go when it gets hooked up to the tranny
Meanwhile, Lyle Peterson gave me a set of rear bumper brackets to use. My goal for today was to make them look better. They were pretty rusty but with a grinder and sandblaster they cleaned up pretty good. They had a lot of rust pitting but ground most of that out. You can see the before and after in the picture. I just gave them a shot of primer and will paint them Gloss black later tonight. I'll get some half inch bolts tomorrow and see how they look on the frame.
If all goes well, the engine and tranny should be in the frame by next week.
Whoody Ha.
By the way, It tried to snow today. Didn't stick, but it's too soon for that stuff.

No Pain No Gain

Just after my last update I tweeked my back pulling a tree stump out of my yard. Lost some days in the garage. Ice packs and heat have helped. Should be as good as new in a couple more days.
Meanwhile, got my newly rebuild 700R4 transmission back today. Got to get the flywheel ordered and mate the tranny up to the engine.
maybe next week. It all depends on parts, weather and the back.

Things are better now

Since last update a lot has happened. After the window wipers, I built a cardboard mockup box to see how the Air Conditioning was going to fit in under the dash. Going to be tight but it will go. Next, I have been working on the seat risers to see if I want to put in the bucket seats I bought. Almost done with them.
Monday I went to Quincy with Van Aldershof and Jim Luther and ordered a 700R4 transmission Fron Gene Horton. It should be done Friday or next Monday.
Got a call from Cliff Couch on Monday afternoon and he said he had the new engine built. Yesterday Bob Ertzinger and Tony Cetta went with me to pick it up. Got a nice set of valve covers from Tony to dress it up. Cliff filled it up with oil and zinc additive and prelubed the oil system. Got a good 60 lbs pressure. He put in a mild cam, so it should sound very good.
I'll finish the seats this week and if the weather doesn't get too cold, I'll join the transmission and engine and possibly set them in.
The old F1 is gonna look good with a new heart.

Good News and Bad News

First the good news.
I finished installing the window wipers today. I tried to cut and grind the two existing dash braces to get the apparatis mounted and finally did as the instructions said and cut both completely out of the way. With a little more modifying it all went into place. Most HotRodders don't like running their ride in the rain. This one will if need be.
Now the bad news.
Cliff called me about the 355 engine and said I should come and look at it. I headed on down to Missouri and he showed me basicly a pile of junk. The heads were bad. The crank bearings bad and one spun on the crank. (it can be reground). One of the pistons was froze on the rod pin. An old distributor gear was used on the distributor and ruined the cam gear. The rods are okay and can be reused. The timing cover was beat up and junk. The pan, intake, timing gear and chain are okay. There was a lot of filings in the pan and so the oil pump is shot.
We found a crack in the block, so that is no good.
To make a long story short, Cliff has another block and will build me a good engine using the parts that are salvagable. Everything else will be new including new heads.
This was a costly mistake on my part. I learned a hard lesson. Won't do that again.

Whew, Lots of stuff

Got all the brake lines finished and now they are ready for fluid and bleeding. Later on that.
Worked on the steering column brackets and got the top bracket and shim done. Now working on the sheetmetal for the firewall where the bottom of the column goes through.
Got my new Window wiper kit from Dennis Carpenter Industries this week. Looks real nice, but may be a little complicated installing. More head scratching.
Meanwhile, Bob Ertzinger and Tony Cetta helped me take the 355 Chevy engine down to Missouri this morning to Cliff Couch. He has been rebuilding motors for more than 50 years. Does a lot for the race crowd around here. He's 71 years old and doesn't look close to that. He will tear down the engine and make sure it will run okay for me. Should get it back in a couple of weeks Tony has a set of Edlebrock valve covers I can buy for it that will dress it up nicely.
Got to order a starter, water pump, alternator and Carb to finish it off.
Soon I have to get started finding a 700R4 transmission. Maybe out of Kansas City. It would be nice to have all this installed by Spring. (Wishful Thinking.)
I keep plugging along like an old mule.

Brakes almost done

Drilled and taped two holes in the front crossover piece and installed the brake metering valve. Got all the brake lines made and installed except the last one at the right rear. Will finish that one this weekend. Also drilled holes in the frame and install insulated brake line clamps about a foot apart. Used Stainless Steel nuts and bolts to hold the clamps down.
Van Aldershof showed up again today and brought the steering column back with a new column drop on it that he made out of a nice chunk of aluminum. He also punched out the ignition switch and installed a new one with a key in it. We mocked it up in the cab and I think it's going to be great. Van saved me a lot of money and time on this little baby. He's an excellent machinist.
Now I will have to build an additional plate to mount the bottom end of the column to the floor board/ firewall.

New Brake Lines Started

Welded up the last two patches on the cab yesterday and did some Mudding.(Body filler). That stuff sets up fast and is harder to sand than I thought. Lot more of that to do yet.
Started on the brake lines today. Made a bracket for the adjustabe proportioning valve and mounted that tucked up in the frame rail for protection. Got three lines bent coming out of the Master Cylinder and holding the residual valves. The top red one is like a 10 pound check valve going to the adjustable proportioning valve and then on to the back drum brakes. The bottom blue one is a 2 pound check valve that goes forward to a hold off / metering valve and then on to the front disc brakes. The hold off / metering valve is used in a disc / drum brake system (like mine) to allow the rear brakes to actuate first. The adjustable proportioning valve provides control of the rate of pressure rise to the rear brakes. Seems complicated , as some engineers figured all this out.
I just puts um where they tells me.. In simple terms, If you push the pedal, you should stop.
It took a little practice learning to do the double flaring needed for the 3/16" steel tubing. I did as Van and Jim instructed me and took my time. Bending the tubing wasn't a problem since i'm an old pipefitter, I've bent a lot of it in the past. Besides, if you make a mistake, you throw that one away and do it over again without telling anyone.
I will mount the metering valve on the front suspension crossover piece tomorow and run the front disc lines.

Look Ma, No Holes.

Spent the last couple of days welding up all the holes in the firewall. I should have counted them as there were a bunch. Got some of the mudding and sanding done on the firewall today also.
Still have the little patch in the left back bottom corner to do. Maybe tomorrow.
Then it will be back to the brakes and mockup of the steering column.

Cab blasting done

Working on the brake lines as a side project right now. Need a couple more adaptor fittings for the Master cylinder yet.
Decided that since the weather was so nice this week that I would finish the sandblasting on the cab. While I was working on that this morning, Van Aldershof showed up with a steering column that he got this morning at Mikes Junk yard. It's out of a GMC and has all the tilt, turn signals and ignition in it. There's no key for it so Van will pop the old one out and put in a new one.
After I mock it up in the truck Van will make a nice polished aluminun column drop for it. Should turn out better than what I was expecting to put in. His help is always appreciated.
The cab blasting is done so now on with the repairs.I have a small section to weld in on the left rear and some minor dents to pound out. Decided to weld up some of the holes in the firewall to give it a cleaner look. Then the body filler starts.
I'm also going to put the old bench seat back in temporarily to do the mockup on the steering column.

Update, Update

My friend "Rubber Toes" Droz came up from Topeka last week and helped me on the Ford. We put the front bearings and break calipers together and then put the front roller wheels on. We then took the frame off the saw horses and set all four corners down on dollies. Now it can be rolled out of the way when needed. We also rolled the cab back over did more sandblasting. Still have a little more to do. Hope to get that done before the weather sets in. Did some more mudding with the new Metal to Metal body filler and what an improvement over the last old can. Old filler is not good.
Roger also helped me do some figuring on the risers that will be needed if I use the bucket seats I bought. I agreed with him that I will just use the old bench seat for now on mocking up the cab for the steering column and other stuff.
We got into figuring out the brake lines and decided we needed to go to brake line school by asking questions at the Friday car club gathering.
Van and Jim came through again and now have us (me) going in the right direction. Van loaned me his brake line crimper and I bought a roll of 3/16" brake line in town today. I will tackle that project next.

Been a busy week

Got my Axles back Friday from Lynn and he had cut 400 thousands off the bearing retainer rings, which is about 3/8ths of an inch. I put them in and everything seems to work okay now. I also put the backing plates and brakes on with the new hubs. I had some trouble hooking up the parking brake cables but with persistance, they finally went in. I still have to put a couple more clamps on the cables to the frame. Got to find clamps first. I then drug out my roller wheels and tires and put them on the rear. Lookin good so far.
Also this week I found a set of 60/40 bucket seats out of a 95 Ranger on Craigslist in Burlington for 40 bucks. I had to sandblast the slightly rusted bottom slider mechanisms and repaint them black. Got them working pretty well. Looks like I will have to get them reupholstered later on. I also have to build some pedistals to set them on in the cab. I have to do a mockup in the cab when I get it flipped back over.
Also I started using some of the Metal to Metal body filler on the cab this week. When I opened the can it was like concrete in the bottom 1 inch of the can. Tried to stir it up but couldn't get all the lumps out. Took it back to CARQUEST and they gave me a new fresh can. I'll try it out today.

Rear End Trouble

Called Lynn about the rearend not seating and he came over. We decided the retainer rings that are pressed on after the bearings on the axles were too wide not allowing them to seat. He took the axles home and will cut a small portion off the rings. Should get them back this week.
Meanwhile, I bought a coil spring compressor and installed the springs in the front suspension along with the stablizing rods and the sway bar. All thats left there is the bearings and rotors. I will put the shocks in later.
I also made up a brake rod, which wasn't supplied, from the pedal to the brake booster using a 3/8 x 24 thread rod and a tube nut.
After repairing a hole blown in one of my sandblaster fittings I went back to blasting the cab. Got most of it done till I roll it back over.
Today I will go back and fill in some pin holes I blew in the floor boards when I was learning how to use my new welder.
Getting closer to priming the bottom of the cab.

We're Back !

Been gone for 7 weeks and had a great summer on Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho. Also, Nancy held my 70th birthday party in Spokane (50 miles away) While we were there. All eight of my kids and spouses and my 10 grandchildren showed up to "ROAST" the old man. My lifr couldn't get any better.
Got home last Wednesday to the midwest heat. Got the boat unloaded, cleaned up and put away. Got the lawn mowed and other honey doo's finished up and went back to the F1 yesterday. The weather is cooler now which is great.
Went back to installing the rear axles and brakes. Axles wouldn't seat on the flanges. Had about 1/4 inch sticking out. Finally with some quick measuring it looks like the bearings are too wide. I pulled the rearend back out and will take it back to the guy that drilled the axles and pressed new bearings on for me. Anyway I think that is the problem. I'll find out this next week.
Soooo, that means, back to sandblasting the cab today. Also need to finish up some welding of pin holes on the floor boards. I want to prime and seal the bottom of the cab before I flip it back over.
It's nice to be back.

Pend Oreille Lake

Even though we are gone till September, you can see what we are doing by watching Nancy's blog on our trip.

Go to : www.proudmary2011.blogspot.com

Have a great summer.

Norm

Taking a Sabbatical

This week I did get a little time to work on the truck frame. I removed the Pumpkin and reinstalled it with a new Fel-Pro gasket adding some Permatex Hi Tack sealant to each side of the gasket. I added copper gaskets and torqued the nuts down to 35 lbs. Will install the axles and backing plates with the brakes when I get back.
We leave this morning for Bayview Idaho for a six week stay on Nancy's boat "Proud Mary".
Sooo, I will be off the beaten path til the first week of September when we ( I ) will get back to work on my favorite project.
Stay tuned, more coming.

Rear Parking Brake Bracket Mounted

Worked on the parking brake bracket and cable installation today. Good thing I took some pictures before taking everything all apart. I bought a maintenance book for the Ford right after I brought it home and the book is also helping with the reinstall of the original parts that will go back on, like the parking brake system. I also sandblased the parking brake handle that goes in the cab and painted it. It won't go on for a while, but it will be ready. I need one more clevis to mount the front cable to the back bracket. It was lost somewhere between 1972 and now. Possibly when I took it apart.
I'm going to put the rearend together tomorrow. I need some permatex hi tack sealant for the differential gasket, then it goes together. This will allow me to apply the axles. I installed the axle seals today.

Rear Parking Brake Bracket and Cables

The picture is of the rear parking brake bracket that fits under the cross member it's setting on. I took it all apart, sandblasted everything and ran a tap and die over the nuts, bolts and anything else that has threads. They are drying with gloss black paint as I write this. Will install of it next week. Got new cables from LMC Truck out of Kansas City and on arrival found they were made in Australia. The world is getting smaller. At least they wern't made in China.
Someone asked me what a 355 Chevy was. It's a 350 Chevy block that has been bored out .030 over standard bore. Been doing some research on the 350 block and heads. The double hump 291 heads are a plus that have been rebuilt with new valves (large) and springs. It's got a GM performance crank and Edelbrock mild cam. New Speed Pro dished .030 over pistons. A new HP Melling oil pump and new Melling double roll timing chain. Also has an Edelbrock Performance intake. The block looks like it was cast sometime between 1969 and 1979. looks like it was a great deal so far. We will see on the tear down.
Have a great fourth of July weekend.

355 Chevy Engine

My friend Bob (No Job Johnny) found a 355 Chevy engine on Craigslist locally for sale that is supposed to have been gone thru with a complete rebuild. I got a good price on it and we will take it to the guy that rebuilt Bob's 350 chevy engine and tear it all apart to check it out. This will be a little extra out of the pocket but worth it to find out what's inside. The guy that will do the work is busy with race season now and will do my project this fall or winter. Since we leave for Idaho the end of next week for six weeks, this will work out fine. I have most of the suspension back on the frame now. Just a few more parts to paint and apply. Lookin pretty good so far if I do say so myself. The rain has stopped me from finishing up the blasting on the cab. Looks like I won't get that done til I get back in September.

Going Back Together

This last week I have been painting parts that didn't get powdercoated and reassembling the suspension. I changed from lock washes and standard nuts to flat washers and NYLOCK nuts for everything. Got this tip from Jim Luther who used to work For CASE. He said the lock washers would break under stress and then the bolts were loose so they went to NYLOCK nuts for everything. Works for me.
The pictures this week are of my best helpers. Jordie, My granddaughter was here for a week and helped me out. I couldn't get her to do any sandblasting.
Nancy is my BEST helper. when I need a helping hand, she is always there.
The rain still holds off any sandblasting on the cab, but many other things to do.

First Bling

Got the frame and suspension parts back yesterday afternoon. Sebastians Blasting and Powdercoating did a great and fast job. When I got there about noon yesterday, the parts had just cooled down from the oven and were being loaded on my trailer. I had him do everything in gloss black and it all turned out very nice.
Now to start putting it all back together. Hope I can remember what goes where. Oh yes, I think I have some pictures.

Frame & Suspension to Blasting and Powdercoating

Took the frame and suspension parts over to Gladstone IL (about 25 miles from here) this morning for reblasting and powdercoating with a gloss black color. Should get it back on Friday or Saturday bright and shiny. Then it's reassembly time.
BIG rain storm again last night. This stuff never stops.

Frames back apart

My friend Roger came up from Topeka this last weekend and helped me take the frame and all the suspension parts apart. Tomorrow I will go over to Gladstone Illinois and talk to Sebastians Sandblasting and Powdercoating and see if and when I can get all these parts reblasted and powdercoated. Once that is done I can put all the parts back together and not have to remove them again. I can then finish up the front and rearend and put the temporary wheels and tires on as rollers.
Still too much rain, so no sandblasting on the cab. I did get a couple of good Harley rides in with Roger though.
I also spent a lot of this last weeks time working on the boat getting it ready to pull out to Idaho in July for the rest of the summer on Lake Pend Oreille, just north of Coeur d'Alene. I won't be able to work on the F1 out there, but the leisure time will be great. I seem to have a lot of that.
Thanks to whom ever is responsible.

A lot of little things

Got most of the welding done on the cancer parts of the cab this week by cutting out the old and putting in new metal. I also welded in the new bottom door seal retainers. I drilled 1/8th inch holes through the old retainers before I ground them off as they had been spot welded on. I used the holes to weld thru from behind and plug welded the new retainers on.
I have a bit more sandblasting to do on the inside of the cab and then it will be all down to bright metal. I ordered body filler and two kinds of primer today and that was a pricey bunch of items.
I also got some Dura Sanding blocks for all the hand sanding to come.
I made a roll-a-round cart out of an old BBQ stand I was going to junk, to hold all the sanding equipment. That way I can roll it to the work sight and it's all in one place.
The rain continues, so the Blasting has to wait.
I want to coat the bottom of the cab before I flip it back over. Haven't decided yet, but think seam sealer first, then primer, then maybe POR-15.

Rusty Repairs

Cut a lot of little pieces of rust areas out and replaced them with new 18 gauge metal. My welding skills are getting a little better since going to the number 23 wire and slowing down the feed. I don't think anything will fall off, but a little filler will help the cosmetics. It's going slow, but I am enjoying the process and learning. Been reading up on fillers and primers and getting advice from the Friday Car Guys group. They have a multitude of knowledge and very willing to give me good advice pointing me in the right direction. The rest I am learning on the internet. Google is fantastic and YOUTUBE is a great educational tool.
Going to get some stuff to get started soon as I finish welding all the new pieces in.

Rust Removal

Rainy lookin out today so started cutting out the rusty parts on the cab. Hopefully these small pieces won't be too hard to make and weld in. I don't have a brake to bend the metal, so I improvise in a vise and hammering over a piece of 1/4 inch steel tubing thats 1 1/2 inch square.
I need to sandblast back up in these holes before I weld any new metal back in to get as much rust out as possible. I will then spray some rust preventative back in where you can't get to very well. More cutting and fitting tomorrow, or sandblasting.
This is some of the boring part, but has to be done so it doesn't start rusting again in a couple of years.

It's good to be a stripper

Well, no one worked on my F1 while I was gone so got back at the stripping/sandblasting today. Got most of the top and front cowel finished. Looks like rain again tomorrow so probably no blasting outside.
Had a great time on our motorcycle trip. Nine days, seven states and 2800 miles. Went all the way to Clovis, New Mexico. Went over the Rockies at Eagles Nest, North and West of Taos at 10,000 feet. Had three feet of snow up there but the road was clear. We were fighting the wind most of the trip and had some 50 to 60 MPH gusts in New Mexico and Texas. Was very dry in the South West but very wet in Eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas. The last 100 miles home it was 47 degrees and a blinding rain. In all my 70 years I have never been that cold. Had to spend about 20 minutes in a hot shower when I got home to warm up.
I had the most fun. Ready to plan next years ride.

Bare Bottom

The sandblasting is coming along nicely. Got all the bottom blasted and now working on one side. Got part of the front cowel and firewall done too. I have to stop and rescreen the sand and fill the blasting pot a lot but with what i'm getting paid to do this, time is not a measure.
Raining today so spent the time rechecking the Harley and packing clothes. Supposed to be 72 and sunshine tomorrow. It's 1370 miles to Silver City, New Mexico, so hope it stays that way for another 10 days.
Wonder if any little helpers will come in and finish this sandblasting while i'm gone.
A lot of wishful thinking going on in my head. Time for a libation.

Cab Back Off

I took the cab back off today and rolled it on it's back on the roll around cart I made. I put some thin plywood down for a ramp out in front of the garage so I could set up for sandblasting again. I want to blast the bottom to get all the rust off and repair any problems that show up.
You can see in the picture the part of the floor pan that I renewed. It's the real shiny part.
Anyway, only had a little sand left to try this. Works pretty well but the nozzle kept plugging up and that was the trouble I had blasting the frame until I got the air and sand flow regulated. Looks like I'm ready now, so tomorrow I will go to town and get more sand and some better plywood to roll out on. This will also allow me to collect the spent sand and reuse it again. I'll have to put my inclosure up also.
If it rains and I can't get outside I will start taking the suspension all back off the frame and get the frame and parts ready for powdercoating.
Friday, the "Old Dogs" and I leave for this years motorcycle ride. Going to New Mexico instead of North Carolina. The weather should be better. Maybe we'll do a second ride this fall to The Tail of the Dragon. Got to get there some day.

Welding the Gasholes.

My fingers are healing quite nicely. The weather is drizzly, but at least it's starting to warm up. Finally got back to work on the F1 the last few days. While welding the gasholes up, I found out my welding skills on 18 gauge metal sucks. I did pretty good on the floor hole but the gas fill on the passenger side of the cab was another story. I blew a bunch of holes in it before going to a smaller welding wire and slower speed. Van Aldershof gave me this tip and it's getting better. I need a lot of practice. This make me rethink filling in all the holes in the firewall. I'll practice some more and may do it anyway a little later.

Why i'm so quiet.

I probably shouldn't be telling on myself, but there's a reason I haven't posted anything for a while. As I stated last time, it was getting cold outside again, so I decided to get started on a lamp project in the wood shop for my daughter Mary. Things were going quite well until I was making a test cut on the table saw with a way to short piece of wood. The resulting kickback has slowed me down to a healing period, or a waste of my time as I call it. In the twenty years I have been working on that saw, I only did stupid things twice. (that I know of). I got a kickback about 10 years ago and was hit in the stomach resulting in a bruise to it and my ego. This time I wasn't so lucky. From the picture you can see the results. I only post this to show those that don't work safely what can happen, hoping now that you will. I'm not stupid, but it was a stupid thing to do. Anyway, the weather is great now and I will be at it again very soon. Thanks for sending the sunshine.

Whats the diffeence between 72 degrees and 45 ?

Well, it got up to 72 degrees this last week, and thats a nice temp to work in. I wanted to finish welding the pans in today, and did get that finished, when I noticed the temp was dropping again. 45 degrees out now, so came inside to cut out a filler piece of metal to weld in the hole in the floor where the gas line from the tank behind the seat went. After welding that in (maybe tomorrow) I will take the cab off the frame and roll it 90 degrees so I can sandblast the bottom.
Somebody send me some sunshine.

Spring coming ???

WOW, am I glad that spring is almost here. Didn't get back in the garage until this last week. The older I get, the less I like cold weather.
Anyway, got the shelving finished and Nancy helped me put it all together. Almost have all the shelves full already. At least now I can move around in the shop. After filling the shelves, I moved all the patio funiture out and power washed it all. Got the lawn mowers cleaned up and out of the way.
I finally got back to fitting the drivers side floor pan yesterday. It's almost ready to start welding in. Once that is done I will start filling all the holes in the firewall. I want to clean it up and make it less cluttered. Then I will roll the cab and tackle the bottom.
Feels good to get back at it.

Winter won't quit

Got another 2 inches of snow on the ground last night. This stuff won't quit Was lookin good yesterday till this last storm blew in. Oh well, this one wasn't bad.
Been working on the shelving and have one set painted and up. Got to finish the 6 cross pieces for the other one. Going to town today to get some chip board for the shelf inserts. Gonna get this garage straightened out yet. At least it's warming up into the high 30's so I can do some things in the garage.

What a winter!

This was the fifth worst winter recorded in Iowa history. Fortunately I was in Washington State when the snow hit the fan. Got home a few days ago and was glad my neighbor had plowed out my driveway. Would never have gotten into the garage.
I went to a local used sales place in Mount Pleasant on Monday (Valentines Day) and bought Nancy some used shelving so I can organize the big garage. (Got her some flowers too.) It is getting out of control with all the Ford parts laying all over. I am in the process of sanding down the cross pieces and repainting them before I put them together. I bought two units, 8 feet tall, 8 feet long and 30 inches deep. I will put three shelves in each unit. My compressor lines thawed out so I'm in business again.

Air line froze up

Got the blasting cabinate all put together and piped. Cranked up the compressor and blasted the headlight buckets. Worked great. Very quiet and no mess. Found some corroded holes in the aluminum buckets after all the crud was blasted off. Mixed up some good old liquid steel and filled the holes after I used blue masking tape as a backer. Worked out pretty good, and after a little sanding and a coat of grey primer you can hardly tell the repair.
Yesterday I got some grill pieces out of the garage and brought them in to sandblast. Guess what, The lines coming from the air compressor are frozen (should have blown the moisture out) so, no more blasting until we get a thaw. Lifes little uphill struggles. More Learning.
Have to go to Washington State for a few weeks, so maybe it will be warmer when I get back.
Looking at a set of gauges from Speedhut. The legacy series. The speedometer is a GPS unit which requires no hook-up to the transmission. We've gone from mechanical speedometers, to electronic, an now GPS. Thats the future.

Time to do a little winter work

Well, been sick with the flu the last week or so and almost back with the living.
After the fiasco with the sandblasting in my wood shop, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a blasting cabinate. Got one today from Harbor Freight (the other China Town) up in Cedar Rapids, along with some car dollies. I will use the dollies soon to be able to move the truck around easier in the shop.
I put the blasting cabinate together this afternoon and still need a few piping parts to get it going. I put it in my wood shop for now so I can work on parts in the warmth. This should also cut out the big mess I did with the blasting pot. Your never to old to learn.
Been contimplating new dash gauges and will get some advice/opinions from the Friday car guy gathering tomorrow,
5 degrees here this morning when I got up and never got above 16 today. How far away is Summer??? MOTHER OF PEARL, bring me some heat!!!!