Projects My roadster pickup project.

Thanks, Joe. I think it is glass, so maybe something like CLR ?

Don

 

I should have mentioned that I've used that on glass too... just to clean it a bit.
If it's a slight buildup that CLR would remove then that stuff should work a little better, IMO.

You could hunt around to see if you can find any "Jeweler's Rouge" to polish glass.
Harbor Freight might even have it, if you don't know any old-time watch makers.

I wouldn't be comfortable dipping that in an acid bath without lots of assurance from someone with a lot experience.
But what do I know????

Joe

 

I haven't even tried cleaning them up yet, for all I know just some Dawn dish detergent might do the trick. They are old but pretty nice and the glass looks good. I think I'll try washing them up tonight. maybe put them in the dishwasher basket where you put silverware.

Don

 

I think a small ultra sonic cleaner would do a nice job. [Harbor Freight - and don't forget the 20% off coupon]

And, I like the possible addition of Dawn to it. They make an extra strength version I will try on my OT MH.

Beautiful lights.

 

These old guys build really nice cars !!!


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I cleaned up the lenses in the license lights the other night, turns out they were just dirty, so some Dawn got them like new, and then Dan buffed the stainless housings for me and those came out nice. Now I just have to drill two 1.25 holes in the tailgate for the prongs to slip into and they will be mounted.

Last night I worked on getting the final panel made for the bed, this is the front of the bed. It is virtually a mirror image of the tailgate, except the bead doesn't continue along the lower portion because it will be below the floor and won't show.

Here is the final panel in place, those notches are for the frame kickup and driveshaft clearance:



And the side view and looking forward into the bed.







My next step will be making a framework inside the bed to give it some stiffness and to support the floor, which I still have to make. I also have to make some crossbraces and stake pockets, and to drill holes for the button head bolts that will hold the bed together.

THe whole car will probably get wheeled outside tomorrow so I can look at it in the daylight from far away to see how high the bed should go.

Don

 

Very cool!! dig that bed... gives me some ideas, thanks for gettin the gears a turnin!!

 

Thanks. Yep, it has been pretty satisfying making this bed. I've never been a tin bender but I'm learning to take my time , measure carefully, and then keep checking the squareness as I go along. I've just been doing one panel per night and when I start getting tired I just quit for the night.

I'm glad I am done for a while using the nibbler to cut the sheet metal. My tennis shoes had so many of those little C shaped pieces of steel imbedded that I had to toss them in the garbage.

Don

 

Ooooh outside yeah. The bed looks good

 

Thanks. Yep, Dan's rpu is blocking the garage door in the shop but he is planning on driving it to work tomorrow, so I can push mine outside for some fresh air. Then I can figure out how high I can mount the bed to where it looks good.

Don

 

Looking good Don. Those nibblers make a mess but they are great little tools
Later,
Dick

 

Yep, tonight I was still picking those C shaped pieces of steel out of the bottom of my shoes with needlenose pliers, and that was after I swept and vacuumed last night. Those things are just EVIL !

I didn't get to push my car outside today because I forgot one important step.......the bed was being held together with a ton of vice grips and clamps, there was no way it would fit on the frame with all those on there. So the first order of business was to get rid of the vice grips and use Clecos to hold the four sides of the bed together.

There are going to be 40 bolts holding the stake pockets to the bed sides and I knew there was no way I was going to be able to drill 40 holes all spaced evenly and in line. What I came up with was a little jig I made from some 1 inch x 3/16 steel strap. I drilled five 3/16 inch holes in the strap, right down the middle, all evenly spaced 3 inches apart. By clamping this jig to the corner of each bedside I was able to run a drill through the holes in the jig and then on through the 18 gauge bedsides.

There was no way to misdrill a hole because the jig forced the bit to go right where it was supposed to be. As I drilled a hole I would insert a Cleco and when all the holes in that section were drilled I removed the jig and just put a Cleco into each hole. Here is a picture of the jig in place as I was replacing the clamps with Clecos.



After I got the first 20 holes Cleco'd (5 per corner x 4 corners) I was able to lift the bed onto the back of the car for a trial fit. I won't drill the next 20 holes (on the other side of the stake pockets I make ) until I actually have the pockets built. I also took the time tonight to drill the holes for my license plate, and I drilled two 1.25 inch holes so I could install the license lights, one on each side of the plate. I left some room on each side of the plate in case the frame I end up using is a little wide.

Here are some pictures of the bed that is now sitting in place on the car. I am anxious to see it outside tomorrow so that I can finalize the height the bed will be mounted at.









Here is a close up of one of the license plate lights, I think it was mounted in the splash apron of some Ford car, I just don't know what year they came from.



Don

 

what a fine rpu this will be, good job, Don!

 

Thank you Sir . Nothin special, but I think it will be fun.

Don

 

I like your tin work, real nice.
It is these kinds of builds that inspire to get people out in the garage and do something on their own projects, or well at least to clean off the work bench.

 

Thanks, sstock. As for the clean workbench, that is the reason I got rid of ours........I couldn't keep it from becoming a catchall !

Today we finally got to push my rpu out into the sunshine and stand back and look at it and take some pictures. I'm pretty sure the bed is right where I want it, so now I can start making the brackets to mount it to the frame. Here are some of those pictures:




I had to put one door on to see how it looked with it in place. It is starting to look like a car finally. Maybe by the Spring I will have it running and can take it to Billetproof, or at least to Turkey Run next year in November.









Don

 

OOoooo nice.
The bed looks "right".
Some day I'll get back to work on mine, I hope. Sigh.

 

Hey Dan

I've been subscribed to your thread for awhile but this is my first post.

Nice work! I've enjoyed following. You are doing very professional work using low tech methods. It's the kind of thing a Neanderthal like me can aspire to!

Your rpu looks great! Carry on.

 

Looking good Don.

Larry.

 

Thanks Joe, Burger, and Larry. Much appreciated. Yep, one thing I have never been accused of is being high tech.

Don

 

Nice work Don. The bed came out really nice!!

 

i really enjoy this build !

 

Thanks K13 and DB13.

Don

 

Hey Don that is looking real good, the bed proportions look spot on old chap, looking forward to seeing this in the flesh. .

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Thanks, Steve. We're looking forward to you and Sue's visit too.

P.S. It's starting to cool off for the year so you won't be suffering like last year.

Don

 

Nice!
Looks great with a box and some
daylight shining on it!

 

Thanks, FM. I actually surprised myself on the bed turning out ok, considering I don't see so great anymore.

Don

 

Looking good! I love Roadster Pickups!

 

You must be seeing fine Don as that top stuff. Looks even better out side and the rear shot of the T is very cool. What colors are you thinking? JW

 

Thanks, Guys. JW, I am all over the place on color selection. I would love to do it in the same hot rod black as my 27, but I don't need two cars the same color. I have been leaning toward red, but not like Viper Red, more of an old timey duller red, something like we would have had in the 50's or 60's.

Color is always the hardest decision when building a car, and I don't know if there is really ever any "right" color. I liked the maroon they sprayed on the 32 on Loud and Fast (I watched only for the car and turned the sound off ) It was really a sharp color, and I think they said it was a 1940-ish maroon.

Like always, I probably won't know for sure until I go into the paint store and lay down my money.

Don