Wife's 48

[8man]

OK, this isn't all I got done today, but it shows that I am listening.

First I had a hole in the cowl.
IMG_1929 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

That patch to the right isn't mine, it came with the truck.

So I used my new metal snips to fit a patch, first scribing the piece to be cut and then test fitting. I filed the hole until it fit.
IMG_1928 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Then I welded it in place and used a die grinder with a cutting wheel to take off the excess weld.
IMG_1930 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Yes, I still need to work some more on that old patch. It is right over a support brace and in a very difficult spot. I tried to hammer and dolly it up and got some of it to come up, but not enough. Back to my patch

Then I grabbed a flap disc and here is what I have.
IMG_1932 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

I then took a hammer and dolly and started practicing on raising it where it was low and lowering where it was high, and it is pretty close.

Oh, no pinholes. I used a light on the outside with me on the inside looking, and then vice versa. It is solid.

[mongocanfly]

looking good....did you grind/sand off the paint on both sides of the hole before you weled the patch in?...I can see a little burnt paint there so I had to ask..patch fits good.....now repeat this about 47 times filling unneeded holes....then it gets old.....

[8man]

I did not get the paint off of the back side. I forgot! Next time.

I'm getting the nibbler today and will see how it works on some really ugly firewall "cut out holes". Someone really hacked up where the steering column goes through.

Mongo, you are right. I looked at the firewall last night and just shook my head. There are SOOO many holes.

[BIGglaSS]

Excellent. You got this...

[8man]

I started "tuning" the mig yesterday. Slower wire speed more heat. I'm running it pretty hot, D on my settings on my little Lincoln, and the wire speed I kept slowing down because I was getting a lot of build up on the top of the weld. I'm not at about 3.5.

I know more heat can blow holes if not controlled. I just don't know if I'm doing this part right. I started cleaning up grinding dust today, and One and One-half hours later I got most of the dust up. Wow this makes a lot of dust.

I went with the easy weld wire because it is supposed to leave a smaller "crown" on top of the weld. It is also supposed to be easier and quicker to grind. I can vouch that it is easier and faster to grind down, but I guess I'm not "tuned" in on the welder enough to leave those little "spots" on top of a good weld.

[Nut Case]

Experiment with varying your travel speed, faster/slower to see if traveling to slow is the cause of the build up. Just a thought.

strong work!

nc

[lower50's]

Good job your going in the right direction with your welding.

[8man]

I had a great Father's Day weekend. I got about 10 hours of shop time and spent it on the firewall of the 48.

This is what the firewall looked like when I started, at least the driver's side.
IMG_1790 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Now I do have a question since I bought 2 trucks and both were completely dissembled. There are four indented holes on the top of the firewall. They are spaced to look like they go to an interior brace, actually two braces. Will I need them when I go back together?

Then I started filling holes.
IMG_1938 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
You can see I left the four holes until I hear to fill them or not.

Now time for some of the larger holes.
IMG_1940 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

And finally
IMG_1942 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
Another question here. I plan to use an aftermarket steering column, so do I fill the old hole and cut a new one?

End of day on the rider's side.
IMG_1941 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

One more question here, I think I saw where some have used that hole inside where the fender will mount for an AC line or something, or should I fill it too? I was thinking fill it and then put the AC/heater lines where the fit the best.


NO, I am not finished touching up the finished product. I have to check for pinholes and then finish up the grinding, you can see some shadows where I have not gotten all the weld smoothed out. I'm still doing some "gorilla" welds, getting better, but not good yet. The last welds of the day were a lot better, but I just ran out of time.

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by 8man

Now I do have a question since I bought 2 trucks and both were completely dissembled. There are four indented holes on the top of the firewall. They are spaced to look like they go to an interior brace, actually two braces. Will I need them when I go back together?

I say YES you will need the two brackets, or make your own. I ended up cutting the extra length of bolts off, and welded the nut to bolt, and then to the cab.

Pic 1 shows the two brackets that tie the firewall to dash.
Pic 2 shows the bolts coming thru the firewall
Pic 3 shows it all welded together.

Hope this helps...Jim

[8man]

Will those still fit if I use the S10 brake set up?

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by 8man

Will those still fit if I use the S10 brake set up?

I'll have to let the more knowledgeable S10 guys answer that...Jim

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by 8man

Will those still fit if I use the S10 brake set up?

Happy to answer this question, but I'm not entirely sure reading the thread I know what you mean?

The easy way I found to mount the brake booster from an S10 is to cut out that section of the S10 firewall with the holes intact. I used that as a template. Some people on the forum actually cut the section from the AD firewall and weld in the S10 piece that way the holes are perfectly in place.

[8man]

9 hours in the shop today. It goes slow when you are learning. My welds are getting better, but they are still not good. I burned through 3 - 3" cutting discs reducing the weld. So I know there is room for improvement.

Thanks to you all, I fabricated several patches that actually fit very well. Some even had bends/rolls to them. So thank you all for that.

I did not have the energy to go back one more time and make sure I got every little hole and that all the welds are good and the grinds are smooth, but I'm very happy with todays work.

IMG_1950 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

IMG_1951 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

IMG_1952 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

I even got most of the floor done, but I'm debating on the battery box hole. I have a good original cover that I can use just for fun. Or I can go ahead and fill the hole since the battery will not be in that hole.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by 8man

I even got most of the floor done, but I'm debating on the battery box hole. I have a good original cover that I can use just for fun. Or I can go ahead and fill the hole since the battery will not be in that hole.

Some real nice work there. Maybe consider a smaller gauge welding wire so you're not putting down so much material when welding. I think I use 0.28 for sheet metal and .30 for most other things.

I kept my battery box hole so I could build something cool like a mini safe or a beer fridge haha. I figure I could find a use for a little compartment and on the surface, it still looks like a classic.

Someone clued me into this site a while back.
https://www.truckfridge.com/tb15/

[8man]

Those truck fridges are cool.

I started using .023 Easy Grind wire to help my welds. When I do it right, there is very little "excess" weld. It is all on me. I'm getting better, but it still takes practice.

[dsraven]

if you are using an actual grinding disc you may want to try a flap disc, just for giggles. it will surprise you. they also don't generate as much heat when using them as long as you are aware, like using a grinding disc and knowing that too much heat generated will produce more body work from warpage. they come in different grits so the finish can be done with a higher grit and be fairly smooth, actually.
I have several el cheapo deluxe mini grinders and they all have a different type of attachment. some are 4", a couple are 5". one has a wire wheel, one a cupped knotted wire wheel, one a flap disc with 40 grit, another 60, another 80 grit another an actual grinding disc, several with zip discs of different states of wear (sometimes you just need a small wheel to fit into a tight spot) and lastly a large and small shrinking disc. after that I also have several 1/4" die grinders with burrs of different shapes. the grinder with the extended shaft also is a handy one sometimes. harbor freight sells the stuff pretty cheap (especially compared to Canadian prices)

[dsraven]

one little trick I have found to work well for finding the pinholes is to use a light on the back side and then look for bright spots. then when that is all fixed and you can't find any more bright spots then soak the area liberally with some wax and grease remover and look on the back side for any wet/damp areas. the bonus to this is that you will also see the reflection of the surface, which is very close to the contours you will see when it is painted. if it looks ripply, and you want smooth, you have some body work to do before rechecking for pin holes.

[8man]

Thanks Raven. I'm not in your league yet, but I do have multiple electric and air grinders with multiple attachments. I haven't gone to a tool for each attachment yet, but I'm getting close.

I've been using a technique for removing the weld I read about on Garage Journal, MP&C recommended it. I am using a cutting disc and just clipping the top of the weld. Working it down slowly. This produces less heat than a grinding disc and only removes the metal where I place the cutting edge. Then I use a flap disc when I get the weld smoothed out the way I want it. It is time consuming, but it seems to work, except that my arms are dead after a day of doing it that way, but I'm sure that isn't the age...

[8man]

Well, went to CTC Auto Ranch and picked up a few parts. Got the dash for the 54, 2 very nice single window doors, two front inner and outer fenders and a couple of solid running boards. Pictures later on that.

Here is CTC. VERY nice people!
Laura inspecting one of the trucks.
IMG_1955 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

A row of trucks to look through.
IMG_1956 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

A 54 dash, but not the one I got. I got one without the mirror mounted to it.
IMG_1957 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Now I have to figure out what to do with the 54 parts I have, 2 solid doors, two solid and straight bedsides, the great condition front fenders and decent grill. We are doing a "blended" truck. 54 cab, with everything else from 47 to 51 (I think that is right because of the single window doors).

Going to the shop now to start sorting and looking at the good and bad for body parts. I have 4 rear fenders that would take a bit of work to get right, a couple of running boards that are in pretty good shape, and a couple of straight bed sides that need a couple of patches.

Found a guy locally who is doing soda blasting. I've heard good things about soda blasting, so I'm thinking about taking all the parts I just got to him and get them clean so I can see what if anything I need to do to get them ready for prime. I'll get pictures today, but when I picked them up, it looked like the parts were in very good shape as far as dents or rust throughs.

Here is hoping that they look as good this morning as they did yesterday!

[8man]

Been checking the "new" parts. Here are some pictures.

Here is the "new" dash. They cut it small, but I think I can get enough to make the patch I need. I was hoping to just replace the dash.
IMG_1967 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

The doors are in good shape, no rust outs and for the most part they are straight.
IMG_1961 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

I'm really pleased with the two sets of outer and inner fenders.
IMG_1966 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
IMG_1965 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr


I also got 2 running boards. Both need a bit of work. No rust throughs, but both have some minor dings in the outer edge, and one is bent a little. This is pretty heavy gauge steel. What would be the best way to straighten it?
The one in front is the "new" one.
IMG_1964 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
IMG_1963 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

[mongocanfly]

wish we had a place around here like that to scrounge for parts.....nice collection
some heavy metal and a big hammer will get those close.....ive got a piece of 6x6 angle that's 1/2" thick that works good when clamped to my welding table

[joedoh]

look at all those future projects hahaha

looks like a nice score of stuff

[lower50's]

Nice parts. I could spend all day in that place.

[8man]

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder! I started on the "new" parts this weekend.

The last thing I did this weekend was look at the best looking fender of the bunch, and it turned out to have rust issues.
IMG_1979 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
When I started looking it over closely, there was some rust on the underside, but the paint was still in tact on top. So I started messing around and found all of those little holes! It looks like someone stored it upside down and it held water. I started welding them up from the top side first. Some of them are so small that you can't stick a pin in them. I stopped at this point and will work on the welds and grinding again.

The best of the rear fenders turned out to have at least a quarter inch of bondo on it.
IMG_1976 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
The PO didn't weld up the crack/rip, just covered it with a think layer of bondo to "hold it in place", I guess. So I cleaned it up and welded the crack. When I get it blasted I'll start on the hammer and dolly on it.

One of the front fenders had been hit, and the PO welded the spot up, but didn't bring it out smooth first. I worked it with a hammer and dolly a bunch before working on that gorilla weld. This is the PO's weld after I've worked on it a bit.
IMG_1977 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
There is another spot on this fender where it looks like it was hit with a small round object and it made a nice hole. The PO welded it up, but I can not figure out how to bring it out from that roll. It's the round hole on the left.
IMG_1978 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

[joedoh]

keep working at it!