Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I looked it up online and it says if I use a third party host it will work - like PhotoSuckIt. But I'm definitely not paying them the ransom they want for my own photos. Maybe if someone can recommend another photo hosting site that doesn't charge I can do it.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I have been hotlinking FB pics, so far it's been working ok

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

alternatives to photobucket:
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/07/02/ph...r-third-party/

Personally I'm using http://www.hostingpics.net/ but have not yet tried to upload videos (and it is only in french)

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Meaning direct loading the video from your computer? It works for my photos but not for the videos....so far. Thanks to JSavoie!

Thursday, September 21, 2017
Stopped by the shop today to drop off my stock steering wheel until I get a replacement I like.

Happy the steering column is FINALLY in and connected. It's a Flaming River column I bought cheaply on Craigslist. It ws too long for original purchaser, had a damaged "bell" and was brush finish. Flaming River sent me a new bell free of charge. I also had it polished.

Upholsterer, Rogelio, had dropped off the set in fom for me to size/comfort check it. We mounted it and it feels perfect. He'll tke it back soon and completed the job. Later I'll drive the truck to him for door panels, headliner and carpet.

The front discs, calipers & new pads all went on today. Turns out the stainless flex lines Mike had in stock are too long so shorter ones have been ordered - more waiting.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

FYI I tried uploading my videos to CubeUpload - listed in your link - worked easily BUT it gave me the error message "Wrong Kind of File". Accepted my photos though. This is from my iPadAir - don't know if that means something to someone not afflicted with "lame-old-guy" technology disease:lol:

EDIT Saturday, 9/23
Bit the bullet last night and bought a reproduction '55 Belair steering wheel. Damn they're expensive and I still have to paint it body color! Bought 16" because the center cover is chrome (I'm a chrome whore, lol) 15" cover is painted. But also the 50's style looks a little scrunched on so much smaller than the stock 18" wheel in my opinion. YMMV.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

An update so I'll remember when I started/completed certain parts of the build.

I FINALLY started sanding the bed wood I bought from The Car & Truck Shop, laid out on sawhorses. So far only the narrow boards.

Searched all over the internet and found that rounding off board sharp edges to keep the finish from breaking there, leading to earlier-than-usual failure of the varnish film (or urethane if you use that). I checked all over and found many finish recommendations but in the end decided on old fashioned McCloskey's Spar Varnish. It's supposed to be a little more accepting of wood expansion & contraction than polyurenthane.

I'll sand w/220 grit then 320 on a random orbital sander. I wipe the boards w/a slightly damp microfiber cloth and allow to dry. This raises the grain slightly and then I sand again. So far twice with 220. I may do it once more then switch to 320.

I chose Minwax Golden Mahogany stain to match my upholstery color - more or less - but after test staining some sanded 2x4's I've re-thought it and I THINK I'm going to choose a lighter upholstery color and leave the wood natural. The varnish will turn golden with age - though I intend to keep it covered other than when I am showing it.

I tried to photograph close up to show rounded board edges but meh, isn't really all that visible.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Looking forward to seeing the stain. Not sure you'll b hauling mulch around in that one :)

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Probably no stain afterall. Just spar varnish over red oak; some possibility of "Natural" stain that just defines/brings out the grain lines.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

The spar varnish will darken the wood's color all by itself, I used Helmsman Spar and it has a really nice amber hue.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...09&oe=5A46241F

Minwax Helmsman Spar (21 coats to be exact)

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

ONLY 21? Sheesh, you chintzed out:lol:

But really, why so many? Or are you counting both sides? 10 per side?

I assume it's satin finish? I bought gloss but I think that may have been a mistake and I will switch. I planned about 5-6 coats per side but now you may have shamed me into a LOT more!

PS: What gas filler do you have? I haven't decided what I'm doing about that yet but I like what I see of yours.

Oh and PSS: What grit did you use between coats? I've read 320 and also some use 440.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, most 2x4 are pine right, and your bedboards are oak? If so the softer pine will take stain very differently than the oak, so I think you should do your test on the same type. Just my .02 cents!!

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hi JJ,
The 2x4's here are Douglas fir. I don't know if they're that elsewhere in the country. Yeah the color will "take" differently because it is a softer wood than oak. That said, I just didn't like the stain color I picked even though it looked good on the sample in the store.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I refinished the existing bed wood which was badly weathered in a few spots, over-sanding raised the grain so I sanded the boards after every other coat to level the surface. I started out using gloss spar but came to the conclusion that I didn't like the shiny look after all. The last few applications were satin finish. The boards ended up so smooth I had a guy ask what kind of laminate I used for my bed.

The fuel filler is from the local Boater's Outlet store

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks for the info. Somewhere else I read about someone who used gloss for the first coats and switched to satin later. His also came out nice - maybe that's a little known secret?

Sanding every OTHER coat, huh? How long has it been done and is there any indication of any problem? I know if you recoat within a certain window of time the new bonds with the prior coat chemically. But after some period you need the sanding mars to provide a "tooth" for the new coat to bond...at least that's what I've read.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I refinished the wood 3 years ago, so far no issues. After work I would sand and reapply the spar then I would apply another coat before work. Get home, repeat...

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Did you take the wood all back out to do it or do it while still in the truck somehow?

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

I dismantled the box to fill the stake pockets and radius the back corners of the bed rails.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks for the info.

I've decided I am going to assemble my bed myself at home to try to save some money. It SEEMS like it'll be pretty simple. I just need to go slowly so I don't scratch any of the new paint and make sure everything is square as I go along. If there are any tricks to it that you guys know I sure would like to hear them!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Can't wait to see it all together.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan there is a guy the has a youtube video but his side panels are disassembled it is pretty good video it is on a 1957 truck. You might want to just review his comments on what to watch out for . Sorry I don't have the link just do a search on that site the truck is yellow

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Oh man, me too!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Get a couple friends to help, you should be able to assemble the box in 3-4 hours. It took a day to put mine together all by myself, including dropping the fuel tank to access the bed to frame and bed strip hardware. Mar-K has assembly instructions on their website if you want to see how involved the process is. They also have a page describing how to make sure the box is square.

http://www.mar-k.com/index.php?p=tips-and-tricks

FYI The bed strip bolts go through the cross sills which are basically a channel, trying to hold a flatwasher in place and get the nut started was a major pain. To make life much easier I glued a flat washers to each locknut with a dab of 3M weatherstrip adhesive.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hey Dan,

When I put my bed together I used 1" (or 1-1/4") wide by 4 feet long aluminum strips, drilled holes to line up with the bolts from bed strips. This was placed under the bed wood, which kept it all level when I tightened the nuts. Here's the only pic that shows the strip...Jim


P.S. Should have stated this is for bolts that don't go thru the cross sills...Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks for the link.

I'd already read some of the Tips & Tricks on the Mar-K site before but not the "Bed Parts Installation (General)" one. It does clarify something I'd totally misunderstood.

I thought the wood was installed on the cross sills on the frame and THEN the sides were added one by one while the entire wood floor was already on the truck. This made it clear the entire bed is assembled off the truck and then lifted into place.

Of course my parts will all be painted before I assemble it the first time - bad. I guess I'll use blankets or buy a couple moving blankets to assemble the bed on the garage floor.

^^EDIT^^
It occurred to me overnight that this ^^^ won't work. The bed has to be up off the floor for me to get at the bolts to tighten them. I'll need some long 2x8's across sawhorses to do this right.

Making matters worse is that we removed the welded-on angle strips on the bed sides, metal finished & painted the sides intending to mount the angle strips using bolts through the stake pockets & inside the radius of the fenders where the won't be seen. I HOPE there will be room for me to line up the angle strip bolts with the "field" bolts on the strips!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Danny

Having completed many wood projects, one thing that I have discovered is common in using pine is that the pine left unstained it will yellow after exposure to the sun.

FYI I have always sanded between coats, in my never to be humble opinion it makes it look deeper.

Just thought you might like to know.

Keep on keepin on

Nut Case

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks NC,

Yeah, I know about pine but I'm using red oak. The boards sat in my garage a couple weeks and when I finally cut the straps you could see its color had changed a little just sitting there. Sanded off easily.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

"I HOPE there will be room for me to line up the angle strip bolts with the "field" bolts on the strips!"

You can't line up the front one. Because of it's location the nut would show on the outside. The others will be under the fender or in the stake pockets.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Oh, that first bolt would actually be forward of the front stake pocket? Well if so I'll just have to learn to live with imperfection ha ha !!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Dan, this is what I was referring to. The first bolt holding the angle strip to the bed side goes into the stake pocket so the nut is not visible on the outside. The cross sill bolts are about two inches back so the nut on a bolt through the bed side there would show. The others can be aligned with the cross sills.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Russ, yes I understand.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Friday, September 29, 2017

Ok, so the truck WOULD HAVE BEEN ready to test drive around the block today except when they went to install the driveshaft it was too long! Mike had sent 3 out for modifiction to a new shop and all of them were too long.

So he read the guy the riot act and it was supposed to be modified and returned by noon today - but it wasn't there by 1pm when I got there.

The only thing it will need after the driveshaft is installed is to put the ignition switch back in the dash and tie up some loose wires that will be terminated later when the bed is installed.

So the journey continues...............:wave:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Sorry buddy on the delay, but you'll get there...Jim

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

oh man, so close!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hey, does anyone have the link for the aftermarket place that makes the cowl grill delete panel for Task Force trucks? I know I've seen it. Can't recall if it's metal or fiberglas but I'm considering using one afterall.

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Brotherstrucks has one cp159sm on sale now $ 79

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Thanks Glen; purchased.

Stopped by the shop today - Trying to keep the pressure on to get the truck delivered. Comes home Mon/Tues til a problem w/spray booth is worked out.

1. Bedsides need 1 more coat of clear on 1 side.
2. Tailgate, front panel & vent delete panel need to be painted.
3. Mount & adjust hood
4. Install all glass
5. Truck to upholstery shop for interior work.

Somewhere in all this the grill, badges, seat belts, tail gate chains, and assorted details will get installed.

At this rate the truck is looking like it'll be a Christmas present to myself.:waah::lol:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Hay Dan don't ya love the internet ! Ask , Answer, Get , Post :)

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

The internet? Mostly yes, occasionally no. It has caused me to spend more money easily than I ever did before!

Summit had the vent panel on eBay for $65.99 with free shipping. Wouldn't have found that price without the interwebs!

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Let's hope it's an early Christmas present!!

:uhmk:

Re: Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window
 

Test fit the cowl vent replacement panel before paint, mine needed a little massaging to fit the wiper pivots properly.