1966 F100 Short/Fleet Full Stock Resto Build Thread

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

Dome light wire duct taped to the roof to prevent rattles.

I actually have a chance to inject an opinion on such a gorgeous well built truck! I would peel off the duct tape and use aluminum foil tape (stuff used for duct work, it will never come off.) In a few years duct tape will become dried out and brittle from the heat, The aluminum stuff will be just as it was when installed.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I actually have a chance to inject an opinion on such a gorgeous well built truck! I would peel off the duct tape and use aluminum foil tape (stuff used for duct work, it will never come off.) In a few years duct tape will become dried out and brittle from the heat, The aluminum stuff will be just as it was when installed.

Good call! I checked the tape today after you mentioned that and it's already starting to peel away from the Lizard Skin... might be the LS but I'll definitely try the aluminum tape since regular duct tape isn't working.

[theastronaut]

Had a piece of GM heater hose left over from the El Camino resto job so I stuck it in place, then posted on a couple Ford truck forums that we found "period correct heater hose". Of course we'll switch it out, but it's always nice to poke fun at the uptight Ford-forum guys...

[theastronaut]

Repro windshield washer bag installed.




Wire clips installed.




Found a pair of nice original defrost hoses (these aren't reproduced) and cleaned them up.








Glove box liner and ash tray installed.




Fenders wetsanded and buffed, stuck back on the truck temporarily.

[Low Elco]

Wow, this is nice. This guy better REALLY love this truck. What's your hourly rate?

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Wow, this is nice. This guy better REALLY love this truck. What's your hourly rate?

It was his grandfather's truck, so there's sentimental attachment to it. Currently at $50 an hour but we'll have to go up on the next one to cover overhead better.

[theastronaut]

Glove box painted.




Inside door panels painted.




Doors after wetsanding and buffing.






Door and fender installed and aligned. Check how the reflection carries over evenly from one panel to the next; that's why we went through the trouble of making all the panels fit during the bodywork stage.








Hood latch was blasted, soaked in degreaser, and worked back and forth while submerged in cleaner to work out all of the old grease and grit. This makes the latches/hinges work much smoother.






Same treatment for the door latches.






Front pieces starting to go together. The park light buckets were painted with fake chrome paint inside for better reflectivity.




Lenses were hazy so we buffed them.




Gauge cluster installed, and checked the wiring. Also installed the dash speaker to see if the radio worked.










Started installing the headliner.

[Ol Blue K20]

Absolutely beautiful so far

[Low Elco]

Wow, really nice.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Absolutely beautiful so far

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Wow, really nice.

Thanks dudes!!

[theastronaut]

A few updates. Been catching up on things like flasher relays (switched to the newer electronic relays for a more steady flash), crated and shipped out all of the aluminum trim for straightening/polishing/anodizing, and delivered the chrome and stainless to C.N.C Plating in Greenwood SC. Also dropped off the seat frame to be blasted and powdercoated, and picked up the manganese phosphate solution to coat the hood hinges and latch parts.


Hood shot with base colors. We used hooks in the ceiling and ratchet straps to suspend the hood, this way the fresh paint isn't laying on anything so there's no chance of the paint imprinting.







Inside painted, started wetsanding with 1000 grit.




Fender bolt covers installed.




Ash tray and glove box door alignment.





Radio face back from the chrome shop, decal applied to the old face plate, lens polished, and reassembled back on the truck.




Sunvisors and mirror installed.






Window regulators soaked in solvent, all old grease and grit flushed out, cleaned and packed with fresh grease. We bag them to keep dust/grit out until they're ready to install.




Manganese phosphate solution from Palmetto Enterprises.




Setting up to coat the hood hinges and latch parts, the solution has to be 190-200 degrees.




After coating the hood catch loop.




Hinges, latch pieces treated. Soaking in dish detergent overnight to take off the oil coating, then we shoot a thin coat of flat clear over them tomorrow to even out the color.

[Ol Blue K20]

Would love for you to explain the process for the coating.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Would love for you to explain the process for the coating.

We bought the concentrate from Palmetto Enterprises and followed their instruction sheet. Heat the water first, then add the concentrate once it's up to 190-200. Keep the water at that temp while the parts are dipped. It takes about 10 minutes for the parts to darken all the way. Then spray the parts with oil/WD-40 AS SOON AS the parts are removed, or else the mineral salts will dry on the surface (can't clean them off later). Spray/wipe until the parts are clean. That's all the instructions said to do, but we went another step farther and cleaned the parts in soapy water to remove the oil and shot them with a couple thin coats of flat clear. We soaked them overnight last night, and they were starting to rust this morning, so we had to blast them and start over. Just wash/dry them and shoot clear as soon as they're dry.


Parts glass bead blasted before coating.




Hinges in the solution.




Oiled/cleaning.




After cleaning with dish detergent and spraying with flat clear.

[NONHOG]

I have to go back and look at the first page now and then.
Just beautiful!

[60-66]

Excellent details. theastronaut, what plating? are you using on the bolts. Looks like silver cad ?

[Ol Blue K20]

Thanks for explaining the process, I think I'll try it. It looks great

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

I have to go back and look at the first page now and then.
Just beautiful!

Thanks, that's one reason I like to do a detailed build thread... we forget all the things we've done so we go back through from time to time to help us remember.

Originally Posted by 60-66

Excellent details. theastronaut, what plating? are you using on the bolts. Looks like silver cad ?

It's actually a paint that replicates the look of cad plating.

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Thanks for explaining the process, I think I'll try it. It looks great

No problem! Try it out on some small/spare parts first to get the hang of it so it'll go smoothly when you get to the good parts.

[theastronaut]

Hood has been wetsanded and buffed top and bottom, it's ready to install.


Couldn't resist...




Guide coated with sharpie marker, ready to block with 1000 grit.




After sanding with 1000 and 2000. More sharpie marker before sanding with 2500.




Inside after sanding/buffing.






Top finished up.

[aggie91]

WOW just WOW

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by aggie91

WOW just WOW

Thanks Karl!!


We've been busy on a 1/4 scale Model T go-kart project lately but we're still working on the truck too. I'll start a build thread on the kart in a few days.





On to the last frontier... finishing the bed.




Hood and radiator are installed.

[plainred65]

Like all your other work following along is fantastic, always something to learn.

Why do you think the parkerizing rusted on your first attempt? I've been wanting to try my hand at it and would like to use it for the rust inhibiting properties. Maybe a home kit isn't quite the same as the original?

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by plainred65

Like all your other work following along is fantastic, always something to learn.

Why do you think the parkerizing rusted on your first attempt? I've been wanting to try my hand at it and would like to use it for the rust inhibiting properties. Maybe a home kit isn't quite the same as the original?

We left them in a bucket of soapy water overnight... Not our brightest idea.

[theastronaut]

Radiator and heater clamps installed, and we found a non-heated carb spacer.

[theastronaut]

Here's the latest. Inside and left side of the bed has been blocked and shot with tinted K93. It's ready to wetsand and paint. Still have to finish blocking the right side of the bed and get it in K93.






Tailgate is ready too.

[theastronaut]

Found the missing/broken firewall clips we needed locally today so we cleaned them up and put them on. Also hooked up the washer nozzles.




Got new cables for the battery but the ends were dull and flaky looking. Glass beaded them, then burnished them with a stainless brush. The battery post got the same treatment. Can't be losing points at shows for shabby battery posts.