49' Patina bagged in PA

[IWanna49]

Hard to believe that dash was sooooo chewed up when you started. Looks great, will look even better with everything back in it. What you gonna do for gauges?

[99 to Life]

9-28 thanks guys. 49' I'm using stock gauges that will be cleaned up and will light up. However, multiple reasons why I'm not using them as functional gauges. I'll have oil,temp, volts on its own gauge on a console I'm making under dash. Air tank pressure, and fuel gauge will be inside the hinged speaker cover on dash. air bag gauges will be on their own. I want to make the speedometer a tach, utilizing the stock look. I'v seen it done and by glance you can hardly notice the numbers.

So I fixed up this nasty inner fender. You can see the slew of parts I had to strip down by hand so I can get some epoxy on them. All these parts will get paint. I have some bottom door rust to fix. I still have to strip other inner fender and doors.

Unfortunately I underestimated the time it takes to get this stuff ready for paint and since we have already had some really cold days, I fear missing the window of opportunity to lay some paint. So thats my main goal as of now. Not getting cab on and getting it ready to drive. Though that is still on the list and hopefully I can still drive it by end of Oct.

Don't think I ever posted a pic of the gas straps I made. Much beefier than any stock strap, and alot cheaper than to buy them. BTW loving the Hobart welder I got.

[Advanced Design]

Nice repair on the inner fender 99. Did you make a replacement piece or work the ends of the tear together for welding? Heavy duty gas tank straps! Keep going!

[99 to Life]

AD thanks, yeah I put a patch in it on the bottom half, you can see the start of it in this pic. top half I just stitched back. There were a couple other areas that just needed some minor welding. Gonna paint tops and do chassis saver/por15 on bottom, then coat bottoms with hurculiner. I have much better inner fenders, but I used these for moch up, then started trimming them so I just thought I might as well fix these up. I only got an hour into this patch and probably another hour or so into some other fixes and stripping the top half.

I have access to a blaster but its an hour away and I never seem to have enough time to go up and do all that. I blasted some parts on my 52' I'm doing, blasting is nice but still takes a while. Next project I'm hoping to gather all the parts that need blasting and do them all at once, and have another place do the frame.

[oldman3]

99, looks good...Jim

[99 to Life]

So I missed a couple of questions you guys asked as the thread started out on a new page. So, Iowaboy. the eastwood I have now since they sent me a new one is doing ok, the gas valve got stuck once I noticed, but has been working since. The gas stays on a bit long after you let off trigger. As opposed to the Hobart. I personally have alot more control with the Hobart on the fine sheetmetal. thicker stuff I can't compare the two yet. bottom line I would avoid their migs if possible simple because they are a price point that is hard to beat, but stupid things will break on them. Its caused me enough headache sending one back, getting a new one and the gas valve went out in one weld, so they replaced the valve, but my down time doesn't matter to them. I also don't like their cords. It does weld good though.

Sid, no the dash and firewall are different in the pics. I'v since reshot the firewall. it was just a tad bit too redish gold as is the rims. So it suppose to be more on the yellowish gold with touch of bronze metallic. I'll probably reshoot rims after everything is done. thanks for the comments guys.

[FarmerSid]

Nice patch 99! What tools do you use for your patch work? Paper grit, grinders etc.

[99 to Life]

thanks sid, normally I get down to bare metal with a 40 or 60 grit flap disc, also just a cutoff disc works good, esp if there is some major pitting. I then cut all my patches out with a cutoff wheel, I currently don't have a good metal shear, beverly shear or bandsaw so that stuff would make things alot easier.

I then weld it up and obviously you have to dress the welds on sheetmetal, so I use the same tools as above. I prefer a cutoff disc to get it really knocked smooth, some guys use a grinding disc, I don't like them as much personally.

Depending on the area and how the patch turned out, I hammer and dolly to get it smooth and knock any dents out. On finer stuff that is super critical, I use a shrinking disc which really helps level out the metal. Lastly alot of guys dress the metal with a DA, I don't have one yet but using a 60-80grit flap wheel on the grinder would yield a similar look.

[99 to Life]

9-29 monday, so I spent more time than it looks on this door so far. The hinge filler plate had 3 screws that were so rusted I had to drill them out. I took out the door window and lock mechs and had to weld nuts to a few of the clutch heads to get them out. As you can see I have to weld in some new metal on the bottom and fix another area on this door. Other than that it needs stripped down, gonna put chassis saver on as much of the inside as I can bf I weld on patch. Its crazy how many parts go with the doors and how much money they are. fortunately I have plenty of spare parts to pick stuff off of.

I got my other inner fender stripped down, top atleast. So I'm hoping to get all or most of these parts in epoxy this weekend, high build primer if I'm lucky.

By the following weekend I'd love to be done with painting. Get cab back on and really start making some headway. Gotta do brakes, pedals and steering. Finish up fuel and air line. Get a driveshaft and this thing should move. I still need a MC and calipers so between those and the driveshaft thats 500$ so if all works out I should have all that by end of Oct.

[Advanced Design]

Yeah it is often the little things that take a lot of time and test a guys patience...good progress and plan 99. You will be cruising before you know it!

[99 to Life]

AD, yep the nickel and dime time and money is the killer. I see all too often guys just plopping these bodies on dime frames and leaving so much undone that will need attention later. I want everything to be done to prevent future attention to rust. Even just painting firewall, interior and rims has been a ton of work and a decent little chunk of the budget. Luckily I'm keeping the patina but fixing all the rust and rot, full paint is soo much work. thats why I'm keeping my 52' when I finish it.

[FarmerSid]

Looks good 99. I hear ya on progress or lack of due to funds.

[99 to Life]

thanks sid, yah know its def a balance on the time and money. I'v been so pinched for loot earlier on in this build, putting all the hours into the cab kind of gave me busy work on the cheap. Then you got to balance weather. I don't think I can get my garage up to 65 deg unless maybe I got another heater. So I have to do things in a certain order, like now, rushing to get everything I need painted. Last november I was rushing to get rims painted bc of the cold.

I also have to factor in supplies like cut off discs, paint, flap discs, welding wire and gas, etc so those expenses always seem to hit when you need parts and are tight on money.
I have to order things in a certain order so I have it the week I need it. Some stuff I order and it hasn't been need quite yet so the ordering process in itself is a balance. I'v been fortunate this summer to make a little more money so I can chip away at some expenses and did manage to pick up some more tools I needed.

The big expenses are just about done after this month. But I'll be putting some money into interior and all those nickel and dime parts throughout the truck.

[99 to Life]

10-3 Friday. nothing but rain today, so had to do alot of grinding inside. I managed to get a good chunk of the lower door fixed. Still have some more patches to put on it. I got some chassis saver put on the inside of the door. This time I got the gloss black and I really like it. I coated a bunch of other parts too.

Put a patch on the other inner fender. Finish striping bottom of the inners, got them coated as with the running boards. Going to put the Herculiner on the bottom of those, eventually the front fenders, bed and hood.

Trying to get the doors, inner fenders and a few parts in epoxy this weekend. Hoping to get them in high build and if I'm lucky paint.

[99 to Life]

Here is the inner fender patch. Got wheel bearings for the powerstop rotors. Got about all my fuel and air lines, same with brakes. need to button all that up and exhaust bf I get cab back on. Shooting to have cab on next weekend if I'm lucky.

[IWanna49]

Ahh yea. Pickin up steam now!! Great work!!

[oldman3]

99, Everything looks great, nice work on repairs and paint makes it look closer to being done...Jim

[IWanna49]

99, where do you get the chassis saver and Herculiner from?

[99 to Life]

thanks guys, yeah can't wait to be done with all these little repairs and start putting this thing back together.

49' I get the chassis saver off ebay, I buy em in quarts so it doesn't go bad. I usually need some here and there, never a gallon at a time. I think the frame took 1.5 qts almost 2 maybe. I'v used probably another 1.5-2qts on the rest of the truck and now this quart. Herculiner I got off ebay for $77 shipped I think. Its normally around 100 bucks. The other option is raptor liner by upol, I hear good things about it.

[Advanced Design]

Good progress 99. Those running boards look good.

[99 to Life]

10-4 Sat. thanks AD I'll be coating the bottoms with the herculiner as well, same goes for fenders and inners. So today was crazy weather, hailed for a bit, cold, rain and sun off and on. I had to run my heater to coat parts. Which I did alot of again today.

So onto DOOR #2 which is a donor door. Previous owner took some time making aluminum patches that he bolted ontop of all this nasty rust. So I tore it all off. I made the patch for the inside. It was late in day so the coating I put on the other side wasn't dry, so couldn't weld it up. Once I get that on, I'll cut out the outter skin, way more than my door #1.

Got my gas tank bolted back up. Frame is dusty as heck. Made another patch for my other inner fender. They where whooped and if I remember now, I'll prolly have to patch the front fenders lip as well. I already have to patch rear fenders. Can I get a break!

[99 to Life]

Ok, so here is the rest of the patches I did on DOOR#1 today. I put some duraglass on there afterwards. sanded it down, got a coat of Rage on there I'll sand off monday and touch back up and get ready for epoxy. So probably won't get to high build this weekend. If weather is good next weekend I'll try wrapping up all the highbuild and paint.

[oldman3]

99, nice progress on both doors. You may have said earlier, what gas tank are you using?...Jim

[99 to Life]

thanks jim, here is the specs of the blazer tank. I got it off ebay for a good price, but now I realized I'm going to have to get the sending unit for it, so thats about 60 bucks. overall still better price than most other tanks out there. This is the style I wanted, found a few others that would have worked, but this was the best price. I'll use the sending unit and and aftermarket fuel gauge that I'll hide behind the speaker grille that is hinged. I figure it would be much more accurate than the stock gauge.


20 Gallon Gas Fuel Tank for GMC S15 Jimmy Chevy S10 Blazer
Detailed Applications

Specifications:

Capacity: 20 Gallons/76 Liters
Dimensions: 33 X 22 X 10-1/2 inches
Depth of bottom half - 5-1/4 inches
Not correct for Fuel Injected models

Includes the lock ring and gasket for the sending unit.

[FarmerSid]

Your getting a lot done in a day 99. Nice repair work. Question for ya. I'm starting to fill holes on my 51 frame in preparation for boxing. Wondering if you would be able to tell me what holes I should NOT be filling. I already made the mistake of filling in one of the cross sill holes. Maybe you could point some things out that I hadn't thought of. Maybe check out my build thread and cut up my work so far. LOL!

Thanks!