1947 Rust repairs, Roof, A pillar, beltline

[dwcsr]

I have a new project in and it was going to be a quick rust fix and off to paint. Best laid plans never work out that way.

The A pillar looked not to bad until we got the windshield out and the pillar cover off. As we peal back the metal and see a lot of it isn't there anymore just the outer skin of it all.

[dwcsr]

We cut a part off a bad cab that had this section that was good. Over the next few days we will graft that section and make it structurally sound again.n We will leave it open so the sand blaster can get at any rust we can't then once its back we can treat it and replace the roof and pillar section

[STOCKISH]

Should be solid once your done. Always seems to grow once you start trying to tackle it doesnt it?

[dwcsr]

You never know whats in there or not there anymore until you cut it open.

[FarmerSid]

I have yet to pull the windows out of my cab. Hope I don't find that! You have quite a job ahead of you.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

I have yet to pull the windows out of my cab. Hope I don't find that! You have quite a job ahead of you.

It is a bit of a project but if the rest of the cab wasn't in such good shape We would be looking for a cab

[dwcsr]

The truck is apart an ready for blasting cab and bed are just sitting on the frame we opened up the section that were rusted and the other A pillar just to check. The new window panel follows the line we cut so we decided to get it out of the way for blasting. The rest of the truck is very solid for a 47. BUT well see when it come back if it has any new places we didn't see or blasting found.

[FarmerSid]

Funny how it's rotten in those places in the cab but solid down lower.

[dwcsr]

It is weird,,, On some spots its still shinny metal next to a rot spot.

[FarmerSid]

I'm pretty sure my cab doesn't have that support rib in the centre of the roof on the inside.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by FarmerSid

I'm pretty sure my cab doesn't have that support rib in the center of the roof on the inside.

Very few do. Its an interior option with the full headliner
This was a high option truck for 47,

17-6.50 tires
8800 gvw
chrome window trim, outside but not inside
Radio
heater ( factory Harrison)
visors on both sides
full head liner
The big fuse fuse box, most had a 2 fuse box, I think this one is 8.
16x.2.5 rear brakes
4 spd and a whopping 81.5 hp engine @3000 rpm

This truck is just under 19 feet long bumper to tailgate

[dwcsr]

The truck is finally back from the blaster. The back panel lip and bow have been repaired and we have the rear outer window fitted. It was suggested in another thread to use panel adhesive to glue the panel on. We're going to weld all the normal places but the belt line where we will glue the entire length and spot weld in about 6 spots across the belt line inside. We will spot weld the window openings, mig the belt line where it meets the door. The rear window panel fit very well for being 65 years newer.

[dwcsr]

Here are a few from when we picked it up

[solidaxel]

Nothing seems to bother you! T&M !!

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

Nothing seems to bother you! T&M !!

I've take enough of them apart to be comfortable in doing major work like this and as long as you take your time and measure often its not that hard.

The parts fit much better than they did a few years ago so that makes it easier as long as the cab isn't tweeked.

[dwcsr]

Have a little more done on the left cowl panel. We had to brace up the vent hinge bracket. On 47 they didn't have the bracket go from the hinge bracket back to the door pillar its just a flimsy bracket spotted to the cowl panel at the vent door. It made that whole area very week. Adding a shorts 16 gage piece greatly firmed up that panel at the vent. Here is a before and after, I forgot to snap a picture of the bracket afterwards so the red is where we added it. Where the door crease was in the cowl panel we replaced that with new 16ga. metal to help stiffen it all up.

[FarmerSid]

Nice metal work!

[dwcsr]

Thanks, That's my helpers work, he's getting pretty good at it. I just pointed him in the right direction and offered a few pointers and he got it done.

[FarmerSid]

That's good you are passing on your skills.

[dwcsr]

We have the kick panels done, fixed the floor in the rear of the cab and reinforced the front cab mounts under the floor. In 47-48 the cab mount was a center mount with rubber stops on each side above the rails. This created a lot of flex in the cab floor and often cracked the front mounts at the rocker and cracked the floor in the back inboard of the rubber stops. We are converting this to side mounts like the later models before it goes back together.

Here are pics of the pillar repair. we have it cut out and left overlap metal in several places and left some open areas to help in welding so we could get to inside bracing in the pillar. Tomorrow we weld it in after a final fitting the trim or roof patch to fit.

[Rods57]

I don't even know what to say, holy crap! you truly are bringing this thing back from the dead..nice work.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Rods57

I don't even know what to say, holy crap! you truly are bringing this thing back from the dead..nice work.

Actually this is a really good cab, It just has some unusual rot spots

[dwcsr]

A little more progress. The work is kind of backwards from what you might think. We made sure the body line and door lines were right and fit everything to them as we moved along. When we trimmed up the replacement part we cut at existing joints and the holes in the door hoop. These places are expected to be the same or close to the same from year to year.

We started with the roof repair panel and lined up the edges and slops that it needed so it looked right to the eye.
Next we did the final fitting of the pillar, it was cut at the belt line join at the dash and halfway through the first hole in top of the door hoop. Fitting this was a chore with bending and twisting the part into shape to fit the older truck. As a note the roof edge is different on a 47 than it is on the 50 panel we used it had a slight slope at the windshield pinch weld and the 50 has a dog leg drop at the same place.

With the pillar final fit we used a 3/8 bolt and washers to hold the two half hole into a single hole. That held the top nicely. then we clamped up and welded the lower channel under the pillar cover

Next we pulled the pillar over to the roof panel at the door and tacked it in to place and then welded the seam at the bolt hole. We had the door on and gaped for this so we could make sure it would close correctly.

Tomorrow we do the inner roof brace windshield edge and finish the welds

[dwcsr]

one more

[dwcsr]

We are done with the pillar except the metal finishing and we have the rear panel bonded to the cab panel along the belt line. Tomorrow we spot weld the window openings weld along the top corners and repair the inner panel and it goes to the paint shop to get the inside painted.

I do have to say that original parts between years don't fit other years well. The 50 roof part was worked over pretty well to get it to fit the 47 and the re-pop pillar cover was not like the 47 pillar and neither the re-pop or the 47 was like the 50 pillar.

I suspect that as the truck panels were made and the dies were worn and reworked subtle line changes were also made to the leading edges of the windows between years. This would explain why the edges around the windshield area on the 47, 49 and 50 I have here are not the same. Just different enough to mess up the body lines.