Winter without a project?

[GB SISSON]

Got all the bed wood milled today to accept the bed strips. Used some gold colored screws and bolts, but they are shiney and ugly. Will post some pics when I get some rusty or blackened fasteners installed.....

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Got all the bed wood milled today to accept the bed strips. Used some gold colored screws and bolts, but they are shiney and ugly. Will post some pics when I get some rusty or blackened fasteners installed.....

Maybe a dab of muriatic acid would help hasten the rusting process of the hardware you used?

[GB SISSON]

They unscrew very easily so I cooked the heads to a glowing red and drove em back contented. Dang, now I'm getting limericks in my head. There was an old Geezer from Orcas......

I know to some this is not a proper restoration, and I agree wholeheartedly. It's just fixing up an old truck to be safe and reliable and serviceable without looking like much was done to it (if anything). As noted by reading this thread, most everything of importance was addressed from engine, radiator, hydraulics, kingpins, carb, ignition, lots of welding and fab work. Etc. That's why I post this stuff, because most build threads are all about making an old vehicle like brand new again. About 40 years ago I did that with a David Bradley walk behind tractor and I kicked myself over it many times. Years ago I came up with an analogy of 'After my carhart shop coat got faded and scuffed up from years of work, would I go pick up some rit dye and turn it back to dark brown and then iron it before going into town.?..... End of rant. Should have stuck to limericks! Stay tuned

[Tinker]

Put them in a bucket and guide your dog to them. Nothing adds rust to metal then dog piss. Or sink them and fill. Not a fan of the deck screws but you made them work. Nice work and solution!

Boards look really really nice! love them. So nice!!!

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Put them in a bucket and guide your dog to them. Nothing adds rust to metal then dog piss. Or sink them and fill. Not a fan of the deck screws but you made them work. Nice work and solution!

Boards look really really nice! love them. So nice!!!

I have to agree carraige bolts look better. But the strips I had were drilled round already and the majority of the holes went right across the 3" thick wood crossmembers. The climbing in and out and rolling under the truck to place washers and nuts was more than I cared to deal with. The screws were effortless other than the time spent kneeling in the box. There were 2 rows of holes that weren't over a wood crossmember so I used a 4" wide strip of full 1" form plywood applied crossways from underneath. No splitting with that plywood, and the strips seated nicely.

[GB SISSON]

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Originally Posted by sugarmaker

Gary,
Wonderful documentation of the progress on your winter tuck project!
The wood in the bed floor looks just right too.
I did not realize that the one spear is non metalic! I like that!
Regards,
Chris

Here are some non-metallic running boards I built for my long wheelbase tonner panel truck. 3/4" marine plywood, inset maple strips and a doug fir nosing on the outside edge. I like to brush paint with rusty metal primer because that always fools the eye. Definately bring a magnet!

[cas3]

Very nice ! That partially dead tree along the driveway looks like it could produce Morrel mushrooms. better have a look. Our season is just ending here for morrels. Yummy.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by cas3

Very nice ! That partially dead tree along the driveway looks like it could produce Morrel mushrooms. better have a look. Our season is just ending here for morrels. Yummy.

My son and his GF are coming tonight for dinner. They love the wild 'shrooms. I'll have them take a look.

[GB SISSON]

Been making some progress on Old Green. Did the por 15 tank lining over the weekend. Takes a long time with all those steps. Painted the outside of the tank with some silver paint I had. Also painted the ford script on the tailgate, re-did my exhaust hangers with the reinforced rubber type (huge improvement) worked on wheel and door patina touch up, and tidy'ed up engine bay stuff before those big fenders get in the way! With the new lic plate will be running this thing into the big city of Eastsound before ya know it.

[cas3]

Good for you GB !, I am finishing my winter project tomorrow. The 52 willys will get a new windshield then its done...finally !

[sugarmaker]

Gary,
Script looks great! Tank seems to be a brand new one from here. I did post a couple jail bar pics for you in the eastern national meet thread.
Your greeen truck is looking real good! Appreciate the updates.
Regards,
Chris

[GB SISSON]

It's been quite a few months since I last worked on Big Green. Summer was spent terrorizing the county roads in the RPU, often referred to as the Foyota or the Blue Bomber. But as fall comes on, an old man's interest turns to the mechanical things in life. Yesterday I assembled a front clip for the '46 tonner from two fenders that came off a 1 1/2 ton hay truck from Twisp Wa. These were mated to the front bib that was original to this truck. That process on a jailbar truck is no picnic. The fenders are in remarkable condition, but I feel they show too much surface rust on the crowns, even for me. I may introduce some red primer, black rustoleum and chalky green into the mix once I see how this looks installed.
Today I plan on welding up some cracks that are more accessible at this stage and wire wheeling and heavy rustoleum rusty metal primer (Por 15 doesn't use the needed fish oil as a base) on the mating surfaces and undersides/bracketry of these fenders. Hoping I can get my son here this afternoon to help me install it but it currently dangles from a winch cable so it wouldn't be the first time I drove into a clip and lowered it down onto the chassis. The various greens actually match up very well, but the LED lights in the shop make the parts look blue.

[GB SISSON]

These are the hay truck fenders as found at Twisp Wa.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

These are the hay truck fenders as found at Twisp Wa.

[GB SISSON]

Got that front clip on last night. I felt sorta like those people we see on a documentary doing something that makes you really sore and uncomfortable (like climbing Mt Everest). And when asked "Why do you do it?" answer with 'Because it's there". Well this is not Mt Everest by any means, but It took me about 8 hours working by myself on the concrete. Much of this time on my knees while prying stretching, banging and bending sheet metal from 3 different donors to ultimately conform to the chassis of a fourth truck. I don't know what I'd do without my alignment pins. I'm sure steelworkers have a name for these tapered rods with a flat hook on the back end. There must be 50 fasteners under there, many with coil springs and a fender washer on one side, a regular washer then a castelated nut and cotter pin. The fasteners are equal parts 1/4", 1/2" and 9/16" with a few 5/8" and 3/4" thrown in. Some coarse , some fine. These were all gleaned piece by piece from my stash of ford bolts and 5 coffee cans of mixed bolts, a drawer full of washers and a dog dish hubcap of mixed nuts. Every socket I dropped rolled to the opposite side of the truck. My good craftsman 3/8 drive siezed up in locked mode. I quit at 11 pm, mostly done, but had a good 3 hours of wrenching in this morning before work. Built some drawers, went to an aftrernoon meeting about a new project, and finally got home and did a few laps around the ten acres in the 'complete' truck. No squeaks, only rattle was the tailgate chains. Brakes, steering, engine, tranny all excellent. Just what I needed... Another Jailbar Tonner! Sure it was a lonely parts truck for over six years, no bed, no drivetrain, no seat, no wiring, all sitting on rotten tires, but it had a title and a good face and 'It was There'.

[petehoovie]

[cas3]

Nice truck ! Clean shop !

[GB SISSON]

Thanks, I did my yearly floor sweep before as I knew I'd be rolling around on it a lot. Still gotta install that fuel tank before I make the initial town run. Working gauges and some lighting would also be a plus. Funny, the truck looks almost the same in the 'before' (page one) and 'after' shots, but I know it's been carefully and safely overhauled from stem to stern.

[flatford8]

That’s a nice looking truck!!......Mark

[GB SISSON]

I put a nice set of ford script tonner hub caps on it but I haven't decided if they look right on this old brood mare....