Crusty Rusty Leaky Squeaky 67 Step

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Vic,
could you give me the dimensions of that Double Din stereo sleeve the head unit mounts into? I really like that idea as well. (not trying to steal your thunder, or anything like that) you da man! Great Work too!
Ben Smith

Hey Ben,
The dimensions of the hole I cut were 7.18" x 4.42" but remember, that's for this particular mounting bracket. I don't know enough about double din units to be able to say those dimensions would work for all brackets. The Pioneer mounting kit I installed has three inner brackets that screw onto the head unit and then it all slides inside the main outer box. There are provisions for four attachment screws in the front and a hefty stud in the back used for a rear support strap. As they say, YMMV

[snipescastle2]

Vic,
Thanks for the info, just trying to get an idea of the hole size.....
Have a good one!
Ben

[jlsanborn]

Looks great Vic! That head unit is going to look great in there.

[bguild]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Here's a closer look at the T-strip. Had to curve it slightly with the shrinker to get it to fit the lenses.

Had some time left, so I went ahead and windowed the radio grille and the dash where the new Pioneer stereo will reside. Made a plate to fit the grille but welding will be for another day.

Vic. Can you hang onto the old stereo piece ? I would like to use that for my double din. It's looking great

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by bguild

Vic. Can you hang onto the old stereo piece ? I would like to use that for my double din. It's looking great

Yep, I remembered you said you might want it, so I set it aside for you rather than sending it to scrap with the rest.

[bguild]

Originally Posted by Vic1947

Yep, I remembered you said you might want it, so I set it aside for you rather than sending it to scrap with the rest.

Thanks Vic... I appreciate you still remembering this.
Here is the pic of N2BILLET's core support with the wire tube running through the middle. I know i was trying to explain it but the picture will probably be mroe clear.


Also if you have not looked at N2Billets build threads you need to.. he does nice work.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by bguild

Thanks Vic... I appreciate you still remembering this.
Here is the pic of N2BILLET's core support with the wire tube running through the middle.
Also if you have not looked at N2Billets build threads you need to.. he does nice work.

Thanks for the heads up, Brian. I'll check it out. Give me a shout when you get back if you'd like me to haul that trans hump to Eagle with my stuff.

[Vic1947]

After four and a half straight days of home improvement, the rain moved in shutting down the carpentry project and allowing me to make a bit of progress on CRLS. First there was a massive cleanup, as sawdust, tools and scrap lumber littered the workshop. I ran the video wire for the dash cam thru the A-pillar with the rest of the wiring and taped it down. I then test fit the roof again with the firewall clamped in place. Probably didn't need to worry, but so much structural material is gone that I thought it prudent to at least clamp the f/w in place to check for twist. The front passenger corner of the roof had a small gap, but it disappeared as the clamps were tightened down. I set the rear gap first then clamped a long piece of 1/2" square tube in the center front. Worked my way to the corners and it all laid down very nice. Tomorrow I'll remove the roof skin and prep the edges, then slide over to the paint store and borrow the adhesive applicator again. By Thursday, it should be permanent.

[sduckworth13]

Nice work Vic, the patch looks like you got it to fit real nice.

[Low Elco]

Fitup looks great! Can't wait to see. Hope the adhesive is activated by humidity, I nearly swam to work this AM! Great day to hole up and work on the truck!

[69CST-V]

You have some amazing skills. Can't wait to see watch it progress.

[mcbassin]

Awesome work on the roof Victor!

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Nice work Vic, the patch looks like you got it to fit real nice.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Fitup looks great! Can't wait to see. Hope the adhesive is activated by humidity, I nearly swam to work this AM! Great day to hole up and work on the truck!

Originally Posted by 69CST-V

You have some amazing skills. Can't wait to see watch it progress.

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Awesome work on the roof Victor!

Thanks, everyone! Roof is now glued on and setting up. One more hour to go before I can selectively release clamps, cleanup and re-clamp. Used about 2/3 of the 3M panel adhesive kit. Didn't know for sure how much was needed, so I bought an extra, which they let me return when I took back the applicator.

Noticed a few small spots where the adhesive must have oozed down slightly. It doesn't appear to be enough to compromise the seal, but I'll need to top them off after it hardens completely. Assuming this works really well, I'm already considering using panel adhesive to attach the hood riser when the time comes.

[Xeen]

Oh heck yeah now your cookin with gas!
Did you have any trouble keeping the rear seam gap tight while going around clamping?
It seems like this would be much easier with 2 people, one making sure the rear seam gap stays tight while the other guy clamps.

[69CST-V]

So do you plan on seam sealing around the drip rail like factory. Or will this be good enough to just leave alone?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Oh heck yeah now your cookin with gas!
Did you have any trouble keeping the rear seam gap tight while going around clamping?
It seems like this would be much easier with 2 people, one making sure the rear seam gap stays tight while the other guy clamps.

No, not really. I started at the back and got the seam like I wanted, then clamped the front. The front lip was sitting up off the ledge maybe 3/16" and after I pulled it down with the square tube in the center, I checked and the rear hadn't moved. From there I did the rest of the front and then the sides. The whole time I checked gaps everywhere, but they stayed good. That being said, it's always better to have two sets of eyes on a deal like this. Kathy helped me set the roof skin down after I'd applied the adhesive, but didn't hang around for the rest.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 69CST-V

So do you plan on seam sealing around the drip rail like factory. Or will this be good enough to just leave alone?

Originally, I thought the adhesive would be sufficient, but after trimming the partially cured pookie around the edges, I'm not so sure. I'll see how it looks in the morning after the adhesive has cured to full strength.

[69CST-V]

Thanks keep me posted on this. I would also like to know how much it shrinks if any. Nice pictures keep them coming.

[Low Elco]

Looks great, Vic! Glad it went well. If they're loaning you guns, the Fusor self-leveling sealer is nice stuff. I used some stuff from Lord that worked really well and goes in a regular caulk gun. I can get you the number if you like.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 69CST-V

Thanks keep me posted on this. I would also like to know how much it shrinks if any. Nice pictures keep them coming.

Bryce,
After several days of cure time, the adhesive does not appear to be exhibiting any shrinkage. The cured consistency reminds me of plastic. It can be scratched, but pressing on it with a screwdriver blade doesn't leave an impression. However, it isn't so hard I'm worried it will chip or crack. Seems to have some flexibility. Time will tell, but there's a ton of shops out there using it for all types of panels, so that says a lot.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Looks great, Vic! Glad it went well. If they're loaning you guns, the Fusor self-leveling sealer is nice stuff. I used some stuff from Lord that worked really well and goes in a regular caulk gun. I can get you the number if you like.

That would be great, Chip, and also where you found it locally. I looked up their stuff online and looks like the applicator for the two stage material is very similar to the 3M stuff.

[Vic1947]

The roof is to the point where I can move on to other matters. Here's some shots of it after the clamps came off and I tooled out some of the excess adhesive.

[Vic1947]

I need to get some parts to Eagle for a last round of metal blasting. Decided to go ahead and have the firewall stripped while I'm at it. To that end, I set up the frame extensions and spot welded them in position. Had to use some small spacers because the replacement floor is 3/16" wider where these pieces attach. After both frame pieces were in, I removed the f/w and started patching the remaining open holes and finished welding out everything. Last step was to reinstall it on the cab and see how much the welding had warped it. Not too bad, all in all. Had to tweak one spot, but it moved right out. When it comes back from the blaster, I'll dolly any remaining whoop-de-do's out to prep it for filler later on this winter.

[Xeen]

Nice progress, I know all that welding can be tedious but it looks like you knocked it out in a hurry.
In the picture of the back of the cab it looks like you have a good start on pulling all the dings, I remember there being alot of them, have you already fixed them all or are there still more to do?
Whats the plan while the firewall is out for blasting?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Nice progress, I know all that welding can be tedious but it looks like you knocked it out in a hurry.
In the picture of the back of the cab it looks like you have a good start on pulling all the dings, I remember there being alot of them, have you already fixed them all or are there still more to do?
Whats the plan while the firewall is out for blasting?

I pulled most of them with pins since the worst of the lot were behind a double wall. Where possible, I used the hammer and dolly. There's still a few spots that are out of whack, but I need to get the new floor in place before I can work them out.

When I took the accessory brackets in for nickel plating, the folks at Detray suggested it would last better with a layer of chrome on top. The finished appearance wasn't as "satin" as I had hoped, so I've been glass beading them to knock down the shine somewhat. I have two more to go, then I plan to reinstall the accessories on the engine. Between now and then, I also need to fire up the HVLP and squirt the rest of the pulleys with the Toxic Orange color. We may have one more day of good weather this week so maybe I can fit that task in.

Before I go to the blasters, I will also have to have the tires dismounted so I can strip the powder coating from the front of the wheels. After much thought, I've decided I won't be happy with the gray color next to the Toxic Orange. I bought a POR15 product called Glisten PC that is a non-porous, crystal clear coating for bare aluminum to replace the powder coating. So there's no shortage of things to do.