Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Dan in Pasadena]

Took half the day to remove the remaining "stuff" and there was a lot more than I thought. Wiring, ventilation cables and doors, wiper motor and arms, cowl grill, instrument cluster, mirror, visors, gas filler tubes, yada, yada.

I barely got the trailer and got it to the blaster before hey closed by less than five minutes! They were very cool about it though. Unloaded it in one minute but it took me 30 minutes to get it loaded and tied down. Plus I damaged the rockers as you'll see below, but oh well.



I stopped counting after literally more than 50!! holes in the firewall. Tempted to just cover them with the fiberglass cover No Limit sells but I really like the look of the factory embossed firewall but clean, with NOTHING on it, or as near as I can get it on a driver truck.


A bonus, Daleo56 (Tim) happened to be driving home from his shop and drove by the blaster right as they were unloading my cab. He was in his restored '60(I'm guessing) "Big Bird" Thunderbird. Very cool. He stopped and we talked a couple minutes. His referral is what got me to use his blaster and he speaks highly of them. Thanks Tim!

Damaged the rockers (yes, both sides) when we didn't realize the ratchet strap lifting the cab via the cherry picker was under the cherry picker'so legs instead of on top of them. We started lifting and realized this too late, damn.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Kim57

I can spray it with no problems and it sands real nice.
Of course I have no experience with anything else.
Here's some info on it.
http://media.wix.com/ugd/8ced3e_1e5c...ee9f969705.pdf
And here's their pricing page. It runs right around $200.00 for two spray-able gallons (mixes 1to1).
http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/#!pricing/c20uv
Only took a few days to get it when I ordered mine.
They also have wax/grease remover.
I just use the plastic graduated cups from Home Depot to mix it.
Kim

Thanks for the info Kim!
"Induction" means let the primer sit after mixing the reducer into it? It won't "go off" or flash like a catylized product, right?

It says to apply over an 80 grit DA surface. The blaster told me the metal will be about like a 220 grit sanding so that means I've got to sand the bare metal to get this level of "tooth"?

Are you saying I should buy two gallons to prime the entire truck? The bed and front clip will be disassembled into pieces including the inner fenders and bed cross braces, etc. Did you use both the 700-1 and 710-1 cleaning stuff? I'm wondering why you need BOTH the water based and the solvent based wax & grease remover? But if I do then I do I suppose. Sorry for all the questions!

[Kim57]

A gallon of primer and a gallon of catalyst will make two gallons of product.
I was able to spray everything with that and have some to respray most of the cab after doing body work and sanding a good amount off. It wont go off in the mixing cup for a long time and if it is sealed I believe it can last over night. After it induces for 30 minutes you need to stir it again before spraying.
I use a 1.4 cheapo gun and clean it real well with lacquer thinner when done.
I only used the 700-1 cleaner.
I would talk to the techs at SPI as far as spraying on a sand blasted cab. It may have enough bite to be O.K. for priming.
Hope this helps.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, great.

Now here's a newbie question if there ever was one:
- If I'm painting the entire cab, how many times will I likely fill the HVLP spray gun cup? I haven't a clue!
- You mix up all you'll need for the entire cab at once, I assume? Cover the mixed paint til you need to refill your cup?
- If you run short is there time to mix up more and allow the "induction" time without having to clean the gun?

PS: any reason to use one color primer vs. another? My truck will likely be red or green so I assume any of the colors offered would be fine? Obviously, don't use black under white etc. if I want to assemble and run the truck in epoxy primer can you tint their white? Will it stand up to UV?

[Kim57]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Ok, great.

Now here's a newbie question if there ever was one:
- If I'm painting the entire cab, how many times will I likely fill the HVLP spray gun cup? I haven't a clue!
I mix so that I have 24oz of product to spray. Put about half in my spray gun cup and spray until its empty. Wait 30 minutes and then re-coat everything again.

- You mix up all you'll need for the entire cab at once, I assume? Cover the mixed paint til you need to refill your cup?
- If you run short is there time to mix up more and allow the "induction" time without having to clean the gun?
If I need to mix another batch I will run a couple ounces of lacquer thinner through my gun just so it doesn't clog and then mix a new batch to spray.

PS: any reason to use one color primer vs. another? My truck will likely be red or green so I assume any of the colors offered would be fine? Obviously, don't use black under white etc. if I want to assemble and run the truck in epoxy primer can you tint their white? Will it stand up to UV?
Color is just personal preference. I used the grey.
I think their black may be U.V. safe.
Not sure about tinting the white.

Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks so much, Kim!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, so little update:

Picked up the cab from the Sandblaster this afternoon and all in all I'm impressed there's so little rust, relatively speaking.

Here's the overall look:


And of course the firewall looks like Swiss cheese. I stopped counting after FIFTY holes!


Someone "repaired" the cab corner rust back in the 60's or 70's with an oxy acetylene torch. Maybe (?) that was a decent repair back then in the days before repop sheet metal. There was probably 1/4" to 3/8" of filler on top of it.


The other side wasn't quite as large:

[Dan in Pasadena]

I was truly worried about cancer in the rain gutter and/or "brow" areas of the cab. Turned out there was only a bit of cancer in the rain gutter and it is truly small. I'm pleased.


There is also some cancer at the bottom of both sides of the cowl but for 60 years it's actually not terrible.


As of right now BEFORE I've had the rest of the truck sandblasted I know there a small amount of rust through in the top roll of the bed front panel. And there doesn't APPEAR to be rust in the rear fenders - we'll see about that. The door bottoms have maybe a half dozen holes but they're very small, maybe 1/8" I treated those inside the door with phosphoric acid and Rustoleum anti rust primer, but now that I'm blasting the while truck, the very bottom flat areas of the doors will get cut out and replaced. But I think all this constitutes a nearly rust free truck in most parts of the country.

[ChuckDriver]

Not bad at all Dan, lots of clean metal for sure!

[Kim57]

Looks like it's in real good shape.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I was pleased when I saw it. Seeing metal that hasn't been bare in 60 years is kinda neat.

Hey, is there any way to find out what color my truck was originally? I was always under the impression there is not. Am I correct in that?

Oh and also on reconsideration I decided to have the truck primered by the paint guy that will be doing the truck. I'd planned on doing it myself but got to considering the time I have, etc and well,.....I wussed out!

So the truck is at the painter who has done three vintage VW's for my brother in law and I've been impressed with his work. While I was dropping off my cab I saw a '40 Ford pickup in its factory dark green whose cab had just been color sanded and the bed was being done. There was also an early Mustang in a brick red that was complete, just not reassembled and both looked great to my untrained eye.

[oldman3]

Dan, kind of late seeing this, but cab is in great shape, very little rust...Jim

[cameo]

From a Canadian's point of view, that is a rust free cab for sure. I wish. My truck would have been done 20 years ago if mine was like that.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks guys.

I really wondered if I would find problems in the inside steps, the headlight brows, etc. only one place was a surprise and I didn't get a picture of it. It's at the front of the passenger side door opening but it was repaired by torch in the past sometime. So even though it doesn't look all that good bare naked it was not visible under filler and I can tell the filler was very thin there. The ONLY place it was thin!

The story goes that the truck was made in the SoCal Van Nuys plant (did they really make trucks there?) and the original owner kept it til 1992 when he got too old to drive it anymore. I know I t sat til 2010 because it was not registered between '92 - '10. I bought it early in 2011 from the next owner who really did nothing to it, so I kinda/sorta feel like only the 2nd owner!

[Dan in Pasadena]

I went to The Car and Truck Shop today for cab corners. Stopped by the painter's to drop off them off and take a look at the primered cab. Looks great to me so far and I continue to be happy there is so little rust.


But it did turn out there were a couple very minor additional rust-through spots in the steps I'd not noticed before but nothing big enough to require replacement of the steps, whew! More like "bug holes":


The one other bad spot I told you guys about but had no picture of before is shown here. Someone did a bad repair on it years ago with a torch and bondo'd over it. But all in all its better they cut out the rusted metal and welded in new - even if poorly done - than just cover the rust to continue eating metal underneath. This will get cut out and replaced with a much better patch.

[Advanced Design]

Wow, very solid cab. Looks nice!

[focusedontheprize]

Cab looks great Dan. Looking forward to the progress!

[_Ogre]

But I think all this constitutes a nearly rust free truck in most parts of the country.

definitely!


here in se michigan that would be considered new old stock

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

here in se michigan that would be considered new old stock

EEK!

Have many of you guys dealt with rust through in the roof behind the gutter? Not so much in the "brow" - I know there's a lot of that.

I assume it's condensation between the outer cab roof skin and that 6" wide metal area all around the perimeter inside. It's not that humid here in SoCal but I kind of assume the glued on headliner and perimeter rubber piece keep what little condensation forms trapped, it rolls down the metal to the gutter area (inside) and the water mixed with dust makes "mud" that starts the rot process.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Stopped by the bodyshop today and they'd already cut out both cab corners and fabricated replacement metal for repair of the bottom of the kick panel. Turns out when the original owner repaired rot he cut out the outer corners but worded flat metal over the inner. It shows surface rust, borderline crusty but not rust-through. He will grind away these old patches and depending on what he sees will grind smooth and epoxy prime or cut out and replace.





I discussed using a Fiberglas cover (ugh) over the hole-y firewall to save the hours of bodywork and the cost. He said he'd prefer if I let him do the body work on the metal and thought he could do it for about the same amount so I'm happy with that. I'd much rather have the original embossed firewall panels than a fully flat firewall.

[Kim57]

Coming along nicely.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks Kim!

Whatcha doing up at 4am? Lol

[Dan in Pasadena]

Ok, checked in on her today and went to drop off the glovebox, ashtray, heater and radio delete plates (I don't plan to use them, but want them to match eventual paint if needed) and the patch pieces for the extra radio holes the original owner put in.

Found the firewall holes are nearly done being filled; much to my pleasure, and the poor original cab corner patches had been ground off to reveal rusted but not cancerous inner cab corners below. Painter has also cut out the cancer in the bottom of the kick panels and has fabricated the patches, though they're not welded in yet.




In this picture ^^^ can someone remind me what the bolt is that is below the hood hinge bolts? I should remember but admit I don't. He wanted to fill them but I couldn't tell him what they were for so I told him to hold off. L

Also, what, did you guys with smooth firewalls do where that sheet metal retainer that holds the original fiber "washer" - I guess it's called - that the parking brake rod goes through? Should I close it off or leave it? Tentatively was going to leave the original parking brake lever but maybe there's a better option that'll show less? What did you guys do with the two square nuts right in the middle on the driver's side of the firewall?

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

In this picture ^^^ can someone remind me what the bolt is that is below the hood hinge bolts? I should remember but admit I don't. He wanted to fill them but I couldn't tell him what they were for so I told him to hold off. L

Also, what, did you guys with smooth firewalls do where that sheet metal retainer that holds the original fiber "washer" - I guess it's called - that the parking brake rod goes through? Should I close it off or leave it? Tentatively was going to leave the original parking brake lever but maybe there's a better option that'll show less? What did you guys do with the two square nuts right in the middle on the driver's side of the firewall?

1. Bolt below the hood hinge. I just had a hole there and filled it, haven't run into anything that bolts there.
2. I used a different ebrake set up so filled that one too.
3. I replaced the two square nuts, and any other bolts required to hold stuff on the inside (I think they are for the dash support above the column) with elevator bolts (see photo below) welded to the cab side of the fire wall.

I only kept the throttle hole, hinge battery tray and stock fire wall ground bolt, welded up the other 43 holes (1/8 - 1.5 diameter). I kept the factory ridges, did not want the total smooth look.

[ChuckDriver]

Dan,
I removed everything from my firewall except the hinge holes. I also filled the dimmer switch hole, moved it inside the cab, higher up on the floor, using a factory bead in the floor to center it on so the wiring lays in it. The square nuts also can off and I tacked the support from the inside to the firewall.

I also used the elevator bolts to replace the holes that the factory firewall cover was mounted with the push through fasteners.

Don't remember where I saw it but have seen the stock e-brake handle used with a Lokar cable.

You should also reworked the hole for the steering column while you're at it!

Good luck!