Darksider's Realm

(this is not a place for lazy video game freaks. We Darksiders have been around doing our thing for decades before the mindless couch blobs latched onto the term Darksider)



DARKSIDER In the world of automotive hobbyists a Darksider is one who modifies and or customizes any and all sorts of vehicles. The Darksiders are in a class of their own simply because they endeavor to be different and do things that others would not attempt for a number of reasons mostly being related to a lack of ability and fear of non conformity.

This is a forum for people who think outside the box in everything they do. It doesn’t matter if you are modifying or building from scratch. It doesn’t matter what brand or brands of vehicles or components you are using. It doesn’t matter if you are working on a mini car or a bus.

We will not be asking you for donations or any kind of monetary payments. We will be asking for help in terms moderators and encouraging you to spread the word and add to our membership.



Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Darksider's Realm

(this is not a place for lazy video game freaks. We Darksiders have been around doing our thing for decades before the mindless couch blobs latched onto the term Darksider)



DARKSIDER In the world of automotive hobbyists a Darksider is one who modifies and or customizes any and all sorts of vehicles. The Darksiders are in a class of their own simply because they endeavor to be different and do things that others would not attempt for a number of reasons mostly being related to a lack of ability and fear of non conformity.

This is a forum for people who think outside the box in everything they do. It doesn’t matter if you are modifying or building from scratch. It doesn’t matter what brand or brands of vehicles or components you are using. It doesn’t matter if you are working on a mini car or a bus.

We will not be asking you for donations or any kind of monetary payments. We will be asking for help in terms moderators and encouraging you to spread the word and add to our membership.

Darksider's Realm

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Darksider's Realm

A message board & forum for automotive builders, fabricators and customizers who think outside the box.


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    First '53 Build Thread

    Darkside Dave
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty OK, OK, OK....

    Post  Darkside Dave Thu May 06, 2010 10:42 am


    I guess I better come clean here... I took a real verbal beating for my Turbocharger idea from several people I know. I got the whole burnt piston / toasted valve scenario from them. I still don't think they had any real idea what I was looking for. They had a picture in their head of all out max boost and I was actually thinking of just a slight mark above positive pressure going into the system which would probably be over come by the volumetric demand on the system when any real degree of RPM was churned up. I was really thinking of just keeping the input air to the SC just above a zero and no vacuum by using a preset blow off valve to regulate input pressure. I have since decided to rethink this as I believe it might be possible to do what I want with some kind of high volume electrically powered blowers. I may try some experiments with an old leaf blower and some very fast and powerful 12 VDC motors I have. It would be interesting to see if it is possible to produce enough volume to bring the intake up to a slightly positive pressure. I'm going to have to do some calculations to determine needed CFM. If this sort of system is possible to make it would be an on demand thing that would not always need to be used. Anyone got a junk leaf blower they don't want???

    Now, back to the present... Still waiting on the plasma cutter but I see some other problems on the project. While slowly cutting away parts of the practice cab and the Explorer fire wall section I see several problems. One is a matter of cutting away more than I had anticipated on the cab's front cowling. That I think I can deal with, but it's going to take a lot more sheet metal fabrication than I had thought. The other is the matter of getting the old style windshield wiper integrated with the newer stuff. It's a real linkage problem. So far the best idea I have been able to come up with is a dual acting master and slave cylinder system driven by crank on the Explorer wiper motor in it's original location. I need a couple of very small double acting cylinders with a 4 to 5 inch stroke and a very small bore of .5 to .75 inch.

    I'm still looking around to come up with some sort of a custom grille and lighting arrangement to fill in that big gaping hole in front. I do not like the '53 grille. I do like the '54 and '55 but I'd want chrome and there ain't no way I'm going for $450.00 plus for that. I still need some rear fenders and a hood. I don't mind rough stuff as long as it is repairable.

    OK, that's pretty much it for now. Maybe I will have more to report next week after I get the plasma cutter back.

    Later Folks...
    charger
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  charger Fri May 07, 2010 10:58 am

    here`s a website, my brother in law`s shop, they run FJO systems in their turbo cars http://www.wallsrodcustom.com/
    Darkside Dave
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty FJ What ???

    Post  Darkside Dave Fri May 07, 2010 1:29 pm


    I don't have the slightest idea what FJO is but it sounds cool...

    As I stated previously, there seems to be a big misunderstanding in what I am interested in doing. My main goal was to eliminate the negative atmospheric pressure in the air intake path to the SC. It was not my goal to induce massive boost to the SC as everyone seems to think. There is no real need for turbocharging in the classic sense. The idea of using a TC to create the positive pressure was only toyed with because the exhaust was there and you can get TC's cheap online. The problem I see is that there is an intercooler between the air intake and the supercharger which is likely to not work all that well if the air density is diminished by a partial vacuum. Since there is inherent flow resistance from the best of filters I wanted to eliminate that. The intercooler would be better described as a pre-cooler. It also has no fan and effectively serves no real purpose at lower speeds or from a dead start. I was not joking when I said that I would consider experimenting with electric blowers even if they were employed on a demand sensing system. I am also thinking of installing a small evaporative coil in front of the cooler that runs from the AC system and adding a fan to move the cooled air through the cooler.. these are just ideas to experiment with. If you never try you never know....

    Later Man...

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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty And that ain't all...

    Post  Darkside Dave Sat May 08, 2010 11:04 am

    Darkside Dave wrote:
    These are just ideas to experiment with. If you never try you never know....

    Later Man...



    FURTHERMORE...

    Going back and looking at my last post and especially the last line, I was reminded of one of my major peeves. I have a real problem with people who say I can't do something and/or it won't work. Yet 99% of these people have never actually tried or done something. Most of them get their so-called expert opinion from something they read or heard from someone else. I'm not saying that it is a bad idea to read and learn as much as you can from many different sources. What I am saying is first and foremost, consider and qualify the source. I love using the old giant killer... "Have you ever done this or do you have direct knowledge of a case where someone else has???" That is usually when the BS begins. "Well, I read..." "I heard that..." "According to..." The list goes on and on...

    Here's the bottom line. Doing stuff that has not been done or tried before and learning from it is what the Darkside is all about. Negativity has no place here on the Darkside. Please understand, there is a big difference in saying something can't be done and pointing out why there is or might be a problem.

    Later Folks...
    charger
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  charger Mon May 10, 2010 3:58 pm

    it can`t be done! Very Happy just kidding! fjo is a complete fuel injection system that you can have plugged into your existing sensor,injectors ect, it has self tune capability controls waste gates ect, pretty cool system, big$$$, o.k going back to what your talking about, you want to put a blower in between the air filter and the turbo correct? this would help a lot,think of the turbo drag cars there`s a reason they have their turbo up front non filtered (hole through their headlight ect.) ram air for the turbo! burn down your engine shouldn`t happen, exhaust gas is constantly monitored through egt sensor and if i remember correctly this car has a electric wastegate, if the engine would run too mutch boost detonation would occur excessive heat ect, the waste gate would open up
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  Darkside Dave Tue May 11, 2010 7:00 pm

    charger wrote:it can`t be done! Very Happy just kidding! fjo is a complete fuel injection system that you can have plugged into your existing sensor,injectors ect, it has self tune capability controls waste gates ect, pretty cool system, big$$$, o.k going back to what your talking about, you want to put a blower in between the air filter and the turbo correct? this would help a lot,think of the turbo drag cars there`s a reason they have their turbo up front non filtered (hole through their headlight ect.) ram air for the turbo! burn down your engine shouldn`t happen, exhaust gas is constantly monitored through egt sensor and if i remember correctly this car has a electric wastegate, if the engine would run too mutch boost detonation would occur excessive heat ect, the waste gate would open up


    You have just provided an example of what I said. You know something about this and it is apparent that you have given it some thought beyond saying cool or it won't work. The point is you gave it some thought as opposed to just slamming a yes or no on the idea.

    I'll have to check into the FJO stuff.

    Yeah, you are right. The waste gate is actually a re-circulating bypass. My reason for wanting to eliminate the negative pressure, (vacuum), before the blower is because it causes the air to be less denser and harder to cool in the cooler. The colder and denser the air, the more boost the blower gets on the low end where it needs it the most. It's really just basic 9th. grade science, but try explaining that to the so-called experts.

    Later Man...

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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty It's baaaaaack....

    Post  Darkside Dave Thu May 13, 2010 4:34 pm


    Hi Folks,

    Work on the truck should resume shortly. I got the plasma cutter back today.

    Later...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Plasma cuttin' again...

    Post  Darkside Dave Sat May 15, 2010 9:09 pm


    Hi Folks,

    I thought it would take forever to get my Plasma cutter back from warranty repair but it was only a week. Now I'm back to cuttin' and fittin' again.

    The red cab I am test cutting and fitting with is for practice as it is just too far gone to be good for anything else. Unfortunately I only have one floor pan and fire wall section so I have to be a bit more careful with it when I cut. It looks as though I'll be fabricating a lot of sheet metal parts. Here are some pictures of the process.




    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 TestFit1



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 TestFit2



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 TestFit3


    I decided to position a front fender in it's proper place. I was surprised to find that my ride will have a bit of a built in Slam. With the bottom edge of the fenders about 8" off the ground I don't need to slam it. I will have bigger tires so that may add an inch. At first I thought the center line of the front wheel was back a bit. However I measure my other '53, which is still stock, and it was in the same position.

    The windshield wipers are going to be a real challenge. Using the Explorer firewall changes some things a lot. I will have to relocate the wiper cranks so they will have room to work. More fun...




    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 SLAM1


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 SLAM2

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 DashFit1

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 DashFit2

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 DashFit3

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 DashFit4







    Well, it's a good start but as I scope out the project I get the idea it's going to be a longer project that I thought it would. Of course that is just par for the course with me.

    Later Folks...


    Last edited by Darkside Dave on Wed May 26, 2010 8:49 am; edited 2 times in total
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  charger Mon May 17, 2010 11:17 am

    firewall looks like it blends right in!! bit of work in the rockers and it looks like it could be a easy swap! keep up the good work!!
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  Darkside Dave Mon May 17, 2010 6:54 pm

    charger wrote:firewall looks like it blends right in!! bit of work in the rockers and it looks like it could be a easy swap! keep up the good work!!

    Yeah I think it will work out but I have discovered that the side walls of the Explorer fire wall section are not symmetrical which means I don't have the same reference points to match the side cowlings of the old cab with. I was actually surprised to find the cab was wider than the Explorer so much that it actually sits outside the Explorer fire wall section. It has been raining here all day today and since this is outside I haven't been able to do a lot on it. I did go out a while ago after the rain stopped and looked at it for a while. I am going to have to make some sort of gauging fixture to sit in on the Explorer floor pan to establish proper levels and locations to star attaching the cab. I had to cut back the Explorer rockers which means I will have to form some new pieces on a brake. I still see this as being quite a long process.

    There will be some work piecing in and fitting the Explorer fire wall into the cab. I have to maintain the fresh air intake plenum that runs across the front of the Explorer that also houses the wiper stuff. There is also going to be some work involved to accommodate the rain drains for that plenum. In addition to all the above, the wiper bases have to be moved out from the windshield because they are currently located right over the top of the inside part of the fire wall.

    Later Man..
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Alingment Fixture...

    Post  Darkside Dave Wed May 19, 2010 10:24 am


    Hi Folks,

    It rained off and on all day yesterday so I really didn't get much done outside on the cab. I did manage to get an Alignment Fixture made for the project. Several weeks ago I disassembled our old treadmill. We bought a new one and the wife wanted the old one gone. I salvaged the motor and the the screw jack that set the elevation. I also kept the steel frame work. That turned out to be useful. I cut it up and used the stock to build this simple fixture. It doesn't look like much but it does provide me with a stable reference to measure from when I start welding the good cab to the Explorer floor and fire wall section. The fixture fits tight into the indentation in the Explorer floor pan next to the rocker panel area on each side and is as far forward in that indentation as it will go. I can measure fore and aft as well as vertical. This way I can get everything in it's proper place before I do any welding.


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AlgnFixture1
    Finished fixture

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AlgnFixture2
    Fixture in place

    It really doesn't look like much but it's going to be a big help. I may even use it twice because I have another '53 F-100 and I may end up using an Explorer for it if I can work out the details.

    I have to work around the weather and other paying jobs in the shop. It turns out that I have had a few days to work on the truck because they sent me the wrong parts for the paying job I have here. I need to get that done though because I can always use the money and it is taking up space in the shop.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty It's almost time...

    Post  Darkside Dave Wed May 19, 2010 6:09 pm


    Hi Folks,

    I didn't get a lot done today because part of the day I spent working on the paying job and after that I had to do a shop clean up. Then the rain was threatening and it did sprinkle a bit. In spite of all that I managed to make a record a lot of locating and positioning measurements. My big accomplishment for this afternoon was finally figuring out how to he the windshield wipers to function in this set up.

    Tomorrow I have sandblasting work planned but it may be possible that I will have some afternoon time to get started on cutting the bad stuff out of my good cab as well as getting it braced. If not I should get it started Friday.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Damn I'm sore !!!

    Post  Darkside Dave Fri May 21, 2010 9:32 am


    Hi Folks,
    I spent most of yesterday sandblasting and only two pieces were for my truck. The rest of the work was for two of my paying jobs. I absolutely hate sandblasting. I get that stuff in every nook and cranny my old body has. I use Black Diamond which is made from the black cinders from coal burning power plants. It works better than sand but it sure is messy. Yesterday I made plans to move the good cab into the shop on the 4' X 8' wheeled dolly I built. Now it looks as though the rain might hold that operation up. So, I don't know how soon I will be able get on cutting the good cab. I have most everything worked out now so it's time for the practice to end and the real work to begin.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty More progress...

    Post  Darkside Dave Fri May 21, 2010 10:17 pm


    Hi Folks,

    I thought the weather was going to foul my plans for today but it didn't. It threatened several times with light sprinkles but no serious rain. I ow have the cab I'm going to use on the 4' X 8' dolly and in the shop. I even managed to get some work done on it I welded two braces in it to keep the door openings spaced right and I also removed the floor and the dash. I also have most of the fire wall cut out. Tomorrow I plan on finishing stripping out all the stuff that has to be removed and then grinding and smoothing out everything that needs it. Although I thought maybe the surface rust was a little severe I was able to easily remove the rust wit a lot of good metal left under it. The part I need is actually a lot better than I though it was. With any luck, by the end of tomorrow's work I should be able to post more pictures.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  Darkside Dave Mon May 24, 2010 9:56 am


    Still no new pictures... I have been doing some stuff on the project. Cutting away all the stuff from the good cab is a bit more tedious than hacking away at the practice cab. I will have to do some rebuilding on the lower front cab corners and lower door hinge pockets as the all pretty well gone. I have some paying work in the shop now and I need to get that stuff done or at least spend four hours a day on it. That is holding back progress on the truck. I think later today when the shade moves around to the space in front of the garage I will start to dismantle and cut up the practice cab. There are several pieces and sections in that thing I can cut out and use as patch pieces in the good cab.

    So, maybe if I get off my ass and get to work I will get some stuff done and some pictures. It won't hurt my domestic status if I get that ugly practice cab cut up and out of site in the scrap pile. Unfortunately my scrap pile will probably be the next target the wife zooms in on. I don't like to haul that stuff away until I get the load big enough to make the trip worth while.

    Later...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  Darkside Dave Tue May 25, 2010 9:53 pm


    OK, now it's time to make it happen... I finally made all my decisions on what and where to cut so I cut up the practice cab today. I now have the the good cab, or maybe I should say what's left of it, in the shop on the rolling dolly with the floor and fire wall section. The cab is braced and ready to start welding to the floor and fire wall section. I also have a hood now I bought this weekend. That completes everything I need fro the cab and front end except for the grille and headlights which will probably not be stock to the truck.

    The next pics after these will be of the repairs on the cab and after that the assembled unit. I have some repairs and rebuilding to do on the lower front cab corners where the lower door hinge pockets are. I will be needing to get some rear cab corners and one lower front corner.


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HOOD1


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HOOD2


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 FW-Floor1


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 FW-Floor2


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 BracedCab1



    Let the welding begin...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty The welding has begun...

    Post  Darkside Dave Wed May 26, 2010 8:48 pm


    I accomplished two major things today although they really won't look like much. Both the lower door frames and lower hinge pockets were all but gone on the cab I refer to as the good cab. I removed and modified an upper hinge pocked from the opposite upper side of the practice cab and modified it to become a replacement for the lower pocket on the driver's side. My other accomplishment was closing up the hole for the old fuel tank filler neck. I still have to do the finish work but it shouldn't take much filler to even it up. I made the blank from a piece of the old practice cab that was contoured just right. Like I said, it doesn't look like much but I worked about six hours on it today. Unfortunately the paying job took a back seat to fun on the truck today.


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket1



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket2

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket3



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket3



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket4



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket8



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket5



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket6



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 HingePocket7



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 FilllerNeckCover1


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 FilllerNeckCover2


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 FilllerNeckCover3

    Like I said, it ain't much to show for the day but it was fun.

    Later Man...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Slow week...

    Post  Darkside Dave Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:19 am


    Hi Folks,

    This has been a bad week for the project. I have been plagued with domestic duties, namely plumbing. I hate plumbing, unless it's automotive related. I did get one thing done though. I went to the local steel supplier and bought a 10' X 4' sheet of 16 GA. steel and brought it home to make stuff for the cab. I laid out and cut some of it for rocker panels. My friend and neighbor Koth took them to where he works and bent them for me. They are not exactly like what you get when you buy them for the '53. These are different on the bottom side and they extend back into the cab further. They are also longer. They are different because of how I am grafting the Explorer floor and fire wall section to the '53 cab. Below is a picture of the panels.

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Rpnl1

    Maybe I'll get something done this week.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty On with the build...

    Post  Darkside Dave Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:53 am


    At last the domestic duties are taken care of and no more plumbing work... Wo-Hooo !!!

    I even got a little bit done on the truck yesterday after the plumbing work was done. I fashioned the bottom hinge pocket piece for the passenger side but I don't have it welded in yet. I should have more pictures tonight.

    Today I am going to build a swing down kind of tow bar for the cab dolly so I can hitch it to the pintle hitch on the Scoobygator and pull it up out of the shop. The thing is great on a level floor but it get nasty to move around on an incline. If it gets away from me it will probably crash into something and that's not a good thing. I'm planning on doing some sandblasting on the insides of the front cowling before I start welding it to the Explorer fire wall and floor section as I won't be able to get in there later. I also plan on spraying it down with a heavy coat of Extremely zinc rich primer. In order to do the blasting and spraying I need to get it outside as I don't want the mess in the shop. After tomorrow I ought to be able to get serious about welding some new panels into the cab. Hopefully this will be a full week of work on the cab with no interruptions. This coming Saturday My wife has a family reunion type picnic whic will burn up that day completely. However, if I really get at it this week I'll be ready for a break.

    Later Folks...
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Blasting again...

    Post  Darkside Dave Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:00 pm


    I still hate blasting but what you gonna do??? It was the best way to do today's job. Before I put the cab down on the Explorer floor and fire wall I need to do some repair and welding. The lower left and right hand cowl sections need replaced as well as both lower hinge pockets. I made replacement lower pockets from the opposite side upper pockets I harvested from the practice cab. One is already on and I have the other one ready to put on. They want $100.00 for the hinge pocket sections you buy. I have about an hour each in mine and I bet they are better than what you buy. I also need to eliminate the cowl vent and relocate the wiper shafts. Some of that I will do before it goes down on the floor and firewall but the wiper shaft relocation will have to wait until later. I have put a really heavy coat of Rustoleum cold galvanize on the under side which will be re-touched after the welding work and then sealed in with another coating. Once the cab is down on the firewall there will be parts that are no longer accessible. The side vent louvers will be left as is but I have a blank panel from a truck that had no heater, so I will use it to block it off. In a way I guess this might look like a simple job but I have discovered that it is turning out to be more difficult than I had imagined in the beginning. Some things just fell in place but other stuff requires a lot of fabrication and advance planning. I wish I could say that I have it all figured out and I anticipate not problems. I wish I could say that, but... Below are a few pictures of today's work with before and after pics.


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 BeforeB&P1

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 BeforeB&P2

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 BeforeB&P3

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P1

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P2

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P3

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P4

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P5

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P6

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 AfterB&P7


    Last edited by Darkside Dave on Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:26 am; edited 1 time in total
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  FRANKENTRUCK Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:22 pm

    Looks Perty! You old retired guys just have all the fun!
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    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty Re: First '53 Build Thread

    Post  Darkside Dave Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:21 am


    Oh Yeah... Sandblasting is so much fun I can't hardly wait to do it again. I put it right up there with whacking my fingers with a big hammer on the fun list. the only fun I get out of it is having the results. Jill doesn't think much of it either because she says I leave a trail of grit.

    Later...
    Darkside Dave
    Darkside Dave
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    Post  Darkside Dave Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:16 am


    Hi Folks,
    No pictures today... Yesterday I started working on the right hand lower cowl panel and the lower hinge pocket. I spent the better part of two hours just trying to break loose those tough little spot welds that Ford used on this thing. They are very small and don't show from the outside so a spot weld bit is next to useless because you can't see where to drill. Any way, I finally got all the old rusty metal away from the the inner piece that is there to help hold the fender bolts. The bottom of that piece is rusted away so I will have to make a piece to weld in there. I will try to take some pictures as I work through the reconstruction. I did come up with something that helps a bit. In cases like this it is really tough to get everything where it belongs because all the things you normally measure from to get a reference are either badly distorted or completely gone. Once I was able to establish a true position for the lower cowl panel I temporarily fastened it in place with self drilling hex head #8 screws. That way I can remove it and put it back and it will be in the correct position. After I weld it in I can take out the few screws and MIG weld the holes. I like this better because I have had clamps move on me only to find later that I have to tear stuff off and do it over again.

    I'm not very fast at this stuff so I expect that when I get this part done the other lower cowl panel for the lower left side will arrive that I ordered from Dennis Carpenter along with the two rear lower cab corners. I have never ordered from Dennis Carpenter, ( see www.dennis-carpenter.com ), but as I understand it, they make all their patch and replacement panels here in the U.S. and they are authorized by Ford. The panel for the lower right I used I picked up cheap on eBay and it was Chinese. It will be interesting to see the difference. Their prices are higher but if they are better and made here I would rather buy them. I'm a devout cheap bastard by nature so I try to make as much stuff as I can. My rule is either make it, get it from a junkyard or if possible buy a whole donor vehicle and sell off and scrap what I don't want. If I have to buy it new I might as well spend the extra money and get the good stuff.

    I did accomplish one job yesterday. Several weeks ago I found a set of headers for the Super Coupe engine. The other day when I was sandblasting I knocked the worst of the stuff off the flanges and then stuck them in the bead blasting cabinet so I could do the finish work on them. I needed the cabinet to do some pieces for the cab and decided I would finish those headers first. Of course after the were done they needed painted or they would just rust again. I bought some high dollar rattle can header paint at a big all Ford swap meet from some people from PA. They said that if I followed directions that this stuff would hold up to the heat and they guaranteed it. My reasoning was if I got them painted now there would be plenty of time for them to cure properly. I did notice that the stuff smells odd and that it does not dry quickly . Maybe that's a good sign. Oh well, if nothing else it ought to keep them looking great until they go into service. Then they will stay in decent shape because they will be in use.

    OK folks, it's time to drag my lazy ass away from the computer and head down to the shop. It will be a short day today because my wife and I always go out on Friday evening. Being geezers, we go early and we usually get back by seven. Then I go over to Koth's garage with Cyndi the Rottweiler and we watch him work.

    Later...
    Darkside Dave
    Darkside Dave
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    Post  Darkside Dave Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:29 pm


    Late News !!!

    I was right, I'm not done with this side and the other stuff I ordered came today. Made in America is better. Thicker metal too. Go figure...

    Later Folks...
    Darkside Dave
    Darkside Dave
    Admin


    Posts : 1018
    Join date : 2009-04-21
    Age : 79
    Location : Marietta, Ohio

    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 Empty One step closer...

    Post  Darkside Dave Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:48 pm


    I managed to get my lazy self to the shop today in spite of having no ambition and I got the lower right cowl and lower hinge pocket done.

    It started as this...


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 BeforeB&P2


    And progressed as follows:



    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 LRCP1


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 LRCP2


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 LRCP3


    First '53 Build Thread - Page 2 LRCP4

    It's not much but it is a start. I primed it to keep it from flash rusting but I will have to go back later and put in some filler where the joint is. I will probably wait until I get all the stuff repaired and welded in before I start doing the the filler and finish body work.


    Last edited by Darkside Dave on Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:37 am; edited 1 time in total

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