1949-50 3100

[dwcsr]

The pieces we’re making are the same as original. The aftermarket panels, all Dynacorn with a few exceptions, have been consistently the same or thicker so someone was listening when we all complained about the metal gage. They used to be the closest MM under the original ga. So they were always thinner. I believe fenders still are that way.

The lower cowl was the same. The inner cowl/kick panel was much thicker. The original was 22 ga. and the repop was 18 ga. which is a .020 thicker difference.

The panel exceptions were the inner cowl panels and the inner to outer panel (Wheel House). I tried to get these from Classic Parts but they only had the right side and backordered the left. After a few weeks of waiting I noticed they got them from Counterparts whose retail outlet is the Truck and car shop in orange CA. So I called them and they had them in stock. The sales girl stock checked for me and shipped them out. The wheelhouse was actually a little different and I liked it better. It just looked finished and not like the welds were an afterthought.

The quality of the kick panels was good. 18ga. But packing from Classic should have been better but nothing I couldn't straighten and I think Classic should have made the effort to source them for me and retain my continued $$$ but I don’t run that company. That and the parts guy at Classic told me I should just start on another part of the truck till they get in in a few weeks which PO’d me a bit.
The Dynacorn cab mounts are thicker than original and a bit wider. We haven’t done anything with the back panels yet and I haven’t got them out of the boxes except to make sure they arrived ok. I’ll let you know as I go.

None of the panels are exact fit so you have to trim and reshape most all the rust panel parts. The roof I did on a 59 was a drop on deal and fit very nicely, it was also from Dynacorn. So I'm expecting the back panels and roof to more or less fall on the truck with little adjustments here and there.

[solidaxel]

I am glad to hear that they are a better quality than the first parts I had ordered a few years ago!

[dwcsr]

We worked on the floor today. Fitting the kick panels and firewall. We had the right side welds break lose where it attached the front cab mount to the frame horn and things shifted a bit but tacking it back in place lined it all up again.Tomorrow we will tack the floor and kick panels all in place and start on the cab inner corners and then see how the back panel fits out of the box.

[xpickup]

dwcsr, great job you are doing. It will be good as new when you are done. I always would rather work on one nobody touched, then you know what you are up against. It is bad how they so called fixed it. Although I never have put one back together the factory way. They always have custom floors and fire walls. You are doing a great job.


Shannon

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by xpickup

dwcsr, great job you are doing. It will be good as new when you are done. I always would rather work on one nobody touched, then you know what you are up against. It is bad how they so called fixed it. Although I never have put one back together the factory way. They always have custom floors and firewalls. You are doing a great job.


Shannon

Thanks,

It was one of those "How far do you go" deals and everywhere we looked it needed more. So its down to the bones and every piece of metal was exposed and blasted even the back side of the dash was done. I will say it is nice working on a truck that is rust free and clean. Once we get this mess in the front done it should move quickly on the back end of the cab, fingers crossed......

My helper Jacob is really catching on, He works for the painter that I'm partnering with on this project. So he's kind of a timeshare employee. I've been able to tell him what and how to do it and hes been making it happen so that makes it much easier.

From what I'm told this truck is slated for a magazine or calendar shoot as soon as its done. I don't have any details but I think its something put out just for painters by one of the paint companies so we'll see how that turns out.

[xpickup]

Dwscr, I know what you mean. It starts out with just a few thing to do and then it turn into everything else. I do love doing it though. You guys are doing a great job. I can not wait to see it finished. You will have to let us know what magazine or calendar it will be in when finished.


Shannon
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[dwcsr]

I received the new door latches from Trique MFG aka Altman Easy Latches. When I purchased them online I thought they might be a bit pricey for a latch kit but they are very nicely done and in my opinion worth the price. I called there a few weeks ago to check on my order. They were short on a part and I talked a bit with the owner, he tells me they make the latches in their shop and have some parts made in the local community. So its good to see that they include local vendors in their manufacturing process rather than send it to other than US companies.

I'll include the install of those we we get to them in about a week or 10 days.

[dwcsr]

We have the floor/firewall fitted and tacked into place. The strip of metal that sits under the seat riser was badly pitted so we decided to cut back to the curve of the floor and weld in a strip so it solid and good to weld the riser back to. I would have finished it but my welding helmet headpiece broke.

Sorry for the bad pics. I'm not used to this phone camera yet. I have a few tools that I think are great if you need this type of tool. One is a Steck Seam Buster its great for splitting seams and busting spot welds. You may have to drill some of the more solid spots but this breaks a lot of them without destroying the metal.

The other is my spot welder. After burning up a HF spot welder and a miller I got this from HTP works nice if you have enough welding to warrant the price. This one does a real nice job and its got a little computer in it to make sure you don't over burn the weld. I have to get a new helmet in the morning and get the rest of the floor done.

[dwcsr]

I have the left side almost done. Just needs some work on the upper firewall where it meets the side panel so it all ties in. I'll start on the right side tomorrow. I'm going to wait on the outer cowls until I have the upper cowl and can put doors on it so all of it lines up correctly

[dwcsr]

The floor and kick panels are done. The firewall to kick panel fillers are done. The firewall is separated from the upper cowl and the cowl cut off. Now we clean up the spot welds on the dash panel and fit the cowl. Once that's done we put the doors on to see where it all lines up.

[xpickup]

Dwcsr, boy, you guys are doing a great job. It will look like a new one when you guys are done.

Shannon
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[dwcsr]

Heres a preview of what it looks like with the front cowls and roof on. The panels are just clamped in placed and needed no extra fitting as yet. It fit perfectly around the windshield. We took the time to make the adjustments to the structure so we had little outer panel work to do and that extra time we took paid off. The lower cowls, the upper cowl and the roof fit like it was originally off this truck. Lets hope the doors fit. Thats next...

[solidaxel]

WOW, and I thought cutting one in half was a P I T A !!!

[dwcsr]

After this I certainly won't be afraid of making a 4 door cab or an extended cab.

[msaintg]

wow, that is just amazing what you guys are doing! I can't believe you can fab a cab from 90% replacement panels and still be cost effective. So many people would just get a different cab and replace just a few panels. Impressive.

[dwcsr]

If they didn't want crazy money for 5 window cabs that didn't need most of what we did to it I would have tried to get one. But most are out of state and would cost $400 or so to get here plus the price and we still would have to blast it ($600 for just the cab) to see what we have and then need to fix the problems. This way we know there is no rust anywhere and we don't have to do much bodywork because all the outside panels are all new and smooth.

What we did not replace was the upper firewall, the rear floor, the door frames and rockers, the upper windshield cross brace and the dash.

FYI for those that may replace a roof. The Dynacorn roof panel was noticeably heavier than what we took off. I didn't gage it, but weight wise its heavier. The bad thing is that if you needed only the upper part of the rear window you need to by the roof.

[dwcsr]

Not a lot done today just the left inner corner and the lower rear door pillar and planning the side vent door swap. Tomorrow we do the other inner corner , trim up some areas and get the doors on so we can hang some sheet metal on the back side of the cab.

[dwcsr]

We have the side vent almost done and surprisingly in the right place. I just have to finish welding it and sand it. I laid the old panel over the backside if the new one and scribed the center hole and a guide. Jacob cut the old one out and shaped it up. Once it was trimmed I placed the old part over the scribed center markings scribed around it and we cut it out and trimmed to to size. Tacked it in 15 or so places and started welding.

[Kabwe]

That is one magnificent job you guys are doing on that truck.

[dwcsr]

Thanks Kabwe, We welded the cowls in place today and not much else. Monday we will spot along the dash lip. Maybe Monday or Tuesday we will have the back on it.

[dwcsr]

More progress today. We fit up the lower back panel and finished all the little things under the dash and around the cowls. One major item was missing and I didn't notice it til today. The upper rear window got dropped off the order somehow by the vendor and so we wait for it to be shipped to us. The rear cab panel fits very well, I don't think we will need to do anything to it other than move it into place once the doors are back on and then tack it in place. I'll know more once we have the upper panel bolted to the lower so it all fits with the roof and drip rails. This is the time to make the door gaps look good.

[Denee007]

Really taking the shape of a truck now!!
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[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Denee007

Really taking the shape of a truck now!!
Posted via Mobile Device

It does look better that when it came back from blasting. We are working on the doors while waiting on the upper panel. The doors are going to be a little harder than originally thought. But doors are generally a PIA to get right

[dwcsr]

After 3 days of trying to get the doors to fit, shifting panels back and forth, adjusting hinges up down in out and still no fit up. Nothing looked right, bad gaps and when the gaps looked good the door hoop was too tight in one spot and too wide in another. Then we decided to make a template of the new roof arch over the door from the front belt line to the rear belt line. It showed the new roof and back panel was very close to original on each side but the old door tops were very different side to side. One was out at the top and one was in at the top, one had the top hoop pushed backwards about 3/8 of an inch and the other looked as if it was flattened in the arch. This was very odd, I know they had differences door to door back then but but they were just too different. We figured these doors were jacked into place to fit the openings when the cab shifted from all the rot they didn't fix on the last restoration. So I pulled a set of used 1950 doors out of stock and put them on and they looked like they came off the truck. Very nice gaps and fit nicely. We were starting to thing we had the cab all out of whack from all the work we did but it turns out the old body job still is haunting us. So tomorrow, Sunday, I drop off the doors and some other parts to the blaster, nice that he works weekends, and i get them back Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday we get them fitted and finish the sheet metal work on the cab.

[dwcsr]

I picked up the doors this morning and we put them on along with the rear window and lower panel. It again looks like a cab. We just have to shift panels around so all the lines look as good as we can get them. Here are some fuzzy pictures from my phone but they do show the progress. Once we get the outer sheet metal positioned and welded we can put in the inner window panel.