Frankenstein's Monster - 65 F600

[MattEturbo]

This is my first antique vehicle build. However this is not the first antique vehicle that I have worked on. I have helped my great uncle with both his Austin-Healey Bug Eyed Sprite (old hill climb racecar) and his 1965 SHELBY GT-350 (real not a clone). This truck was a lost and forgotten farm truck from northern Vermont. One winter many years ago, my wife and I went up to Vermont to visit her relatives. During our visit up there I went out to ride an ATV around their property. I came across this truck hidden behind vines and all sorts of underbrush. I cleared as much as I could to get a better look at the truck. I took some pictures of the truck to take and show my wife and her grandparents. I also found an old registration and a license plate in the glove box. After a couple years of going up to visit and going on ATV rides to and from the truck, her grandparents told me that if I wanted the truck its mine. The rest of that visit I believe almost all my time was down by the truck clearing the underbrush and trying to figure a way to move this old truck.

[MattEturbo]

Here is another image of what I originally found just with more green.



A better look with out all the underbrush in my way.



We needed to used to smaller tractors to move it from its resting place.



Finally out of its resting place and of coarse all the brakes were locked up. So we had to lift and drag, lift and drag.

[MattEturbo]

This is where we were able to move it for me to remove the unwanted bed. Here it would stay for a couple more years until I was able to get it shipped home to NC.

[MattEturbo]

The morning the truck is getting picked up. We still had a little bit to do. Just have to lift a heavy rear end and place it on top to strap it all down.



Later that night it is finally getting picked up. I luckily found a couple of transporters from NC that were up in Vermont delivering bleachers. Of course their battery for their winch died while trying to load it on their trailer. We hooked there winch to a family members vehicle and used a tractor to help lift and push from the rear.

[04sd]

What are your plans for it?

[shipwrecked]

Thats some work ahead. I’m closing in on completing shipwrecked after 5 years. Feels awesome when the engine starts. You can eat an elephant.... one bite at a time.
Welcome.

[MattEturbo]

04sd - I plan on transforming it from a farm truck into a usable car/anything hauler. My brother and I do a lot of side projects (from masonry to automotive). I figured this would be a fun truck to go pick up supplies at our local hardware stores or use in local parades. This drawing is a quick sketch of what I have in mind. It's going to be the factory holly green color instead of lime green. I also have it planned out to have wood plank sides for the bed.



shipwrecked - Thank you for the warm welcome. I definitely think is at least two elephants.

[MattEturbo]

The transporters made it back to NC before me. So I had them deliver it to Odums Garage & Auto Salvage. There at Odums, they were able use their giant forklift to get it off the transporter's trailer and put it on their flatbed tow truck. Then they delivered it to my house.



Once I got home I didn't waste anytime starting to dissemble the truck.



Both sides of the frame where the front bumper mounts to were bent. The driver's side was a little worse. The driver's side bend ended at the front most leaf spring mount. Those will definitely be fixed later on.

[MattEturbo]

Upon getting everything stripped from the original cab. I was now able to tell that the actual cab itself is unusable without performing major surgery. Pretty much the whole floor would need to be replaced as well as the roof. I could see light through the body lines on the ceiling. So then I set out to find a new cab to use. The first one that I found was for a 65 2wd cab (red). I bought it for $500 and brought it home. This was before I learned that the cab was a little bit different than what was needed. I took everything that I could use from this cab and put it to the side. Then the search continued for the correct cab. I finally found somebody looking to trade cabs. The cab I traded for (green) still needed work just a lot less in my opinion. The floor boards, rear cab corners, and rear glass frame above the window needed work.

[unibody madness]

Its great to see some new blood with passion posting on the site!
You have a bunch of work ahead of you, but trust me it's all worth it.
Welcome and ask away if you run into snags there is a lot of knowledge here.

[MattEturbo]

unibody madness - thank you for the warm welcome. I'm definitely not scared of all the work. It's just hard finding the time.

[MattEturbo]

Once I was able to pressure wash and dry off the green cab I moved it into my 2 car garage (more like 2 old school mini coopers). From there I was able to start on the floor pans. From what I can remember the passenger's side was worse so I started over there.





After some close inspection, I decided that the mounts under the floor boards were able to be salvaged. I cleaned them up really good with a wire brush then sprayed them with a rust converter. Once they were fully dried and cured, I grinded down the surface that I was going to be welding and then sprayed that with a weld through primer.



This is my first project with this welder, so I am going to be getting better as this project goes on. Plus the welds won't count for looks anyways because I'll be grinding them close to smooth. I plan on covering the floor in like a LineX type paint since this is mainly going to be a work truck and not a daily driver.

[MattEturbo]

Here's the passenger's side floor board all welded up. Before I finished the welding in this area I realized that I forgot to weld in the patch on the kick panel area first. I was able to fix that issue before I got to carried away.



Next I decided that I wanted to get rid of the antenna hole. Somebody had changed out the antenna with an aftermarket base from who knows when, easier to remove it all together.

[MattEturbo]

As soon as my patch panels came in for my cab corners I got started by poking around the passenger's side with a small screwdriver. As soon as I found out how high the rust was, I measured about an inch higher than that to use as a reference point for clean metal to weld to.



Then I tried to cut as straight as possible to make it easier for the patch panel. After that I vacuumed what loose dust and rust particles were in that pocket. Then I sprayed it all down with a rust converter.

[MattEturbo]

Then it became time for a break away from the truck for a little bit.

-On July of 2018, I became a first time dad. My son was born. Now in 2020, he's already wanting to go into the garage to help me. Still doesn't talk but he definitely understands everything I am telling him.


-Then September of 2018, my family and I left for Gatlinburg, Tenn. for my cousin's wedding. While we were there we visited the Hollywood Stars Cars Museum. Many were not finished correctly at all. Then we went to a near by town called Pigeon Forge so the girls could get their nails done. When we were in that town, they were having a car show and cruise.

While we were in Tenn. trying to enjoy ourselves, we didn't know all the details of what was happening back at home. My house got hit hard by Hurricane Florence . Luckily not totaled out. But got close to it. Over half of our interior had to be redone because of water damage from half of the roofing being blown off. I'm glad that I had some neighbors looking out for us, because they were able to save everything from our newly furnished nursery for my son. Luckily the only other areas to be damaged were the spare bedroom, main hallway, and kitchen. The carpet in the whole house had to be replaced as well. My work and manager were totally cooperative during this period. I had to miss several days due to moving pretty much everything out of our house. Then I began on demo while waiting on insurance adjuster. I was very careful to label everything and take more than enough pictures for him. I started with removing all the drywall & insulation due to it being soaked. After that was the carpet & padding. By this point we already had the mold remediation guy show up and mark what walls that I could remove the drywall and which ones I was suppose to wait on. I think the kitchen had the worst of the damage. The ceiling had to go as well as all the cabinets and countertop. But some how none of our appliances got wet enough to cause any damage???

After all the bad stuff was out. I installed new cabinets upper and lowers. Installed a new farm house style sink. And had to go pick out new counter tops. The counter top picking was not fun. We had a local business that pretty much said that we could NOT afford them and to go away. Lets just say we did not use them. The company we did use however was very helpful and friendly.

-After all the demolition and reconstruction to my house we were finally able to move back July 2019.

[Mr. Jones]

Matt,
Really good seeing such enthusiasm for a project like yours,thanks for sharing with us.My work involves contractors who do remodels and new construction.I know what you went thru getting your home back in order,sounds like you had it all under control.Congradulations.....looking forward for updates.........
Dan

[04sd]

Cool project. How far are you going to go with the chassis? My brother uses a 56 White for a hauler for his business... http://madgoatcustoms.com/?page_id=454

[MattEturbo]

04sd - I am thinking of step notching the rear of the frame and using leaf springs still but using air bags for heavy loads. For the front I think that I am going to have to use a drop axle to get the ride height I am thinking of going for.


After some heat and me lifting the frame along with a 250lb. man on top of it, I was finally able to get the frame straightened to the point I was happy with.





Does anybody have some suggestions on how to remove the pins out of the rear leaf spring hangers? We tried heating them up with the torch and hammering on them but they didn't even budge.

[04sd]

Maybe cut the pin out of the center so you only have to remove from one side at a time. Or remove the spring hanger from the frame, maybe then use a press.

[MattEturbo]

04sd - I believe I am going to remove the hanger and do it that way. Do you know it the pins are straight cut or are they like a wedge shape so only goes in and out in one direction?