Projects My chopped n channeled '48 F-1 custom pickup build thread

Well I've had this ol' Ford pickup cab lying around for a year or so ,and since my other projects are needing significant cash injections which I don't have at the mo...figured I may as well start 'nuther 'un!!

Please excuse the O/T chassis ,but it too has been sitting round here for too long. It's a great chassis from under an early '80s HZ Holden ute and has the radial tuned flash-as-all-get-out suspension which I won't be touching...well aside from moving the rear leafs inward

I don't have much money to spend on my truck ,but I have a bit of a parts stash ,some materials,a few good bits of equipment and a certain measure of skill.

Follow along and see if I can get my ol' pickemup on the blacktop in time for my Hotrod club's 40th anniversary...in October '13. It won't be getting paint ,at this stage I'll keep the old look until I'm happy all is as it should be.

This is what I started with in January..

and the chassis.

PB

 

I started by narrowing the chassis from the base of the firewall back. I should mention its getting a 283 out of a '64 Ponty,a '57 3spd box, unsure of the diff ...and an assortment of '46 Fleet-master and '59 Dodge bits n pieces too.

 

once I had the chassis tacked up close I sat the cab on to check the fit. Then moved the spring pads on the diff,and started cuttin on the cab.

Firewall coming out..

 

floor and firewall out in one piece..

 

surface rust ..around the edges of the holes..or sould that be whole?

 

at this point the things were a bit up in the air...

 

the inner L/R cab corner..

 

I cut out a blank for a new rear floor section




then , i trimmed out the panel using aviation snips and my 'man'size snips




I turned the edge flange using my swaging machine (bead roller) and put a joggle across it in the bender

 

I trimmed back and cut out the inner structure of the R/H side of the front bulkhead..

 

I cleaned up and treated the remaining rust and zinc primed the inner surfaces. Then made up the new section of inner with some similar swages ,and made it 4.5ins deeper to accomodate the channeled floor...

 

Next I repaired the rear cab corners..

rusty L/R corner outer..

trimmed..




new section oxy/acet butt welded in (hammer welded)



and file finished ..

 

The R/R cab corner..

New section welded in..
R/R corner metal finished..

 

R/R cab corner inside

 

More pics tomorrow 'yawn'..

PB

 

This is gonna be a cool build!

 

Looks great so far.

 

Go Fleet go! Looks good!

 

You are doing a great job on this project!

 

Awesome.

Some good threads on here of some kustom f1 pickups in the works. This build now, Kevin Lee's and there is another one I am forgetting.

Chuck Porter's yellow f1 that was chopped and sectioned is a good one for inspiration too...

 

I'll be watching this one!!!! I've been wanting a 51/52 F1 for years!!!

 

thanks for the comments guys. Chuck Porters truck was one of the inspirations for my build.

 

Porters truck is stunning. I really think a section is in order for yours!

 

Subscribed.

 

If I did my wife wouldn't be able to fit...hmmm you might be on to something there...

 

the bottom side of the floor after sandblasting..

i trimmed 4.5ins off the top of the firewall ,allowing for redoing the flange along the top in the bender. I forgot to take pics tho. Then I repaired the RH toeboard area by making up a new piece and gas butt welding it in. I forgot to take photos tho.


I fitted a few new sections into the inner B-pillars and fitted up the new -much deeper- sills (or rockers as you Americans call them)



In tandem with those bits, I clamped and PK screwed the new rear floor section in place at the new height..

 

With the sills in place determining the height, I was able to then re-fit the firewall. The advantage of drilling out spot welds and reusing them paid off big time here..

The pic shows the plug weld holes across the top of the firewall. The tack weld was an initial one to hold the panel in place. Before welding the holes up I used a skinny cut off wheel to remove the paint as needed to ensure I got good welds.



I should mention ,(for the benefit of anyone who's not done this type of thing )that throughout the whole process-right from the start on the chassis- I am constantly making sure everything is true and level. The pic shows ,I'm doin ok at this point

I gota go do some paid work , more to come...

 

subscribed! I am building an F3 on a crown vic chassis. #inspiration!

 

looks like a interesting project

will follow

 

wow, nice work so far........john

 

Nice work