Martin's mi-STRESS, 1965 Long Fleetside C10 "Rebuild in ENGLAND"

[Ta2Don]

Templates, templates...

Cheers mate!!!

[mjh1965]

Well it's back to work after 12 days off . I didn't get as much done on the truck as I would have liked but with the carport finished at least I have somewhere warmer and dryer .
I also spent some time over Rian's helping him strip his truck and getting my door repaired so I guess the time wasn't wasted. I did manage to get myself a sheet metal bender for making all the repair panels I need . I also did some running around to find the best deal for our trip in October.

Here's a picture of the sheet metal bender

[Ta2Don]

Waiting the upcoming updates, especially since Rian is assisting today!!!

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Waiting the upcoming updates, especially since Rian is assisting today!!!

You will have to wait a while Don, Martin talks fast but but types slow.

Been a long day, less done than planned, but I know that if this was the USA you guys would have walked away a long time ago and got a new cab...... Of course we cannot do that.

Still, I wish I had some lottery cash to get him a new cab to fit to his truck.

[mjh1965]

Well today Rian came over to give me a hand on my cab . That or to hold the tissues when i started crying because of the state of it .

This is the state of the cab its clearly rotten as the pictures show



While Rian cleaned up the side section I used the electric nibbler I had been given by George the retired panel beater that used to work with me . I think Rian was impressed with what light work it made of cutting the repair plates out





Once the plate was cut it was tried for size





Next was to clean up the inside for the side repair section



Then the top section had to be cut out as welding in a repair section was clearly going to be easier to do with the bottom section missing









Once the top repair section had been welded in. It was time to cut out and make a repair section for the top





That's it for today I would like to thank Rian for his help. He also took the the last template home with him to do the bend on the edge during the week

[mjh1965]

Here's the pictures of the side piece that my photographer forgot to take (Rian) so it was taken later sorry about the quality but it was dark by then

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Here's the pictures of the side piece that my photographer forgot to take (Rian) so it was taken later sorry about the quality but it was dark by then

Yup..... A long day.

Sorry, I forgot to grab a pic of the side panel.

It seems I have discovered my forté, making and shaping panels

As punishment for not taking that photo, I have to try replicate the piece I brought home, from a section of the original bonnet.

Unfortunately the truck cab looks like a piece of fine Belgian lace.

[Palf70Step]

Nice work guys. You are right, lots of times we just grab something new on our side of the pond. Of course some of us are very cheap/poor, so we do the fabricationof parts too. I am no where near the quality you guys come out with though!

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

Nice work guys. You are right, lots of times we just grab something new on our side of the pond. Of course some of us are very cheap/poor, so we do the fabricationof parts too. I am no where near the quality you guys come out with though!

Thanks Bill the nibbler I got given made the world of difference , it cut through the steel plate like a hot knife through butter, enabling us to cut any shape with ease

[Ta2Don]

Teamwork...

Tools...

Great Friends… Priceless!!!

How was the weather inside the work area today???

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Teamwork...

Tools...

Great Friends… Priceless!!!

How was the weather inside the work area today???

Thanks Don luckily it was dry today . But it was a lot warmer inside the carport having both ends blocked off makes it feel more like a garage instead of a wind tunnel . Yes the nibbler did make a difference . As for friends we both help each other and that works well

[bj383ss]

Wow Martin your cab is rotten. Oh well you are on your way to having it all new again. Will look great when you are done.

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Wow Martin your cab is rotten. Oh well you are on your way to having it all new again. Will look great when you are done.

Cheers Bret
it will get there in the end, if only you could post me a cab over

[uber cool]

Nice progress so far and in this crappy weather we are having. Do you have a a date when you want it back on the road or just rolling along to get it to a certain standard?

PS Grizz told me to tell you you should have bought this...............................which is now sat on my drive

[mjh1965]

Originally Posted by uber cool

Nice progress so far and in this crappy weather we are having. Do you have a a date when you want it back on the road or just rolling along to get it to a certain standard?

PS Grizz told me to tell you you should have bought this...............................which is now sat on my drive

I was hoping to get in done by the end of this year . That way my trip to the states in October for My 50th with Grizz I would just be getting the finishing off parts . But I have now decided that getting it to a good standard is more important .
As for your truck I did look at it when it was on eBay and spoke to Grizz about it . In hindsight it may have been a good idea . Though I had already purchased all my new parts for the 65 and being that yours was a 63 I decided against it . I can't wait for you to start a build thread the Lexus V8 sounds a good idea

[uber cool]

yeah I was only joking Grizz put me upto it Best to concentrate on just the one if you can, I cant that's why I have 4 cars on the go

I'll start a thread in the next few days,

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by uber cool

yeah I was only joking Grizz put me upto it Best to concentrate on just the one if you can, I cant that's why I have 4 cars on the go

I'll start a thread in the next few days,

Nicola always says I am like a kid with a puppy and a pair of pliers..... Martin is the puppy.

He needs to be tortured at all times.

[Grizz1963]

Came home tonight and thought I would give making the next panel for mate Martin's truck a go.

My piece of railway line that Woodsie got me years ago, again came in really handy. Can you say ANVIL ??

So using the sharp top curved edge, I started to bend the edge over.

Of course putting a curve at 90' to an existing flat surface, meant the plate started curling up like the "Fortune telling fish" you get in Christmas crackers.

So I took the hacksaw and cut slits in the edge of the curve, managing to complete the fold over.



Then drilled in the mounting hole for the fender in the plate. Using the step drills Ta2Don sent me last year.

Amazing tools they are.



Next up I cut the lip back by about 8mm to get it to loser to the size needed on the truck.

Then I welded all the cuts back together........ Using my mobile to get one of the best ever action pics in my opinion.



Then into the woodwork shed, to use my linisher to work it back to smooth and flat, flush.




Finished product, ready to be welded back into the fire wall.




Even if I say so, I am starting to enjoy this thing.

[mjh1965]

What can I say you are waisted as a drug dealer (sorry pharmaceutical rep ). While you were making the repair panel I myself was busy in my garage welding the lower door pillar end on
Once again I have to say thanks to Grizz.

After cutting the end off I cleaned it up and welded on the new panel . At last things are going back on now and not coming off . Well at least till I start the other side .

[Grizz1963]

Being my Birthday today, Nicola my sensible, sensitive caring ..... you get the picture, wife actually gave me the day off to do whatever I wanted, including "Garage time " should I want it.

You may remember that she had bought me the 3" Cutout Valves over the Christmas season for my birthday, so today she gave me a lovely card, and another book on traveling the USA plus she is taking me out as a surprise later.

I have rotated the photos on my iPhone before sending them to the iPad to upload to Photobucket, and it seems to work, let's see if they suddenly revert to upside down in a week or whatever, I really have no idea why it is flipping photos upside down.



Mate Martin had bought himself a new oil cooler for the auto trans, then found an even sexier one last year, so when I offered to buy it from him, he wrapped it in some old newspaper and gave it to me for my birthday. Thanks Mate, way too much and too big, but the truck thanks you.




As Nicola had given me the day off, and my £500.00 travel vouchers were delivered on Friday, I decided that we needed to pop in to Thomas Cook Travel and get the tickets bought today, which would anchor the road trip for October's trip to Clem's Party in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

I asked a lady to take the photo for me, and her reply was "This is a bit freaky" Hey, I don't care.




After the flights were sorted, we went down to Deptford in South East London to buy my white for the two tone the truck will be getting on its roof and the side flash.

Martin also needed some paint mixed up for his Eddie Lawson Replica Kawazaki, so the trip kinda did a load of jobs in one.

[mjh1965]

Well no work on the truck today, but I did get up early to drive to Rian's to give him his birthday present .then drive up to Bexleyheath to purchase our tickets. Then onto Deptford to get some paint for one of my motorbikes at the same time as getting Rian's paint for his truck . This was the temperature that greeted me outside this morning .

[61K10]

Nice to see you are getting stuff done, and yes it takes awhile. you will love it in the end. Also it's nice to have a good friend that is doing the same thing and can help each other. keep up the good work guy's.

kimble

[Ta2Don]

Tickets...

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by 61K10

Nice to see you are getting stuff done, and yes it takes awhile. you will love it in the end. Also it's nice to have a good friend that is doing the same thing and can help each other. keep up the good work guy's.

kimble

Tell you what Kimble, friends or not..... I may not make it to the USA.

Popped in to pick up a load of small boxes and bubble wrap to send EBay sales off with today, as well as some other mechanical parts I will be listing on Ebay, also got the latest tow bar Martin had liberated yesterday, the two of us loaded it behind the seat, easy job.

Back home I unloaded it and nearly caused myself a hernia..... Thanks Mate !!

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Tickets...

See comment above.

[Grizz1963]

After weeks of waiting for the planets to align, today it all came together.

My friend Ashley in Portsmouth had given me some tarpaulins he had gained a few years ago, to use for the truck and covering it etc.
So, via the power of "Pony Express" a mate of his delivered them to Bridges Auto breakers in Peas Pottage for me to collect today.

I picked Martin up early as we were going to rummage through some of the cars in the yard for bits to use in our builds. I was also hoping to find a Jeep Cherokee there as I need a pair of door stops for my doors and an aircon pipe for my buddy Maverick in South Africa who needs one. Unfortunately, it turned out they have no Cherokees at all.

When we got there, the guys had the tarps which went back to the car.
Next up we were searched,and let loose in the yard.



Martin went straight for the Ford Mondeo's as he knew he wanted an oval dash clock to build into his truck.
Unfortunately, all the cars there were stripped of their clocks, except for one, which he managed to to get out.



Next up he showed me the very cool retractable cup holder that seems to be fitted only to the Mondeo's and three of the bodies there had them, so we took them all out. after this we walked around the yard, scavenging Jaguars, Mercedes, BMW and other brands looking for bits to remove, eventually we got back to where we started, and another scan around the outsides of the wrecks yielded a broken out dash under the snow, under the rear of another car.... JACKPOT !!!! A dash face with the clock still stuck in it with the plug and wiring attached, as well as another cup holder.
I plan on making another metal section below my dash to fit all the gauges I removed previously, and each end will get a "hidden" cup holder.



Next up it was back to the office and in anticipation for getting scapled for the parts we had picked, we put them on the counter......

£2.00 per item..... so $3.00 per item..... WTF ? Thats cheap. SCORE !!!

These guys really are not greedy. Which makes for a nice change.

Last thing for the day was to get a Bacon Buttie and a coffee at a service station vendor.