Dutch '59 Fleetside Longbed

[RockinKees]

Thanks Kim!
A lot of work to get the needed papers.....

[Katrina/10]

Looks like you've solved the problem! Comes in handy to have a lathe.

[RockinKees]

Yes, problem solved Gary!
It sure is handy to have certain tools
The lathe is newer than my truck, it's from 1961

I've made a little gadget for the wipermotor:





To get this to work properly, I had to modify the wiper rod, one eye had to be turned around to get the clearence I needed. Otherwise it was hitting the motor.


Stock version.


Welded version.

After a little tweaking here and there, this is what it looks like mounted:





Fits pretty good under the dash!
This motor has two speeds, I hooked it up to a three-way switch, On-Off-On, so I got two speeds working. Only the park- or storage stand isn't working, because I do not have the relay. Something to do in the future

I modified the switch to take the old knob, looks better than a modern switch...







Now, on with the rewiring and apply for the Dutch Title!!
I'm finally getting there !!

Then the fun begins.....

[Katrina/10]

Did you put the wiper arms on and check the sweep?

[RockinKees]

Yes, I did. It works ok.

The sweep is exactly the same as stock.
But it makes a lot of noise due to excessive clearence.
So I tought, I take old skateboard wheels, take out the bearings and make new wiperrods with these bearings, that should make a lot less noise :-)
Ha, the best ideas comes when you take a shower!!

I have until December 2 to make everything right, that is the date that the truck goes for inspection to get my Dutch title, finally!
Only thing left to do is a bit rewiring and tune the engine a bit. Lots of time to get everything done

[Katrina/10]

Great! Glad you solved the problem, hope you get everything else worked out before inspection time.

[RockinKees]

Thanks Gary!
I think I manage that

[RockinKees]

As I am waiting for some parts to get back on the rewiring, I modified the modified wipers

As I said, I took the bearings out the skateboardwheels, made new wiperrods and put them back in.
Sounds fast, but it was 5 hours of work to get it properly working.
It works great, only now I want the wipermotor mounted in rubbers...

This is the first modification, also worked, but the bearings were bronze and way gone.


Took it apart, you can see the skateboard bearings that I used.


Plan is to weld the bearing on a newly made rod:




Leftside was easy, a little bent here and there.
The rightside had to be fabricated:


This piece is mounted on the wipermotor, it's in testmode


This is the leftside, ready and mounted:


The rightside ready and mounted:


And the wipermotor:


I never had such great working wipers on a classic car

When I had the wipers off, I cleaned out the cowlvent and took Mr Taz off, who was sitting there for several years I think...










I think it looks pretty solid in there. Only at passengersside at the lower hinge is rust that I have to weld. The rest I will see when the front comes off.

I also bought a little present for the truck

[Kim57]

Nice mods.
Very cool tach.
Kim

[Katrina/10]

You are lucky, very little rust in the cowl. I have a tach just like that clamped on the steering column of my truck!

[RockinKees]

Thanks Kim and Gary!

Have to make a clamp for the tach, it doesn't have one right now...

Still waiting for electrical parts, but I have done something today.
Almost the complete wiring is in, except for the light switch and the dash has to be done.
The original lightswitch is broke, or at least I don't get taillights out of it?
I managed to get the switch in little parts, to see if it can be repaired, but to tell the truth, there are no parts in it that really can be broke



I cleaned the thing and put it back together, but at no effort.
This evening I get a "modern" switch, a new one for a Chevy Van, nice side issue is that now the front parking lights stay on with the headlights, I wanted that. Tommorow I shaal build it in and then it shoeld all be working, I hope

New wires, all with plugs.



My notes.... When all is working, I gonna make a nice diagram of what I did and keep a copy in the truck.



Busy getting wires in





Almost ready, does it look good to you?



All wires are marked behind the fusebox, so I know which is what.

The rest of the parts is also coming together: Tiltsteering column of a '77 Chevy Van with columnshift, GM steering pump with hoses and brackets, speedocable, steel (2 x 3")for the Jag IRS to make a new subframe, steel plates to box parts of the framerails. And I ordered new brakes for the front and rear Jag axles.
Haven't been sitting still

[Kim57]

Real clean fuse panel.
Kim

[Softpatch]

great thread i subscribe

[RockinKees]

Thanks Kim!

Almost everything works now.
Dimmerswitch only gives lowbeam and I have no brakelights yet.
Dive into this monday.

For now weekend!!

[RockinKees]

So, for the happy viewers, I've got all electrics going

All lights work, even highbeam and brakelights!



The heatercore was leaking, at least I think it does....
I took it out of the truck, the core looks like it doesn't leak, if I close one end and blow through the other, it doesn't leak any air.
But normally the system is under pressure, so I have it leaktested, to be sure.
Also the PO had used normal gardenhose for the heatercore, don't think it was his best set....

Did a bit of tuning on the engine, cleaned the enginebay a little bit for now bolted on the aircleaner on that came with the car, so that's ready for inspection.



I am ready to take it to inspection, but unfortunatly have to wait until December 2.
Now I can do the little things that are not neccesary for inspection, but have to be done, such as the heater (we need one in the Netherlands!), blower hoses that are broken, thinking about colors on the outside....
I have no idea what color I'm gonna use.
I lean towards semi gloss black with high gloss red.
But then again, there are more TF trucks with that color...
Maybe only sanding and look what comes through...

I want a 50's Hot Rod / Rat Rod look on the truck so if you guys and girls have any tips??

[1958Warrior]

You made quick work of it Dutch, I'd give you a passing grade.

What was the original color or did I miss it.
I'm kind of partial to the tan and cream color scheme on the fleet sides.

[RockinKees]

Thank you 1958Warrior, for the passing grade
If the nice inspection men did the same.....

That's a very beautifull Fleetside. I had a Chevy Van in Brown with Tan, so now it's up for an other color. I think it was originally white.
There are some scratches on the outside that shows white (and gold), on the inside all is white.

My old 1981 Chevy Van:









I had to sell it because of the tax rules here in Holland, couldn't pay for it anymore.
Had great fun with it. Sold it to a German guy, who I still have contact with. He sent me pictures once in a while of what he did to it. Very nice to know that this Van has gone to a great home!

[Katrina/10]

Cool van, I used to have a 79 that looked almost the same. Too bad you had to sell it, did they change the taxes?

[RockinKees]

Yes, they changed the taxes a lot!
We have a European Classic Car rule that says 30 years is an Old Timer or Classic Car. In Holland was it 25 years old, then you don't had to pay roadtax anymore, because of the few miles those cars drove. The Netherlands "suddenly" came short on money and picked the oldtimers to pay...They say because of environment reasons, yeah right.
In the Netherlands are about 350.000 Classics at 7 or 8 miljon cars....
The rules changed into 40 years old ( remember, European rules are 30 years!!). When your car is 40 years or older, you don't have to pay the roadtax. Between 30 and 40 years, is something completely different. If you drive on normal gas you pay €120,- (around $150 these days) a year and for three months you may not drive the car (Dec, Jan and Feb). If you have a Diesel or LPG you pay the whole lot on roadtax, like it is a "normal" car. I drove LPG with the Van (32 years old), so I had to pay €244 a month!! That's about $ 304 a month!! From nothing to this....Even I can't effort that amount!!
Luckily there is a foundation who fights this new law, hope they manage to get this law reversed.. Time will tell.

But now something completely different.
As American Classics are not common at our streets, we are always happy to see this in the wild:







It is very nice restored Apache, you don't see them much in Holland!

[Stepside Jim]

RockinKees, I'm working my way through your thread, I really like your way of working through all your issues.

One example being the wiper motor fix, two thumbs up. Jim

[RockinKees]

Thanks Jim!!
I really appreciate that!

We don't have parts lying around in Holland for this kind of cars, so you have to be inventive sometimes

[RockinKees]

Closed the dash today.
All wiring has been done, all works good now.
The PO had the fuelgauge mounted in the dash, he has cut a hole in it.
Why I don't know, the original fuelgauge is working as it should.
So I welded it, I have a few weeks before inspection

Sorry for the crappy pics, made with my cellpone...

This is the fuelgauge hole:


Too bad, 'cause the rest is in pretty good shape, except for the screwholes he put in for that nice red interiour he put in..







Question:
What should be in the middle hole above the radio delete plate?
I tried to get an old sigaretlighter in there, but the lighter I have is too long unfortunatly. The wiperarms just touch the +side of the lighter, I don't take that risk.
Thats why I put it at the leftside of the radio plate.

I don't want to cut the dash up, it must stay like this.
Now I'm thinking where to put the radio, I've thought I make a strip under the dash, from left to right, mount there the radio, extra gauges and the switch for petrol/LPG, integrate the steeringcolumn in it also.
If you have tips and/or pictures you can show me, please do!

Final finish again when I start the fun works, after I get my title

[Kim57]

You're doing a nice job on the repairs.
Kim

[OrrieG]

Here is the stock hole diagram. You can also buy a patch panel for the radio section, they usually get cut up.

[Katrina/10]

Thanks for explaining the tax rules for the old cars, I'm always interested in the way other countries treat antique car drivers. I think we have it pretty good here in the US, it is much cheaper. That's why I have a lot of admiration for anyone who wants to have this hobby in another country. I don't understand how the government thinks more taxes will help, when all you could do was sell your van to someone in another country, and now they collect no taxes on the vehicle!