Projects My '32 5 Window Project - Done and Cruising!!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to go through your process. When you have time shoot a picture of your arsenal of stones. I am clear on your other selections but just want to be clear on your selection here. You do some wonderful work and I really appreciate your time in documenting your work.

 

Regarding the wiper delete I was ordering why in regards to being able to liscence it. You don't need a safety inspection?

Up here in BC some guys build their whole car around the wiper system as it does rain here occasionally! LOL

 

No annual inspection here. Not a problem.
SPark

 

With the '32 out of my shop, had a bit more time to work on the unibody project the last couple days between other "issues" going on around here (my daily driver F150 had a caliper lock up so it got new calipers and hoses today, my garage door broke a wheel in the track and wouldn't let the door open so had to replace a roller and had to make a few parts runs for little parts and pieces).

Cut pieces out of a second dash insert to change the shape of it slightly. Wanted it flat across the bottom edge since I wasn't using the single large round stock gauge cluster anymore. Lightly tacked the new bottom piece in place then bolted it to the dash and welded it fully in it's final position. Also filled a couple unneeded holes. Removed the center of the insert so it was just a surround. Then I added a smooth aluminum filler panel. Welded a few small tabs to the back of the surround so it could all bolt together. Then located the aluminum gauge trim piece and bent it to follow the contour of the dash insert. Once that was done, I temporarily attached it to the filler panel with with a couple small bolts. Won't spend the effort to cut the gauge hole in the aluminum panel except the center hole for each gauge and the idiot lights. Don't need those big holes until final assembly and leaving the panel intact will make the aluminum panel/template stiffer to transfer to the stainless later.

For the final assembly, the surround will be chrome, the smooth aluminum filler panel will be replaced with engine turned stainless steel (the aluminum piece will be a perfect template) and the new gauges will hold the trim piece in place against the stainless panel. Should look nice.

SPark

 

Took the final trim pieces for the '32 to the upholsterer at the end of last week (made a set of stainless surrounds for the brake lever and shifter). While down there I also made a little modification to the door that goes above the master cylinder so he could upholster it easier and we could hook it back down with the extra thickness of the carpet.

Decided to keep working on the dash on the unibody. Filled the unnecessary holes for the cigar lighter, wiper switch, 4 way flashers and all the extra screw/bolt holes put in the bottom edge thru the life of the truck.

Once those were taken care of I broke out the shrinker and stretcher and created a panel to get rid of the dip below the original cluster. I cut the dip out below the gauge cluster and made it straight across to match the cluster insert I modified. It's now straight across and the dash insert fits nicely.

Next, since I got rid of the cigar lighter and it's hole in the dash, I filled the ash tray in by using the face plate for the ash tray. Had to create a couple filler pieces for the side (beside the glove box door) and bottom edge. All welded in and ground down.

Will bodywork the dash after it gets back from being blasted later on. That pretty much finished the dash work. It's coming along nicely and should be one slick slick!

SPark

 

Infusion yesterday went well. Got all the way up to 5* once on our trip to Des Moines and back (little over 100 miles each way). Blood pressure is playing along nicely right now. Doctor didn't have any concerns or complaints so that's always good. Seem to be tolerating the higher dose of meds that stretching the time frame calls for. Liking the every 3 weeks instead of every 2, less pokes per year!

Checked in on the '32 hood and grille today, too. No progress there in the last couple weeks. At least the pieces are sitting in the main work area now and not back in the corner of the back room! They looked like they were getting caught up on their normal work a bit and said then planned to shoot hi build in the next few days so they can work towards finishing it up completely. Those 2 parts are all that needs painted and the paint job will be done.​

Finished welding all the tabs on the gauge surround for the unibody and rounding all the corners and cleaned it all up. Dropped that piece off at the chrome shop this afternoon. Will need a little extra lovin' where I spliced the piece in the lower edge and repaired the 2 extra holes in it. Little extra copper to fill some gouges and a low spot at one hole repair and sanding/buffing to get things smooth enough for the chrome. Close but not perfect right now. Thought 2 layers of copper would do it all. Should have it back in 6-8 weeks according to them.

When I got back home I started filling the extra holes and doing some repairs on the firewall. Looks like somebody beat it with a big hammer in a couple places, need to straighten that before going any further. Then we'll plug all the unneeded holes and weld all the seams so it can be smoothed.

SPark

 

Work continues on the unibody while the '32 is gone.

The seats are mounted with Bill Wilson's reproduction 65/66 Ranger bucket seat brackets. Great pieces. The only problem (and we knew this going into the deal) is that the floor pan under the seat area of a 61-64 is slightly different than the 65-66 floor pan they are designed for. The outer brackets bolt to the factory bench seat holes. You have to create the inner holes, which I did a long time ago. Only problem is that both seats leaned slightly towards the center. Now I needed to get everything sitting level. Working with a 4' level/straight edge I determined the center brackets were right at 3/8" lower than the outer brackets. Simple fix. Welded some 3/8" x 1.5" x 12.25" bar stock to the bottom of the center brackets. Perfect! Now I'm working on making the center jump seat from a 1969 AMC Rebel (my first car) fit between the seats. I like driving with an arm rest and this fills the bill. Will eventually have it upholstered to match the seats.

Was measuring for the possible fit of a tonneau cover and found a little issue. The back lower edge of the big window section had a small bow in it where it welds to the top of the front bed rail. Damn! Almost 3/16" at the worst spot. Made a little template of the correct area I needed to match and cut from just right of center to almost the left edge on the straight portion of the back panel. In total, I cut 32" from side to side to correct the issue. Once it was cut loose I used clamps and the template to get things where they needed to be and tacked them in place. Once everything was tacked back where it should have been to begin with, I welded it up, ground it back and was back to where I really needed to be.

4.5 hours later it was correct and I can look at it without regret. No idea how I missed that little deal but once I saw it there was no denying it was wrong! Like I am always telling others, don't be afraid to cut it loose and make it right or you will always regret it. No way I could ignore that once I knew it was there.​

Also started blasting some of the smaller parts and getting them into etch prime. Once they are fit up, detailed then I'm blasting and priming them so they will be ready to go when the time to paint comes along. Little things take a lot of time, just as well do them while I have that time and the energy to do them.

Bunch of little parts ordered so I can keep moving forward. Just as I did with the '32, everything will be fit and adjusted/fixed before anything is painted. Big fan of dry fitting and test fitting everything so there are minimal surprises at final assembly.

SPark

 

Been away from the H.A.M.B. for a while. Glad to hear your treatments are still going well. Also good to see the progress on both projects! Keep on kicking a$$!

 

Upholsterer called the other day with a few questions on the '32. They are sewing seat cushions! Think they got back to work on the hood and grille shell, too. As long as I have the room I'll keep working on the unibody.

Got a few parts in this week, still waiting on a few more to be delivered. Roughed in a few odd little things. Picked up a set of floor pans to replace some badly pitted areas.

Finished filling all the extra holes and seams on the firewall I could reach with the engine still in there. Will have a few more to fill once the engine is out. Looking better with each hole filled. Some areas were better off with 1 big patch than doing 8 little ones,

Got a new choke cable setup for a stock 61-64 F100. A few little modifications and it works as normal on the 8V setup. For those that don’t know, the 8V setup runs off the front carb and has progressive linkage to run the rear carb as you open the throttle further. I'm using all new Shelby linkage from Tony Branda. The front carb is the only one with a choke on the ‘62/63 setup like this one. Both carbs are also sitting backwards on the intake to make it a little more interesting. Lots of moving parts to get synchronized.

Finished fixing the 2 hood hinge mount holes I will be using on each side of the firewall. My reverse tilt hood kit from Copper State Components only uses these 2 holes on each side. I went with studs so I could use stainless acorn nuts to finish it off.

Got the brake master cylinder mount cleaned up and ready for the new MC that should be here tomorrow. Local parts store thought they had the correct one but it turned out to be drum/drum. Going with a 15/16” Maverick non power disc/drum MC. The smaller bore should give a better brake with the same pedal pressure. We’ll see. Not a big deal to change if I have to go to a 1” cylinder after it’s drivable.

That pretty much finished the initial fab work on the front half and most of the interior. Cleaned up the shop a bit and rolled the truck forward so I can get back to work on the rear.

Last thing on the list today was decide on gas tank size. I got rid of the in cab tank and will run one left to right across the front of the box. Already moved the filler neck from the cab area to right behind the front stake pocket. Want to take up as little room as possible in the box and shooting for around 30 gallon capacity. The cardboard box the angled tube is sitting on is about the same end area as the tank will be. 60” wide x12.5” tall x 10” front to back will get me right at 32.5 gallons. It will never haul more than lawn chairs a cooler and suitcases so losing 10” of bed space should work fine.

SPark

 

How about some interior pictures as it is being done?

 

Might be down there later this week to get some other work quoted. If I make it down there I'll be sure to take pictures (I take a lot of pictures!).
SPark

 

I am really enjoying your builds, keep posting and lots of pictures never gets old!

 

Ran down to the upholstery shop today. He has all the backing cards made for the doors, kick panels and quarters done. Most of the stitching is done. Carpet is mostly done. Not great pictures but it shows the colors.

Also spent some time talking about some changes to the unibody seats and the center seat/arm rest. Now that we’re on the same page I can start making some modifications to the center seat.

SPark

 

Looking good.
r


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Great progress! Can't wait to see it finished.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Lookin good,Steve ....2 for the price of one! maybe gonna see the coupe this summer...Des Moines?

 

Unibody progress, started actually building the gas tank.

Had a local steel shop bend the front, bottom and back from a single sheet of 14ga. to get out of 10' of welding. Also sheared the 2 end plates and top plate. Tacked the end plates in place, added a couple baffles and 4 cross bars for the top to weld to. Cut the holes for the filler neck and a couple of bungs (vent line on the left and future expansion to EFI return line in the future if I don't like the carb setup). Also put in a plate to bolt the fuel level sending unit. Everything is welded inside and out now except the fuel level plate (perimeter welded inside and sealed with a gasket on the outside when the sender goes in place). Still have to make a vent notch across the tops of the cross bars and weld in a short piece of 1/4 round tubing.

Cleaned up the welds. Notched the upper mount to clear the top bungs. Waiting on the battery box to finalize the left/right placement of the tank and add the bottom fuel line pickup bung. Then I can weld the mounts in place.

Still undecided on fuel tank sealer. Considering the Eastwood system. Anyone used it? If so, what did you think of it? Other ways to seal the tank? Want to do the cleaning and etching before welding the top in place.

SPark

 

Wow that is a biggie.

 

I'm guessing around 40 gallon. H x W x L ÷ 231...

 

32.5 gallons. Gonna need it with the dual quad FE!
SPark

 

Decided to cut the engine turned stainless steel panel for the dash insert on the unibody. Bought the panel from FPM Metals and it is a nice piece. Very happy with the quality of the panel. Got all the holes cut, no problem. Even working from the back of the panel I managed to keep the gauges running parallel to the swirl pattern. Used 1/2" pattern and think it will look great with the chrome surround.

Made an aluminum template of the layout. Taped around the hole saws to fit snugly in the gauge bezel and used that to transfer the holes to the aluminum template. Used that template to put the 1/4" pilot holes (for the gauge holes) and 11/64" light and mounting holes in the proper places on the stainless panel. screwed thru the mounting holes in the aluminum, then thru the stainless and into a piece of plywood for stability. Then moved to the drill press and bored the gauge holes. Cut the gauge holes slightly undersized so I had to use the die grinder to bring them out to full size and match the bezel perfectly. Worked great.

More work on the unibody gas tank. Got the battery box location nailed down and that dictated the final tank location. Got the fuel line bung welded in the bottom of the tank and hole bored in the floor to match. Bung only clears the torque box under the floor by 1/4". That let me lay out the bolt pattern for the mounting bolts. A coupe more bolts than it needs but I want them symmetrical when you look at it. Moving the tank to the left also required changing the angle of the filler neck. Just shortened the straight filler neck and welded a short elbow in place. Perfect fit. Also had to trim the flanges on the battery box so it fit between the tank and box wall. All those measurements paid off.
​

The '32 should be nearing completion on the upholstery front. This is the 5th week, they estimated around 5 weeks and were pretty much on schedule when I talked to them last. There was a little delay getting the green leather at first but they worked thru that time period with what they had and making panels so no real time was lost. Getting excited!

Got another infusion on Thursday. Going good on that front. Doc called me "boring" for a change. Labs right down the middle, no concerns. Back in 3 weeks for another infusion then 3 weeks after that I get the day of scans and tests to make sure things are still under control with the spread out treatments.

SPark

 

Glad to hear you’re boring your doctor. Really enjoying following your 2fer build thread here, too!

 

Finished up the unibody gas tank fabrication today. 13’ of weld done! Aligned everything, clamped it in place and tacked the top on the gas tank.

After it was all tacked in place I skip welded the seam around the top 1-1/2” to 2” at a time. Weld a couple inches and cool it until you could rest your bare hand on it then skip 4” or so and weld another couple inches. Once it was all skip welded the first time around I went back and did 2” or so between the first round of welds. Cooling after each weld. Once that round was done it was time for round 3 and filling in all the remaining gaps until it was 100% welded. Came out great.

Let it cool a bit then I started grinding to get those nice clean corners.

Once the corners were all ground, I welded the mounts in place. Gas tank is done except sealing it inside.

SPark

 

Why use sealer? How about just pressure check and fill any pinholes.

Maybe a plater could coat the inside with galvanizing or some other plating if you are worried about rust?

 

Still kicking around ideas. It's all new metal, no rust inside right now. Might just leave it as is and use the Sta-Bil 360 and keep it treated. Still weighing options. Need to pressure check it first!
SPark

 

I’ve never heard good things about slosh around gas tank sealers and new fuels. I wouldn’t use any.

 

The "new" seals are good against the "new" gas/alcohol mix. I have my tanks sealed at a local radiator shop. They acid etch, rinse, seal and pressure test. Never had a leak or sealer lift in the three tanks I have had done in the last eight years. Can't begin to tell you what the products they use are.

 

That's a boatload of welding and grinding, nice job !

 

Stopped by the paint shop this afternoon to check on '32 progress. None. Everything laying right where I left it, untouched. Trying to get them off dead center and finish the hood and grille shell, that's all that's left. You would think he would like to be paid for what he's already done.

Gauges for the uni showed up today. Fit pretty good. Speedo fit is excellent, gauges could be a little tighter. Problems of working with universal gauge surround. Can't wait to get the chromed dash piece back this bolts into. Should look nice in a gloss black dash!

Also started gutting the doors. Everything so far is in great shape. Amazing how nice some pieces that have been in those doors since 1962 look brand new!

Supposedly had a blaster coming over since Monday to give me a quote on blasting the inside of the box, cab, firewall and door jambs. He wanted to look at it first. Think he's lost this job. He's had 4 days to get here, hasn't even called. Guess we're hauling it 50 miles to my "regular" blaster. He's dependable.

SPark