'53 Ford down under....build thread.

Ok, we bought this truck earlier in the year for my wife, it is a project for both of us. My wife has always liked the earlier F100's, so when we found this one, we had to get it!! It arrived in NZ with an Oldsmobile engine and gearbox, which was removed by the previous owner, as we didn't want it and he did. We have got a 272 Y block for it, which we know is not original, but we want to run a Y block. We have also got the original gearbox for it. The truck has a '55 grille, we want a '53 grille for it though...and will try to find one.
My wife, Hayley, has done most of the work, with me in the supporting role. So far we have: removed all the front guards, inner and outer, valance panel and grille, rear guards, running boards, fuel tank, tank mounts and running board mounts and a welded in cross member that was definately not original.
Ok, here are the pic's to date...I warn you this will not be a fast build....but it will get there!!




















Well, that's it so far....will post more as we progress!!
Cheers,
Shane

Hi Shane & Hayley,

Congratulations on getting your build thread started. I set it up as a sticky so it will be at the top of this forum with the other build threads. You are our first build thread from New Zealand. Hopefully you will be contributing lots more as your project progresses.

Later Folks...

HI
I think its almost like christmas when a new project arrives from far away .
I too have had a few come from far away and i know what the wait is like.
Just to let you know i have some feelers out on a 53 grill for you i will let you know what i can find.
Anyway good luck on the build i know they can take some time.
Later Andrew

Hi guy's, thanks for the replies, we will update it as often as we do work on the truck.
Getting the fabbed cross member out was a bear, I had to cut the running board mounts off it....with a cold chisel, and then cut it off the chassis too...it was solidly welded in there!!
Cheers for looking out for a grille, finding parts down here just doesn't happen, they all have to be imported.
Cheers,
Shane

Ok, we got the pedals and pedal mounting shaft off, cleaned and inspected. Then we started on the gas tank, I wanted to remove the fuel tank sender, but it was not to be easy, I had to remove every screw with vice grips, as they were siezed in place and no screw driver would look at them, two broke off.
Once it was out, the amount of crud in the tank became apparent, and my wife, Hayley, attacked the outside with degreaser. After a few minutes of cleaning, it became apparent the tank is a write off, too many pinholes.....so we have to import a new one from the US. To give you guys an idea of what it's like down here, the gas tank will cost us around NZD$600.00 landed here, maybe more. That's over a weeks wages.
No pic's at the moment, but I may well take some later of the tank....maybe as my F150 squashes it!!
Hayley has begun to scrape all the crud off the chassis, and degrease it ready for painting.
That's all we managed to get done....I had lawns to mow, and 2x dogs to walk, and it's winter, so we have limited daylight.
Tune in next week, when we hope to: get the shift mechanism off the column, get my Miller mig working and start to patch the guards and clean up the chassis ready for painting.
Until the next thrilling enstallment,
Shane

I will be looking forward to seeing your progress keep posting those pics.

Ok, the weather played ball, so we rolled it out of the shed, and proceeded to remove the outer skins that had been welded to the tail gate, to see what is underneath, only to find a second skin...so I attacked that and got it removed.
I also got our mig going too....and will start to repair the rust in the guards.
Anyhoo, here are the pics.














Yup, in one of them pic's the ugly sod is me!!
Also, there is a shot shoing the bog or body filler, and it was thick too!!
Also, the panels were brazed on, with proper bronze welding rod, I have never seen that done before!!
That's it for now.

We have made more progress, Hayley degreased and waterblasted the whole chassis. She has also buffed the whole chassis with a power wire brush. We then removed all brake pipes, loom and handbrake cable off the chassis. We also removed the rear shocks and mounts for the handbrake cable and exhaust too, along with the pedal mount plate.
Now, this may not sound like much, but what it means is we now only need to remove the cab and tray, and the chassis is ready to be painted!!
We need a right front cab chassis cab mount, some one has gas axed the back out of it, the one that is rivited to the chassis in front of the battery tray, if any one has one, we would like to hear from you.
Shane & Hayley

Hi Shane,

Sometime but far into the future I'll probably have one of those but it will be when I finally start on my second '53. When I get with old Bill up here in Northern Ohio I might be able to get one from him. Even that might be a month or so away.

Later Man...

I will try to get some pic's this weekend, may not sould like much, but we are still progressing, we have cut two brackets off the chassis that were welded on to hold the old exhausts on, removed all brake pipes in readiness for new ones. Hayley has started to strip the whole cab of paint too. The chassis is nearly ready for painting, we have bought new cab mounts too......
Ok, query time.....do we run peep mirrors, or open the holes in the doors where the stock mirrors went, someone has welded the old holes in the doors closed....feedback anyone??
Cheers,
Shane

Ok, I will load more pics in the next day or two, but for now, you will have to put up with a description.
We got the tray off first, and Hayley buffed the chassis with a wire brush.
Next, two mates arrived, and we lifted the cab off, and Hayley has nearly finished buffing the whole chassis, remeber this is her truck, I am only the muscle and technical adviser, pics swill follow in a day or so!!
Big progress, as all we have to do is paint chassis, and the re-assmbly commences!!!!

COOL !!!

Right now you are making a lot more progress than I am. Keep up the good work...

Later Folks...

Alright, here are the pics, of the tray off, the cab off, the cab floor, the chassis before it was cleaned, after cleaning and acid washing, the rusted front corner of the cab being cut out and the gas cut cab mount, which we have had a patch plate made to fix.
















Yup, that's Hayley, she has done most of the work, in fact, nearly all of it!! I am just the muscle, and technical adviser/welder!!

Hey Shane and Haley
Looks like your workin hard on it,Keep up the good work!!
Later Andrew

Ok, here are the pic's of the cab mount after repairing it.




More as we progress.....

Looks good. I wonder why someone torched it out.

Later Man...

The only reason I can think of is access to the battery.....but I dunno why.

Well, in the 'states this truck had an Olds motor, which meant fabricated engine mounts had been welded in, they had to come out, as we are fitting a Y block......after much grinding by both of us, the mounts are out. There is still a bit of grinding to go, to get the area to the level I want, enough talk, pic's:












Well, there they are.....more to come!!
Shane

Well, we are going with a Y block as we don't have to certify the truck. Down here we would need an engineers certification to fit a later motor, like the ones you mention. As they would regard that as a significant power upgrade, we would have to add disc brakes, seat belts, high level stop lights, individual indicators front and rear, the list goes on and on....plus pay a $1000.00 cert fee.
If I cut the mounts flush, it is a modification, same applies....the Y block has been approved, as they don't know it had a flat head originally!!
I don't want to destroy the history of the truck by adding all the modern crap....so we stay period correct.
Shane

OK, that tears it...

I'm not moving down there. They sound like a real pain in the ass. Here we can do anything we want if we have the original title. So far the do Gooders haven't attacked us here in SE Ohio. You have my sympathy...

Ok, the chassis is primed, we used POR15, next up is a top coat of chassis black....better pic's can be arranged if wanted.
We also have the guages and knobs for sale too....



















Any queries or requests of more pic's, lemme know....
Shane