Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Steve-W, it's a tool that manually bends sheetmetal.
Google "sheet metal brake" and you know all about it ;)

Sure I know Prins Trucks, just got my parts from him...
Two parts missing and one part wrong, send an email, no answer yet.
But I'm sure he will solve this.

I don't need it to be original, if it's good it's good!
I am a Hot Rodder by life :metal:
If I can make the parts, I make them, and also the car isn't going to be original ;)
I always say: If you drive 80 mph, you don't see it anyway!!

On to todays business:
Got the lower left cowl and a piece of the floor repaired, not in one day to be honest, it's pretty time consuming, you know that!

Made the triangular piece of the inner cowl:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O...o/P1260313.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...o/P1260314.JPG

Then I made the floor:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...o/P1260315.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V...o/P1260316.JPG

Then on to the difficult part....
First I made a 2 mm thick plate for the hinge:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i...o/P1260317.JPG

Then bend and knocked the outside of the pocket (1,5 mm thick):
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h...o/P1260318.JPG

Then the inner piece and bottom (1,5 mm thick:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3...o/P1260319.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w...o/P1260320.JPG

I bolted the fender on for reverence of the lower bolt, and made this bolt support out out 2 mm thick plate:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v...o/P1260321.JPG

The bolt support has a reinforcement above the bolt hole.
Looks like I had thought about it....;):lol:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T...o/P1260322.JPG

At last I tacked the cowl cover back in place....
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...o/P1260323.JPG

Next time is finish welding the cowl and grind everything a little smoother. And hope to get the driverside floorpiece ready.
After that its only some small parts to be repaired.

So Niels A., if you read this......I'm going pretty fast :metal::lol::lol:;)

Oh, do I use too many pictures for you guys and girls???

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Never too many pictures!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Real nice job on the repairs.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Love the pictures Kees! Nice work, takes a lot of time.

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Thanks guys!!

It sure takes a lot of time, but it's fun to do!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Kees, nice job on the repairs, looks good and nobody will see that it's not stock looking..Jim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Never too many pics!!! you must have a GoPro connected to your headband while you work..... taking pics as you go!!! lol

I always forget to take pics of what Ive done till Im ready to walk out of the garage at night and then I remember..... :lol:

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Haha, no GoPro, just a lot of time-outs :lol::lol:

Remember my teabag cups centercaps in the back?
Well, I've come up with an idea for the front....

See the sketch, the teabag cups and the aluminium...
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u...o/P1260324.JPG

A lathe and some time...Action shot (without the GoPro;))
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-N...o/P1260326.JPG

One finished:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q...o/P1260327.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...o/P1260328.JPG

The case slides over the center of the hub, set them with 3 setscrews, that's all.
I've made two of them, hope they fit, don't know yet. If I made a good sketch and measurements they will fit...
We'll see monday :smoke:

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

That's some cool stuff.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Love the machining work!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Thanks Kim, Mark and Doug!!

Went to the truck today, couldn't resist ;)
Tried my machinework on the front hubs...
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S...o/P1260334.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8...o/P1260335.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h...o/P1260336.JPG

Doesn't look too bad, just have to make the hubs black.

Finished welding the cowl, so that right corner is ready inside and out :metal:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U...o/P1260341.JPG

Remember I had to cut the steps for the LPG fueltanks? I did weld the steps today.
First a template from cardboard:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X...o/P1260337.JPG

Then to metal:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6...o/P1260338.JPG

Bent and drilled the hole thing and welded it in:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w...o/P1260340.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1...o/P1260342.JPG

I did both sides, so that ready too :metal:

Also take a look at the driverside cowl, I thinks it's all original :c2:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-C...o/P1260330.JPG

Not bad huh!?!

Now I need your advice on the driverside floor.
I marked the floor with a blue pen. Those parts I want to replace.
I could only repair those parts, but I rather will do the mid section of the floor, from step to transcover.
But at the point where the two floor pieces meet, there is at the underside a "reinforcement", a little piece of angled steel, from the cabmount to the transcover.
I measured the thickness, it's about 1 mm (gauge 19?)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R...o/P1260333.JPG

For the floor I will use 2 mm thick plate (gauge 14).
My question: what if I replace the floorsection without that small piece of reinforcement? Do or don't?

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Are you sure that 'reinforcement' isnt just a heat shield for the muffler or something? I think my 57 had something like that under there too but it was all rusted away along with the muffler....

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Nice fab work.
I probably wouldn't worry about the small piece of metal. the floor gets its stiffness from the beads that are in it.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

PTC, I'm not sure, but it looks like an extended piece of the cabsuport.

Kim, If I make a 2mm thick floor, I don't get the beads in it...

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Well, it is a cabsupport. I remembered Kim57 did make his own floor, so I looked at his pics (again ;))
His thread is almost a encyclopedia to me :lol::lol:
Thanks Kim!!

I cut the floor out, and saved the brace. I made the floor in three pieces:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V...o/P1260343.JPG
Here you see the brace I'm talking about.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0...o/P1260344.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J...o/P1260345.JPG
Of course I have to clean the welds, but I have a good solid floor now. Maybe took away more than necessary...
Also closed some holes in the firewall (brake and clutch and one above the transcover)

I also made a template to close the rear cabcorners from the inside:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...o/P1260346.JPG

That's for next time!!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Nice job on the floor repair. Should be nice and strong.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Nice work on the floor, cab corner work looks very familiar!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Now this is an excellent idea!!! You need to make a bunch of these and start selling them.... This is one area that needs help, imagine all the things in your cab that can get lost in those corners!!!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...o/P1260346.JPG

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Not my idea ptc!!
I stole it from the board here ;)

Thanks to all on this board!!
You've been 9and are) a great help, even you don't know it :lol::lol:

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Made the inner cabcorners and tacked them in:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9...o/P1260349.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s...o/P1260350.JPG

Cheap *ss as I am, didn't wanted to buy new lower cabcorners, so I made the myself....
The damage wasn't that big
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...o/P1260351.JPG

made them out of 1,5 mm steel
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z...o/P1260354.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o...o/P1260355.JPG

Left side almost ready, probably don't need to use any bondo. Or just a tiny bit...
We'll see, just ran out of welding wire....

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Nice work on the corner. Won't need much, if any, filler. Are you going back with the same blue paint?

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

No, not blue.
I'm in love with this one:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...311-no/876.jpg

I believe it's won the truck of the month contest on this board back in 2008?

I've doubted a very long time about colors, but I now go with semi gloss black and high gloss red, with some small white striping.
I'm not sure about the inside tho, thought about gloss black and only the front of the dash red.....Any input would be appreciated here!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Nice fab work.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Kees, "Cheap @ss" is what made this hobby what it is today. We all try to save wherever we can....Jim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Wow, I like that! Me, I would be partial to all black for the interior.

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Thanks Kim and Jim!!

Yeah, I'm not sure about interior yet....

To show you the finished part, the left cab corner:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...o/P1260357.JPG

Then to the right side corner. There was only a small hole I thought fill it up and we're ready.
False....
There was a lot of bondo, at some points more than 1/4"thick.
So I took the whole part out and made a new one.
Here's what I did:

First, grind a hole in your car:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...o/P1260358.JPG

Then make a piece of steel thick enough for the coming 55 years:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...o/P1260359.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-K...o/P1260360.JPG

Then tack the new piece in his new home:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m...o/P1260361.JPG

Make a new loower section:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...o/P1260362.JPG

Weld and grind smooth:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...o/P1260363.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-v...o/P1260364.JPG

Then on to the backside, measure and grind:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y...o/P1260365.JPG

If it fits, weld and grind:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w...o/P1260366.JPG

Now you have a new cabcorner, twice as thick as aftermarket stuff, and it also looks good :metal:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...o/P1260367.JPG

That was the Howto "How to make a cabcorner from scratch" :lol::lol:

This was also the last part to repair, now it's on to construct a swing pedal and brakebooster.
I'm getting there...

See you next time!!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Super nice job...Jim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

I agree, great work and explanation. I predict that will last 155 years!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

That looks nice!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Thanks guys!!
I'm happy with it ;)

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Awesome work on the cab corners.
Kim

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

damn, that is really impressive Kees! to make the curve, did you roll it, or just tack it on one side and then bend it while you move forward?

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Steve, it's just hammer and dolly work, and a big block of wood ;)
After hammering and bending it's pretty much in the shape you need, just take your time with it.

If you look very closely at some of the pics you can see where I hit the metal. The bumps you make when hammering are so small, you can "grind" them away.
You just need a little filler to make it really smooth.

That's all....:lol::lol:

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

DITTO!!!!! this is what custom building is all about....

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

Thank you guys!!
Why buy if you can make it, or at least try to make it.
When it won't go as planned, you can always buy it then ;)

Always done it this way, also with my bikes, I love making things (especially when I can't afford it :lol::lol:)
I think that's true Hot Rodding, back yard building at his best!!!

Thanks again!!

Re: Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed
 

First, I got new headers, pair number 3:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f...%2BHeaders.jpg

When I bought the truck there were some long headers on it, too long and too low.
I exchanged them for original Ram Horns, but they are so small...1/3/4"
These I came across on the national Dutch "CL", made an offer and got them fairly cheap. The are new and it's a complete set.
Hope they fit nice!

So, on to the brakebooster and swing pedal.
Bolted the inner fender on and measured where I wanted the booster, and cut a square out of the firewall :metal:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--...o/IMG_2500.JPG

Next I tackwelded the prefabbed 3 mm steel plate onto the firewall and testfitted the booster.
All looks good to me:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q...o/IMG_2501.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-c...o/IMG_2502.JPG

Then I broke my head over the swing pedal, and began to make a reinforcement to the inside, from firewall to the column mount:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...o/IMG_2503.JPG

This isn't ready yet.
I have to find a way to get the pedal in and at the right proportions.
I think I have enough on a ratio of 1:6 ( or maybe 1:5).
Must make some sort of bearing which holds the pedal with enough strenght to push it in....the hard way! Oh, and I want the original parkingbrake lever in use too!
Have to sleep this one over ;)