my shipwrecked '63

[shipwrecked]

Today the weather had me feeling like I'm hung over. I swear no consumption took place.

Worked on the vent ducting elbows,




Found and installed a few misc pieces. Playing dress up.




Put together the pedal assembly, put the steering box in place just to bash my skull on it a few times.
I had it rebuilt by Lares Corp thru Rock Auto last year.

I also put the kick panel vent housing in place.



Farting around and I installed the floor panel around steering shaft. I needed to drill holes and align everything. I cut a panel for this months ago and painted it semi flat rustoleum. It will be hidden by carpet though.

I bought a totally stainless bolt kit a few months ago.. it's a weird kit and missing stuff you'd need. I have some stuff on hand but have to make a trip to Ace.

Onward to the couch, brats, beer and pups.

[shipwrecked]

Sanded some stuff and the driver door yesterday.


All was going well till I put clear on...


Then I somehow clipped the door with my arm on the door and dragged it thru the wet clear, which softened the paint below.

I sanded it smooth,,, thought I waited enough time but the new coat of clear didn't react well and blistered.


Since I fubar'd that. I sat and cleaned an air vent cable. I had to do so,thing instead of cry in my beer.

A wire brush and some degreaser did the trick.



And if you all were present for last nights chat session where I was frantic with anxiety over not having enough paint and Mayberry it wouldn't be matched.... I went up today and I think we got it! Stand by for photo. It's too windy out right now.


Came home to my harbor freight tarp garage out back which I planned to have my truck under while I did more body work-blown down and destroyed. We had 60+mph wind gusts.
Just crazy.

[shipwrecked]

The big lid is the new paint, compared to the small lid I've been using on my cab.



He added 350 grams black to the medium grey color.

It looks dead on in person! I took a drop out of the old cab and dabbed in the lid of the new, disappeared. Dabbed new paint and dabbed on the old lid, disappeared. Can't tell where I dabbed.

[orangeRcode]

That's a great relief. Spray on McDuff!

[Michelle]

I bought a totally stainless bolt kit a few months ago.. it's a weird kit and missing stuff you'd need. I have some stuff on hand but have to make a trip to Ace.

Onward to the couch, brats, beer and pups.

That was a plus being in the Air Force and in an aircraft maintenance squadron. I would go down to the hanger and pick up all kinds of nuts and bolts and other hardware. I still have some of that stuff after all these years.

[shipwrecked]

Started installing window pieces but hit a snag with a part I still need.









Need a few things before I can finish that part of the job.

Worked on putting my notes on the dash board too.



Cleaned the air cables and installed those and the kick panel vents.


A little annoyed my paint job is not as good as it could have been.

[Michelle]

April, both my truck have the headlight switch in the first hole and the wiper switch in the second one. I guess it does not make a lot of difference which one you use unless the wiring has trouble reaching. They are so close it probably wouldn't. I have a picture from the owners manual that I will post. Not sure if you can read it or not, but it says light switch is 4 which is the first one, the three on the right are throttle, choke and blower motor switch.

[grump]

April, you have done a hell of a good job with your paint job. You don't exactly have optimum conditions and equipment so I'm really impressed with what I've seen. I started working in a body shop in the spring of '67 so I've seen a lot over the years, I've seen work from supposed professionals that didn't look as good as what I've seen from you. I've done a few paint jobs in garages over the years and I was never too happy with the way they turned out either. It goes back to conditions and equipment.
I'm guessing when you picked up your very first training company you didn't get every thing right but you learned and improved, just like you're learning and improving as you go with your truck. As others have said you're doing a great job.

[Day 2]

Been along time since I had the switches out, but IF I remember right the wiper switch has a flat spot on the threaded part that fits the first hole, and the headlight switch has a tab that fits the lower slot in the second hole, while the headlight switch bezel has a pin that goes in the top slot....

[Michelle]

I guess the earlier models were a little different. If the switches are different then they won't fit but one way. My 66 and my 67 N had them reversed. The N uses a 64 cab with the step well. Even though it uses a 64 cab there are still a lot of differences between the bigger truck and the pick up. For one the lower from corner of the door is cut off. It has a raised roof (The raised roof started with the 66 model. A totally different steering column. It has two holes in the floor one quite large one for the doghouse and a smaller one to the rear for the shifter.

[shipwrecked]

Prepping this week to pick up a recruit company of 100+young adults I haven't had the days to do any work on the truck. I had one day off and went up to pick up my powder coating items. I will try to get a good pick and put in here, but the items are wrapped in plastic to protect from overspray. I had the spare tire rack, bed steel strips, front and rear bumper, brackets and side step brackets done. All look great but the front bu,per. I wasn't pleased with it but what can I do. I dropped it off a month or so ago, it had paint on it. Well, it got blasted and coated. I see it's got grinder gouges in it. So previous wonder took a grinder to the bumper, hacked where the bolt holes were, Bondo and painted it. Unbeknownst to me,
Bumpers are done in a fake chrome/clear. It's a silvery color without the sparkle. I wasn't sure how it'd look on the truck when I'm done.

Okay, picture I do have- these pot metal items I am going to see about coating that same fake chrome. Instead of spending hundreds on new repop pieces, I will try this first.

[shipwrecked]

Bee not a hot minute since I worked on the truck. Tis the expense of my job-and the fact I had to do a lot of stuff to prepare for the Chief Warrant Officer appointment board which I am going before in a few weeks. Today I have an "interview" with my CO but since I have worked with him closely for months now, this may just be a sit down chat about what is coming next.


Anyway, I got an email from my powder coaster with a tested piece from the small lot I dropped off a few weeks ago. The horn ring.

Here it is in Red Baron powder coat.



Gave the green light to work on the other pieces too. It was a concern due to the chrome flaking and pitting. But they did this one as a test piece. I can spend 250 on coating these pieces, or spend 400 on new ones from a part house. Let's try coating first.

[Michelle]

I had started to think that you had dropped off the face of the earth since it had been so long since we had heard from you. I did suspect that it may have been job related though. We wish you the best of luck with your CWO exam.

[oldsmiley]

WOW, looks like they did a great job on the horn ring. Powder coating is pretty durable so you may be extremely happy going with that decision. AND like you said, if you ever get tired of it you can always upgrade later.

I know work kinda gets in the way, but like Michelle, I'm glad to see that you're back. When you don't see or hear from someone for a while, one begins to worry.

[shipwrecked]

Got about an hour of work done yesterday. I pushed the truck out and let it get a sun tan on a 60*February day.



Installed the glove box (did not wet sand it).



It needs wet sanding but I can do it later.

I put the e-brake bracket and new cable in the cab.



So today will be 60 degrees.... I was ordered Sick in Quarters because my crud developed into a bronchitis and full blown sinus/ear infection. I got loaded up with meds. I was coughing so bad I almost passed out and keep giving myself a bloody nose. The weather here not helping as it's 60 then 20 then 40 then 20 and wind.

I intend to fart around shop a little today after some cuddle time.

[Michelle]

Its coming together girl. I bet the mongrels will be glad to get their first ride in it.

[shipwrecked]

Glove box springs installed.



Got to sanding the driver door...
Again!



Color and clear.
Couple runs but no blistering. Weather was perfect 70 all day and now about 65.



Even threw some filler on my fenders.

[shipwrecked]

Got some runs to sand out but overall the door is okay.

Took a few minutes and mounted the door.





Either sand scratches or crinkling ...

[grump]

Looks more like sand scratches than crinkling.

[shipwrecked]

That was too long of a hiatus from my truck! The company is done and I'm off for the week.

It was gloomy today and I wanted to do something worth while.

Knew carpet won't go all the way up. So I painted the firewall black.. but then didn't like the two tone... and I spilled some so screw it.. paint the whole floor.


But then was like "ehhh the ceiling could use a touch up too"



Then decided I might as well paint the rear cab too.



Installed the carpet on the floor for fitting and got my Kevin Stone sill plates out of the box.



I need hardware to mount it... will do in the AM.


Did some welding on my core support.


Then painted it black. It's not perfect but who cares. It's hidden.