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Projects My 52 Ford F1 Project

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 52 Ford F1, Mar 13, 2012.

  1. Got the radiator and battery off... Attacked the underbody and frame to remove rust and put on some undercoat.

    Got the interior pretty much stripped. Found the last owner used a trash bin for a glove box... Creative...

    Other than that, rust removal, patching, drinking, and more grinding and painting.
     

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  2. Got some more progress this weekend.

    Went through the passenger side brakes and packed the bearings. Replaced the shock and cleaned up the surrounding frame for a touch of paint.

    Welded up some of the holes in my hood to go with the single stripe trim rather than the 3 stripes.

    Other than that, cleaned up the transmission cover and primed then coated. Cleaned up the transmission while the cover was out.

    Thanks for reading!
     

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  3. Wow, you're making good progress.

    F1's are the best but I'm partial.
     
  4. Completed drivers side brake check, shock change, and general cleanup and painting.

    Had a helper this weekend who started attacking the running boards. They are stripped and after beating one with a hammer for about 3 hours I have it close to presentable but no where near perfect...

    While he was grinding I welded up some corrosion on the front of the cab. Not the prettiest work, but no leaks and it should hold together nicely.

    Thanks very much to those who have been reading.

    Still looking for any tips to be aware of before I begin pre-assembly.. I assume that the older inner fenders will fit on the 52 in place of the front fender braces, but has any done this or can confirm this?
     

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    chriseakin likes this.
  5. farmerbobb
    Joined: Apr 30, 2011
    Posts: 2

    farmerbobb
    Member

    Great looking 52! I like how your not over doing it. She'll be a great ride.
     
  6. sierra rod shop
    Joined: Feb 16, 2011
    Posts: 381

    sierra rod shop
    Member

    Looking good keep it up
     
  7. willie57
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 378

    willie57
    Member
    from wisconsin

  8. Hardest task yet... Changing the pins and bushings from the rear suspension. I had to drill a hole in the cross member to get access for a stake and had to upgrade my hammer. Tried penetrating oil, torch, impact, and a hole lot of whacking. 8 hours of work later they were off. The new ones took about an hour to get back in. The tricky part for me was lining up the retaining pin.

    Removing the springs allowed me to tackle some frame rot. I used some angle iron on the inside, which probably would have been enough, but decided to put a longer piece on the outside of the frame as well "just in case". Final pictures to come, but needless to say it isn't pretty but will work great.

    While the leaf springs were down, I removed the cracked leafs and decided to try to get some drop out of them. I had to cut the U-bolts, but got lucky and found some universal ones that fit perfectly. I used the center sections of the removed leafs to keep a consistent overall section, but flipped them to the top hoping for a drop. I tacked the spring retainers from the last leave I had to cut so they did not slide out on me.
    For Any Novices - Be Careful Cutting The Bolt Going Through The Leaf Springs.... I clamped both sides of the springs together as tight as I could and it still popped off pretty quick and loud.
    I got it rolling late last night... but couldn't get a good picture and/or tell how much the drop was... It did not look like as much as I had expected, but was also nice and stiff which was one of my goals. By only removing the lower leafs I do not expect a huge loss of capacity... Am I incorrect? Still need to get the shocks on this morning and re-tighten the driveshaft.

    Goal for this weekend is probably going to be swapping out the front bed panel, fixing my rear bed stakes, and rear bed sill. If I have time to tackle some issues with my hood I will be well on my way to pre-assembly before the end of August.

    Still kicking around paint ideas... I like the idea of flat paint colors because my bodywork will not be perfect... Flat black is my go-to choice... but I am considering flat blues also... Either something light like a baby powder blue, or a real rich navy. Any Thoughts?
     

    Attached Files:

    chriseakin likes this.
  9. Posted some pics of the suspension put back together with the new shocks and modified leaf springs.

    Rolled the truck out of the garage and am starting to finish the bed. I bought a new front panel, and 2 new bed stakes for the rear. Have the old front panel removed, ordered a new rear cross member, and have one of the 2 sides rear stake removed.

    Hope the parts ship in and I can get the box done quickly and get the truck back in the garage. Once the bed is boxed in and thrown on the back I am just a few steps from pre-assembly.
     

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  10. Now that I have the rear end handled.... I am debating the front. I know I am not going to a mustang 2... I am thinking dropped axles or springs, but things get complicated quickly with pitman arms etc... I may just wait til I decide if I am going to drop that new 351 into it... That weight alone might level me out? Anyone by chance measure ride height before and after engine height? I am considering just stacking some weight on it to simulate....

    Update on progress - Got rear bed stakes off and have one welded back in... Trying to finish up the front lower valance after removing the front bumper... Filling in the old frame openings would be a lot easier with an english wheel or planishing hammer... Hoping it looks good enough you cannot tell it was modified when it is done.
     
  11. Had a helper yesterday. Got the rear sill put together, welded on the other bed stake, and started mocking up the bed for final assembly.
    Cleaned up some misc parts, fabbing some parts, started installing some gaskets and odds and ends... I am sure it will be little items like these that will be taking up my time for the next few work days. I am chugging away at my to do list and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Looking forward to starting paint prep work... I am sure I will not enjoy the work, but it means I am getting close.
     

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    chriseakin likes this.
  12. duste01
    Joined: Nov 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,213

    duste01
    Member

    Setting a 351 in it will level out the springs, but hey, thats the way I am. If you would like to see mine, holler, maybe I can get some pictures of my '53. I just picked up on your thread today. Trying to stay out of the heat. I am working on my '39 all week. You set a price on your 6? Come by, maybe I can scare you with my 8.
     
  13. Where is retroville? haha I do not have a price on the 6, but would consider offers. I was going to use it for the rest of the year until I get the 351w ready to dump in... looking for transmission for it. I would consider trades too!

    39 Ford? Sounds like a fun project.

    Thanks for reading
     
  14. duste01
    Joined: Nov 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,213

    duste01
    Member

    Where is retroville? Georgetown. the '39 is not only a fun project, it has been a generational legacy and been in the family since I was a boy. We are alittle slow working on it I guess.
     
  15. Welded up the bed and got it an 1/8 inch off square... Pretty happy with that for doing it alone... Probably better than some of the beds coming off the line. I was not getting good spot welds so I welded the front bed panel in solid. The rear lower crossmember is all welded up too with the new bed stakes. I fabricated and welded in the rear bed lower extension panel and the bed is more or less done until paint.

    I installed the gasket for the hood air deflector, it was kind of a pain for such a little detail.

    Started to fix the bottoms of the doors. It is probably not the most orthodox way to patch the bottom of the doors, but with a little filler it should be good enough. I knew the bottoms of the doors weren't perfect, but I am glad I took a picture before and after to show what was hiding under the paint.

    Anyone have advice on how to cover the pinholes in the panel for the inner door? I am thinking about just using a bigger inner door panel to cover them, which would save a ton of time of course.

    These details getting ready for paint are taking much longer than I had hoped, but unfortunately about as long as I expected... A few more solid days and I will be starting sanding for body work and paint.
     

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  16. Just got back from a great weekend trip with some of the ford truck enthusiast forum members with 48-56 Ford trucks in Eastern Kentucky.

    I started on some of the body work and paint and body prep. Looks like I am not going to beat the cold to get painted in time... trying to find a booth somewhere to use...

    Anyways, it was a great get together, and I am now motivated to get back to work...
    I am however also working to buy a home, and will have to move my project... but hopefully having it closer will let me get more work done. Will post when some more actual progress is made.
     

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    chriseakin likes this.
  17. Have not posted in a while, life has been getting in the way. Offer accepted on a house so I have been busy with that and it kind of freezes up cash. If everything goes through I will finally have my own garage attached to my house to get more work done...

    Managed to finish up the rough bodywork on the tailgate and hood (ready for primer)


    Working on the cab now... Messed up the roof while changing out the rear bushings (jacked it up against the ceiling). Looks like even with the move I should be on pace for paint in the spring when the weather improves.
     

    Attached Files:

    chriseakin likes this.
  18. fleetwood39
    Joined: Jun 17, 2009
    Posts: 23

    fleetwood39
    Member

    If you are looking to lower the front of your F1 on a budget, Give Sid's Dropped Axles a call. Just do a search to find him. He dropped the axle for my 1950 F1. It looks amazing! He also sells tie rod drop blocks to solve the issues of lining all that back up.
    Since you are doing a bunch of the work yourself, you should look into reversing your own spring eyes on your leafs. There are a couple of great threads here on the HAMB to give you some ideas on that. Check out Loudpedal's and Anderson's tech threads. They helped me out immensely.
    I have my Ford down to the frame as we speak. Lots of cleaning and re-working the suspension. Best of luck on your build. You are working hard!
     
  19. Well here is a long post..... Catching up, so to speak.

    Discovered the exhaust manifold had cracked over winter... Bummer...
    The motor came out really easy, in large part to having the front fenders and everything dis-assembled.
    Removed the exhaust, radiator, and started pulling and labeling wires. On the back side just had to unhook the speedo, clutch, driveshaft and shifting linkage.[​IMG]
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    Unfastened the motor and cut free the trans (after rounding out the carriage bolt on the crossmember)
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    Removed the cover from the top of the motor to get enough clearance for the chains
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    Pulling...
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    Done, and for sale cheap if you are interested.
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    Also took some time to get more interior work done. The white stuff is made by GTMat, and the silver peel and stick is a generic.
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  20. Lost a few days of working on the truck from moving it out of the place I was renting it.
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    I am focusing on finding a place for all my tools and parts, Shrinking 5 car spaces worth of stuff into 2. Still have another 2 trailer loads to move... and finding a place to hide the trailer... (it folds at least) May end up with a small storage unit, but trying to avoid it.
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    Now that it is home I hope I can get more hour long sessions in while maintaining the 8 hour sessions to make up for lost time, and the free rent should help too. :D

    Out to the garage... hoping to clean up the engine bay in between organizing.


    Got the engine bay cleaned up on cinco de mayo with some help from the scrubbing bubbles and dos equis... the bubbles did some work, but I still had to.

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    Got the engine bay cleaned up and etch primer on, got the rubber undercoating for the inner fender stuff... Used the prepall after the bubbles, they left a film.
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    chriseakin likes this.
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    Still have to do some sanding and touch-up before finished pics, it looks like it will do just fine with some TLC.

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    This picture ^ was before my final coat, hoping you can not see the filler after it is dry in the AM... will wet sand and thicken the paint if needed.

    Ready to put the windshield in soon.
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    Got another coat of the brush on sound deaden-er on.
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    Painting Interior...
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    Had one helper - my cousin in town from MI, he cut out the top half of the trans cross-member, hoping I can modify it for the AOD.
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    Even with a respirator - it took its toll on me.... Good thing is you can not see they greys with all the black paint in my hair.
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    Rewarding day working on the truck - back at it tomorrow.
     
    chriseakin likes this.
  22. rebstew187
    Joined: Jan 17, 2005
    Posts: 1,491

    rebstew187
    Member

    When I get caught up on some stuff and I'll stop over and kick that ol' girl in the tailgate. We should be able to get her rolling down the road pretty quick. I just need to find some free time. It's coming though!
     
  23. RAF81
    Joined: Sep 5, 2013
    Posts: 12

    RAF81
    Member

    Any progress updates to report?
     
  24. Why yes.... In addition to the pics below... I moved again - this time 300 miles which really set me back on cash and time.... got married (so now I have half the money and time...) Sold and bought a home, remodeling, etc., etc., etc..

    Here is the condensed illustrated version:
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    still rough
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    Motor rebuilt (351w)
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    motor mounts all set and mocked up.... Trans off to be rebuilt late last week.
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    Tax return
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    disc conversion
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    Finally sourced and installed most motor parts, will finish up once re-set with trans.
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    And its registered for use with a set of 1952 Plates
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    Plenty of exciting work planned over the next few weeks... Need to install the new power brakes and new lines, along with the more obvious driveline.

    Bodywork is falling behind... but I have moved from my scattered approach to a functionality focus, once I can do some burnouts I figure I will be re-energized to spend hours with a hammer and dolly, putty spreader, and sander...

    Goal is to be driving before July (I said the same thing last spring), and be in paint for next year.

    Budget is blown.... Will spend more up front on the next one.
     
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    Plenty more to be done, everything is taking forever... Stripping paint, cleaning, and painting gas tank before plumbing fuel lines turns a simple task into a few days of waiting for things to dry.
    Slow and steady for the next few weeks should get me where I need to be.
     
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    Plenty more to do. Fighting trying to figure out the best way to mount the alternator next, and moving forward as money allows.
     
  27. FrozenMerc
    Joined: Sep 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,092

    FrozenMerc
    Member

    The truck is coming along nicely, keep up the good work.
     
  28. Got some more done. Truck is running now, but not yet driving. Been busy wiring and getting gauges in.

    For your viewing pleasure:
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    Ordering parts as money allows, but plenty of labor left to prevent that from keeping me out of the garage.
     
  29. Ford52PU
    Joined: Jan 31, 2007
    Posts: 519

    Ford52PU
    Member
    from PA

    looks really good!
     

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