Projects Oh no not another Willys Gasser build, this time a Willys shop truck

One of those days today where don't seem to get much progress !!! Plus short day due to temperature not getting over 5c today, anyway the 30mm x 5mm stainless bar I ordered arrived so I got the bed strips sorted, Willys had steel bed floors if I remember right but I wanted a rubber floor for hard wearing.








The rear strip needed to be angle really as I wanted it to cap off the end of the ply, I knew this was gonna try and bow so clamped it down to the bench welded it and left it to cool, u clamped it after a few hours and the barstard was like a boomerang !!! Spent the next 2 hours getting it straight again !!!





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I'm always amazed by your work Steve. You are a Metal and a Glass Master


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Managed to sort a little problem I had with the fuel tank filler, I mounted the tank as high as I dared which left only 2" between the bed, floor and the tank,
I didn't want to access the tank through the floor as it never looks right, anyway I decided to use 1.5" stainless tube,








I hole sawed a 1.75" hole through the bed subframe sides for the filler to run through and welded in a sleeve.












first problem was the bend into the tank, I removed the plastic filler but kept the ring of bolts.
Had a look in the scrap bin but no 6" round aluminium bar, managed to use a jig I had made ages ago, hope I don't need it again.








Next up I machined the piece of aluminium bar into this, I dropped the inner mounting flange so I could still use a mandrel bend.










Next up was a stainless flange for the bend to weld too, also made a gasket for this.










A few bits of straight and half a bend got me over to the hole I had made previously in the bed subframe.








Next was the outer filler tube it self, I found an old filler cap on my shelf but it was for 2" tube so first job was to make up an adapter, only had a lump of steel so thats what its made of.

A bit more straight bits and a 90 degree bend shaved to 75 degrees and it was done.










It looked a bit bare on the outside so I turned up a finisher that looks like its rivetted in place, its actually bolted.







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That's a pretty clever way to keep the bend tight to the tank, I will have to bank that one.

 

...I hope your tank fills ok, with such a flat fill tube it mite tend to kick back.
if so, maybe you could extend your outside tube up a few inches, (6-8)

 

No problem mate, cheers

 

The cap is roughly 6-7" above max fuel level so it won't be a problem but thanks for the input

 

yup, I see that now, pics all didn't load first time, that should work fine.

 

Looking good Steve!!! Merry Christmas!

 

I weighted to comment till I read the whole thread
Merry Christmas
even that you are over on the other side of the pond I am starting to get your accent
I spent a month in Maradee out side LLandgolan sorry I cant spell
that is a very well planed out truck extremely good work can not weight to see the finish

 

Last night I started to make up the bed skirt panels (not sure of the correct name) I had started to make a rolled rear pan last week but once finished I thought it didn't look right as the bed is very squared off looking so that was consigned to the scrap bin

Anyway popped back to my mate Brians engineering shop and bent up some more 16swg sheet, only had black left but once blasted it will be fine, dims are 5" with 1.125" returns. The wheel end has a 60 degree slash cut and the corner bend I did in my shop.








All the holes are slotted to make it easy to fit and allow some adjustment.








I decided to make it in 2 pieces as its much easier, heres the offside in place.










Heres the finished job with finisher in place, finisher will be held in place by rivet bolts same as filler trim.







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Merry Xmas to you and your family too Mark

 

Thankyou, and merry Xmas to you too

 

Been sorting out Wipers over xmas, started off with a Mini system and widened it to suit, as usual at Xmas time all the suppliers are shut so will have to wait till monday to get a longer drive cable.

First job was to space the wheelboxes off the body, I used some nylon bar for this and turned up some spacers.








The existing finishers were angled and too thick so I spun up a couple of finishers in stainless for the nuts to tighten down on.








The outer steel bundy tubes were obviously the wrong length so needed extending, couldn't find any 5/16" tube so ended up using some 3/8" copper gas tube, the 5/16 is a nice snug fit in this. Then just soldered the joints.










Bolted the wheelboxes in place so now just need to add longer drive cable and mount the wiper motor.











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Well thought out an innovative as usual! I always look forward to your post see what I can learn and adapt to my own needs.

 

Thanks mate, happy new year to you all.

 

As usual with xmas time everywhere is shut so still waiting for small bits to finish off lots of jobs so my thoughts wandered to front panels, On the Willys I like to setup the hood first and get the beltline aligned with the door so first job was to find a hood hinge, stock is just a type of piano hinge, I found lots of piano hinge but the hinge part was pretty light duty on them all, luckily my old mate Gary Layton had a bit of heavy duty stainless hinge in his scrap box
Its 1.125" wide on each leg and has a nice chunky 1/4" rod hinge (although this caused a problem)
First it was cut to length and the shape of the recess








Unfortunately the thickness of the hinge meant the width of the leg had to be reduced considerably, Its held in place with 5 bolts so i'm sure it will be be fine.














Well it was xmas so I bought myself a present








Next job kept me nice & warm for a while Had to rub down the fibreglass where I had joined the cab to the firewall. It still needs blending & fettling but I will do that later.




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Started on the hood hinge at the weekend so next step was to start mocking up the hood, luckily my laminator moulded one up over xmas so tried it for general fit, pretty close !!! there is a slight interference with the rad but by removing the 1" spacers I used under the mounts and dropping it slightly it will be fine.










When I was building my coupe I came across a Pontiac hood scoop that they used a lot back in the 60's but when the blower arrived it obviously didn't get used, the original was in very poor shape and couldn't be saved but it was good enough to get a mould off so thought I would use it on the pickup, placement not cast in stone yet but I like it.









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You do great work. I love your builds. I learn a lot from you.

 

Steve, I like the scoop too! Awesome work as usual!!

 

Thats nice to hear bud, hope i don't let you down

 

A few bits I ordered over the xmas period showed up at last so could get a few unfinished jobs finished.
Had a nice relaxed evening on the lathe & mill, first job was to make a bracket to hold the wiper motor, I was missing the usual U bracket that holds it, I guess it would of been easy to bend up a bit of flat thin bar for it but I wanted something better so dived in the scrap aluminium bin and found a small square bit of 3/4" flat plate, stuck it in the 4 jaw chuck and bored a 3.125" hole in it, a bit of blending & fettling and viola one bracket








I couldn't find a thin bit of rubber anywhere so a bit of gasket material serves as temporary cushion. Also my 60" wiper rack cable turned up








Next job was my servo/booster is mounted behind the dash under the bulkhead which meant I needed to get the brake pipes through to it and then back again, I don't like grommets on the firewall so decided on a type of thru the frame fittings, carrying on my theme of brass brake fittings threw up a problem that they didn't make them in brass, luckily I had a lathe and some 3/4" hexagon brass bar







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Forgot to post a pic of the brass thru the frame type fitting for the vacuum hose, so here it is










Ran a bit of brake pipe up to see how it looked all fitted.








Started making up the front side skirt for the pickup bed, The front is slightly deeper than the back and I originally made it in one piece but it looked slab sided so I made it in two pieces instead, looks better i reckon ?







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Not much progress today as had lots of hotrod customers round, anyway I made a start on the mounting points for the front fenders. I made the same plates as I used on my coupe, they are 1.5" x 1/8" flat steel with M10 nuts welded on. They are then curved to fit inside the curved part of the arch, the drilled holes are larger to allow for some adjustment. The studs are removable as will become apparent shortly.










These curved plates fit in this gap in the curved section.










Here is the curved section from the outside and with the plates/studs in position.










Someone asked about the servo/booster and I realised I had forgot to post the pics so here they are.









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Steve were the wipers from an Austin or a BMW mini

 

Hi Steve.As usual,a really sweet build.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Old classic mini Jeff, most of the cars in the UK in the 60's & 70's used the lucas wiper setup, even milk floats !!!

 

It's gonna be the coolest shop truck in the UK!
Great Work once again Steve!

 

Cheers mate, it looks like a dogs breakfast at the moment but once I strip down and get it primed it will start to look something.

 

Been pressing on with the Hood fitting, fitted hinge earlier but needed a piece of 3/8" aluminium to bond to the hood so I could bolt it to the hinge.
Lined it all up by taping the deluxe side trim in place on the door & hood, this has a different profile to the one on my coupe, the 41/42 trim has a peak in the centre of the trim whereas the 40 is a half round trim with no peak.

The 3/8" aluminium was drilled & tapped for some 1/4" countersunk socket cap screws, these act as studs for the hinge to bolt too, the holes were drilled oversize to allow some adjustment.










I temporally attached to hood to the aluminium plate with a couple of bolts and a plate to spread the load, I will reglass the holes later.








Just needs a bit of gapping at the rear & sides of the hood and I can get on fitting the front fenders









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