Columbus..the 1957 IH 4x4..

[Advanced Design]

Neighbors farm covered in Case IH red...

[mongocanfly]

that's what im talking bout.....im still taking a paint sample of my IH red to the case/IH dealer to compare before my final decision...
when I get this truck on the road id like to make a road trip to the case/IH plant in Racine Wi and get a pic in front of their sign...do the plant tour and all...
would have to see if I can talk dad into it....that would be a long rd trip from here though for dad...about a 10hr drive one way...dad turns 84 this year and im not sure hed be up for a 20hr road trip

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

got the front bed caps done today...I was wanting to radius them from bed front to bed side but gave up and just did a simple cap.....

Has a clean yet OEM look. I like it.

[mongocanfly]

thanks hog....after I gotem done it kinda grew on me...I just had a different vision for it before....but im happy with the results

[Nut Case]

Mongo

I'm digging what you are doing to the truck for your dad.

I'm going to reveal my ignorance of available cutting disk/blades.

In post 97, you have a cutting disk on your angle grinder? I've never seen one like that. What is it, and how long do they last?

Thanks

NC

[mongocanfly]

thanks nut
that blade is a lenox metalmax diamond blade....a buddy of mine turned me on to those...I was going thru metabo style blades like crazy..mostly from my grinder hitting the floor and breaking them...abrasives are dust makers, get smaller with use etc etc....
the lenox blade dia stays the same with use...its much easier to cut a straight line because theres no blade flex unlike a abrasive that will walk off in who knows what direction...they work great on sheetmetal...not so much on thicker stuff...they are slower cutting than a abrasive...ive cut a lot of metal with mine and its paid for itself several times vs the cost of abrasives..i will still use the abrasive for thicker cuts though..I got mine at lowes....he got his at Fastenal...heres a link..they had quite a selection of sizes....I went with the 5" for $19.98
https://www.lowes.com/pd/LENOX-Metal...eel/1000181275

this is what it looks like when new

[mongocanfly]

pulled the heater out and disassembled it, sandblasted it, primed and painted...

[jjzepplin]

Very Nice!

[mongocanfly]

thanks zepp.....

[mongocanfly]

while putting the heater assembly back together I found this date on the heater core...possibly the first time anyone has laid eyes on it in the last 60yrs...thought that was interesting....

[mongocanfly]

this kinda goes along with my Columbus build. .I found a 1959 IH toy truck...made by the true scale company....I'm gonna take it apart and paint it to match Columbus. ..its as close as I could come to finding a 57 IH...the 59 has the different grill and 4 headlights...a 57-58 has single headlights...

[mongocanfly]

made a little progress as of late....been getting some body work done on the fenders ...bout got them good enough...
also made a late nite run over to my buddys shop and brought the truck back to my shop so I could get the frame shortened. ..and got it back to my buddys shop the same night..
.here's a few pics of the progress...
here I have it marked for cutting....4" in the rear and 12" from the middle....

[mongocanfly]

here it is with the sections cut out..

[mongocanfly]

and here it is all welded up....and wallah....a lwb is now a swb....
I used a piece of the cutout inside the frame rails and put a diamond gusset on the outside.....should be good....

[mongocanfly]

I also cut out the rotted cab corner....this could get interesting....they don't make patch panels for these trucks so I'm gonna have to try and build this piece....kinda dread this.....

[Advanced Design]

Good progress! Dad isn't suspicious?

[mongocanfly]

haha...I hope not...mom and dad couldn't figure out why they couldn't get in my shop the other day..mom did ask if i had something in there that i didnt want them to see...i kinda brushed it off....they have a key to the back door and I had the door blocked so it wouldn't open....time will tell....the more I have to do at my shop the harder the secret will be to keep...

[mongocanfly]

played around with my new shrinker/stretcher today...both my running boards were broke where they attach to the fenders so im making a whole new end for them..i ran outta time and didn't get finished but its getting close..im replacing the whole end of both steps..they are stress cracked pretty bad... its amazing how these shrinker/strechers work....

[jjzepplin]

Oh my! At this rate, I will never be able to snatch the pebble from your hand Master.

[mongocanfly]

I think you can snatch it zepp....its a pretty big pebble...haha

[mongocanfly]

got the bed, doors, one rear fender, and the seat frame all sandblasted yesterday....got it all in epoxy primer today....

[mongocanfly]

even had time to lay down some lizardskin on the underside of the bed and inside the doors....that stuff sprays and covers pretty good.

[mongocanfly]

got tired of sanding so i started working on getting my 3/4t donor axles out from under the ol burb....lots easier to pull the body than I thought...I saved the hood, fenders and doors so far...theyre ugly but in good shape...i wouldn't take a gold nickle for my 2 post lift..really makes life easier....updated axles are one of the many upgrades I'm making to Columbus. ...2 hours and it went from a full body to this stripped down pic and then to the body off the burb frame...

[Advanced Design]

Columbus is going to have some serious axles! That was a fast body removal...wow. Biggest regret on my two post lift is I didn’t get it 10 years sooner than I did. They are sure handy.

[mongocanfly]

haha...yep...but the burb doesnt have the heavy axles...corp 10 bolt front and 14 bolt SF rear.....believe it or not Columbus actually is a 3/4t from the getgo...but axle parts are as rare as hens teeth...brake parts are near nonexistent. ..it has a (big 6) bolt pattern wheel (6 on 7 1/4 bc)..the rims are 17.5 dia.....tires and wheels are nonexistent as well....that with the closed knuckle and drum brakes and tractor style ball and socket steering components and lack of power steering made the axle swap descision an easy one....got to make it safe and easy for Dad to drive....
yeah the 2 post is a back saver. ...i use it for everything...and like you Doug, I wish I had it years ago...