1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work

[mongocanfly]

nice job on the pedals..!!

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

nice job on the pedals..!!

x2. Killer problem solving going on right there!

[67C10Step]

I don't know why I keep coming back and viewing this thread when all it does is make me feel inadequate.

Super work and that truck is going to be fantastic when completed.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

I don't know why I keep coming back and viewing this thread when all it does is make me feel inadequate.

Super work and that truck is going to be fantastic when completed.

You better keep that sh!t to yourself or your boat will be overcrowded w/the rest of us before you know it....

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

nice job on the pedals..!!

Originally Posted by SCOTI

x2. Killer problem solving going on right there!

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

I don't know why I keep coming back and viewing this thread when all it does is make me feel inadequate.

Super work and that truck is going to be fantastic when completed.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

You better keep that sh!t to yourself or your boat will be overcrowded w/the rest of us before you know it....

I appreciate the comments!


The owner decided to do away with the stock column and column mount and use an Ididit column instead. I cut out the original opening and welded in a smooth panel to prep it for the new mount.




I made a doubler panel for the clutch M/C to sandwich to stiffen the firewall and prevent flexing from the added pressure. I just freehanded the beads so it's not the best looking but it's functional. The Pullmax came with beading dies but they wouldn't work to make intersecting beads without flatting the first bead at the intersection point. I carved out a new lower die to match the original, but with a relief to clear the first bead.










Welded up some random holes, and smoothed/straightened the 90* edge across the firewall.














The clutch switch needed a mount, so I used 16g with slots cut for it to clip into.




16g wasn't quite thick enough for it to clip in tightly, so I dimpled the slots to tighten the fit. There are curled plastic tabs to tension the tabs against the slots.

[theastronaut]

I got the cab about 90% blasted over the weekend. The owner came by this morning to drop off the new column and swivel mount so I installed it after lunch. I stuck the pedals back in so he could make sure the gas pedal was in the correct position for him before I weld the mounting bracket to the firewall.

[SCOTI]

I'm sounding like a broken record. Just super impressed w/everything. The amount of detail given to the clutch switch mount....

[mongocanfly]

Broke record X2

[Ol Blue K20]

Awesome work, it's become the normal here. Thanks for teaching us some great techniques!

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I'm sounding like a broken record. Just super impressed w/everything. The amount of detail given to the clutch switch mount....

Thanks, there wasn't much choice in mounting the switch the way I did- no way to fasten it to a mounting bracket other than the original style slots. Had to make the mount boxed so one side could plug weld to the pedal assembly to position the stem in the center of the pedal arm. To get that spacing right there wasn't room to space the wall of the box away from the switch enough to fit a bolt head between the switch and wall of the mount and still keep the stem even with the pedal, so this way worked out the best. Even though it'll be welded the switch will pop out of the mount without having to take the pedal assembly apart if it ever goes bad.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Broke record X2

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Awesome work, it's become the normal here. Thanks for teaching us some great techniques!

Thanks dudes!

[67C10Step]

Sigh, here I am, yet again looking on with green eyed envy.

Super, super work.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Is this thing going to SEMA

[nlped]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Is this thing going to SEMA

Man, I hope so! I’ll get to drool over it!

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Sigh, here I am, yet again looking on with green eyed envy.

Super, super work.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Is this thing going to SEMA

Originally Posted by nlped

Man, I hope so! I’ll get to drool over it!

That would be cool.

[theastronaut]

When I was blasting a pinhole opened up on one of the cowl boxes, so I stuck my phone in the cavity to see what it looked like from the inside. There was some scabby dark patches that indicated deeper pitting so I went ahead and cut both sides open.










Patterns made and transferred to 18g.





I used the vice, a delrin block to back it, and a rounded over chisel to form the drains.




Forming the drains shortened the flange from the steps added so it made the panel curve. Before and after stretching to make it flat again. I also added an extra drain to help prevent water building up in the future.








While i was working around the cowl area I made a template of the vent openings so I could make block off plates.




The owner requested that I "clean up" the transition between the bottom of the dash and the column. The lower flange was oddly shaped and had a really oversize cut out to mount the column. The new mount on the Ididit column was taller than it needed to be so there was a large gap between the column and face of the dash.








The tabs of the mounting bracket hung down pretty far, making them visible.




I taped steel wire to the wiring harness so I could pull it back out of the way of the bracket area, then cut the bracket off and shortened it.






Column back in place, bracket tabs no longer show.




I made a couple of filler plates to finish out the opening between the column and lower dash flange.






One side finished to show the difference.

[youngrodder]

Man............. this interior looks so sanitary. No way was it close to this smooth and clean brand new from the factory. This truck is turning out fantastic.

Well done sir

Marc

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Man............. this interior looks so sanitary. No way was it close to this smooth and clean brand new from the factory. This truck is turning out fantastic.

Well done sir

Marc

Thanks Marc!


I pulled the column to finish up the filler panels.




While the pedal assembly was out I found a spot to mount the clutch safety switch. Had to carve out a spot for the stem to make enough clearance, so I used a 1/2" round carbide burr to make the face of the cut concave, that way the convex face of the stem will always center itself on the pedal arm.






Forgot to take pics, but I chopped the clutch pedal pad off and raised it up to match the height of the brake pedal pad. Also slightly tweaked the brake pedal pad to get it inline with the clutch pad.




I ordered cowl bottoms a few weeks ago but UPS sent an email about the address being wrong, so delivery was delayed until last week. They're very nicely made, probably the best fitting patch panels I've used.






Trimmed, shipping primer stripped, two coats of epoxy applied, and welded on.












The cavity is accessible so I brushed on a couple of coats over the welds and soaked the seams to let epoxy wick in and seal up the spot welds.




I made a panel to mount the fuse box so there would be no fasteners through the firewall.








Also deleted the original pressed-in wiper motor mounting boss- welded up the holes and welded a nut between a couple of fender washers to make a new mounting pad for the wiper motor. The accelerator pedal mount got welded in permanently after confirming that the location fits the owner.

[collins10672]

beautiful work as always.

[Ol Blue K20]

This is going to be the nicest truck built!!!!

[mongocanfly]

Great job John...and great that you got cowl patches that actually work without having to modify them

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by collins10672

beautiful work as always.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

This is going to be the nicest truck built!!!!

Nah, it's nowhere near Ridler level quality! Should be pretty slick for sticking with nearly all original/stock style panels though. It's way easier to make them super nice when you can redesign new custom panels like the firewall, jambs, floors/floor braces, etc from scratch and make everything fit and flow together from the beginning.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Great job John...and great that you got cowl patches that actually work without having to modify them

Thanks! Those corners pretty much fell into place once they were trimmed!



The firewall to kick panel flange was really wavy around the spot welds so that was straightened, then I ground back the edges until the height of all the layers matched. (I thought more of this was visible, but it's mostly hidden under the inner fenders after test fitting them.)







The flange of the cowl skin was wrinkled and uneven so I trimmed both sides before final blasting.











With those spots finished up I rolled it out and blasted the inner layers of the cowl sides that were cut open, and I lightly blasted over the floor, firewall inside and out to prep for two coats of epoxy.













I started bodyworking the firewall by skimming the upper face and flange.







Once both sides were filled/blocked into the correct shape and straight I masked off the inside corner and used a spreader with the corner rounded off to make an even radius from side to side.









Floor pan and tunnel welds smoothed up enough for Raptor Liner.





Starting to straighten out the stamping distortion in the firewall.





Another coat of epoxy to seal the filler and extend the 7 day recoat window. Both mom and dad have had covid for the last 2.5 weeks so I wasn't able to get much done within the first 7 day window. They're both doing much better now and things should be back to normal soon.

[mongocanfly]

dang John...that epoxy looks as good as paint

[Russell Ashley]

You have a keen eye for detail. Things like that distortion between spot welds are things that I just think of as being the way they are built, and don't really notice it. Now I'm going to go look at my 96 Silverado and see if I notice imperfections that I never noticed before.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

dang John...that epoxy looks as good as paint

While it's still wet, yeah. It's a different story when it dries, seems to show up the imperfections a lot better dry

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

You have a keen eye for detail. Things like that distortion between spot welds are things that I just think of as being the way they are built, and don't really notice it. Now I'm going to go look at my 96 Silverado and see if I notice imperfections that I never noticed before.

Don't do it! Get a set of blinders, just look straight through the windshield and enjoy driving it, it all goes downhill once you start noticing defects!

[ajgriffin]

Hope your parents continue through to a full recovery 🙏🏾